The Boy of Battle Ford and the Man

CHAPTER XVII

'raE Boy OF BATTLE FOlW 119 be more ~deplorable. Brit, if my r'eligion be a fraud, then all is lost. The Bible was the only book; comparatively speaking, in the world; and the Christian religion the only possession, cQmparativel~ speaking, known to men, in my 'estimation-hence my absorbing intere ,:::t in them. When joy sat enthroned in my heart as a permanent possessIon, after, the victory over those great foes, I realized that I was truly converted to the true religion of Jesils 'Christ, and that it was just what I needed for this world and for tbe next. I thought, at that mornin,g wh'en peace filled my heart, that if any- other one had been so often led' wrong and had been so ignorant and so severely attacked by the devil as I had been, he would never have escaped. I thought that my escape from those terrible inff'uences were accidents that would not happen' again in a century, perhaps never. At thilt moment the thought came to me that it was the Lord who had been 'Yith me and permitted me to be tried as in the fire. And that he had said, "My grace is sufficient for you, and you shall not be ,tempted above that you are abie to bear." I then understood that the Lord had been near me and was my friend. And I have found it so ever since that time, forty-one years ago. During my investigations' as to the, possibility of conversion without external signs, I read to ,great profit several books, among which were "The Anxious' Inquirer ," Dodrige's "Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul," "TheQry of Conversion ,"all of which were very helpful to, me, and I thank the Lord of glory for enabling the authors to publish them. They aided me to look at the Scriptures in a clear way, and I could'see the reasonableriess of the, true way :;lnd rejoiced in it. Later on I could enjoy the services of Christians everywhere I met them, whether I met them at the churches or at the Christian , Commission. Almost as soon as I was established 1 bought T. Scott's "Commentary on the Bible," T. Dick's complete works !1nd Josephus 's complete works, and vario'Us other books, as I craved to know how I might grow in knowledge, so as to he more useful to my fellow men" though I could not believe that I could ever preach. CHAPTER XVII. EARLY in April, with deep sorrow, our men heard of th'e loss of two hundred members of the Fifty-sixth regiment, Illinois infantry. The tragedy did not occur in a battle. This narrator does not ihtend to note battles, except as tp.ey affected The Boy of Battle Ford directly or remotety . But this sad event was so unlooked -for and so pathetic that I'll venture to record it. On the 31st day of Marcn, 18 G5, the steamship "General Lion,'" carrying twelve officers and 193 soldiers of'said regiment, whoCie terms had expired several months previous, while the' Fifty-sixth was with Sherman as he marched to the sea, were started home as soon as the coast was near, so they could ship to Washington city and take the cars for their homes. The other members of the regiment .reenlisted and did' not come home at that time. There were hundreds of ,others, on the ship, at the same time. When the ship reached Cape Hatteras a fearful storll;l was raging, the ship riding on. the crest ofa very tall.wave one minute and sinkink low between two ,waves the next minute. A large tank ,of oiL on. the top, was loosened fr,om its fastenings soxy,ewhat and leaked its conientson the ,.d,ecK until·the oil found its way dOWn to the fur.: nace, when an explosion occurred. 120 'l'Hl!l BOY OF BATTLE FORD Several of the soldiers nearest the deck succeeded in climbing out, but only five of the 205 of the Fifty-sixth survived the fire and t118 flood. Those who did not get to the deck were burned to death in the ship. Many of the lost had relatives in our regiment , which caused additional sorrow here. The five who were saved were Martin H. Ozmeet, Williamson county; Isaac l~.,Will­ hite, Franklin county; Michael Brockett, of White county; George W. Williams of Gallatin' county, and, 'Jasper...