THANKSGIVING SERMON, 
 
 PEEACHED BY THE 
 
 KEY. J. M. CRAWFORD, 
 
 IN THE FIELD BEFORE PETEPvSBURGH, VA., 
 
 Nov. 27th, 1864. 
 
 GLEN'S FALLS, N. Y.: 
 
 BY NOEMAN COLE, "MESSENGER" OFFICE. 
 1865. 
 
Headquarters 93d N. Y. Vols., ) 
 Near Petersburg, Va., Nov. 27, 1864. J 
 
 Bev. James M. Crawford, Chaplain of the 9Sd Reg't. N. T. S. Vols. : 
 
 Chaplain : — The undersigned took great pleasure in listening to your Thanksgiving discourse 
 this morning. It so nearly expresses our sentiments that we respectfully request a copy for pub- 
 lication and preservation. 
 
 We are, Chaplain, your Friends and fellow Officers, 
 
 B. C. Butler, Lt. Col. 
 Geo. Bushnell, Capt. 98d N. Y. Vols. 
 Jay H. Northup, Capt. " 
 (Signed) David H. King, 1st Lt. 
 
 Charles F. Myer, Ist Lt. " 
 John W. Godden, Ist Lt. " 
 John M. Conine, 1st Lt. " 
 Elias p. Newton, 1st Lt. " 
 H, GiFFORD, Adjt. " 
 Thos. p. Fuller, Quartermaster. 
 
 Hd. Qrs. 93d Reg't N. Y. V., ) 
 Camp near Petersburg, Va., Nov. 28th, 1864. J 
 Gentlemen : — Yours of the 27th inst. is received. In reply I have to say that my Thanks- 
 giving discourse was hastily written, without any view to publication. But in compliance with 
 your request, I send you the manuscript with its many imperfections. 
 
 I am, very truly, Your ob't serv't. J. M. Crawford, 
 
 Chaplain 93d Reg't N. Y. V. 
 
 To Col. B. C. Butler and others, Officers in 93d Reg't N. Y. V. 
 
THANKSGIYmG SERMON. 
 
 "7^ Lord reigneth ; let the earth rejoice.^^ — ^Psal. 97-1. 
 
 We have many things for which to be 
 thankful — ^as individuals— as a regiment 
 — as members of a great commonwealth. 
 As individuals, we have reason to thank 
 the great Creator, and bountiful Benefac- 
 tor, for our lives, our health of mind and 
 body. " For in Him we live, and move, 
 and have our being." I trust there are 
 none here present, but who, at times, re- 
 cognizes the great truth that — " The 
 hand that formed us is divine." Would 
 to God ! that this truth might stimulate 
 us to glorify God, " which is the chief 
 end of men." Yes, my hearers, the chief 
 aim and design of God in making man, 
 was that we might glorify him. But 
 alas ! how often have we come short. — 
 Of none of us can it be said, that we per- 
 form our whole duty. Yet, may it not be 
 said of all, that we might do a great 
 deal better than we do ? True, I admit 
 that, in our own strength we can do noth- 
 ing that is right in the sight of God ; 
 but he has promised us strength to per- 
 form our duties to Him, and to resist 
 the temptations of this evil world. This 
 strength comes to us through the media- 
 tion of his son Jesus Christ. Some of 
 you refuse to receive this strength from 
 God through Christ. Some of you are 
 in the habit of profaning his sacred name. 
 Does it ever occur to you in the midst of 
 your vile blasphemies that you are 
 "treasuring up to yourselves wrath 
 against the day of wrath, when Christ 
 comes to judge the world ?" " Thou 
 shalt not take the name of the Lord they 
 God in vain; for the Lord will not hold 
 Mm guUtlesfis that taketh his name in 
 
 vain." You, who are guilty of this sin- 
 ful practice, have reason to be thankful to 
 God that he has not cut you down in the 
 midst of your profanity, and consigned 
 you to endless woe. I do not speak of 
 this particular sin to reproach you ; but 
 with the hope that you may be induced 
 to give up this unholy practice. O, that 
 it may not be a vain hope. Profanity is 
 the crying sin of our army, and it is sui*r 
 prising that we have been as successful 
 as we have. It is because God is long- 
 suflfering, and plenteous in mercy. And 
 we are but instruments in his hands to 
 accomplish his work, l^oiie of us can 
 plead not guilty^ before God, of some sin- 
 ful practices deserving of his wrath and 
 condemnation. Let us then, as individ- 
 uals, rejoice that " The Lord reigneth." 
 It is beause He reigneth and not man, 
 that we are not consumed. 
 
