William Thomas Overby
John Weaver | SermonAudio
| Lecture Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Speaker | John Weaver |
| Source | SermonAudio |
| Media ID | 1031068434 |
| Subject | New Testament Studies |
| Course | Romans: Christian Duty, Authority, and Brotherly Peace |
| Genre | Sermon |
| Date | 2006-09-03 |
| Dictation Name | |
| Book | Book 133: Romans: Christian Duty, Authority, and Brotherly Peace — Chapter 2 |
| Source Timed Segments | 403 |
Synopsis: John Weaver delivers a biographical sermon on Confederate soldier William Thomas Overby, emphasizing the biblical duty to give honor to whom honor is due. He recounts Overby's capture, refusal to betray Colonel Mosby, and execution on 'Black Friday' (September 23, 1864), highlighting his courage and steadfastness. Weaver draws applications on sowing and reaping, the impact of our actions on others, and the urgency of being ready to die by repenting and trusting Christ.
Formatted Transcript
Introduction and the Duty of Honor
Weaver opens with Romans 13:7, stating God requires us to give honor to whom honor is due, and introduces the study of William Thomas Overby as a Confederate hero.
OK, let's open our Bibles today to Romans chapter 13. And I want to bring a study today in the life of a soldier, and you will understand why simply because this is the month of September. This is our Labor Day picnic. And so I hope this message will be a blessing and an incentive to stand fast for righteousness' sake. In Romans chapter 13, in verse 7, the Bible says this. Render therefore to all their dues, tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
So God, in Romans 13 and verse 7, requires us to give honor to whom honor is due. I want to bring you a study today on the life and death, I might add, of William Thomas Overby. Most of you probably never heard that name. He was indeed a Confederate hero. He was also a winner of the Confederate Medal of Honor.
The Concept of Honor and Its Loss
He explains that honor upholds the humble (Proverbs 29:23) and laments that modern society has lost the concept of honor in marriages, homes, and workplaces.
Now the Bible teaches us in the book of Proverbs 29 in verse 23, that a man's pride shall bring him low, but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit. Now listen to that verse again. A man's pride shall bring him low, but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit. In fact, God is saying that it is honor that will sustain us, uphold us, and preserve us even in the most trying circumstances.
When you stop and think, whatever your temptation, whatever your circumstances, whatever your situation, you have the duty, you have the right, and you have the privilege, and you have the honor to act like a Christian and to glorify Jesus Christ in whatever your circumstances really are. You see, one of our problems today is that we have lost the concept of honor. We've lost it in our marriages. We've lost it in our homes. We've lost it in the workplace. In fact, there are very few today that really understand what honor is all about. As men, we should always live honorably.
As Christian men, we must live honorably. If you and I are ever going to recover the concept of honor, we must understand how it was carried on by our forefathers. Because once again, the Bible tells us that honor is that which is going to sustain and uphold the humble in spirit.
Background of the Confederate Medal of Honor
Weaver recounts how the Confederate Medal of Honor was established posthumously in 1977, with Private Sam Davis being the first recipient, and notes Overby as a later recipient.
You know, during the War of Northern Aggression, the Confederate Medal of Honor never came into existence. And the reason it did not, there were some disagreements, but primarily it was finances. The Confederate states were just so poor and so broken, they could not really afford to have those Medals of Honor. But however, on July 1, 1896, General Stephen Dill Lee, who was then at that time one of the surviving Confederate officers, met with a bunch of Confederate veterans in Richmond, Virginia, and encouraged them to present and preserve the memory of the Confederate soldiers, as well as the valor and the honor of the Confederate soldiers. Confederate soldiers. And so, basically, the sons of Confederate veterans then took that upon themselves that they were going to always make sure that the Confederates were honored the way they should have been honored.
So, in 1977, if you will remember this, in 1977, the first Confederate to receive, posthumously, since he was dead and had been dead a long time, the first Confederate soldier to receive a Confederate Medal of Honor was Private Sam Davis of the Coleman Scouts. Since that time, numerous others have been awarded the Confederate Medal of Honor posthumously as well. In fact, that Medal of Honor is given to those who went above and beyond the call of duty. One of those men who received it was Private William Thomas Overby.
Now, Overby has been called the Nathan Hale of the Confederacy.
