598 NortH Carortina Troops, 1861-65.

sermons. Many chaplains and visiting ministers thus had
a chance to preach to brave men a few days or a few hours be-
fore they were killed. Four North Carolina preachers were
visiting the Army of Northern Virginia when it started to
Pennsylvania in June, 1863. The others will be mentioned
later. Dr. Deems, whose oldest son subsequently fell mor-
tally wounded at Gettysburg, moved on with the army for five
days and preached several times. He then turned back to
North Carolina, not knowing that his own son and many
others to whom he had preached were so soon to be cut off.

PRAYER MEETINGS.

When not convenient to assemble the entire regiment, the
Chaplain could often hold a very profitable prayer meeting
with one company and thus bring the men closer to him as
their spiritual guide. Some companies kept up family
prayer at night everywhere.

PERSONAL PASTORAL OVERSIGHT.

An efficient Chaplain would keep an alphabetical roll of
each of the ten companies of his regiment, noting certain facts
as to each man, as, his age, post office, church, converted or un-
converted, ete. During winter the Chaplain could talk with
each Christian and write home to his church. At all seasons
he was ready to write to the homes about the sick, wounded or
dead. A Chaplain was burying some of his own men at Get-
tysburg and found and buried a man from another regiment,
and wrote the fact to his father. Years after the war, the
old father heard that minister was to pass through his part of
the State. He sent his daughter several miles to meet the
preacher and thank him for his kindness. That was a very
tender interview. He was a thousand times paid for his
trouble and 10-cent postage stamp.

A ball passed through a soldier’s chest, and the enemy was
in close, hot pursuit. His Chaplain put him on his horse.
The poor fellow could not guide the horse. No time was to
be lost. The Chaplain leaped up behind the man, held him
on the saddle and made the horse run. Every plunge of the

THE CHAPLAIN SERVICE. 599

horse made the soldier scream with pain. But he caught his
breath and said, “My poor old mother will love you.”

PROCURING BIBLES AND TESTAMENTS FOR SOLDIERS,

This was a very important part of the work of Chaplains.
They gathered up and gave to the North Carolina soldiers
many thousands of the sacred volume. The soldiers were so
glad to get them. Some of those books have a history. One
lies before me as I write, presented by some friend to “Mary
E. Davis” when she was a child. On two fly-leaves we find
these words: ‘Mrs. Mary E. Betts, Chapel Hill, N. C., will
be glad to know if this volume is a blessing to anyone. Give
her the future history of this Bible. December 9, 1863.”
‘Returned to Rev. A. D. Betts, Kenansville, N. C., November
2, 1880, by Captain J. C. McMillan, of Thirtieth North Car-
olina Regiment. Captain M. kept it from December, 1863,
reading it in camp and in prison.” It had been gone nearly
twenty-five years. The owner and giver of it had heard of
its history just before she went to heaven, 5 September, 1879.

PROCURING TRACTS AND CHURCH PAPERS.

The soldiers loved to read. The Baptist, Presbyterian,
Methodist and other church papers were read in camp with
more relish and profit than they had ever been read at home.
Little tracts often put the great truths of the Gospel before
men with saving power.

SCHOOLS FOR SOLDIERS.

Some Chaplains got their Colonels to detail men to teach
others during winter. In this way some men got able to
read their Bibles and write letters to the loved ones at home.
Faithful Chaplains were busy men. The soldiers heard far
more preaching than they would have heard at home. Many
read Bibles, tracts, and papers more than they would have
done at home. Most of them thought more about religion,
prayed more, and felt their need of God more than they would
have done at home. More of our men were saved as soldiers
than would have been saved in ease, quiet and earthly com-
fort at home.