 Again, as a regirnent, we have reason 
 to rejoice that " The Lord . reigneth." — 
 The record of events show that our reg- 
 iment has been in many engagements 
 with the enemy, since the 3d of . May 
 1864. And while the casulties of our 
 regiment approximates Jive hundred^ 
 quite a number of us still live, to share 
 in the honors, which, like a halo of glory, 
 surrounds the Union soldier. Does it 
 not become us, as a regiment, to render 
 thanks to God for his great goodness to- 
 ward us ? While we lament, the loss to 
 us, of our companions in arms ; and drop 
 the tear of friendship, when we recur to 
 the ties broken by their untimely death ; 
 or, think of their shattered frames ren- 
 dering them cripples for life; let m IxJoii 
 
4 
 
 up to him. who reigns on high with feel- 
 ings of gratitude, that no stain has been 
 brought upon our regiment, by coward- 
 ice, or faltering zeal in our devotedness to 
 the cause we are endeavoring to sustain. 
 Let us resolve that our regiment shall 
 stand as high on the principles of 
 morality, as it does for bravery. — 
 And let us look to the Lord Jesus Christ 
 who reigns on high, and exercise living 
 faith in him, so that he may become our 
 " Immanuel, God with us." 
 
 Again — as a Nation^ we have cause to 
 rejoice that " The Lord reigneth." And 
 1st, Let us review the j)ast history of this 
 nation. By the wise ordering of Provi- 
 dence, this country was opened up to the 
 people of the Old World — the Eastern 
 Continent, at a time when an asylum was 
 needed as a resort from the religious per- 
 secutions of a deluded people. Men 
 were constrained to fly from their native 
 land, and seek refuo-e in the wilderness, 
 that they might worship God, according 
 to the dictates of their own conscience. 
 Though they were subjected to many 
 hardship and severe trials, yet God pro- 
 tected them from immeasurable evils 
 which surrounded them, as he had done 
 the children of Israel in the wilderness. 
 Although exposed to the inclemencies of 
 a vigorous climate, surrounded by ruth- 
 less savages; that all-seeing eye, and 
 strong arm of Almighty God watched 
 over and protected those who had forsak- 
 en houses and land, that they might ren- 
 der God service, as they believed the re- 
 vealed will of God called u|)on them to 
 do. And when unjustly taxed and 
 shamefully treated by those who should 
 have fostered and nourished them ; God 
 enabled them to throw ofi" the yoke of 
 bondage which threatened to grind them 
 down to the earth. After a long and 
 bloody war, the invaders of our land 
 were driven out. The Kepublic of the 
 United States arose out of the midst of 
 confusion and tyranny, which threatened 
 to subject the people of this land to per- 
 petual vassalage. The propriety of the 
 people of this country engaging in a rev- 
 olution at that time, must be conceded by 
 any one who will duly consider the griev- 
 
 ances to which they were subjected. On 
 the fourth of July lYYO a Declaration of 
 Independence was promulgated to the 
 world, declaring, "That all men were 
 created equal; that they are endow- 
 ed by their Creator with certain un- 
 alienable rights ; that among these are 
 life and liberty, and the pursuits of hap- 
 piness. That to secure these rights, gov- 
 ernments are instituted among men." — 
 What a noble declaration ! To all lands 
 a free invitation went forth to the down- 
 trodden and oppressed, to hasten to our 
 shores and enjoy freedom from all op- 
 pressions. 
 
