“And I will give you pastors according to
mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” Jeremiah
3:15
In
doing some research for this article and the role of chaplains in the war, I
came across an article about a man named Dr. Moses Drury Hoge. It was an
article written a few years ago by a Mr. Charles Denning. And it is instructive
on how we must be servants of God and defenders of our beloved Southern
Heritage.
Dr.
Hoge was born in Virginia in 1818 and was raised a strict Presbyterian. He had
a deep love for his state and for the South and viewed the North with derision.
He had no love for the Unitarianism and radical abolitionism of those “other
people.”
So
it was that when the War began he and many other southerners viewed it more of
a “religious crusade” than a mere conflict of arms.
Denning
writes, “Early on, Dr. Hoge was intensely interested in ministerial work among
the soldiers in the Confederate Army. Governor John Letcher soon appointed him
to the Council for Chaplains. He became a regular preacher at the Camp of
Instruction in Richmond and preached to over 100,000 men during the course of
the war.”
It
was said that he was such a great orator and passionate servant of Christ that
none other than “Stonewall” Jackson himself would be seen sitting on a log and
listening to hours- long sermons by Mr. Hoge.
He
further states that Dr.. Hoge was so dedicated to the cause and the soldiers of
the Confederacy that he returned to the Secretary of War $300.00 which was the
amount of his pay as chaplain for six months. In addition to his other duties,
Dr. Hoge served as "honorary chaplain" of the Confederate Congress at
the request of Vice President Alexander H. Stephens. He opened the sessions of
the Congress with prayer forty-four times, far exceeding any other minister.”
Dr.
Hoge so be believed in Christ and the Confederate cause that he, more than
once, participated in blockade running expeditions to England and the West
Indies to obtains thousands of Bibles and tracts to distribute to the common
soldier. His final such trip was in 1863, where he escaped enemy gunboat to
arrive safely in North Carolina.
He
served faithfully for the duration of the war died in 1899 and is buried in the
famous Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.
May
we all endeavor to emulate Dr. Hoge’s faithful service to God and country!
(Source
Material: http://historyaddict.com/cschaplain1.html)
May God continue to watch over you and
your families and protect you all. And
may God save the South!
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