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tattoo, and mornings after first roll-call.
When we halted longer in
Orange, we threw all these clubs into one regimental prayer-meeting, to be conducted exclusively by the professors of religion in alphabetical order, and at the same hours, I announced my purpose of attending them seldom, in order that they
might feel that they bore all the responsibility.
This was found a most delightful service; increasing numbers attended; other regiments followed the example; and these meetings were perpetuated until the casualties of battle literally annihilated the number who composed it!
I preached in conjunction with Brother Vass every night or day; or held prayer-meeting at regimental Headquarters for the regiment.
I had also a large Bible-class reorganized, which met under a hill, protected from the hot sun by the shade of a poplar and some artificial covering of brush.
Our brigade reorganized its Christian Association, which had just been formed at the opening of the
Chancellorsville Campaign.
Considerable interest began to be manifested in my regiment, and many of our most interesting men made public profession of faith.
Rev. Wm. R. McNeer, who had for some time been acting chaplain of the Fourth Regiment, now received appointment; and Rev. C. S. M. See was made chaplain of the Fifth Regiment,
vice Walton resigned.
So the brigade was once more supplied with ministers; although Brother Grandin, of the Thirty-third, was a prisoner, having been captured in
Jefferson county, visiting his wife, and had not been released.
The spirituality of Christians seemed restored to a comfortable state, and a goodly number were gathered into the fold of professors.
The entire fall was spent in shifting from place to place; and the feverish movements of troops prevented any systematic labor by chaplains.
All my regimental meetings were kept up, however, and the
Brigade Association held regular meetings and flourished.
About Christmas we went into winter-quarters near Pisgah Church, in
Orange county.
Details of men and teams were so very heavy that it was late before we could proceed to work on chapels.
Timber was so far off that an unusually large force of both were necessary.
General Walker most generously consented to exempt from military duty all who would work on chapels.
The division pioneer corps near by agreed to assist; and
Major-General Ed. Johnson courteously offered them inducements to do so. We determined to erect two chapels, one for Fourth and Fifth Regiments, and one for Second, Twentyseventh and Thirty-third and pioneer corps, according to their positions in camp.
Owing to the great difficulty of getting teams, the work progressed slowly; but was finally accomplished, and ready for use on Sunday, January 31, 1864.
(This refers to
our own; the other was ready
about the same time.) We adopted in both instances a different form from the preceding one; both were rectangular parallelograms, thus:
(A)=chapel of Second, Twenty-seventh and Thirty-third, situated on a beautiful southern exposure slanting downward from door,
D, to chimneys=
c c, and pulpit,
P, with window,
w, at south-east corner and near the eaves of the house, made by sawing a long piece of one big log out and tacking a piece of cotton over it. Here
Vass and I served;
Grandin returned from prison, but resigned or was transferred on account of ill health, etc.
(B)=chapel of Fourth and Fifth, situated on western exposure, with pulpit,
P, fire-places,
c c, on either side of pulpit, at lower side of building.
Door in one end and near corner, at
D. Brother See served in B. These were both very comfortable houses, and great improvements upon our first chapel.
Nor did
their architects find relief in desertion.
Congregations were good; association flourished much; at A ve had daily
