Riches of grace

by E. E. Byrum

The court was greatly surprized, but my counsel went on further and handed the court a paper and explained verbally the different reasons for his pleas until tears came to the eyes of Captain Koester, Captain Ottwell, and the different members of the court. Four of the worst officers arose and recommended me for eighteen months' clemency and thirteen dollars a month fine and reinstatement to duty.

The recommendation of the court was sent to the Department Commander of the East, Major-General Leonard A. Woods, who earnestly considered the case, according to his statement, for several hours, not knowing what to do. He also expressed himself by saying that if he had full power to release me, he would gladly do so, without any punishment. Also, through prayer and petitions to the Lord the case reached President Taft, the Adjutant-General of the army, and then it reached Brigadier-General Davis, who was the Judge-Advocate General of the United States Army. They also had notified the Department Commander to be as lenient as he could before the case had reached the War Department in Washington.

In fifteen days after my trial, the sentence came back approved by the Department Commander for eighteen months' clemency and thirteen dollars' fine a month and reinstatement to duty to serve out my enlistment.

While I was in the guard-house in Washington Barracks, District of Columbia, serving the sentence imposed upon me for the charge heretofore mentioned, I was sawing wood one day, when a fellow prisoner hit me with a piece of wood behind my ear and knocked me down. About two months later this prisoner was saved, and the other prisoners became bitter against me, for they believed that I was the cause of the conversion of one of the worst men in the guard-house. I learned later that a number of the officers were converted.

After I left the Washington Barracks, I went to Ft. Slocum, New York. From there I was sent to Ft. Sheridan, where I was assigned to Battery F, Fifth Field Artillery. After I had been there two days, I asked permission of Lieutenant Osborn to hold religious services in front of the battery. On account of its being so cold, he told me to go into the pool-room and hold services if I thought my God was living.

I went into the pool-room, where they were playing pool, and began to preach the gospel. Two balls were thrown at me, and I was also hit across the back with the thick end of a cue. They took me to the hospital and after a short time came back and said that the Jew would not preach Jesus Christ any more. After another week I felt impressed to preach the gospel again. While I was preaching, the cook came out of the kitchen with a pail of hot lard and threw it on me. I was burned on both of my hands and arms.

While I was at the hospital, black poison set in, and the doctor said my arm must be cut off. I told him that I would not submit to any operation; that as I suffered this for the gospel's sake, the Lord would heal my arm. Five weeks later he looked at my arm, as the poison was getting worse in my system, and he said, "If I do not cut off this arm, you are going to die from the effects of blood-poisoning." I said that I still had faith in God that he would heal this arm for his glory.

"What church do you belong to?" he inquired.

"I belong to the church of God," I answered.

"Your arm can not heal," he replied and began to laugh.