d pulled their country
triumphantly up out of indescribable disaster, can only be thus really
explained--that those men were "strong and of a good courage" because
"their minds were staked on God."

The history of the Southern people during that epoch is unmatched by the
history of any people in all time. The result they achieved, this was
the reason--beneath the superb "grit" of the Southern people lay deep
the conviction "God is our refuge and strength" and "The God whom we
serve. He will deliver us." It was the spiritual vision of the men of
the South that saved it when it was ready to perish--and let the men of
the South never forget it! Let them give unceasing recognition and
thanks to God, for that great deliverance.

If I have made clear my thought--the connection of the religious revival
in the army with the fortunes of our people at home after the war--I am
glad! If I haven't, I am sorry! I can't say any fairer than that, and I
can only make the plea that was stuck up in a church in the West, in the
old rough days, when a dissatisfied auditor of the sermon, or the
organist, was likely to express his disapproval with a gun. The notice
up in front of the choir read like this: "Please don't shoot the
musician, he's doing his level best"--I make the same request.

But, to return to our muttons! Let us get back to the winter camp at
Morton's Ford.

=Spring Sprouts and a "Tar Heel" Story=

The winter had now worn away and the spring had come. Vegetation began
to show signs of life. Its coming bore us one comfort in one way--among
others. It was not so cold, and we did not have to tote so many logs of
wood to keep up our fires. Down on the river flats, where vegetation
showed sooner than it did on the hills, green things began to shoot up.
Dandelions, sheep sorrel, poke leaves and such, though not used in civil
life, were welcome to us, for they were much better than no salad at
all. The men craved something green. The unbroken diet of just bread and
meat--generally salt meat at that--gave some of the men scurvy. The only
remedy for that was something acid, or vegetable food. The men needed
this and craved it--so when the green shoots of any kind appeared we
would go down on the flats, and gather up all the green stuff we could
find, and boil it with the little piece of bacon we might have. It
improved the health of the men very much.

At this time, there was a North Carolina Brigade of Infantry at the
front fu