| The Life of Dr. J.R. Miller |
Chapter 3 |
Page 8 |
An editor of the Pittsburgh Gazette visited Harper’s Ferry in February, 1865. In his leading editorial on February 13, after speaking of the workers, he said:
“The General Field Agent is Mr. J.R. Miller, of the United Presbyterian Church, a man of indefatigable industry and fine administrative abilities. A nobler or more generous man we never met; and if we were to relate even what fell under our observation of his deeds of substantial kindness to all around him, but especially to a bereaved and sorrow stricken woman, and at serious expense to himself, our language would be thought extravagant.
“The headquarters is a decent ‘shanty’ containing three rooms and a little kitchen. There they live and labour and hold their nightly meetings for religious worship. The soldiers are always coming and going, and here they congregate every evening to sing and pray, and discuss their joys or sorrows. Here they often linger to talk or sing together of those better things which only true believers realize and understand… During the present winter hundreds of soldiers have become earnest Christian men at Harper’s Ferry and in the camp around. Even the delegates themselves are astonished and delighted at the progress of the work. But it is not more than might be expected; for probably nothing has been so much like the work of the great Master himself as this work of which we are speaking.”
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