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A MEMORIAL 
 
 
 pent, duloitcl |o|ji %. %\mim, 
 
 OF TIIF 
 
 THIRD VIRGINIA CAVALRY, 
 
 BY 
 
 THE REV. R. L,. DABNEY, D. D. 
 
 RICHMOND, VA: 
 
 PRESBYTERIAN" COMMITTEE OP PUBLICATION. 
 1864. 
 
THE 
 
 WILLIAM R. PERKINS 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 DUKE UNIVERSITY 
 
 Rare Books 
 
M EMORIAL 
 
 OF 
 
 LIEUTENANT COLONEL THORNTON. 
 
 Amidst the great company of Christian heroes whom 
 Virginia has sacrificed for the independence of the Con- 
 federate States, few names., next to her Jackson's, shine 
 more brightly than that of Lieut. Col. John T. Thorn- 
 ton of Prince Edward, Va. Tke son of Mr. Win. Thorn- 
 ton of Cumberland county, he inherited from his father 
 an honorable name, a vigorous understanding, and an am- 
 ple estate. After the most careful literary training, he 
 adopted the profession of law, and chose the town of 
 Fai mville for his residence. Frcm the very beginning, 
 his high honor and qualifications secured him the respect 
 of his fellow-citizens ; and he stepped into a busy prac- 
 tice, in which he was fast winning the highest grade of 
 distinction. Here the present war found him, although 
 still a young man, diligent!} 1- engaged in his pro r ession, 
 the pride, the trusted counsellor, and chosen servant, of 
 his county, and surrounded with all the domestic bliss 
 which an elegant home, and an engaging family could 
 confer. This happiness he was peculiarly fitted to enjoy. 
 But although a liberal supporter, and habitHal attendant, 
 of the offices of religion, he was not yet a Christian : this 
 crown was lacking to his character. 
 
4 A MEMORIAL OF • 
 
 Mr. Thornton was in temper a conservative ; and ac- 
 cordingly, in politics lie was no extremist. Gf the Con- 
 vention which dissolved the connexion of Virginia with 
 the Federal Union, he was chosen a member. There, 
 and in the primary meetings of the people, his chaste and 
 masculine eloquence was frequently heard, advocating, 
 on the one hand, all the conciliation and forbearance to- 
 wards our assailants consistent with honor and righte- 
 ousness, and on the other, the most determined assertion 
 of our essential rights. After witnessing the scornful 
 rejection of all the overtures our magnanimous Common- 
 wealth made for the sake of peace, he" heartily concurred 
 in the act which made her independent of the betrayers 
 of the Constitution ; and when the Convention adjourn- 
 ed, he immediately returned home, and accepted the com- 
 mand of a company of horse, composed of his friends and 
 neighbors. This troop was embodied in the 3rd Virginia 
 Cavalry. Although at first a novice in military affairs, 
 he rapidly became a well-instructed and efficient officer, 
 while his courage, fortitude, and impartiality, made him 
 the idol of his men. As the first year.of the war approach- 
 ed its end, all the volunteer regiments were re-organ- 
 ized ; when he was chosen Lieutenant Colonel. Con- 
 cerning this promotion he thus writes to his wife: 
 
 c In the re-organization of this regiment, I was chosen 
 Lieutenant Colonel. This promotion was unexpected ; 
 but I shall accept it, and endeavor with all my powers to 
 discharge its duties. I pray God to give me the requisite 
 skill and courage for this position, that I may so bear my- 
 self in it, as to do good service to my country." 
 
 This place he filled with eminent success, and like a 
 good soldier, " bore the heat and burden of the day." 
 His former associates remarked with wonder, that he 
 seemed formed by nature for a soldier ; that although 
 
LIEUT. COLO*£L THOBNTON. 5 
 
 reared in elegance, and devoted hitherto almost exclu- 
 sively to literary pursuits, he seemed to sleep any where, 
 eat any thing, r.ud to endure any hardship, without in- 
 convenience. He appeared thus, only because his manly 
 spirit refused to complain of his trials; while in truth, 
 both body and mind were suffering acutely under 
 them. Throughout the bloody campaign of 18G2, he was 
 always at his'p te expedition into Maryland, he 
 
 was in command of the .nent, then a part of 
 
 Gen. Fitzhugb Lee's Cavalry Brigade. In the combat of 
 Boonsboro', when this brigade covered the retreat of the 
 Confederate Army against the whole host of McClellan, 
 the light of that clear autumn sun was turned into dark- 
 ness by the smoke and battle dust. Down that famed 
 causeway, as terrible as the jaws of hell, swept by can- 
 non shot and shells, and by clouds of sharpshooters on 
 the front, and right, and left, Col. Thornton led his regi- 
 ment again and again, in impetuous charges; until the 
 purpose of the Commander-in chief was secured, in bring- 
 ing off his artillery and trains. In this fiery ordeal, 
 though his horse was kilted under him, he escaped un- 
 scathed. But on the bloody morning of Sharpsburg, as 
 he was bringing his regiment into- position to protect the 
 left of the army, Lis punctilious obedience to orders led 
 hitft to expose himself during a lew minute's halt, to a 
 battery of the enemy ; and almost the first shot which 
 opened the fearful drama of the day, gave him a fatal 
 wound. It exploded beside him, and one fragment tore 
 his saddle to pieces, inflicting an irreparable shock on his 
 body, while another crushed his arm almost from the 
 hand to the shoulder. His- frightened horse was arrest- 
 ed by his men, he sunk fainting into their amis, and was 
 carried to a little faru -id, There, th*> 
 
6 A MEMORIAL OF 
 
 surgeons endeavored to save his life by amputating his 
 mangled limb ; but in vain. After lingering for twelve 
 hours insensible or delirious, he fell asleep. 
 
