Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/205

 Pf.gr -am Battalion Association 199

fight against me Take hold of shield and buckler and stand up for my help." His conception of a protecting providence is expressed in such terms as "fortress" and "defence" and "a shield upon my right hand."

Beyond all doubt the soldier-king of Israel was a great warrior. His earlier history, when hunted through the mountain fastnesses from cave to cave, reads like the romantic story of a Wallace or a Bruce ; his later history, when his victorious armies established the supremacy of his little kingdom over surrounding nations, and held in check the rising power of Syria on the east and the mighty empire of Egypt on the south, will place him in the front rank of the cap- tains of war.

But the greatest soldier which Israel ever produced was the re- nowned Judas Maccabeus. I will go even farther. I will say that I do not believe the whole world ever produced his superior. To my mind there is no grander figure in history. In him were united the bravery of a Julius Caesar, the military genius of a Napoleon Bona- parte, and the religious enthusiasm and fiery energy of a Stonewall Jackson. Taking up arms at a time when his country was a Grecian province, all its fortresses garrisoned by Grecian armies, his country- men corrupted by Grecian luxury, he collected a little band from the number of those who were yet jealous for the Lord of Hosts and for the honor of His name, and won a series of victories unparalleled in the annals of war. City after city was reduced by his invincible arms, and their garrisons expelled, until the last shackle was struck from Israel. Mighty armies under experienced generals were sent to crush him, but were defeated in detail and driven back with disaster.

I have no intention of wearying you with an extended account of these wonderful triumphs. I think one memorable engagement will suffice. An army of forty thousand men, under the Generals Gorgias and Nicanor, had penetrated into the very heart of the devoted province, and were encamped at Emmaus. To oppose this formi- dable force, Judas had a little army of six thousand patriots encamped at Mizpeh, by the Eben-ha-ezer, "the stone of the helper," which Samuel had erected centuries before.

The disparity of force was great enough one would think, but the indomitable Jewish leader assembled his army and made proclama- tion that all who had built a house, or planted a vineyard, or mar- ried a wife in the past year, and all who were afraid, were at liberty to withdraw from his standard. Three thousand left the ranks; three thousand stood in their place ; three thousand now against