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

[381] power of religion. In a brigade of five regiments, where there has recently been a glorious revival, two of the regiments, which had not shared in the revival, broke, while the three which had been thus blessed stood firm, and changed a threatened disaster into a victory, which elicited the commendation of the higher officers, and will secure the promotion of the colonel commanding.

Despite unfavorable surroundings the men do not neglect their little prayer-meetings, and thus the good work goes on. On a large part of the line, however, we have regular preaching, and a good deal of interest is manifested in the services. In Bryan's and Wofford's Georgia, Kershaw's South Carolina, and several other brigades, there are revivals of deep interest. Indeed, we might look for a very general revival throughout the army if the position of all the troops would admit of regular labor amongst them, and we had laborers to enter the glorious harvest.

The past few weeks have been very unfavorable for religious services, as the weather has been too cold for outdoor exercises, and but few chapels have been completed, owing to scarcity of timber and transportation. I refer in this remark to the lines south of the Appomattox. Between the Appomattox and the James, and north of the James too (I believe), every brigade have one or more chapels, and there have been very decided manifestations of the revival spirit. In some of the brigades they are enjoying precious seasons of revival. A number of chapels have been completed on our part of the lines, others are in process of erection, and we are hoping for a like visitation of God's Spirit. Indeed, we have not been without manifestations of His goodness, but every week there have been a few to find peace in believing—the first droppings, we trust, of the copious shower in store for us. The prayer-meetings, Bible-classes, schools, etc., of last winter have been revived, and bid fair to be as interesting and profitable as then. Alas! it is sad to miss so many of those who last winter were the leaders in these enterprises; but it is sweet to think of them as now engaged in more blest employ, away from the sufferings of earth, and free from ‘war's rude alarms.’ We shall need now larger supplies of religious reading matter, and it is hoped that the good brethren of Georgia will offer freely of what Sherman has not taken,