Overby's Service with Mosby's Rangers
He details Overby's background, his wounding at Second Manassas, nursing service, and joining Mosby's Rangers, describing Mosby's tactics and the fear he instilled in Union forces.
You remember it was Nathan Hale during the Revolutionary War. who said, I regret that I have but one life to give for my country. So, he's been called the Nathan Hale of the Confederacy, and he's also been called, and you'll understand why shortly, the hero of Black Friday. Black Friday, of course, was September 23, 1864, and like I said shortly, you'll understand why it was called Black Friday.
Now, Overby rode with the famous, and I would say infamous for some folks, but for the famous John Singleton Mosby. In fact, he was one of Mosby's Rangers. William Thomas Overby was a Georgian, and he was part of Company D of the 43rd Battalion of the Virginia Cavalry, Army of Northern Virginia, the Confederate States of America. William Thomas Overby was born in Dunwoody, Virginia in 1837. However, when he was two years old, his family moved to Coweta County, North Georgia. Sharpsburg, Noonan, that area right there.
So he was then the son of a very successful Coweta County planter. He joined the Confederacy in 1861 and he was assigned to Company A and the 7th Infantry. It was at Second Manassas that he received a wound and therefore he had to go to a hospital. While he was recovering from that wound, and by the way, since Second Manassas was in Virginia, he was in a Virginia hospital, and after he recovered, or even while he was recovering, he served as a nurse in the Confederate hospital for 18 months.
After he was fully recovered, he was at that point 27 years of age, and that's when he joined Mosby's Rangers, Company D. Now, you remember John Singleton Mosby, and I have a picture of him in my office if you would like to see him. But John Singleton Mosby was known as the Gray Ghost of the Confederacy. He had a very exciting career, and I might add he was one of those few men who was really feared by the Bluecoats. I mean, this guy was a master tactician. This guy was a master guerrilla fighter. His men were mounted on lightning-fast horses, and instead of carrying the cavalry sabers, which most men did, they threw down the sabers and they had a minimum of two revolvers that they carried.
Some carried two, some carried four, some carried six. Now, Mosby probably never had over 800 men at one time under his command, but the truth is, he was such a tremendous tactician that he seemed to be everywhere at once, and he would hit and withdraw, hit and withdraw, and of course the Union forces were kept in confusion and upheaval. So, these men would attack and just as quickly disappear into the thick timber. Union men had gotten to the place where they had rather charge into battle than stay in the area where Mosby and his men were patrolling. They said they felt more comfortable and safer in battle than around Mosby and his men. In fact, Captain George Sanford of the 1st United States Cavalry said this, quote, no party of less than 50 men was safe a mile from camp.
The loss of men, animals, and supplies was enormous. Now you just stop and think about that. He said you had to go out in parties of over 50 to feel safe because of Mosby and his Rangers.
Grant's Orders and Unbiblical Warfare
Weaver reads General Grant's orders to Custer to destroy everything and hang Mosby's men without trial, then contrasts this with biblical principles of warfare from 1 Samuel 15 and Deuteronomy 20.
Now, United States General Ulysses S. Grant had issued orders to his chief operative, listen to this, General Armstrong Custer. You're going to remember that name, General Armstrong Custer. And I want you to listen to the orders that General Grant issued to General Custer. First, General Grant declared an all-out war on Mosby and his men as well as civilians, Negroes, animals, and creation. I want you to listen to his order to General Custer. I'm quoting it.
He said, eat out Virginia clear and clean as far as they go, so that crows flying over it for the balance of the season will have to carry their own provisions with them. Destroy and carry off the crops, animals, Negroes, and all men under 50 years of age capable of bearing arms. In this way you'll get many of Mosby's men." Isn't that an amazing order? from General U.S. Grant, but that's not all the order. Secondly, Grant said, quote, when any of Mosby's men are caught, hang them without trial.
Now you've got to remember that any soldier captured in uniform was entitled to be treated as a prisoner of war. So General Grant now has issued order to General Custer, you eat them out, you clean them out, you carry off blacks, livestock, kill anything and everything, and any of Mosby's men you catch, you hang them instantly. Now General Custer followed General Grant's orders so closely that he received the nickname Attila the Hun. He cared nothing for the southern soldier, for civilians, for animals, for the blacks, for the crops. He just destroyed anything and everything that was in front of him.