 But, at the time this declaration was 
 made, a black cloud hung over our fair 
 land, in the shape ol human bondage. — 
 Some of our forefathers saw it, and 
 would gladly have put forth all their en- 
 ergies to dispel it. But deeming that 
 " prudence was the better part of valor" 
 at this critical period ; and that nothing 
 should be thrown in the way of that har- 
 mony between the colonies ; so essential 
 to success in the cause in which they had 
 embarked ; the clause which related to 
 the abominable trafiic in human beings; 
 and which was contained in the original 
 draught of the Declaration of Indepen- 
 dence ; as one of the grievances of which 
 they com|)lained, was stricken out ; on 
 the supposition that when our govern- 
 ment had become free from the interfer- 
 ence of foreign powers ; and was firmly 
 established ; reason and humanity, guid- 
 ed by Christianity, v/ould bring about 
 just results. That it may be under- 
 stood by all, what were the feelings of 
 those men who draughted the Declara- 
 tion of Independence, in regard to slav- 
 ery, I will quote from the original draft, 
 their views on that subject. The commit- 
 tee appointed to prepare the Declaration 
 
 of Independence, Jelferson, Adams, 
 
 Franklin, Sh-erman, and Livingston, ex- 
 pressed their views in regard to slavery 
 as follows. Alluding to the King of 
 Great Britan, they wrote : "He has 
 waged a cruel war against human nature 
 itself, violating its most sacred rights of 
 life and liberty in the persons of a dis- 
 tant people, who' never offended him, 
 
5 
 
 captivating and carrying them into slav- 
 ery in another hemisphere, or to incur 
 miserable death in their transportation 
 thither. This piratical warfare, the op- 
 probrium of Infidel powers, is the war- 
 fare of the Christian king of Great Brit- 
 ain. Determined to keep open a market 
 where Men should be bought and sold 
 he has prostituted his negative for sup- 
 pressing every leo-islative attempt to pro- 
 hibit, or to restrain this execrable com- 
 merce. . And that, this assemblage of 
 horrors might want no fact of cTistin- 
 guished dye, he is now exciting those very 
 people to rise in arms among us, and to 
 purchase that liberty of which he has de- 
 prived them, by murdering the people on 
 whom he also obtruded them, thus paying 
 off former crimes committed against the 
 Uherties of one people with crimes which 
 he urges them to commit against the 
 lives of another." When the original 
 draught of the Declaration was submit- 
 ted to the representatives of the people 
 assembled to pass upon it, this clause was 
 stricken out. But enough was adopted 
 to show that they considered the people 
 of all lands, and of all colors, equally de- 
 serving of- protection by the civil govern- 
 ment ; and entitled to the privilege of 
 worshing God according to the dictates 
 of their own conscience, provided it did 
 not interfere with the rights of others. 
 A solemn compact was entered into, call- 
 ing on God to witness their faithfulness 
 in carrying out the Declaration they 
 had made. Their language is, — " We, 
 therefore, the representatives of the 
 United States in o-eneral Cono-ress assem- 
 bled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of 
 the world for the rectitude of our inten- 
 tions, do, in the name and by the author- 
 ity of the good people of these colonies, 
 solemnly publish and declare that these 
 United Colonies, are, and of right ought 
 to be, free and independent States." — 
 And closed the Declaration by saying — 
 " And for the support of this declaration, 
 with a firm reliance on the protection of 
 Di^'ine Providence, we mutually pledge 
 to each other our lives, our fortunes, and 
 our sacred honor." Here was a solemn 
 vow to God, that if he would aid them 
 
 in throwing off the yoke of Great Britain, 
 they would faithfully carry out the de- 
 claration they had made in reference to 
 civil and religious liberty. Those obliga- 
 tions entered into at that time by the rep- 
 resentatives of the colonies, which were 
 then and there formed into a republic ; 
 were not only binding upon them and 
 those they represented, but upon all who 
 should ever become citizens of this re- 
 public, and upon all lands where its boun- 
 daries should extend. Having made this 
 solemn vow to God, they continued the . 
 war with Great Britain, and were suc- 
 cessful. in driving the invader out. God 
 seems to have accepted of the vow made 
 by our forefathers, and He watched over 
 and protected our republic in its infancy. 
 When the war broke out between Great 
 Britam and the American colonies, there 
 was not the least possible chance, hu- 
 manly speaking, for those colonies to 
 maintain their independence. And I hes- 
 itate not to say, that had not God fought 
 their battles for them, they never could 
 have succeeded. God delivered this re- 
 public from traitors at home, and from 
 the foreign foe. Thus did h^ grant 
 the request made for deliverance. — 
 In recurring to these events does it not 
 become us to rejoice that " The Lord 
 reigneth." 
 
