Distribution of tracts — the Culpeper hospitals.
--I have been spending some time visiting the hospitals and camps with a view of largely increasing the facilities for distributing testaments and other religious publications among our soldiers, and am happy to be able to announce that we now have depositories in Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Fredericksburg, Lewisburg, and Culpeper C. H., where large assortments of our books and tracts will be constantly kept on hand.Ten additional colporteurs have been appointed, so that now we have some fifty faithful laborers going from camp to camp distributing ‘"leaves from the tree of life."’
An officer in Col. Ashby's Regiment pledges $250 for the support of a colporteur for that regiment.
A surgeon in one of the hospitals remarked to me that a pious colporteur could be of more service to the inmates of his hospital than the very best medical attendance; that oftentimes a few religious tracts and the pious visits of a religious man have a more salutary influence on the health of the sick than anything else.
I have met with several who have become saving interested in the gospel since they entered the army. At one point several were anxiously inquiring the way of life.
We have published more than a million and a half of pages of religious reading, and shall have to publish as much more in a few months, so great is the demand for this kind of reading.
From all classes of the community as well as from all denominations of Christians, I am receiving the most hearty co-operation.--Our tracts are acceptable to all and are written by distinguished gentlemen of the several different denominations.
