Thursday, December 12, 2013

Mr. Editor: –

The following paragraph is taken from the correspondence of the Missouri Republican.  As it will doubtless gratify the numerous friends of Mr. VanDerveer, I hope you will be kind enough to give it a place in your columns:


At Pittsburg I met the Rev. Mr. VanDerveer, chaplain of the 8th Iowa.  I had formed his acquaintance on the first expedition up the Tennessee, and admired his traits of energetic character.  He was now laboring to get the wounded of his regiment on the boat, which he accomplished after being in the saddle from morning until 4 p. m., without any rest.  He was on the battle field on Sunday, and barely escaped the fate of most of his regiment, nearly all of whom were made prisoners.  He intends resigning and returning to his congregation, as his regiment is annihilated.  Such men as here are a blessing to any community, but especially to the soldier.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Monday Morning, May 19, 1862, p. 1

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