Walter Jones Bible
Library of Congress
Like many Civil War soldiers, Walter Jones, a private in the 8th New York Cavalry, carried a small Bible in his uniform pocket for spiritual support. Little could he have imagined that the book meant to save his soul would save his flesh from potentially grievous injury—twice. In the fighting at Cedar Creek on October 19, 1864, a Confederate bullet hit Jones in the chest and was embedded near the top of the book. The same thing happened at the Battle of Appomattox in April 1865, this time the bullet piercing the damaged Bible dead center. The “little Testament … saved my life from bullets,” a grateful Jones said later. As evidenced by the above photo, Jones (pictured here in his uniform) kept not only the Bible but also the bullets as mementos.