 His friends were aware that since he entered the ser- 
 vice, his religious character had undergone a revolution. 
 God, " whose thoughts are not as our thoughts," had 
 employed the solemnities of this dreadful war, together 
 with the death of two beloved brothers, to mature the 
 convictions, which the sanctuary, and the pure Christian 
 example that blessed his home, had implanted, but could 
 not perfect. Numerous passages from his letters illus- 
 trate the birth and growth of his remarkable religious 
 character. 
 
 Among the sad remains which were brought along with 
 his corpse, to his widow, were a few of his prayers, writ- 
 ten amidst the confusion of the bivouac, on bits of pa- 
 per, and folded into his pocket-bible. These precious 
 relics of his piety I am permitted to copy ; and the pur- 
 pose of this introductory narrative is to present them to 
 his personal friends, to his comrades in arms, and to the 
 soldiers of our patriotic and suffering army, as his own 
 solemn testimony to the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 In them, "he being dead, yet speaketh." The objsct is 
 to permit him to speak chiefly for himself: no attempt 
 is made to do more than place the necessary links of con- 
 nexion between the pieces which unfold his religious emo- 
 tions. This brief portraiture cannot be made without a 
 partial disclosure of those dearer affections, which Col. 
 Thornton's sensitive honor was wont to cover jealously 
 in the sanctity of his own heart and home. But no 
 brave man will be capable of, reading it with any other 
 than emotions of reverent sympathy. Nor will any such 
 
LIEUT. COLONEL THORNTON. 7 
 
 fail to recognize, in the spirit winch has yielded th< 
 cred mementoes to the inspection of hisbrothers-in-arrus, 
 the same self-consecration, and preference of duty over 
 feeling, which made him the Christian hero. It has only 
 been done because of the belief, that, could the soul of 
 the departed speak from that blest abode, where it is 
 now, as we humbly trust, solaced for its pains, it would 
 pronounce the commending of Christ to -its fellows a 
 dearer object than any earthly tie. 
 
 In the opinion of all who have been permitted to read 
 them, these prayers are peculiarly excellent. They show 
 a maturity of Christian feelings, a propriety in the selec- 
 tion of topics and language, a tenderness, fervency, and 
 humility, remarkable in one who was* so young in the 
 faith. It is hoped that they will furnish to many a 
 yourg disciple a pattern for his breathings after the Sa- 
 viour, and to many a Christian husband and father in the 
 army, a vehicle for transmitting to heaven his } r earnings 
 for h loved ones at home." 
 
 The reader's attention is especially called to the pow*- 
 erful awakening of the sense of parental responsibility 
 in Col. Thornton's bosom, as soon as he became a Chris- 
 tian. His most cherished desire for life, was, that ho 
 might return and aid his beloved wife in guiding the steps, 
 ot his sons heavenward. It is note-worthy also, how 
 frequently his servants are included in these Christian 
 affections. He rarely forgets to send them his kindly 
 salutations. He feels his obligations, as their master, to 
 their souls, and prays for their temporal and eternal wel- 
 fare. Col. Thornton, a large slaveholder, the son of a 
 large planter, reared near his father's servants, was the 
 fail est type of that character, as developed under South- 
 
8 
 
 A MEMORIAL OF 
 
 ern institutions. The affectionate relations existing be- 
 tween him and his servants, and the bending of such a 
 mind and heart to their good, nre the clearest proofs of 
 the wickedness of those who are shedding so much blood 
 to destroy these ties. Another purpose of this littre tract 
 is, to show the world, in this specimen among a thousand 
 of ou* Christian patriots, how high and holy are the 
 principles which nerve their arms in this war. There is 
 here, no lust of power, notoriety, or wealtt ; no unsanc- 
 tified revenge : but the resolve of the virtuous soul, sad- 
 ly, yet firmly accepting the mournful alternative of re- 
 sistance, rather than recreancy to duty. The enemies of 
 our country, however, they may contemn our material 
 strength, may w r eli tremble at the guilt of the wholesale 
 murders they perpetrate to crush this righteous spirit of 
 defence. It is the spirit of God's Word ;. it is sustained 
 and prompted, in its noblest instances, by His Holy Ghost. 
 Do they not see that, although God may chastise our in- 
 gratitude and irreligion towards Him, by using their 
 wicked hands as the instruments of correction, they are 
 fighting against Him, and their murders will yet be 
 avenged in calamities so dire, that both the ears of them 
 that hear shall tingle ? 
 