 But, how was the vow fulfilled that 
 was made by our representatives in Con- 
 gress assembled? When our beloved land 
 became free fi'om the trammels of a foreign 
 power, men were found in our land that 
 disregarded the Declaration of Indepen- 
 dence, " that all men were created equal ; 
 and endowed by their Creator with cer- 
 tain unalienable rio-hts, that amono- these 
 are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happi- 
 ness" — who disregared the warnings of 
 good and wise men — who disregarded 
 the divine command " to do unto others 
 as ye would that they should do unto 
 
 you. 
 
 And instead of abolishino- human 
 
 bondage, they continued to traffic in this 
 unhallowed means of gain. The laws 
 that have been passed by different slave 
 states, controlling slavery, are of the 
 most detestable and infidel character ; 
 forbidding under several penalties the 
 
6 
 
 teaching of the colored people to read and 
 write — withholding from them the Bible, 
 God's blessed book — giving the master 
 supreme control of the persons of those 
 born on his plantation, or purchased with 
 filthy lucre — the marriage relation total- 
 ly disregarded ; husband and wife 
 torn from each other's embrace — their 
 children taken from them — female chas- 
 tity prostituted — in many instances 
 ces men trafficking in their own blood. — 
 By allowing this great evil to continue 
 in our land we disregarded the solemn 
 vow made to God. Although liviug in 
 this known sin — in open violation of what 
 we had covenanted to perform — God 
 had permitted our nation to grow into a 
 gigantic structure — to rank high among 
 the nations of the earth. But our God 
 is a just God, and although he may long 
 forbear to administer retribution on the 
 workers of iniquity, yet, if they persist 
 in their iniquitous doings, judgements 
 are sure to come. Our nation was guilty 
 before God in allowing this traffic in hu- 
 man blood to continue in our land ; and 
 his judgments came upon us. Those 
 who have been the more immediate 
 workers in this iniquity seem destined to 
 the greatest punishments. God is pun- 
 ishing them severely. His wrath seems 
 kindled against them. He has "sent them 
 strong delusions and they believe the 
 lie." Like Pharaoh, King of Egypt, they 
 have become hardened in their hearts ; 
 and like him they will probably perish. 
 Ethiopia has stretched out her hand to 
 God. He has heard the cry of the down- 
 trodden race. He has bent his bow and 
 the shafts of death fly thick and fast 
 among his enemies. The Sunny South 
 where they have lived at ease, and fared 
 sumptuously every day, at the expense 
 of human blood, exulting exclaiming 
 " Cotton is Ki7ig^'' seems destined to be 
 the place of their execution. And not on- 
 ly are those who are the more immediate- 
 ly implicated in this great sin of slavery, 
 undergoing the punishment of an angry 
 Jehovah ; but those also who have wink- 
 at this monstrous iniquity, have been 
 made to feel the chastisements of God. — 
 Many families throughout the entire 
 
