Letters of Rev. John W. Alvord

Washington, [Nov?] 7 /61

My Dear -

I told Br. W. yesterday that I should write to you today. Mr. Stewart of Phil. has been here 2 or 3 days & kept me from writing. He has been with me to the Camps & Hospitals. A wonderful man he is so earnest in his efforts so tender in his appeals so large hearted — this Camp work just suited him. His two daughters are with him — interesting young ladies & faithful Christians. We made a carriage load of missionaries & four hands you know could labor w advantage (two on either side of the carriage) — Mr. Stewart became so interested in the books that in his visits even to the high officers of the state & of war he has been presenting them all with samples, & urging them to patronize their circulation —no matter whether they were themselves Christians or not. I saw him doing this with a number, & he told me he gave them to the President & had a long and earnest talk with him on the subject — & the Prest. responded most cordially to what we were doing. There is no difficulty now in the way of our largest efforts but funds. I wish every body saw the white harvest field now open. I am sure they would not withhold. You ask about stockings &c. These are good & in many instances will be greatly needed. The Govt [bureaus?] are doing nobly now, & the Sanitary Commission. Miss Dix and others, are making weekly their appeals & very large supplies are forthcoming. My impression is that the souls of the men are suffering more than their bodies

You know the final want always seems to take hold of charity more strongly than spiritual. There is much unbelief yet as to the value of the means of grace in the army and I fear Christians don't know how God is willing to work in these Camps. A Chaplain has this moment been telling me of a grand conversion he has just had of a young soldier (the son of a minister). The very means which are powerless at home have in the midst of these war games led him to the Saviour. There will be thousands of such cases, depend upon it -- if Chaplains can be stirred of all through the army w personal fidelity, w the soulds of men & we can furnish them with the aide they need. __ I saw a Chaplain yesterday who has had over 20 conversions in his Regt already. My experience in this -- in distributing as I sometimes have both garments & books at the same time the latter have been taken with the greatest avidity. It is so interesting to see the faces of Christian young men (you can always [illegible] them) crowding near the carriage & with welcoming & encouraging words in the work, telling about their prayer meetings -- asking for enouch for the whole Comp[any] there. I often find most faithful men in the Regts where there are no Chaplains. or, if not, it seems comparatively easy to wake up backsliders to their duty. Do try to get us more to do with in the mane of the Lord. Not a tenth part of the want is as yet supplied. I think you say this war could [illegible] away the ladies in Boston & get a great deal to every body. I know they cannot resist the apeal.