I thought worth visiting.

At this juncture I also found an old friend of my father's, who with
his interesting family did much to make my days of recovery pleasant
days; supplying many little things which a soldier's wardrobe and
an invalid's appetite needed. How much of a Rebel he was I could
never exactly make out, but I think his regard for my family held
deep debate with either love or fear of the ruling authorities, to
settle the question whether he should aid me to reach home. At
least, there was not in what he said in our frequent interviews that
entire outspokenness which would have prompted me to make a
confidant of him; hence I made no headway toward escaping to the
North. Indeed, I considered it the only safe way, in talking with
him, to show a guarded zeal for the Southern cause, lest, if he were
a hearty Rebel, he might betray me. I am now inclined to the opinion
that I was too suspicious of him, and that he was at heart a Union
man. At all events, I shall ever be grateful for his kindness to me.

I may as well record at this point what I know of the moral and
religious efforts put forth in the South in behalf of the soldiers,
and the effect of the Rebellion on the educational and religious
interests of the people generally. As a general truth, when the
recruits first came to the army, those with religious inclinations
or who had pious friends, brought along a Bible or Testament, but
these were in most cases soon lost or left behind, and the camps
were almost destitute of any good books. Religious publications were
not distributed to the soldiers except in the hospitals, and to a
very limited extent there. The regiments composed of Irish or French
Catholics, usually had a priest as chaplain; but I saw very few of
the Protestant chaplains who gave themselves up to the spiritual