tcnu Duke University Libraries A Kind word to Conf Pam 12mo #677 DTTDt,0flS3/ No. 96. A KIND WORD TO THE OFFICERS OF OUR ARMY. How should this war be conducted so as to bring it to a speedy and prosperous termination ? Our object is to achieve our political and commercial independence of the North and to win our just rights, and the sooner we can accomplish this the better. The war, then, should be prosecuted with vigor and determination. We should strike the enemy whenever and wherever we can reach him, inflict heavy blows when we are able to do so, and slight ones when we cannot inflict heavy. We must annoy him on the march, cut off his supplies, break up his lines of com- munication, and harass his outposts. Our men have proved themselves to be brave, active, and cheerful in the field; let our commanding officers appreciate these noble qualities and take advantage of them. It is chiefly behind entrenchments that our troops become dispirited and indifferent, and it is in the same condi- tion that they waste most rapidly by disease and death. Put our men into steady, active service, and they will march ten miles a day and fight five days in a week, and improve on the regimen. 2 A KIND WORD TO THE OFFICKRS OF OUR ARMY. But while we, by every means in our power, destroy the resources of our enemy, we must husband our own. No stores, ammunition, or ordnance should be destroyed, except as a last necessity. And especially should our officers be very careful of their men, not only on the march and in the encampment, to shield them from un- necessary exposure, but in battle to lead them into no profitless peril, and so to shelter and protect them in making an attack as to save them from needless harm. A great deal depends right here upon the commanding officer. Some leaders will carry a breastwork or a bat- tery with much less loss of followers than others. Both leaders may have courage, but one lacks discretion. And here I would make a suggestion. Cannot some- thing be done to lessen the unnatural distance that is gradually and rapidly creeping in between officers and men ? I say unnatural because it was not so at first, but appears to be the result of systematic effort on the part of some of the officers. There must necessarily be a deference paid by the men to rank in the persons of their officers, but that does not excuse, but pointedly condemns, rudeness upon the part of the latter. If the men treat them with the respect due their position, they are bound, and cannot escape the obligation, to treat the soldiers with the respect due them. And this' evil is becoming more and more prevalent; and I speak what I know when I assert that it is driving- many of our best men, who are lawfully exempts, from the service. They will not tolerate such treatment from men, some of whom are not socially their equals, and whom they probably assisted to raise to an undeserved elevation. And, again, it would not cost the officer much ; on the contrary, he would gain much, by manifesting some attention to the health and comfort of his men. When A KIND WORD TO THE OFFICERS OF OUR ARMY. 3 they are sick, let him see to it that they have suitable surgical attention ; when any of them are sent to the hospital, let him see to it that they are properly provided with transportation, food, and water. The privates in an army do not have, at best, many luxuries or enjoy- ments; do not, by harsh treatment, make their condi- tion unnecessarily hard. I believe that this one tiling — indifference of the officers to their men when sick — is doing more to thin our ranks than all other causes combined. The men feel that they are not cared for, that they are treated (to use their own expression) like dogs, and they lose their interest in the cause itself. They would have to possess much more than common patriotism to re- main in an army where they not only do not^frfret w T ith sympathy, but where they do meet with constant con- tempt and abuse. After all, the men are the true source of rank and of power, and woe to such officers as I have described, when the day of reckoning arrives. But officers may inflict injury on their soldiers not merely by reckless exposure of iheir lives in battle, and in camp duty — they may become the source and foun- tain of spiritual and everlasting misery, and be them- selves held accountable to God for the iniquity which provokes his wrath against them. "One sinner destroyeth much good." So says the inspired Word, and there is no doubt of its truth. Nay, more than this is true: not only does u one sinner de- stroy much good," but he builds up a great deal of positive evil, and will, therefore, cause a great deal of positive misery, both in time and in eternity. u None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." If you will read the sixth and seventh chapters of Joshua, you will see that when God had begun to drive out the wicked from the land of Canaan, according to the 4 A KIND WORD TO THE OFFICERS OF OUR ARMY. promises which He had before made to the fathers of Israel, the wicked City of Jerico was to be "accursed (or devoted) to the Lord." All of its inhabitants were to be slain, because of their wickedness; all the silver, gold, brass, and iron were to go into