The one man best qualified to speak of its effects upon the soldiers at the front, has in touching letters referred to the sadness that overspread the camp, and the deep religious feelings which were awakened. The Rev. J. Robertson says: 'Of the seven who formed our original mess--General Wauchope's brigade staff--only Colonel Ewart and myself remain. He is an old campaigning {195} friend, so also is General Macdonald, who has now joined us. I am glad I knew the Brigadier before. It makes all the difference, messing and living together. I am not to refer to General Wauchope. Mere acquaintances mourn his loss, how much more one who was honoured with his friendship and confidence? As for the Highland Brigade--there is but one heart, and it's sore, sore. A strange fatality befell all my best-known friends. Whenever I let myself think of them, there's a painful tug at my heart's strings. God knows what lies before. To give some idea of how hearts have been touched, on the last Sunday of the year I had communion. I thought it better to take it then than on the first Sunday, when the year would be a week old and the good start perhaps lost. I did not make intimation the Sunday before, as I did not think I would be able to get communion wine in time. I just stated at the ordinary parade service that I purposed having it after the benediction was pronounced. I invited any and every one to come forward, even though they had not partaken it before, saying that in the circumstances I took it upon me to dispense with the usual preparatory forms of procedure. To my great surprise, but to my heart's joy, knowing how backward young men are--Highlanders especially--in coming to the Lord's Table, over 250 stepped out, and many more would have come had it not been for the fact that they had to go at once on picket duty. In fact, they had strained a point to attend parade service, coming all ready to go on outpost, heavily accoutred. With a full heart, I thanked God and took courage.' In another letter the chaplain says: 'We were a sad, a very sad brigade, for though we tried to hide it, we took our losses to heart sorely; for "men of steel are men who feel." But out of evil came good. {196} The depth of latent religious feeling that was evoked in officers and men was a revelation to me, and were it not that confessions, and acknowledgments, and vows are too sacred for repetition, I could tell a tale that would gladden your hearts--not that I put too much stress on what's said or done at such an impressionable, solemnising time, but after-proof of sincerity has not been wanting.'