 Butfit is time to proceed directly to the narrative of 
 Col. Thornton's religious life. His brief expressions of 
 feeling muse be weighed by the reader with this fact: 
 that his character was always marked by a strong abhor- 
 rence of meaningless professions. He seems to have been, 
 at the beginning of the war, not a stranger to prayer; 
 but the death of two brothers in rapid succession, one of 
 whom, a citizen of Texas, comifig to Virginia with the 
 soldiers of that State ? only reached Richmond to die s 
 
LIEUT. COLONEL THORNTON. 9 
 
 profoundly deepened his religious emotions v October, 
 18th, 1861, he writes from Camp Bethel, on the Penin- 
 sula : 
 
 "I feel sometimes very sad and solitary in this long 
 absence from you. The death of S**** stunned by its 
 suddenness and unexpectedness. 1 am left alone of all 
 my brothers in this Confederacy. * * * * I would 
 draw closer to your side than ever before. 
 
 It is hard to bear my griefs alone; but I pray that I 
 m?,y see dearly m these bereavements, the hand of a 
 wise and merciful God. I try to believe ttat ' He doth 
 not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men;' 
 that ' though he cau^e grief, yet will He have compassion 
 according to the multitude of His tender mercies.' But 
 my skepticism is sometimes painful, and i : I lough 
 
 Heaven were covered with a cloud through which my 
 prayers could not pa 
 
 The next extract which we make, may illustrate the 
 habitual temper of his mind as to the issue of the war 
 before him : 
 
 "Camp in Lee's Field. April 9d, 18G2, 
 
 "We have now a large army in this Peninsula. Our 
 men are in fine spirits, and I look with confidence to the 
 God of battles, to give us the 'victory. 1 pray he may 
 be my shield in the hour of conflict. I have mu 
 make life sweet to me. ****** Iiet us implore 
 humbly and earnestly the Father of mercies, who has 
 showered so man .s on us, that lie will guide us 
 
 through the perils of the dark hours of war. to the sun- 
 ny, bright days of peace. ;; 
 
 June 1st., 1802, he wril : a definite avowal of 
 
 his hope in Christ, and purpose to live a new life. After 
 a tribute to the Christian fidelity of her to whom the 
 letter is addressed, tender and glowing, hi thus pro- 
 ceeds : 
 
10 A MEMORIAL OF 
 
 " This service in the army has not been without its 
 benefits, and as I trust, great, lasting, and eternal bene- 
 fits, to me. The busy, bustling life, that I bad led ever 
 since I -left College, until I left home for the war, gave 
 me but little time for calm, serious, sober thought on my 
 past history and future life. In the quiet of the out- 
 post, in the stillness of the camp at night, in the weary, 
 solitary journeys to visit the chain of sentinels, I find 
 ample time for reflection. With no books to read, with 
 no business cares to engross or distract my attention, my 
 mind has turned back upon myself, and often has the 
 path I have trod been travelled over again by me. 
 Thoughts of you *".**.* restrained me from those vulgar 
 vices of the camp, drinking and card-playing. Thoughts 
 of you * * * *, kept back my tongue from profanity, and 
 then thoughts of the words you had spoken and written 
 tome * * * *, and thoughts of the goodness of God, and 
 of my sins, and of my need as a sinner, led me to seek 
 salvation through the mercy of God, and the atonement 
 of .Jesus. I trust * ■* '* *, that I truly believe, and 
 shall prove faithful to the end, and be an inheritor of 
 the promises'." 
 
 "If I am spared to return home, - I trust that you and 
 I * * * *, will live through long years, to serve our 
 heavenly Father who has been so. kind to us, if such be 
 His holy will. But If, in His wisdom and justice and 
 mercy, he determines otherwise, and either of us be 
 shortly take»n from the other, then may the other bear 
 the chastisement with meekness, and look forward to a 
 re-union in God's own good time, on that blessed shore, 
 where adieus and farewells are sounds unknown." * * * * 
 
 " Kiss all the bo.ys for me. Give my love to Mrs. ; 
 
 I hope she has recovered. Remember me kindly to the 
 servants. Farewell, * * * *. May God keep you and 
 our dear children." 
 
 June 4th, 18G2, he writes thus: 
 
 " T^ell the dear boys I think often of them, and trust 
 they will be obedient to you, and industrious in their 
 studies. I have high hopes and expectations of our boys, 
 and it would be a mercy of God for which we should 
 
LIEUT. COLONEL THOKSION. 11 
 
 pray, that you and I may be spared to see tliein reared 
 to manhood, and to use our exertions to lead them to 
 the paths of piety and honor." 
 
 The same hopes are pursued in his next: 
 
 " Camp near Richmond, June I2t7i, 1862. 
 