the treasury of the Lord, as consecrated to Him. The Israelites were for- bidden to take any of these things to themselves, lest they should make themselves accursed. Achan, the son of Carmi, however, could not withstand the temptation: when lie saw a goodly Babylonish garment, two hun- dred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, he coveted them, took them. Imme- diately thereafter, Joshua sent men to Ai to view the country. These returned, saying that the people of Ai were but few, and that three thousand Israelites were enough to take the place — and this number was sent forward by Joshua for that pu.rpose. But these, the chosen people of God, were not successful; they were smitten by the few people of Ai, chased from before their gate, and smitten as they went. When Joshua mourned over this event before the Lord, the reply was, not that "Achan had sinned," but "Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant." ^There- fore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed." Thus we see how the evil of one falls upon the whole; and it is so in all the relations of life. The drunkenness of the father affects his family; the wick- edness of the ruler affects his people; that of the officer affects his men. The character and standing of a regi- ment or company will soon grow to be like that of its commanders. Suppose, for example, the officers of "the field and staff" are men given to profaneness, vulgarity, A KIND WORD TO THE OFFICERS OF OUR ARMY. D or drunkenness. As they sit about their tents or around their camp fires, all these are indulged in. The officers from the companies will come up, take their seats, and enter into the amusements and conversation of the cir- cle. After a little while, they will get up and go hack to their companies ; there they will find the men sitting about in groups, the thoughts, feelings, and conversation in which they have just participated being uppermost, will be repeated; the men will be drawn into the same channel, and thus the influence of the officers, an influence for evil, will pour down like a stream um til the whole regiment will be deluged by it. On the other hand, let us suppose the character of the officers to be different. I have heard of one captain in our army, who has held prayer with his company regu- larly, every night, and of whose whole character it was said that fact might be taken as a specimen. Let us suppose the character of the officers of a regiment to be like his; let their usual conversations be strictly moral and pure ; let them speak frequently and rever- ently of their entire dependence upon the favor of God for a blessing ; for themselves let them earnestly seek that favor, and teach those who are around them to do the same; and who does not see that their influence for good will be to an extent wholly beyond measure ? for in the manner above mentioned, the character of the regiment will be made like that of its officers. Every man who has been in the army knows these things to be true. Gentlemen, officers in the army, you now see what you may do, what you must do, for good or for evil. And you are now asked to consider two thoughts, which show that you are under the most solemn obligations to exert your influence for good. 6 A KIND WORD TO THE OFFICERS OF OUR ARMY. 1. Your duty to your country, your patriotism, requires it. You have probably entered the army at a great person- al sacrifice, you are ready to lay down your life for your country; you call yourself a patriot, and you are. But true patriotism, the real good of your country, requires more of you than that you shall be willing to die in or- der to deliver it from the tyranny of man. What will your country's independence be worth if, when that independence shall have been established, several hun- dred thousand demoralized, vitiated men, are turned loose upon it, as its citizens, its voters? Will they be capable of self government? Will not the society, the character of that country, be of a most deplorable and degraded kind ? Will you not have purchased the de- liverance of. your country from the yoke of Northern despotism at the cost of visiting upon it the galling yoke of Satan ? Will you not have bought for it one sort of freedom, whilst at the same time you have been helping to bring it under another sort of slavery — the most fearful and appalling slavery that ever has existed, or ever will exist, in all the universe of God — a slavery the full effects and misery of which can "only be realized in hell — the slavery of sin? You will. Then answer this one question, in point of moral and religious char- acter : W T hat does your love of country require of you ? 