The Knot-Hole Conversion

   Rev. Charles Quintard     

General Braxton Bragg

“I (Reverend Charles Quintard) made very earnest appeals to the officers and soldiers of our army to confess Christ as Saviour. But there was one man in the army I felt I could never get at. He was the Commander-In-Chief, General Braxton Bragg, CSA. He had the reputation of being so stern and so sharp in his sarcasm, that many men were afraid to go near him.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Immediately I received notice of Bishop Elliott’s proposed visit, I determined to have a talk with General Bragg. I found two tents and a sentry at the outer one. When I asked for General Bragg the sentry said: “You cannot see him. He is very busy and has given positive orders not to be disturbed, except for matter of life and death.” That cooled my enthusiasm and I returned to my own quarters; but all night long I blamed myself for my timidity. All that night I struggled with the Holy Spirit because of my timidity. The next day I started out again, found that very same sentry, and received the same reply. This time, however, I resolved to see the General, no matter what happened, so I said, “It iIS a matter of life and death.”  The sentry withdrew n and in a few minutes returned and said: “You can see the General , but I advise you to be brief. He is not in a good humor.”

This chilled me, but I went in. I found the General dictating to two secretaries. He met me with:  “Well, Dr. Quintard, what can I do for you.?  I am quite busy as you can see.”  I stammered out that I wanted to see him alone. He replied that was impossible, but I persisted. Finally he dismissed the secretaries, saying to me rather sternly: “Your business must be of grave importance, sir.”


I was very frightened, but I asked the General to be seated and then fixing my eyes upon a knot-hole in the pine board floor of the tent. I talked about our Blessed Lord and about the responsibilities of a man in the General’s position. When I looked up after a while I saw tears in the General’s eyes and took courage to ask him to accept Christ. At last he came to me, took both my hands in his and said: “I have been waiting for twenty years to have someone say this to me, and I thank you from my heart. Certainly I shall accept Christ if you will give me the necessary instruction.”

                                  
                                                

                                          
                                      
~Reverend Charles Quintard was nominated by soldiers in the Confederate 1st Regiment Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, to serve as their chaplain. He accepted this invitation, and also served as a regimental surgeon.


~General Braxton Bragg was commander of the Army of Tennessee from 1862- 1863. It was during this time that he accepted Christ as his Saviour.