1              Bucks County Intelligencer, Chaplain Lives Close To Troops  Page B-FOUR  Col. 8                         1

 

CHAPLAIN WILLIAM R. GRIES - BI83061W.GIF

CHAPLAIN WILLIAM R. GRIES

. . . ever near the troops

Chaplain

Live Close

To Troops

The Rev. William R. Gries re-

turned to Doylestown for a visit

in 1871 and preached a memor-

able sermon at St. Paul’s Epis-

copal Church.

He had been there before the

war.  Now he returned in the

wake of its grim aftermath.

“The regiment was fortunate

in having such an excellent

chaplain,” said W.W.H. Davis,

commander of the 104th Penn-

sylvania Regiment.  “Neither offi-

cer nor man was more faithful

in his duties.”

Stop Over

The army chaplain was on his

way home to Reading, but first

he had to see Doylestown.

After all, hadn’t he served as

rector at St. Paul’s Church for

almost six years?

On November  12, 1855, he suc-

ceeded the Rev. Rees C. Evans

and began his duties three days

later.  He was of German de-

scent and spoke the language

fluently.

He resigned October 18, 1861,

to become Chaplain of the 104th

Pennsylvania Regiment.

“He served out his full term

of three years,” said Davis,

“and was very seldom absent

from the regiment unless on

duty.  During that time, he held

more than one thousand re-

ligious exercises.

Every Sunday

“He preached every Sunday in

camp, with a prayer meeting

and short address every evening

when possible.  Besides these, he

held special services in the hos-

pital.”

He was, according to Davis,

the only chaplain on duty for a

considerable length of time.

Gries, alone, held daily and

continuous services with the

troops.

“For some time,” Davis ex-

plained, “he was the only chap-

lain in that army to officiate at

the burying of the dead on Mor-

ris Island.

“I can remember a period

when he was engaged in this

duty nearly every hour in the

day.”

While connected with the regi-

ment, Gries baptized and re-

ceived into the church fifty-nine

soldiers and one officer

When the war was done, Gries

returned to his home in Read-

ing.

He died in Allentown on Octo-

ber 21, 1873 — but he came back

to Doylestown first to see what

the church looked like.

 

 

 

 

Courtesy of the Spruance Library of the Bucks County Historical Society, 84 South Pine Street, Doylestown, Pa. 18901, (215)345-0210


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