Now, let me just point out this, and I have pointed this out previously, but in light of these actions, I want you to note how unbiblical the union was toward the South. If you look in your Bibles, the first Samuel chapter 15, 1 Samuel chapter 15 and look at verse 6. One of the principles of warfare is simply this. You do not harm civilians or innocent people. Look in 1 Samuel chapter 15 and verse 6. God has told Saul to wipe out the Amalekites. And as he's going to war against the Amalekites, the Kenites were in his way.
So when you get to 1 Samuel 15 and verse 6, King Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, and get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. So God had not told Saul to make war with the Kenites. He was only to make war with the Amalekites. And so, what he was going to do was to get innocent people out of the way so they would not be hurt.
Now, General Grant, General Ewing, General Sheridan, General Sherman, and all of those men could care less about hurting the civilians or innocent people. Moreover, if you look in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 20, you remember how Grant now has given orders to destroy all crops. He said, you destroy the crop so much that if a crow flies over the valley, he'll have to carry his own provisions. Well, look at the Bible in Deuteronomy chapter 20 and verses 19 and 20. Look what God says in biblical warfare. He says, When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, and making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them. For thou mayst eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down, for the tree of the field is a man's life, to employ them in the siege.
Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down. Thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued." Now look what God said. God said if you're going to use a tree in the siege, you make sure it's not a tree that's used for food. No fruit trees. You cannot just simply make war against creation. God said if you're going to cut down a tree, you cut down one that's not used for food.
So the principle is you do not make war against creation. And so you're going to find that General Grant and General Custer and all of these men, they were not only making war against civilians and innocent individuals, they were making war against creation as well, which God forbids. Now, Custer and his troops.
The Trap and Capture on Black Friday
He narrates Custer's trap using an ambulance train, the ambush by Mosby's men, the death of Lieutenant McMaster, and the capture of Overby and five others.
were extremely fearful of Mosby and his men. All those the federal troops that were the instigators of the terror in the valley. It was General Grant who gave the order to root out and destroy everything. Now, General Mosby was injured and he was taken out of commission for a little while to recover. And General Custer learned about this and he decided that he was going to set a trap and he was going to catch most of Mosby's Rangers.
So what he did, he sent an ambulance to Front Royal, Virginia on September 23, 1864 supported by only about 200 cavalrymen. Now think about this for a moment. Here's an ambulance with only 200 men guarding it. Well, Mosby, of course, is laid up.
But one of his captains, Sam Chapman, sees that train. And he figures with his 100 men, with the element of surprise, he can capture the entire ambulance train and probably many of the soldiers. And so what he does is this. He tells Captain Walter Franklin to take 45 of his men and he is to attack the front of the train while he takes the remainder and attacks the rear of the train and they are to attack simultaneously and therefore throw the Union soldiers into absolute chaos and confusion and in the rout they are going to capture the train and the soldiers as well. are going to capture the train and the soldiers as well. Well, the attack commences.
But as Chapman gets to the rear of the train in the distance, he sees hundreds of bluecoats and he realizes it's a trap. Because while they're going to be fighting the 200 that they see, they were not aware of the hundreds that they did not see. So when Chapman then saw that it was a trap, he began screaming at Captain Franklin, to call off his men and to retreat and to get out of there. Well, of course, Franklin had already attacked and he was whipping the Union soldiers and when he called out for Franklin to cease the attack, Franklin called back, why Sam, we've whipped them. and Sam Chapman hollered back, it's a trap, you're fighting a brigade and not just 200 men. And all of a sudden Franklin looked up and saw all the other federal soldiers coming and of course he then began to disengage his men and tell them to retreat and to escape as best they could.
Now the interesting thing is in the first few minutes of the fight, Tom Moss, one of Mosby's Rangers, was so intent on fighting. He was emptying his revolvers into the Union cavalry when all of a sudden he felt a hand on his shoulder and it was Captain Franklin. And he said, you've got to get out of here or we're going to all die. And Tom Moss looked around and he and the captain were the only two Confederates fighting the rest had already fled.
So he then turned his horse and he began to flee with them. As they were fleeing, he noticed a number of the Mosby's Rangers who were escaping through a hole in the fence. But he not only saw the escape route, he also saw that some of their Rangers had already been captured by Union men and were being guarded. So Tom and a few of the other men then reloaded their revolvers, charged into the Union soldiers who were holding the Rangers captive. emptied their revolvers again, and once their revolvers were empty, they used them as clubs, beating them over the head. And, of course, the Rangers then reached out and caught the weapons that the Union soldiers had dropped and began using those to fight the Union soldiers themselves. Well, Tom Moss caught the reins of a captured horse and he threw those reins to William Thomas Overby and says, get on and get out of here.