 length of our land, have been called upon 
 to mourn the loss of some near and dear 
 ones, stricken down by the missiles of 
 death, or laid low by the destroying pes- 
 tilence. And the end is not yet. — 
 Doubtless many more will be made to 
 bite the dust. We have broken our 
 vow to God, and he is exacting the 
 pledge. We pledged our lives^ and hun- 
 dreds of thousands of them have been 
 sacrificed. We pledged our fortunes, 
 and many millions have been taken from 
 us. We pledged our honor which at 
 times has been nearly obscured. Many 
 have been led to quake with fear lest our 
 nation should become extinct. I have 
 strong hopes that such a catastrophe will 
 not come upon us. The cloud of thick 
 darkness which has brooded over our 
 land is being removed. " The Lord 
 reign eth," and as a nation we may rejoice. 
 To my mind there has been an overruling 
 providence clearly manifested in the af- 
 fairs of this nation. God overrules all 
 things for his own glory. But it seems 
 to me, that any one who will take a 
 common sense view of things that have 
 transpired in our country for the last few 
 years, he can clearly see that a higher 
 power than man has been directing 
 events. We have been repeatedly warn- 
 ed to put away this evil of slavery from 
 among us. But while other lands far 
 less enlightened than ours, have freed 
 their slaves, we have nurtured and sus- 
 tained slavery. For thirty years or more, 
 our nation existed on compromises. Com- 
 promises with Satan. In league with 
 hell. Doubtless the majority of the 
 voters in this country, for many years, 
 have been convinced that slavery as it 
 has existed in the United States, was an 
 abomination in the sight of God. But 
 instead of coming up manfully to the 
 work of blotting out this great evil — in- 
 stead of obeying the laws of God and 
 the convictions of conscience ; we have 
 disregarded God's law — we have consid- 
 ered our own ease, and onr own posses- 
 sions of more importance than the glory 
 of God. Instead of i)aying our vows to 
 God we went on in sin, violating those 
 obligations. And now we are reaping 
 
the reward of onr fool-hardiness. Gk)d 
 will be glorified in man, whether man is 
 willing or not. He can make the wrath 
 of man to praise him. He will glorify 
 his power and justice upon some, and his 
 grace and mercy upon others of Adam's 
 ramily. The people of the South seem 
 to have been given over to the most fatal 
 delusions. They became blind with rage, 
 and rushed madly on to destruction.Being 
 long kept from an attempt to overthrow 
 the best civil government that ever exist- 
 ed on earth, by compromises ; they at 
 length rejected all compromises, deter- 
 mined to rule or ruin our nation. The 
 national government tried to maintain its 
 existence and uphold slavery. What 
 was our success under such a policy ? — 
 Disaster followed disaster — the Capitol 
 of our nation came near falling into the 
 hands of traitors — jealousies existed be- 
 tween leaders of our armies. And to help 
 on the confusion a political party arose 
 in the North, styling itself the " peace 
 party," sympathizing with the rebels, 
 and stimulating them in their infatuated 
 course. The peace called for by these 
 so-called peace men, was not a peace on 
 any equitable basis, but such a peace as 
 the greatest rebel might dictate. Who 
 ever heard of making peace with rebels 
 on their own terms, while there was 
 power existing to punish the rebels ? — 
 buch a course of action would be contra- 
 ry to both reason and revelation. When 
 satan rebelled in heaven he was cast 
 down to hell. When Adam rebelled in 
 paradise he was thrust out. When Ko- 
 rah rebelled, and attempted to overthrow 
 the regular order of priesthood as estab- 
 lished by God, he was destroyed and all 
 those engaged with him in the conspira- 
 cy. When the Jewish nation rebelled, 
 and crucified the Lord of Glory, dreadful 
 calamities visited them ; J erusalem their 
 holy city was destoyed, and many of 
 the inhabitants perished by famine, pesti- 
 lence, and the sword ; and the residue 
 were banished hither and thither over 
 the face of the earth. 
 
 These so-called peace men throughout 
 the North, occupy a position similar to 
 that of the torm in the war with Eng- 
 
