Oliver Otis Howard, Autobiography of Oliver Otis Howard, major general , United States army : volume 2

Now he was thoroughly in earnest for good and ready to turn over a new leaf. Mr. William Wadhams helped him, by a stock of goods, to go into the hardware business, but he did not succeed in that. Then he undertook the grocery trade, but after a time a second failure distressed him. I shall never forget how he would come to me and ask me to walk up and down the sidewalk with him to comfort him.

One day when matters were at their worst Chambreau received an offer from one of his old gambling friends which was very tempting, and it was accompanied by some apparatus necessary to make the card game safe and sure. His friend said: “Christians don't care for you. You will starve to death. Come back to us and you can have anything you want.”

The night after receiving this apparatus a kind lady was going past his store when she heard a man weeping aloud and praying; she went in and found Ned Chambreau on his knees in terrible distress.

“Why, Mr. Chambreau,” she said; “what is the matter!”

“Oh, dear, I cannot pay my rent and I cannot get ahead in my business, and I have had this tempting offer to go back to my old ways.”

She said kindly: “I will be your friend,” and ran out immediately, and visited several good Christian people who contributed money enough to pay his rent and bridge over the difficulties.

It was not long after, that, finding Ned Chambreau a most efficient Indian scout, I employed him as such. I sent him everywhere, and, as he was familiar with the different tribes and spoke fluently the Chinook language, he did the Government good service. He remained an active Christian until his death.