 It is one of my earnest petitions to God, that if it be 
 hi accordance with His wise decrees, He may spare you 
 and me, to train our dear boys under his guidance. I 
 feel how weak and feeble I am in the Christian life. I 
 trust, with fear and trembling, that my fai th is sincere, and 
 my hopas are well grounded. Certainly 1 could not ob- 
 ject to your telling our friend L , or any other friend 
 
 you might desire to talk with on the subject, of my hope 
 that my sins are pardoned, and that I am a true believer. 
 But, I do no t wish you to be deceived as to the state of 
 my heart, and I know you would not deceive any one 
 else. I have sinned much and long. I try, with a sin- 
 cere penitence, I trust, to ask forgiveness of those sins 
 from our Heavenly Father, by reason of the atonement 
 made by our loving Saviour, whose righteousness I im- 
 plore may be imputed to me. I feel the risings of sin in 
 my heart every day. I endeavor to drive impure thoughts 
 from my heart, to banish wicked words from my tongue, 
 and to keep my hands from unclean deeds, but despite 
 my striving, my prayers, my penitence, I sin. Conscious 
 of my guilt, praying for forgiveness, I am a poor, weak 
 Ch; istian. You must not then expect to see high Chris- 
 tian graces in me. I hope, I trust, I pray for increase of 
 faith. I try to believe and implore God to help my un- 
 belief. I notice all you say in reference to conversation 
 with old and tried Christians. I should be rejoiced to 
 have such friends to commune with, but I never could 
 unveil my heart to any one except you ; and even now, 
 I do not know how I could speak to any one of my de- 
 sire to be a Christian, of my communings with «ur Heav- 
 enly Father, of my faith in our adorable Saviour, of my 
 prayers for the influence of the Holy Ghost. You must 
 be my guide ***.'* in the Christian walk * * * * and 
 to you I must look for advice and counsel. I pray that 
 
12 
 
 A MEMORIAL OF 
 
 the war may end, and you may take my Land in yours, 
 and that we may pass along life's journey aiding and en- 
 couraging each other in all our Christian duties." 
 
 About this tinie was written the first of these prayers 
 whici has been preserved ; its date is June 10th. The 
 bloody, but indecisive battle of Seven Pines had then been 
 fought. The vast hosts of Federals were pressing close 
 up to the beleaguered city. The army of Jackson was 
 seemingly involved past hope in those complications of 
 danger, from which it was soon to emerge "in a blaze of 
 glory. Every where, the condition of the Confederacy 
 seemed to anxious patriots perilous, in the extreme. It 
 was at this juncture Col. Thornton penned these devout 
 and solemn petitions : 
 
 A P R A Y E R . 
 
 " I beseech and implore thee, merciful Father, to look 
 down with tender compassion on thy unworthy servant, 
 to forgive his sins, to strengthen his -faith, to fill his 
 heart with thy grace, to shed upon his soul the influences 
 of thy Holy Spirit ; to give him bodily strength and 
 courage for the discharge of all his duties, to illumine his 
 mind with thy divine intelligence, to . guide his feet in 
 the path of holiness, to deliver him from every tempta- 
 tion that may assail him, to shield him from every assault 
 of man or devil, to maintain him in health of body and 
 purity of spirit, and finally to receive him in heaven, thy 
 holy dwelling place ; there to live forever in the joy and 
 delight of thy presence. 33 
 
 " I pray thee, Oh God ! to blot out my sins. I feel 
 how vile and impure I am and have been. I feel that I 
 can find refuge alone in the abundance of thy tender 
 mercies: that nothing but the blood of Jesus, our ado- 
 rable Saviour can cleanse my vile heart of its pollution. 
 Under the shadow of thy mercy I seek to hide, in the 
 flood that flows from Calvary, I wash my soul" 5 ' 
 
 " Preserve me, Oh Lord ! from presumption, from & 
 vain and foolish reliance on my own strength, from a gil- 
 
LIEUT. COLONEL THORNTON. 13 
 
 ly confidence in the power and efficacy of my own good 
 works ; cause me at all times to know my folly and weak- 
 . ness ; keep me continually mindful that salvation is all 
 of free, unmerited grace ; and never allow ine" for an in- 
 stant to forget that the works of man, even the best he 
 can perform, a^e marked by folly, and stained with 
 guilt." 
 
 " In thy hands, Oh merciful Father, are the fortunes of 
 my beloved State and Country. I recognize thy chas- 
 tening hand in the afflictions thou hast sent upon our 
 land and upon our people. Teach \is all to submit with 
 Christian humility to these sad tribulations, to bear with 
 Christian resignation these severe trials, to bow beneath 
 the rod, and with reverence to ionor the hand that 
 smites. In thine own appointed time, Oh God ! thou 
 wilt deliver us from the hands of our enemies and of 
 those wbo hate us. Thou, Oh Lord! wilt, in thy good 
 time, lead us by a path that thou wilt open to our feet, 
 to safety and independence. Be thou, Oh Lord ! our 
 stay And our deliverance. In the day of battle be with 
 us ; uphold our hands, strengthen our hearts, and give us 
 victory over our foes. Oh Lord ! smite with thy righte- 
 ous indignation the cruel invaders who now drive us from 
 our homes and beseige our Capital. Send thy Angel, 
 armed with the sword of justice, to execute vengeance 
 upon our cruel foes. Make our army a holy instrument 
 in thy hands, to punish the insolent tyrants who are now 
 endeavoring to subjugate our people, to free our slaves, 
 to confiscate our lands, and to take from us all that in 
 thy goodness, thou hast given us. Drive the enemy, Oh 
 Lord ! from our soil. Give us, merciful Father, the" bless- 
 ings of peace. Shed the inluences of thy Holy Spirit 
 upon the hearts of our rulers and people, upon the hearts 
 of the officers and privates of our army, and make us a 
 God-fearing nation, whose Ruler is the great Jehovah. 
 I implore thee, Oh God ! for thy blessing and especial 
 favor on the. Regiment in which I am serving. Make 
 them pure and holy. Make them a band of Chri>ti?u 
 warriors, who shall fight in thy strength. Cover their 
 hsads in the hour of conflict j crown thorn with victory 
 
14 A MEMORIAL OF 
 
 over our Northern foes, and over the wiles and machina 
 tions of the Evil One." 
 
