1862 Jan 29th Winchester, Va.

Winchester, Jan 29th  62
Dear Alfred,
                   I have with
great interest rad in the
Dispatch  and other papers-
both religious and secular-
of the recent efforts of the
S.S. & Colportage Board in
supporting colporters among
the soldiers of our army;
And as I have read of the
results of their labors--how
sinners have been awakened
and souls converted to
Christ I have longed to
have in our division of
the army some of at

[page 2]
at least one earnest, faithful
man, to look up and en=
courage profess[i]ons of re=
ligion, and to excite an in=
terest among that fast ma=
jority, who are "without
God in the world."
Although I know that the
fifty colporters, who I see
by your late circular are
in your employ, are all
judicially distributed thro
the various divisions of
the army, still, I wish
to call your attention to
the division commanded
by Maj. Gen. Jackson, wh
has no colporter, very few

[page 3]
chaplains, and invites affords
an inviting field for mis=
sionary laabor.  In this
division are,
a1st the "Stone wall Brigade", a
body of some 5000 men-- the
flower of Va. troops. They were
in the hottest of the Battle of
Manassas Plains.  In a denom
inational point of view, we
should be represented among
them, as they are from that
strong-hold of Hero-ism--the Valley
of Va.
2nd Col. Anderson's Brigade--3
Tennessee Regiments--fully 3000
men.
3d Col. Talliaferro's Brigade 2 Va
1 Ga & 1 Arkansas Regts--the
hero's of Laurel Hill, say 2000 men.
4th Our Brigade--4 Va Regts

[page 4]
about 3000 men.
5th Dol. Ashby's Cavalry, of
which we've all heard so
much.  500 or 600 men.
6th Six or eight companies
of artillery--1000 men.
Now here is an army of
over fifteen thousand
men, with not more
than three or four among
them, to point out the way
of life.  these soldiers
have just been ordered
to go into  winter quarters
and an efficient col=
porter could do a vast
amount of good among
them.  the sick, as we
know, are very capable

[page 5]
of receiving religious im=
pressions, and if in no other
portion of the army, there
should be a colporter at
the hospitals. Winchester is
now full of sick soldiers.
Every church, public building
and private house is a hos=
pital, and sick soldiers oc=
cupy every house between
here and Romney.  Who can
tell the good wh might
be accomplished among them.
You must excuse the
liberty I take in wri-

[page 6]
ting to you so freely on the
subject. Were it anyone
else, i would not be so offi=
cious. Still, I know that at
least the subjects of my
letter is one of interest to you.
If you can find time to write
I wd like much to hear from
you.  Write me Luther's adress,
& write to him to write to me.
I expect to leave in a few
days for Romney. direct
to me at Winchester.
Believe me to be as efver
Yr. Friend & Bro: in X
       C.E.T.

Charles Elisha Taylor, 1842-1915, later a Baptist minister, college professor and President of Wake Forest college.


MSS 3091