Ira Sankey - Escaped the bullet of a soldier

In 1875, Ira Sankey was traveling when he was recognized. His picture had been in the newspaper because he was the song leader for the famous evangelist D.L. Moody. They asked him to sing one of his own hymns, but Sankey said that he preferred to sing William B. Bradbury’s Hymn, “Savior Like a Shepherd Lead us.” As he sang, one of the stanzas began, “We are Thine; do Thou befriend us. Be the Guardian of our way.” When he finished, a man asked, “Did you ever serve in the Union Army?” “Yes,” Mr. Sankey answered, “in the spring of 1860.” Can you remember if you were doing guard duty on a bright, moonlit night in 1862?” “Yes,” Mr. Sankey answered, very much surprised. “So did I, but I was serving in the Confederate army. When I saw you standing at your post, I thought to myself, ‘That fellow will never get away alive.’ I raised my musket and took aim. At that instant, you raised your eyes to heaven and began to sing...’Let him sing his song to the end,’ I said to myself, ‘I can shoot him afterwards.’ But the song you sang then was the song you sang just now. I heard the words perfectly: ‘We are Thine; do Thou befriend us, Be the Guardian of our way.’ I began to think of my childhood and my God-fearing mother. She had many times sung that song to me. When you had finished your song, it was impossible for me to take aim again. I thought, ‘The Lord who is able to save that man from certain death must surely be great and mighty.’ And my arm of its own accord dropped limp at my side.” (From The Success Syndrome, K Hughes, Tyndale, 1988, p. 69)