 " I beseech thee, Heavenly Father, to guard and guide, 
 and console, and sustain, thy handmaiden and servant, 
 the wife whom thou hast given me. Bless her, Oh Lord ! 
 at all times. Write thy law upon her hefrt. Shield her 
 from all evil, and if it be thy holy will, unite her and 
 myself once more, and permit us together, as heads of a 
 Christian family, in peace to serve and honor and praise 
 thee. Bless the children thou hast given to us. Aid us 
 to train them up in thy knowledge and in thy fear, and 
 to make them thy servants, pure, holy, and obedient." 
 
 " For my servants, Oh Lord God ! I pray. Teach me 
 how to act as their master, and instruct them how to dis- 
 charge their duties as servants. Fill their hearts with 
 love for thee ; teach them to shun all evil, to live purely 
 and uprightly, and finally save thsm with an eternal sal- 
 vation." 
 
 " Into thy hands of love and mercy 1 trustingly com- 
 mit myself, Oh Lord God Almighty. If it be in accord- 
 ance with thy wise and great purposes, I beseech thee, 
 bear me safely through all the perils of this war. Car- 
 ry me back to my wife and home and children ; and make 
 me faithful to thee, walking in thy statutes, observing 
 thy commandments, and honoring thee in all pureness 
 and holiness of living. But if, Oh Lord ! according to 
 thy righteous decree, I am to fall by the hands of the 
 enemy, or to die from any cause, then I implore thee, 
 Heavenly Father, receive my soul, and take me t© heaven 
 to dwell forever in the light of thy holiness." 
 
 " If I have asked, Oh Lord, any thing wrong, I pray 
 thee, forgive the evil thought, and blot out the wicked 
 petition. If my prayers are pure and right, I beseech 
 thee in the name of Jesus, and by reason of his death 
 and sufferings, and because of his merits, to answer them. 
 Add, I pray thee, Heavenly Father, every blessing on me 
 and my household we are worthy to receive ; and to 
 thee let all honor and glory be ascribed. Amen." 
 
LIEUT. COLONEL THORNTON. 15 
 
 The following letter, displays, bis Christian trust as to 
 the issues of the great struggle in which his country was 
 engaged : 
 
 " Camp near Richmond, June 20th, 18C2. 
 
 Tt is now within four days of a year, since I lcit yon 
 and home to enter the army. It has been a year crowd- 
 ed with incidents of most momentous importance to our 
 State and Confederacy ; of events that will be read with 
 interest for generations to come, by the student of his- 
 tory and the statesman. It will tell of a government 
 erected by wise patriots, overthrown by rr.ad ambition, 
 sectional hate, and unreasoning fanaticism. It will tell 
 of a powerful people summoned to arms to resist inva- 
 sion and subjugation. The nations of the earth have 
 looked with complacency upon the spectacle of a fierce 
 and strong democracy, in a spirit of direst hate and mean- 
 est vengeance, striving in every way to crush and subju- 
 gate a feeble people who only ask to be let alone. This 
 people, few in numbers compared with their adversaries, 
 with an inadequate supply of arms and munitions of 
 nit up from intercourse with any portion of the 
 world, have kept them at bay for one year, and at the 
 end of that time have forced them to call for a large in- 
 crease of their military force. It is true, we during this 
 time have sustained grievous reverses. In the future, we 
 have sad and severe trials before us. But God in his 
 mercy has borne us up, and sustained us thus far, in our 
 struggle for independence, and I have an abiding faith 
 that He will crown us in the end with victory. I ac- 
 knowledge with gratitude his mercy to me in this year 
 of afiliction. While so many have fallen around me, from 
 disease and the enemy, Ho has graciously given me 
 health aud strength. He has mercifully protected you 
 and our dear children, and our servants, during these 
 twelre months of tribulations. Let us praise his holy 
 name, and give thanks with grateful souls, for His loving 
 kindness and mercy. He is a 'God of comfort' to us, 
 as St. Paul calls him. I do sincerely pray that all this 
 tender „care of me may excite lively emotions of piety in 
 my soul, and may constrain me to unite in your prayer, 
 
. 16 A. MEMORIAL OF 
 
 that God will strengthen me and enable me to persevere 
 in the new life I am striving to lead." 
 