 land. When any move has been made 
 that had a tendency to abolish slavery, 
 their anathemas have been thundered 
 forth with terrible vengeance. You 
 doubtless remember the great hue and 
 cry that was raised when the order of 
 G^n. Fremont was promulgated in Mis- 
 souri; and was only appeased by the 
 Chief Magistrate revoking the order. — 
 And thus it has been when the " peculiar 
 institution" has been assailed. At 
 length the President saw the necessity of 
 abolishing slavery and issued a procla- 
 mation of emancipation. Thus placing a 
 lever under the so-called Southern Con- 
 federacy that threw it into great convul- 
 sions, like that caused by a mighty earth- 
 quake, and bade fair to overthrow it, and 
 with it the institution of slavery. Then 
 the indignation of these peace men knew 
 no bounds. They at first attempted to turn 
 the President's proclamation into ridi- 
 cule ; comparing it to a wandering comet 
 or a pope's bull. But finding it a more 
 fonnidable thing than could be demolish- 
 ed by such means — finding that it was 
 the greatest gun that had been fired 
 since the breaking out of the rebellion ; 
 resounding as it did from Canada on the 
 North, to the Gulf of Mexico on the 
 South — from the Atlantic on the East to 
 the Pacific on the West — thence rever- 
 berating, its clear notes were heralded 
 across the Atlantic, and the re-echo 
 came back from the Old World like the 
 voice of many waters, filling the hearts 
 of loyal citizens in our land with sensa- 
 tions of hope and joy. Such being the 
 case, these so-called peace men determin- 
 ed to bring all their logic, and every de- 
 vice they could imagine to render it inef- 
 fective if possible. The President was 
 attacked in the most vehement manner; 
 being denounced as a traitor and an abo^ 
 Utionist, The latter term being consid- 
 ered by them the worst appellation 
 known in our language. Yet notwith- 
 standing all this our noble President 
 having taken a decided stand on the 
 slavery question moved on unswervingly, 
 regardless of the vile maledictions which 
 were hurled at him. From the first 
 enunciation of Mr, Lincoln's proclama^ 
 
8 
 
 tion, our cause has been gaining ground. 
 And the, triumphant victory of the Union 
 men in our land at the recent election, in 
 which slavery was the test question, as- 
 sures us that the heart of this great na- 
 tion has returned to a healthy state of 
 action on this subject. It will have a ten- 
 dency^to dishearten rebels in arms ; and 
 serve as a merited rebuke to those who 
 have secretly connived against our gov- 
 ernment. The " greatest general in the 
 world" is reported to have said, that, 
 "the Southern Confederacy is a mere 
 shell;" and soon we may expect this 
 wicked rebellion shall be crushed, and the 
 Star Spangled Banner shall wave over 
 the entire land. Then with joyful hearts 
 we will return to Our homes. May God 
 speed the day. Let us then as a nation 
 rejoice that " The Lord reigneth." 
 
 Li conclusion — let me say to you as in- 
 dividuals — stand firm a little longer. — 
 Become as devoted to your God as you 
 have been to your country, and in addi- 
 tion to its honors, which you have attain- 
 ed as soldiers for your country, you will 
 be entitled to those higher honors in the 
 upper sanctuar}^. 
 
 Let me say to you as a regiment — 
 , stand firm a little longer. To-day is the 
 anniversary of the organization of the 93d 
 Keg't N. Y. S. V. Three years have 
 rolled aromid since its formation. And in 
 every position it has occupied, you have 
 acquitted yourselves with honor. Your 
 gallant deeds have been heralded through- 
 out the land; and the memory of the 93d 
 will long be retained by future genera- 
 tions. Let me say to you, in the lan- 
 
 guage of Gen. Jackson, " Trust in God/ 
 and keep your powder dry." 
 
 As members of a great commonwealth 
 — let me say to you — stand firm a little 
 longer. Let us adopt the motto of the 
 dying Lawrence, " Don't give up the 
 ship," " Don't give up the ship." Hav- 
 ing committed our cause to God, let us 
 go on fearlessly confident of victory. If 
 God be for us we have no cause to fear 
 all those who may rise up against us. — 
 Though the shij) of State may be sadly 
 disabled, and the American Eagle in a 
 drooping condition, if we do our duty 
 relying on the God of battles for 
 guidance and direction the noble ship 
 will weather the gale, and with the Star 
 Spangled Banner waving at the mast- 
 head, and liberty for our pole-star, we 
 will sail into 23ort amid the joyful accla- 
 mations of the down trodden and oppress- 
 ed of every land. Let not the hawk- 
 eyes of kingly powers that are upon us, 
 terrify us. Let us resolve that hing cotton 
 shall have no more dominion over us, but 
 looking to King Jesus as the captain of 
 our salvation, let us stand up manfully 
 for the cause of truth and justice. The 
 cause of truth and justice will triumph, 
 though scheming men in the North and 
 armed rebels in the South array all 
 their vile machinations against it. Let 
 the Britisn lion roar and pray upon our 
 commerce, a day of reckoning is coming ; 
 and woe be to them who have conspired 
 against 
 
 " The land of tlie free, 
 The home of the brave."