[234] These were trained and gallant officers and their men were superb soldiers. Carter's Battery ranked deservedly among the famous artillery companies of the Confederate Army, and Battle's Brigade always felt better when they were in proximity to these patriotic Virginians.
We remained encamped near Grace Church the remainder of the winter and until May, 1863. During the time the tedium of camp life was seldom broken.
Rev. W. A. Moore, an old college class-mate at Auburn, flattered me by getting a transfer from the Sixty-first Georgia regiment to my company, and favored us on Sundays with good sermons.
Rev. (Captain) Tom W. Harris, of the Twelfth Georgia regiment, an old college-mate, preached for us several Sundays, and a Baptist preacher, a substitute in my company, Rev. E. J. Rogers, also gave us religious services.
Rev. W. J. Hoge, D. D., who had left his church in New York, preached at Grace Church to an immense crowd. Later, he preached the funeral sermon of Stonewall Jackson, and his pathos and eloquence brought blinding tears to the eyes of many an old soldier, unused to weep.
Soon after the battle of Chancellorsville, at the request of all the company, and in compliance with my own wishes, I declined to remain as quartermaster, and asked to be returned to my company. There was at that time no commissioned officer, and I valued highly the unanimous wish and request of my comrades to resume the command.
Our regiment, during its entire career, was favored with two faithful chaplains, one, Rev. Mark. S. Andrews, D. D., a graduate of Emory College, Georgia, and a prominent Alabama minister, living at Tuskegee, served until the second year of the war. I wished to have my old school fellow, W. A. Moore, selected as his successor, but Colonel Pickens gave the appointment to Rev. Henry D. Moore, D. D., a graduate of Citadel Academy at Charleston. Both of these have died since the war, after careers of usefulness and honor. Dr. Moore was with us during the years 1863 and part of 1864. He organized a Christian association in our regiment, the only pledge to be taken by its members being that they should not indulge in intoxicating drinks nor in profanity. Through his influence some very profane men stopped the silly and undignified