 June 25th, he writes: 
 
 "It is useless to speculate as t® the period when the 
 war will end. I hear opinions of various shades express- 
 ed. It is still more idle to indulge in thoughts of what 
 is to become of you and me in the progress of the con- 
 flict. Our lives aud fortunes are in the hands of an alt- 
 wise ana" merciful God, and we must give our souls repose 
 in the faith that He will do all things for us better than 
 we could for ourselves. This is the truest, best, and 
 firmest consolation we can have in these days of trouble. 
 "When I can visit home, it is impossible for me to say. 
 How much I would like to drop iu on y«ou this morning, 
 and see you with our children all around you. Let us 
 trust such joy is laid up in store for us, and without per- 
 plexing our hearts, look forward to the future with con- 
 fidence and. courage. I doubt not, your faith is firmer 
 than mine ; but by mutual encouragement, we can 
 strengthen the hearts of each other, to bear misfortune, 
 if it is sent upon us, or to receive with joy and grati- 
 tude whatever blessings may be vouchsafed." 
 
 July' 4th, 1862, he thus announces the results of the 
 campaign before Richmond : 
 
 " The papers will give you an account of the triumphs 
 vouchsafed to our arms by God, in the late battles around 
 Richmond. lie has mercifully protected me j but our loss 
 in killed and wounded is fearfully large. Our whole land 
 will be clothed in mourning. I pray God to console the 
 bereaved hearts, and to turn the charities of all our peo- 
 ple upon those whose earthly protectors have been taken 
 from them." 
 
 The - reader will now be able to understand the allusioa 
 of the following 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 « July 4thi 18G2. 
 
 My Father in Heaven, I come before thee this morn- 
 ing with a song of praise and thanksgiving for the victo- 
 
LIEUT. COLONEL THORNTON. 17 
 
 ry thou hast given us over our enemies. Oh Lord, thou 
 hast heard the prayers of thy people ; their supplications 
 and petitions hi rone, and in the 
 
 lance of thy mercies thou hast heard them and an- 
 swered them, by granting to our arms a triumph over 
 bur invaders. 1 feel and confess it is all from thee, 
 God Almighty ; and to thy holy and glorious name do I 
 ascribe all the praise. Continue, I pray thee, thy mer- 
 cy and kindness to us as a nation. Give wisdom from on 
 high to our rulers and general-, and all others in ai T 
 ty. Stren ten the heart- of our soldiers, shield their 
 heads, and with thy strong arm bear up our banner in 
 the conflict that is before us. Confuse and confound the 
 counsels of our adversaries, drive them from our ter- 
 ritory, and compel them by thy providence, to grant 
 us a just and honorable peace. I pray thee, Oh Lord, 
 to sehd thy Holy Spirit into the hearts of our sol- 
 diers, and make them soldiers of the Gross. Con- 
 Convert them to* thy service, and make the people of the 
 Confederate States a pious people, whose God is the" 
 Lord. Ipray.thcs Oh Lord, to .be with the sick and 
 wounded of our army, in the hospitals and in the \ 
 alleviate their sufferings, 'soothe their pains, turn their 
 hearts to thee, and bless them whether thej- live or die. 
 1 pray, Oh God % for a blessing on the Regiment in which 
 1 serve. Make all connected with it godly men and 
 brave soldiers. Grant them grace to serve thee, and 
 give them courage for the discharge of every duty." 
 
 '•'I pray thee. Oh Lord, to forgive my sins, to wash 
 away my iniquities, to renew my heart. Pour upon me 
 thy grace, so that I may always do thy will. T pray, 
 most merciful Father, that thou wilt make me pure, give 
 me. strength to put away all evil thoughts and impure 
 desires, to resist all temptations and wicked suggestions. 
 Make me to love thee supremely, and to prefer above all 
 things else to do thy will, and to enjoy more than any 
 employment, thy holy service. Enable ire, Oh 
 Father, to live near to thy Divine Son, my Redeemer, 
 the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of men. Be thou, 
 Oh'Sou of God, my elder Brother ; thou hast atoned for 
 my sIls j hear my prayers for I s and acceptance 
 
13 A MEMORIAL OF 
 
 to our Father, and bring me back rich spiritual gifts. I 
 pray thee, Oh God, to grant me health of body and 
 steadiness of purpose, and coo], deliberate courage, and 
 intelligence, to discharge all the duties of my position. 
 Be with me in every trial : if thou wilt, shield me from 
 every danger ; if it be thy will that I fall in battle, re- 
 ceive my spirit, and take me to thy heavenly mansion, 
 to dwell there forever in peace and rest, and joy and 
 bliss, praising and serving thee. 1 ' 
 
 " Oh merciful Father, I implore thy blessing upon my 
 beloved wife. Comfort, console, and sustain her, I pray 
 thee ; fill her heart with thy grace ; give her strength, 
 sufficient for all the severe labors she has to perform ; 
 grant. her wisdom from on high to discharge every duty. 
 Re-unite her and myself, and let us through long years 
 of peace, worship thee, and train- our children and ser- 
 vants in thy service. I pray thee, Heavenly Father, to 
 bless my children ; and fill their tender.hearts with love 
 for thee; make them thy children; make them thine by 
 election and adoption. Give their parents wisdom and 
 grace, to train them for • a heavenly inheritance. Bless 
 my servants, I implore thee, most merciful God. Ena- 
 ble me to instruct them properl} 7- , and to govern them 
 wisely. Make them thy servants, zealous in every good 
 work ; and finally receive them to thyself in heaven." 
 
