"Yesterday was our first real Sabbath in camp, and we spent it very
pleasantly. We had the Sunday morning inspection at eight o'clock,
beginning it with a short religious exercise by the chaplain. The
inspection would have been very creditable to old soldiers. The men
had their arms and accouterments and clothing in fine order and looked
well. These Sunday morning inspections have a fine effect, it causes
the men to clean up themselves and their arms, and makes them feel it
is a real Sabbath, which they are likely to forget in camp.
"After inspection we were quite liberal in allowing the men more passes
for the day, going out in squads in charge of officers. Some went to
church, but many went to stroll over the battlefield of Stone River,
which is about two miles from town. Major Hynes and I went in town
to church, and heard Dr. Gazeton preach. He has just returned from
the South. The Doctor is (or was) a New School Presbyterian of some
reputation in Tennessee before the rebellion. He is a bitter rebel,
but, of course, did not give any manifestation of it in his services.
There was a strong New School Church here before the war, but they were
all rebels; the church building almost ruined by the armies, and its
members very much scattered.
"At five we had preaching by our chaplain, a Baptist brother from
Spencer County, a good man but a very poor preacher, an old farmer and
ignorant; is worse than the chaplains of my other two regiments. I
shall go out of the war, I fear, with a poor opinion of chaplains from
personal experience. Although our chaplain's sermon was a poor affair,
the men were attentive and respectful. Altogether the day was very
creditably passed by the One Hundred and Thirty-sixth Indiana. But how
much more pleasantly and profitably it would have been spent by me at
home, with my own family and in our own church."