J. William Jones, Christ in the camp, or religion in Lee's army

It was my privilege to know personally nearly all of the chaplains of that army, and I do not hesitate to say that, while there were in the number a few who were utterly worthless, I never knew a more zealous, laborious, self-sacrificing corps of Christian ministers than most of these chaplains were.

Rev. Dr. J. C. Stiles, of the Presbyterian Church, who, though seventy years old, gave himself to ‘the work of an evangelist’ in the army with an ability and zeal which younger men might well have imitated, thus speaks of the work of the faithful chaplain as it came under his observation:

These men not only give themselves laboriously to ordinary duties of the Christian ministry in their peculiar position, but their earnest love of Christ and the soldiers' life prompts them to a course of extraordinary self-denying service, admirably adapted to revive and extend the interest of the Christian Church in the army.

‘They form Camp Churches of all the Christians of every denomination in their regiments. The members are expected to practise all the duties of brotherly love, Christian watchfulness and Christian discipline. Indeed, they are taught to feel themselves under every obligation of strict membership. The chaplain writes to every minister or Church with which the member may have been connected, or the young convert desires to be united, and giving the name of the person, solicits the prayers of the said Church, both for the individual and the whole Camp Church, and by correspondence keeps them apprised of the history of the party. These chaplains keep a minute record, not only of the names of the whole regiment, but of all that may assist them either to save the sinner or sanctify the believer. Some of them have ten or twelve columns opposite the names of different companies of the regiment, so headed as to supply all that personal knowledge of the party which might be serviceable in promoting their spiritual welfare. These columns they fill up gradually with such intelligence as they may be able to obtain in their pastoral visitations—when sick, wounded or slain; when awakened, convicted, converted—all important information is conveyed by the chaplain to the family and the Church. These things must necessarily follow—the work of the faithful chaplain is most laborious; he is held in the very highest and ’