 " I ask all these blessing in" the name of my Saviour" 
 Jesus. I offer these petitions in the name of thy Holy 
 Son Hear me, and answer me, Oh God. Pour upon 
 me every blessing thou in thy mercy and loving kind- 
 ness, wilt grant. Amen. 
 
 ANOTHER PRAYER. 
 
 July 21, 1802. 
 "I approach thy throne, -my Heavenly Father, this 
 day, to acknowledge the benefits with which, in thy lov- 
 ing kindness and mercy, thou hast crowned me all the 
 days. of my life : to confess tfy sins, to implore forgive- 
 ness, to ask for thy grace and the influences of thy Holy 
 Spirit; and to beseech thee to continue to regard me 
 with favor, to load me with blessings, and to grant me 
 courage of heart and strength of body to discharge 
 
LIEUT. COLONEL THORN TON. 19 
 
 rightly and properly all the duties of my position. Oh 
 God, wash me clean in the blood of thy Son, Christ Je- 
 sus, my Saviour. Let me go to the cross, and live near 
 to him who died that I may live. Raise me from the 
 grave to sit beside him who first rose from the grave that 
 He might show to men the way to heaven. In his name 
 I offer my petitions 5 through his intercession I ask for- 
 giveness; by reason of his sufferings and atonement, I 
 expect salvation. I know that 1 am guiliy, polluted, un- 
 done, and ruined ; but I thank thee, Oh merciful Father, 
 that on Calvary thou didst open a fountain, in whose 
 stream the vilest and filthiest sinner may wash his guilt 
 away. T© that fountain filled with blood I- would corae, 
 and cleanse my heart from every stain. Pity, forgive, 
 and save me, Lord God Almighty. I pray thee, merciful 
 Father, to shield me from all the perils that assail ray 
 life ; from the pestilence that is abroad in the land, and 
 from the cruel enemy that has invaded, and is now rav- 
 aging and destroying my State and Country. Be with 
 me, Oh Lord God, at all times ; shield me in the hour of 
 conflict, and make my hand strong to strike for truth, 
 and justice, and right. - Save me, merciful Father, and 
 restore me, when the war is over, and thou hast sent 
 peace on our land, to my home, my wife, my children, 
 and my servants." 
 
 ''Bless, guide, comfort, and console the wife thou hast 
 given me, and the children that haVe been born by our 
 marriage. Reign and rule in their hearts. Make the 
 mother skilful and apt to teach her children thy law, and 
 turn the hearts of the children to do thy will. Re-unite 
 us, merciful Father, and uphold thy handmaiden and my- 
 self as the heads of a Christian family, and our offspring 
 and servants' as its members, teaching us all to love thy 
 word and thy law, to live as becometh them who are 
 striving for a heavenly inheritance, and finally receive us 
 all into heaven, thy holy dwelling place, to praise and 
 honor and serve thee through ail eternity." 
 
 " Oh Lord God ! have mercy on my country, these 
 Confederate States, now struggling for salvation from ty- 
 ranny and oppression, and seeking the rights thou hast 
 given us as a nation, through an agony of blood and suf- 
 
20 A MEMORIAL OF 
 
 fering. I see, Oh God, the desolations that mark the 
 footsteps o F our cruel enemy. Before me are the naked 
 . the ruins of the burned dwelling, and far away 
 from the fierce foe are the houseless and homeless wan- 
 derers. These cruel tyrants boast of their large num- 
 bers, their great wealth, and their power, vastly-superior 
 to that of the- e poor States. They rely on the arm of flesh. 
 We trust in thee, Oh Lord God Jehovah ! Be thou our 
 fortress and our defence j God of battles, be with the 
 soldiers of this Confederacy; and give them victoiy ; God 
 of truth and justice, reign in the hearts of the pec pie 
 all over the land; God of wisdom, illumine the minds of 
 our rulers and officers ; God of mercy, give us peace ; 
 God of nations give us independence ; and to thy nama 
 be all honor and glory, foreve: and ever. Amen. 
 
 July 22nd, 1862, he wrote from the region of the Pa- 
 munkey, a letter well describing the principles which 
 made him resolute in enduring, without any ambitious 
 aspirations, a separation so irksome to his soul. 
 
 " I am amused at the delight you so heartily manifest, 
 at my not meeting the enemy, who were reported as 
 crossing into King William. You say you cannot wish 
 me any opportunity of distinction where my life v^ ill be 
 placed in jeopardy. In reply I would say, that 1 only 
 desire to do my duty. 1 have no thirst for military 
 fame ; for I know it is won through blood and tears and 
 suffering. But I do desire to aid in driving the base in- 
 vader from Virginia's soil. I am amazed that men can 
 sit quietly at home, when they see the fate that awaits 
 us if the enemy succeeds in subjugating us. I am sitting 
 now, as I write, in full view of what was, before the in- 
 vasion, one of the loveliest estates in Virginia. It is now 
 a scene of desolation ; the fields are naked, the fences 
 destroyed, the houses burned, the laborers stolen away, 
 and the owners fugitives, and, if this were all their wealth, 
 beggars." 
 