Well, by this time, of course, the Bluecoats were swarming them. Overby tried to mount and was recaptured. He and five others could not escape. So they were captured.
But what had happened was this. It may not have been so bad except for one incident. There was a lieutenant in Union soldiers by the name of Charles McMaster. He had seen the fight. And he had also seen the flight. And he knew the path that Mosby's Rangers were taking to try to escape.
So he led a number of his men around the melee and positioned himself on what he believed was their only way of escape. And sure enough, Sam Chapman and his men came out upon Lieutenant McMaster. And when Chapman saw that they were blocking the way, and I mean they were outnumbered, Sam Chapman told his men, shoot your way through. Get through any way you can. And that's exactly what those men did. They literally shot their way through all of those Federal soldiers. In fact, before they're finished, more than a dozen Federal soldiers lay dead or dying on the ground.
McMaster himself, who stood very bravely, but was soon shot from his horse, and then as he fell to the ground, undoubtedly, was shot several more times and trampled on by the Confederate horses as they escaped.
Execution of Overby and Carter
Weaver describes the mob vengeance, the murders of Love, Jones, and Anderson, and the hanging of Overby and Carter after they refused to reveal Mosby's location, with Overby's prophetic defiance.
Now you've got to remember, William Thomas Overby now, and five other Rangers have been captured. Probably it would not have been so bad for them. Had it not been for Lieutenant McMaster. Because as he lay dying. He told one of his men. That he had tried to surrender. And the Confederates had shot him in cold blood.
Now, you just stop and think about this. Here his men were blocking the only way of escape. And Captain Chapman said, shoot your way through. It was either them or us, so to speak. And interestingly enough, none of the other Union soldiers tried to surrender. I mean, they had Mosby's Rangers outnumbered. Why should they surrender?
Only McMaster is the only one said he tried to surrender. Now, in all probability, this was a hypothetical situation. I mean, he probably did not try to surrender. Or if he did try, I mean, it was too late. I mean, everybody was shooting and the horses were trampling over him and they were gone. It was just that quick.
But here's what happened. Once that story was told to one Union soldier, it was repeated over and over and over and embellished and enlarged. And by the time Overby and those five Rangers got back to the city where they were being taken as captive, blood was boiling. Union soldiers were crying for vengeance. Screams, shouts, death threats were in every mouth. In fact, by the time those Confederate soldiers got into Front Royal, a Union regimental band struck up the dead march. The citizens of Front Royal began to run inside, lock their doors, shut their windows.
They knew the scene was not only going to be ugly, but violent. because now the Union soldiers are out of control and they're crying for vengeance. Bloodlust was evident. Two of Mosby's men that were captured, Lucian Love and David L. Jones, were just simply gunned down in a churchyard and left to bleed to death. A third man, after those two were murdered, Thomas Anderson, was taken to an elm tree where he was then executed by a firing squad.
Now remember, there are no trials for these men. They were captured in uniform, which meant they were prisoners of war. So three of the five have now been executed. That left William Thomas Overby and Carter right now in their grasp. And these two rightly assumed that they too would be soon executed without trial. Well, very obviously they were not going to be treated as prisoners of war. No rights were going to be afforded them.
And they now were being pushed, shoved, kicked, slapped, beaten, and finally brought to Petty's wagon yard. Now all of a sudden the murderous intent of the Union soldiers was quelled only because they were now trying to extract information from these two. and what they wanted was this: where is Colonel Mosby? Where is the rest of his men? When are you to meet again? We will spare your lives if you will just tell us where Colonel Mosby is. Well, Carter was so overcome with fear and dread because he knew he's going to be killed anyhow. All he could do basically was weep.
because he knew he's going to be killed anyhow. All he could do basically was weep. He knew the other men were going to kill him. He had just witnessed his compatriots being shot as well. At this particular time, the regimental band struck up another song. The title of it was Love Not, The One You Love May Die. And once they began to play that, they played it over and over and over.