2. You must meet the men of your command at the judgment bar of God, and at that bar of you " unto whom much was given much will be required." Thou- sands of the young men, we may say the boys, of this country, have been sent forth by sorrowing sisters, anx- ious parents, widowed mothers, and largely committed to your care. There may be among those young men many whose names, or even faces, you do not know, and yet you are exerting over them an influence for evil or A KIND WORD TO THE OFFICERS OF OUR ARMY. 7 for good. If that influence be for evil, then you are not only training up a set of bad citizens for your country, but you are training them to be the inmates of hell ! You are not only fixing upon them, for evil, a mark which cannot be erased in time, but a mark which will be indelible in that eternity into which so many of them w'ill^soon have to pass ! Gentlemen, officers in our army, in the name of those sorrowing sisters, those anxious parents, those widowed mothers, in the name of our common country, which we all so much love, in the name of the Lord God of hea- ven and of earth, we ask you, what are you doing? Mercy and judgment are my song ; And since they both to thee belong, My gracious God, my righteous King, To thee my songs and vows I bring. When I am raised to bear the sword, I '11 take my counsel from thy word ; Thy justice and thy heavenly grace Shall be the pattern of my ways. Let wisdom all my actions guide, And let my God with me reside : No wicked thing shall dwell with me, Which may provoke «thy jealousy. I '11 search the land, and raise the just To posts of honor, wealth and trust: The men that work thy holy will, Shall be my friends and favorites still. In vain shall sinners hope to rise By flattering or malicious lies ; Nor, while the innocent I guard, Shall bold offenders e'er be spared. PUBLISHED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA TRACT SOCIETY. Printed by Evans & Cogswell, No. 3 Broad street, Charleston, S. C. LIST OF TRACTS PUBLISHED I! THE SOUTH CAROLINA TRACT SOCIETY. No. of Number Tract. of pages I...A11) I Self-Deceived 4 2... Hive yon :' 12 S...The Sinners Friend 20 4. ..The Act Of Faith 4 5. ..What is it to Believe on Christ ?.. 4 6... Dialogue between the Bible and a Sinner 4 7... Self-Dedication to God 4 8... Why (1,. we Sit Still? 4 0... Ye shall not Surely Die 4 10... A Convenient Season 4 11. ..The Bibie the Word of God 4 1 -J. ..Three Words 4 la... A Word of Warning 4 14. ..Grieving the Spirit "f God 4 15... Hinder Me Not 4 18.. .The Soldier's Pocket Bible 10 17... I Don't Like Professions 4 18. ..The Bible in my Trunk 4 19. ..How to Dispose of Care 4 2'). ..The Way of Peace S 21. ..Quench Not the spirit 4 22... Fatal Delusions 4 2a. ..The Sword of the Spirit 4 24... Procrastination 4 25. ..The Missionary's Nephew 4 26... Lost Convictions 4 27... Profane Swearing 4 28. ..Obstacles toC inversion 4 29...The Spirit Grieved 4 30. ..Counsel to the Convicted 4 31... Every .Man the Friend or the En- emy of Christ 4 32. ..The Soldier's Victory 8 33. ..The Wrath to Come 4 34... What Are Von Fit For? S 35. .. Christ a Cover! from the Tempest 8 30. ..The Christian Traveller 8 87. ..Napoleon's Argument for the Di- vinity of Christ and the Scrip- tures 8 38... 1 Can't Make Myself Different 8 39. ..The Sinner his own Destrover 8 40. ..The infidel's Creed .* 8 41. ..Alarm to the Careless 8 42. ..True Conversion S 43.. .The Christian Officer $ 44... Our War. Our Cause, and Our Duty 18 45. ..The Crimean Hero: the late Capt. Vicars 12 40. ..The Muffled Drum 8 47. ..How Do You Bear Your Trials?... 8 48... How Lou- Have You Been Sick?..12 49... Soldier! Do you Believe the Bible 4 50...i'he Long Koll 4 51... Mortally Wounded 8 52. ..The Sailor Lost and Found 8 53. ..Captain Deverell; or, from Dark- ness to Light 12 54. ..A Word from the Ladies of the Soldiers' Relief Association of Charleston to the Soldier 4 !fo. of Number Tract. of pag^i 55. ..Colonel Gardiner — as a Man. a Christian, and a Sol liflr 21 5«. ..The Railway Guide 16 57. ..The Confederate Hero, and his Patriotic Father 16 5S...The Sailor's Home 8 59... Kind Words to a Wouuded Sol- dier s 60. ..The Eventful Twelve Hours; or, The Destitution and Wretch- edness of the Drunkard 16 01. ..The Dying Robber S 62... I )q You Fray in Secret? 4 03... Do You Fnjoy Religion? 4 04... I 've Never Thought Of Dyiug So 4 65... Why .-it Ye Hero Idle? 4 66... Come and Welcome 12 67 ...The Silly Fish 4 68... Why ret Impeuitent? 4 69... Who Slew All These? 4 70. ..The Navy Surgeon.., 12 71... A True Story of Lucknow S 72. ..The Sailor and the Soldier 8 73... Are Yon Not Afraid t,. Die? 4 74. ..The Wonderful Escape 4 75. ..The Two Soldiers 4 70... Where Are You Going? 6 77. ..The Young Officer's Start in Life. 8 78... chew Me Myself _ 79. ..Divine Grace Illustrated 4 NO. ..The Christian Soldier 8 81 ... Mustered info Service 8 82... Lieutenant It.; or, The Tract Read in the Theatre S S3... Do Thyself No Marin 4 84... Appeal to the Youth, and espe- cially to the Soldiers of the Confederate states 16 85... Very Short and Very Long, and ihe si ric t Search 8 86. ..The Fatal Mi-take; or, The Mid- « night Shipwreck 4 87. ..The Day of Trial 4 vs.. My Time is But a Day 4 89. ..The Substance of the Gospel 4 0)... Noah's Carpenters 4 91 ...Come and Rest 4 92... .A Patriotic Sermon 4 93. ..Discharged — I am Going Homo.. 4 94... Anecdotes for the Soldiers, No. 1..24 95... anecdotes for the Soldiers, No. 2. .24 96...A Kind Word to the Officers of our Army 4 97. ..Soldiers iu Hospital; or, Come to Christ 4 98. ..The Old Soldier 4 99... A Letter to a Son in Camp 4 100. ..The Colonel's Conversion — A Chief of Sinners made a Chief of Saints 24 101. ..The Muster 4 102...The Guard-House 4 103... An App«al to Young Soldiers 8 Hollinger Corp. P H8.5