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