The Bluecoats kept demanding, Where is Colonel Mosby? Overby looked at them and boldly said, we cannot tell you that. They then took Overby and Carter to a walnut tree. They threw ropes around the limb and said, you will either tell us or we'll hang you here. Overby said, I told you once. I'll tell you again, we cannot tell you that. Again, they made demands for information.
And Overby just stood, rather I should say stood defiantly. He refused to answer. One eyewitness, Dr. R.C. Buck, said this. He said, Overby was standing there with his hat off, his wavy black hair floating in the breeze. I never saw a finer specimen of manhood.
He looked like a knight of old. Another eyewitness said, well, do I remember the picture? Overby with head erect, defiant, and Carter overcome with weeping. Years later, still another eyewitness, Mrs. Sally Davis Roy, who was a child in 1864, still remember the terror. She said, I remember the dark days of 1864. It is photographed in my memory.
Still another eyewitness said of Carter and Overby, they bore themselves like heroes. And listen to what Dr. R.C. Buck said about General Custer. Listen carefully, I'm going to bring this up again later. Dr. R.C.
Buck said concerning General Custer, while I was looking at them, General Custer at the head of his division rode by. He was dressed in a splendid suit of silk velvet, his saddle bow bound in silver and gold. He was distinguished looking with his yellow locks resting upon his shoulders. So I want you to note now General Custer was there and he was doing something else just momentarily which you will find out. Overby and Carter still refused to divulge the information that was being demanded of them. They were promised over and over their lives if they would only tell where Colonel Mosby was. They said tell us where Mosby is and live.
Overby simply looked at them with the absolute look of defiance, overcome with anger. They took Overby and Carter with the ropes around their necks and threw them on horses. One last time. They said, tell us where Mosby is and live. And Overby, speaking not only defiantly, but prophetically, said, Mosby will hang ten of you for every one of us. And then they slapped the horses. And there was where Overby and Carter were hanged.
They were still abused, but before Custer's troops left that day, they placed a placard around the necks of Overby and Carter which read, such is the fate of all of Mosby's gang. Thus you have Black Friday, September the 23rd, 1864. But Black Friday is not quite over just yet.
Murder of Henry Rhodes and Mosby's Retaliation
He tells of the brutal killing of 17-year-old Henry Rhodes and how Mosby executed seven of Custer's men in retaliation, then wrote to Sheridan that such acts would cease unless further barbarity occurred.
Because there was another Ranger captured by the name of Henry C. Rhodes. By the way, Philip Sheridan, who was the immediate commander over General Custer, of course, who himself was under General Grant, had warned Custer about Mosby, and especially about how quick he was to respond to such things. Here's what General Sheridan said to Custer, by the way, Custer watched everything without an ounce of care, without an ounce of concern and without an ounce of compassion. In fact, he was sitting on his horse watching the hangings while he munched on a branch of damson plums.
But General Sheridan had warned Custer, and he said this, if the Rebs should ever lay you by the heels, they'll string you up directly. And Custer was soon to find out exactly what Sheridan meant. But before that day was over, they took Henry C. Rhodes, a 17-year-old schoolboy. And they were dragging him with a horse through the town square. By the time he was in the town square, he was unconscious. In fact, some of his friends hardly recognized him.
He had been so mistreated. But he was recognized by his own mother. And she ran out and threw her arms around him and begged for his life. She pleaded and said he was her only support and he was just a child just 17 and to please spare her son.
But the Union soldiers rudely and crudely tore her arms away from her son and then drug him further out into the field where one Union soldier volunteered to dispatch him. So Henry C. Rhodes, 17, was ordered to stand up. He had just gotten his consciousness back. He was dazed. He was confused. And when he stood up, the Union soldier just emptied his revolver into him.
There were several eyewitnesses. One said this, Rhodes was dragged in plain sight of his agonized relatives to the open field north of our town where one man volunteered to do the killing and ordered the helpless day's prisoner to stand up in front of him while he emptied his pistol into him. Sue Richardson, another eyewitness, watched in horror. She said, we could see the crowd assembled around him.
Then we had the pain of seeing the stock, cattle, horses passing around him before his body could be recovered. His poor mother is almost crazy. Again, Dr. R.C. Buck said, I saw this fight, and from a distance I saw the killing of Rhodes, who was a friend and a playmate of mine. Colonel Mosby. received the news of Black Friday.
