me to infringe on
our constitutional rights as free-born American citizens, that while it
might have been a thing to be endured in the days described in Fox's
"Book of Martyrs," nevertheless, it wasn't exactly fair right now. But
orders must be obeyed, so we all turned out with the prescribed
"side-arms," and, like the young oysters that were inveigled by the
Walrus and the Carpenter,--

"Our clothes were brushed, our faces washed,
Our shoes were clean and neat."

But it is much to be feared that the chaplain's discourse didn't do
anybody a bit of good. For my part, I don't now remember a word, not
even the text. The order aforesaid gave so much dissatisfaction to the
rank and file, and perhaps to some of the line officers also, that it
was never repeated, and thereafter attendance on the chaplain's
preaching was a matter left to each man's pleasure and discretion.
Judging only from what came under my personal notice, I don't think
that much good was ever accomplished by chaplains in the Western army,
as regards matters of a purely theological nature. As some one has said
somewhere: "Army service in time of war is d--d hard on religion." But
in practical, everyday matters, chaplains had ample opportunities for
doing, and did, a great deal of good. They held the rank and wore the
uniform of a captain,--and, while they had no military command over the
men, they were, nevertheless, so far as I ever saw, always treated by
the soldiers with the most kind and respectful consideration. To fill
the vacancy caused by the resignation of Rutledge, B. B. Hamilton was
commissioned chaplain on October 30, 1862, and came to us about that
date. He had been active in the ministry at home for many years, and
during that time had preached in Jersey, Greene, and the adjoining
counties, so he was personally known to many of the officers and men.
He was a man of good, sound common sense, an excellent judge of human
nature, and endowed with a dry, quaint sort of humor that was
delightful. When talking with intimate friends, he was prone, at times,
to drop into an Oriental style of conversation, well garnished with
sayings and illustrations from the Bible. I don't remember now of his
preaching to us very often, and when he did he was tactful in selecting
a time when the conditions were all favorable. In his discourses he
ignored all questions of theology, such as faith, free-will,
foreordination, the final perseverance of the saints