From the Richmond Daily Dispatch March 3, 1862:
An immense prayer meeting.
–Never in the history of Richmond was so large an assembly convened for prayer as that which took place at the First Baptist Church Friday afternoon. By four o’clock–the hour appointed for the commencement of the services — the large Church, with its galleries, holding from twelve to fifteen hundred persons, was full to overflowing, and, when it was announced that the basement would be opened, the large room which it contains was soon occupied by an additional crowd amounting to several hundred, making in all probably near two thousand persons in the house. The exercises in the upper part of the Church were conducted by Rev. Dr. Hoge, and those in the basement by Mr. John Caskie. The meetings were solemn and deeply earnest; the remarks indicated trust in the Almighty arm as the hope of the Republic, the whole scene was beautifully illustrative of patriotism, piety, and Christian union.
At the conclusion of the services, Dr. Hoge announced that there would be a meeting at the Second Presbyterian Church in the evening, conducted by Dr Burrows.
At the appointed hour this Church was full below, and nearly full in the galleries. The services were very interesting …
Moses Drury Hoge was pastor of Richmond’s Second Presbyterian Church for over fifty years. He was a Confederate chaplain and a favorite of the Stonewall brigade. During the war he ran the blockade to procure bibles for the CSA army.