He regretted the loss of his men, but he resolved to make things right. And he quickly set about making Overby's prophecy come true. On November the 6th, he had captured seven of General Custer's cavalry. And thus, those seven were executed.
Then, Colonel Mosby wrote General Sheridan, and listen to what he said. Listen carefully. He said, since the murder of my men, that is, since Overby, Carter, Love, Jones, Rhodes, since the murder of my men, not less than 700 prisoners, including many officers of high rank, captured from your army by this command, by most being these men, have been forwarded to Richmond. But the execution of my purpose of retaliation was deferred in order as far as possible to confine its operation to the men of Custer and Powell."
Now, listen to what he said. He said, I've captured over 700 soldiers and officers. What did I do with those? I sent them to Richmond as prisoners of war. I waited until I got the men of Custer. It was Custer who murdered my men. And when his men came into my sights, I took care of his men.
Now listen to what he says. Accordingly, on the sixth instance, seven of your men were by my orders executed. Hereafter, any prisoners falling into my hands will be treated with a kindness due to their condition unless some new act of barbarity shall compel me reluctantly to adopt a course of policy repulsive to humanity." Isn't that amazing? General Sheridan and General Custer understood the determination of Mosby and thus their torture and mistreatment of Confederate prisoners in the valley ceased. Mosby said, The only reason I responded. Truly.
Is because of what you did to my men. I'll not do that anymore. Unless you act cruelly to my men. Interestingly enough. Sheridan and Custer got the message. William Thomas Overby.
Overby's Legacy and Burial
Weaver notes Overby's posthumous Confederate Medal of Honor and the return of his body to Georgia for a hero's burial in 1997.
Was a soldier who remained steadfast to the end. He demonstrated courage, bravery, and devotion. He refused to save his life at the expense of his friends. Consequently, his valor, his courage was recognized, and he also was posthumously awarded the Confederate Medal of Honor. This Medal of Honor, by the way, is now on display in the Carnegie House, headquarters of the Newton, Coweta County Historical Society. And by the way, the Georgia soldier was not left in Virginia.
After 132 years in a Virginia grave, his body was brought to Oak Hill Cemetery in Noonan, Georgia, and he was given a hero's burial on January 5, 1997. Now, let me make some applications.
Applications: Sowing and Reaping, Impact on Others, Readiness for Death
He applies the story using Galatians 6:7-8, James 2:13 (Custer's later death at Little Bighorn), Romans 14:7 (our actions affect others), and the urgency to repent and trust Christ today.
I hope you've been thinking. Here is a perfect, perfect illustration of Galatians 6, 7 and 8. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. He that soweth of the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption. He that soweth of the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Now, there is another principle, and I want you to turn there because I want you to see it. I want you to look in James chapter 2. Everyone knows Galatians 6, 7 and 8. You don't know this verse in James too well.
But I want you to look at James 2 and verse 13 and look what God says. And let's put 2 and 2 together. By the way, remember this please. All history is God's history. Nothing happens by accident. Do you understand that?
There is a connecting dot to any and everything that happens. Now look what happens in James 2 and verse 13, what the scripture says. God says, for he shall have judgment without mercy, that showed no mercy. And mercy rejoices against judgment.
But look at the first half of that verse. For he shall have judgment without mercy, who showed no mercy. Now what does God say? God says, if you don't show any mercy, guess what? You will get judgment. without mercy. Do you remember what Dr. R.C.
Buck testified? He testified that Custer was riding his fancy horse with a silver and gold bow or the saddle horn. And then he was dressed in that silk velvet uniform, eating a bunch of damson plums, caring nothing for what was going on. Caring nothing. Judgment was being executed on Mosby's men without mercy. Guess what? Just a few years later, at Little Bighorn, Sitting Bull and the Sioux Nation executed judgment upon Custer and his men without mercy.
He learned a very valuable lesson too late. Nothing happens by accident. There is another application, and that is this. Here is a perfect illustration of Romans 14, verse 7, where the Bible says, For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. We have to remember, folks, that whatever we do affects other people. Whatever we say affects other people. Do you realize I am sure that those men on September the 23rd, 1864, who were torturing and murdering those Confederate soldiers who should have been treated as prisoners of war.
