Re-Enactors World

Shared by Allen Farley
Ministering to the Civil War Re-enacting Community Since 1984
Celebrating over 20 Years of Ministry

"If men are prepared to die they are ready for anything."
--Dr. J. A. Alexander

Death is never a popular consideration in a finite world;
but it is the leveler of all mankind and a vital subject
foisted upon us by time and eternity. Divine revelation
reveals, "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after
this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). The Confederate
Chaplains with this mandate prepared our Confederate
ancestors for battle. They were reminded of the brevity of
life and the uncertainty of the future as a hazard of war.
The chaplains would follow up the discussion of the Lord's
mandate by continuing the quotation of sacred Scripture, "So
Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto
them that look for Him shall He appear the second time
without sin unto salvation" (Hebrews 9:28). A part of their
preparation for fighting was a preparation for dying as
Divine providence dictated. God must be faced ultimately
and every man who would face Him acceptably must have the
sin-bearer who is Christ the Lord. The gallant soldiers
would then go into battle to face their mortal enemies. In
the following events you will see how one Southern soldier
faced the final enemy called death.
The bloodiest day in American history was the 17th of
September 1862. The Battle of Sharpsburg (or Antietam to
"those people" as Gen. Lee referred to them) was unequalled
in its toll on human life. Some 26,000 men on both sides
were either killed or wounded on that September day. Many
of the noble men wearing the gray and butternut validated
their love for God, family and country by giving the
greatest gift--their lives.
It was important for our forefathers to know how to die.
The Confederate Chaplaincy sought to prepare men for
eternity. This was their task under God. It is just as
important for us, their sons, to know the same. A person is
certainly unprepared for eternity if he is not prepared for
time. One who possesses eternal life by free grace is ready
to face eternity. Why did R. E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, J.
E. B. Stuart, John Pelham and the myriad of others die so
peacefully and victoriously? Perhaps the Alabamian who died
as a result of the Battle of Sharpsburg will give us a clue.
Three or four days had elapsed after that bloodiest day.
The following event transpired on the enemy side after the
wind of battle had been spent. Rev. S. W. Thomas and
another man were dispatched to look for wounded men in areas
where skirmishing had taken place outside the primary
confines of the battleground. Providentially one of the
ministers developed a great thirst and in order to quench it
he went to a deserted farm. While they were satisfying
their thirst at the pump they discovered in the barnyard
what appeared to be bundles of rags. They investigated the
piles of rags. As they drew close they realized they had
discovered two dead soldiers. In an adjacent area they
found thirteen badly wounded men. They sent immediately for
ambulances. These men had been wounded days before, and
speedy treatment was of the essence.
The scene was so ghastly that it burned itself into their
minds like acid etching a metal plate. It was discovered
that almost all of the men were Confederates. The wounded
men could not move so they removed the dead from among them.
An Alabama soldier whose leg had been blown off was moaning
despairingly, "Water! Water! Water!" Assistance was
immediately given, but the loss of blood had been extensive
and he appeared to have only a short time to live.
A Captain who was riding by was attracted to an ambulance
near the barn. As he came near Rev. Parvin was kneeling in
the barnyard, and he was praying with the dying Confederate
soldier. The Captain reigned in his horse, uncovered his
head, and listened. He heard the soldier answering a
question. And the answer he gave was, "Yes, yes, my trust
is in the Lord Jesus."
These words were moaned out of great pain and weakness.
The scene was one of wretched filth and pained looks.
However, out of that scene ascended words of Christian
victory. The final words of the Confederate, who was in
such a horrible physical state were "MY TRUST IS IN THE LORD
JESUS. I'M AS HAPPY AS A PRINCE." His words evidenced a
resident peace of heart and soul.
The Captain was captured by the dying Confederate that day.
He was not captured as a prisoner of war. He was captured
by the awesome scene of the dying of one of the Lord's sheep
who hailed from Alabama. The Captain forthwith volunteered
all the help needed to assure prompt care of the other
wounded compatriots of the dying Confederate. Later the
Captain confided to Rev. Parvin that he had been more
touched by what he observed in that barnyard, than by all
the sermons he had heard in all his lifetime.
The last words of our compatriot in that filthy barnyard
should be a testament to us. "My trust is in the Lord
Jesus. I'm as happy as a prince." That is truly an example
of victorious dying. One can die victoriously only if he is
prepared for death spiritually through Christ the Lord.
Thomas Watson reflected over three hundred years ago, "He
may look on death with joy who can look on forgiveness with
faith." A man may joyfully look on death when through faith
he is cast upon Christ Jesus for salvation. Shakespeare's
words were,

Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.

Thus a Southern soldier, whose name we do not know, left a
testament which impacted others. A few days after the sound
of battle had died away this Confederate soldier left
Sharpsburg for the Celestial City.

[The primary account of this event is found in Incidents of
Shot and Shell by Rev. Edward P. Smith, 1868]