South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 163

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THE    EX-PARTE   COUNCIL.  153
(lying  and  bereaved ;  that  the  crushing  son'ows  which  rest
upon  us  may  be  overruled  for  the  highest  good  of  our  whole
nation,  and  the  glory  of  God ;  and  tliat  in  His  own  time
and  way  He  will  stay  the  torrents  of  blood  and  tears  which
are  flowing  all  over  the  land,  and  grant  us  a  righteous
Pkace."  And  again,  —  "We  never  heard  a  word  from
your  lips  which  by  any  fair  construction  of  language  could
be  made  to  imply  a  lack  of  real  patriotism,  or  any  thing
inconsistent  with  a  faithful  allegiance  to  the  Government  of
your  country."
"Has  Mr.  Carroll  forgotten  the  language  he  used  in  public  praj-er
on  the  morning  of  the  Lord's  Day  when  news  came  of  the  battle  before
Fredericksburg  ?  "
If  Mr.  CaiToll  has  forgotten  that  prayer,  his  people  have
not.  Whether  it  was  "tall"  or  short,  it  was  one  of  the
most  solemn  and  earnest  prayers  that  we  ever  listened  to ;
melting  an  entire  audience,  except,  of  course,  the  petition-
ers and  their  "sympathizers,"  whose  lively  imaginations
pictured  images  of  disloyalty  where  nothmg  of  the  kind
existed.  On  the  following  Sabbath  he  delivered  a  deeply
interesting  address  on  the  character  and  life  of  Thomas  E.
Barrett,  one  of  his  members,  who  fell  in  that  battle;
describing  him  as  a  real  patriot,  who  went  forth  not  for
any  selfisli  or  sinister  purpose,  but  honestly  to  serve  his
country.
As  to  that  ever  memorable  sermon  to  the  loth  regiment
upon  their  "duties  as  soldiers"  to  their  country  and  to
Christ,  the  immense  audience  who  listened  to  it,  filling  the
entire  church,  were  held  in  breathless  silence  and  riveted
attention,  and  none  were  more  moved  than  the  soldiers
themselves,  several  of  whom  have  written  home  about  that
very  discourse,  the  memory  of  which  strengthened  them  in
the  front  of  the  battle.  Woidd  that  it  might  be  repeated
by  our  Pastor — speaking  not,  as  one  of  our  former  minis-
ters did,  to  empty  21  CIVS,  supposed  to  he  filled  with  soldiers,
but  to  actual  soldiers,  either  in  his  Church  or  at  the  Hos-
pital, where  he  has  always  olliciated  with  the  utmost  plea-
sure to  himself  and  to  those  whom  he  addressed.
13*

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Silent Grounds Collective, Church Burial & Death Records, CH-P004-0163. South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865, printed page not verified, PDF page 163. Hallock, Gerard, 1800-1866; digitized copy contributed by University of California Libraries https://archive.org/details/historyofsouthco00hall/page/n167/mode/1up Accessed September 8, 2026.

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