 His remaining letters, written on the march from lower 
 Virginia to Manasaas and Maryland, were little more 
 
LIEUT. COLONEL THORNTON. 21 
 
 than brief note?, penned in moments snatched from the 
 fatigues of the journey. But in all of them, his yearn- 
 ings for the society of his beloved home were mingled 
 with prayers for faith and strength to bear his lot with 
 fortitude. The last specimen of prayer which he left is 
 incomplete. Perhaps the bugle-call summoned him away 
 from the solemn and pleasing communion of the mercy 
 seat, to the march or the combat, 
 
 THE LAST PRAYER. 
 
 July 21th, 1862. 
 
 " I come before thee, Oh Lord God Almighty, on this 
 thy holy day, to thank thee for the many mercies I have 
 received from thy loving hand, and for the protection 
 thou hast heretofore afforded me ; to ask tlr t thou wilt 
 not withdraw thy mercy, favor, and protection from me, 
 but wilt continue to crown me with blessings, and shield 
 me from all assaults of the world, the flesh, and the Dev- 
 il. I come to implore the forgiveness of my -sins, pardon 
 .for nil my guilt, and eternal salvation for my sou], through 
 the merits and intercession of thine adorable Son Christ 
 Jesus. I come to praie thee for the loving kindness and 
 tender compassion which, at such a cost, and at such 
 a sacrifice, furnished a way of escape for guilty man. 
 Oh Lord! I would live near to thy Son Christ Jesus, 
 our Lord and .Saviour. I .pray thee to give me 
 grace, to illumine my understanding, to fill my heart 
 with love, to make thy service my delightful work, 
 and obedience to thy law my most pleasant duty. 
 Save me, I beseech thee, from vain-glorying, from 
 boasting, from. self-reliance," 
 
 Thus the expression of his longings for holiness 
 were broken off unfinished, like his life. But his 
 friends may trust that his life, so full of promise here 
 was but the infancy of a far more blessed and glori- 
 ous existence in that heaven to w^hich he aspired ; 
 
22 A MEMORIAL OF LIEUT. COL. THORNTON. 
 
 and so, that these acts of worship, interrupted here 
 below are now continued with a nobler, sweeter ton- 
 gue, and with higher raptures, where there are no 
 wars*nor rumors of wars to"~cTisturb the saints, in the 
 heavenly Sabbath. 
 
 These mementoes exhibit, so far as a brief Chris- 
 tian life of less than a year could, the renewing pow- 
 er of the religion of Jesus Christ, in a high degree. 
 The scriptural tone of the petitions shows, in one so 
 young in di\»ine knowledge, the evident teachings of 
 the Holy Ghost. The change in Col. Thorntorn's 
 character was marked. He was, by nature, a proud 
 spirit; we here find his prayers breathing the most 
 profound humility. His character was usually ap- 
 prehended to be stern ; these exercises of soul are 
 instinct with a melting tenderness, for all, except the 
 enemies of righteousness. This attempt to display 
 his inner life is now closed, with the earnest prayer, 
 that God may incline the hearts of all his friends and 
 comrades, and of every brave soldier of our country, 
 to seek his Saviour, to imitate his example so- far as 
 he was a follower of Jesus Christ, and to raise to the~ 
 throne of grace, these, or such-like prayers. 
 
PUBLICATIONS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Presbyterian Committee of Publication, 
 
 114 Main Street, 
 
 RICH3IOXD VA. 
 
 The Presbyterian Committee have recently pub- 
 lished : 
 
 THE ARMY HYMN BOOK; 
 
 Price in paper covers, "20 cents; stiff covers with cloth 
 
 WEE DAVIE, 
 
 A charming book, as may be judged from the fact that 
 it has rapidly run through twenty-seven editions in 
 England. Price. — 50 Cents. 
 
 THE SOLDIER'S VISITOR, a paper designed for 
 gratuitous circulation in the army. Price to pay- 
 subscribers — $1 50 a year. 
 
 THE CHILDREN'S FRIEND, a paper for the young # ; 
 issued twice a month. Price — $1 for six months for 
 a single copy, twenty-five copies for $20; sixty-five- 
 copies for $50 ; one hundred copies for $75. 
 
 THE SHORTER CATECHISM, AND CATECHISM 
 FOR YOUNG CHILDREN.-Pricc, $1 per doz. 
 
 TRACTS! 
 
 The Committee are, also, constantly issuing Tracts, 
 designed chiefly for circulation in the army. Contribu- 
 tions for this object, as well as for the Soldier's Visitor, 
 are respectfully solicited. 
 
 ENGLISH PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 Though long delayed, the Committee have, now, 
 reason to look for the speedy arrival of additional sup- 
 plies of the English books and tracts, which have been 
 so popular, and so much sought for in th* army. 
 
 AddieBs, WM. D. COOKE, Publishing Agbnt, 
 
 Box 157, Ricmnond, Va.' 
 

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