Riches of grace : $b A compilation of experiences in the Christian life; a narration of trials and victories along the wayByrum, E. E. (Enoch Edwin)
Religion
Riches of grace : $b A compilation of experiences in the Christian life; a narration of trials and victories along the way
Byrum, E. E. (Enoch Edwin)
Christian life
"Fellow Officers: You all know what a bitter man I was against the Jews.
You know that I was not going to make any plea, but to let this boy get
all that the court could give him, and be sorry afterwards that the
court could not give him more. But the same God that he serves troubled
me and made me sick, as you know, until I realized that the same God
must be my God and the same Savior my Savior; and furthermore, the same
Jesus that saved this Jewish boy has saved me also."
The court was greatly surprized, but my counsel went on further and
handed the court a paper and explained verbally the different reasons
for his pleas until tears came to the eyes of Captain Koester, Captain
Ottwell, and the different members of the court. Four of the worst
officers arose and recommended me for eighteen months' clemency and
thirteen dollars a month fine and reinstatement to duty.
The recommendation of the court was sent to the Department Commander of
the East, Major-General Leonard A. Woods, who earnestly considered the
case, according to his statement, for several hours, not knowing what to
do. He also expressed himself by saying that if he had full power to
release me, he would gladly do so, without any punishment. Also, through
prayer and petitions to the Lord the case reached President Taft, the
Adjutant-General of the army, and then it reached Brigadier-General
Davis, who was the Judge-Advocate General of the United States Army.
They also had notified the Department Commander to be as lenient as he
could before the case had reached the War Department in Washington.
In fifteen days after my trial, the sentence came back approved by the
Department Commander for eighteen months' clemency and thirteen dollars'
fine a month and reinstatement to duty to serve out my enlistment.
While I was in the guard-house in Washington Barracks, District of
Columbia, serving the sentence imposed upon me for the charge heretofore
mentioned, I was sawing wood one day, when a fellow prisoner hit me with
a piece of wood behind my ear and knocked me down. About two months
later this prisoner was saved, and the other prisoners became bitter
against me, for they believed that I was the cause of the conversion of
one of the worst men in the guard-house. I learned later that a number
of the officers were converted.
After I left the Washington Barracks, I went to Ft. Slocum, New York.
From there I was sent to Ft. Sheridan, where I was assigned to Battery
F, Fifth Field Artillery. After I had been there two days, I asked
permission of Lieutenant Osborn to hold religious services in front of
the battery. On account of its being so cold, he told me to go into the
pool-room and hold services if I thought my God was living.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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