It never entered into their mind that seven of their men would ultimately be executed because of their actions. You don't reap what you sow, folks. You reap more than you sow. You and I cannot approve of, engage in, or commit acts that are wicked and wrong without it somehow, someway affecting our friends, our family, our church, our state, even our nation. I could give you biblical illustrations of that over and over. None of us live to ourselves, and none of us die to ourselves. What we do affects others.
people. Let me give you a third application, and I want you to think about this. William Thomas Overby did not wake up September the 23rd, 1864, and say to himself, well, this is a good day for hanging. I think I'll be hanged today. No, that thought never entered into his mind. He probably never even thought about dying that day. You know, folks, none of us know what a day may bring forth.
Likewise, neither do we know the time, the day or the hour of our death. Therefore, God commands us to be ready. No man is ready to live until he is ready to die. You know what the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6 verse 2? God says, For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee. Behold, now is the time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
We are commanded by God to repent of our sins and believe in Jesus Christ as He is fully and freely offered in the Gospel. This day, this hour, is the time to seek Christ. Overby. Probably never thought about dying that morning when he woke up.
But before the day was over. He was dead. Now is the time to seek Christ. Now is the time to repent.
Now is the time to receive Jesus Christ as he's freely and fully offered in the Gospels. William Thomas Overby was indeed a Confederate hero, and he did indeed receive the Confederate Medal of Honor. But he left us a lesson, many lessons, that we should profit not only from his life, but from his death. Let's pray.
Study Guide
Major Themes
Honor
Summary: The sermon emphasizes the biblical command to give honor to whom honor is due and the sustaining power of honor for the humble.
Evidence: Weaver cites Romans 13:7 and Proverbs 29:23, and states, 'one of our problems today is that we have lost the concept of honor.'
Courage and Steadfastness
Summary: Overby's refusal to betray his comrades, even under threat of death, exemplifies courage and loyalty.
Evidence: Overby's repeated refusal: 'I told you once. I'll tell you again, we cannot tell you that.'
Divine Justice and Retribution
Summary: God's principle of sowing and reaping is illustrated by Custer's later death and Mosby's retaliation.
Evidence: Weaver connects Galatians 6:7-8 and James 2:13 to Custer's fate at Little Bighorn.
The Impact of Sin on Others
Summary: Our actions, especially wicked ones, inevitably affect those around us.
Evidence: Weaver cites Romans 14:7 and notes that the Union soldiers' actions led to the execution of seven of their own men.
Readiness for Death and Salvation
Summary: The suddenness of Overby's death underscores the need to be prepared to meet God through repentance and faith in Christ.
Evidence: Weaver quotes 2 Corinthians 6:2 and urges, 'Now is the time to seek Christ.'
Key Arguments
Honor is a biblical duty and a sustaining virtue.
Summary: Weaver argues that Scripture commands giving honor and that honor upholds the humble, contrasting it with modern loss of honor.
Evidence: He reads Romans 13:7 and Proverbs 29:23, and says, 'we have lost the concept of honor.'
Union warfare violated biblical principles.
Summary: Grant's orders to destroy crops and hang prisoners without trial are contrasted with 1 Samuel 15 and Deuteronomy 20, which forbid harming civilians and fruit trees.
Evidence: Weaver reads Grant's orders and the biblical passages, calling the Union actions 'unbiblical.'
Overby's defiance was a prophetic act of courage.
Summary: Overby's statement 'Mosby will hang ten of you for every one of us' was fulfilled, demonstrating his boldness and the certainty of retribution.
Evidence: Weaver quotes Overby and then recounts Mosby's execution of seven of Custer's men.
God's judgment is without mercy for those who show no mercy.
Summary: Custer's merciless treatment of prisoners led to his own merciless death at Little Bighorn, fulfilling James 2:13.
Evidence: Weaver cites James 2:13 and Dr. Buck's testimony of Custer's indifference, then points to Custer's death.
No one knows the day of their death, so repentance must be immediate.
Summary: Overby did not expect to die that day, illustrating the urgency of being ready through faith in Christ.
Evidence: Weaver says, 'none of us know what a day may bring forth' and quotes 2 Corinthians 6:2.
Scripture References
Romans 13:7
Context: Weaver opens the sermon by reading this verse to establish the duty to give honor to whom honor is due.
Proverbs 29:23
Context: Quoted to show that honor upholds the humble in spirit.
1 Samuel 15:6
Context: Used to demonstrate the biblical principle of not harming innocent civilians in warfare, contrasting with Grant's orders.
Deuteronomy 20:19-20
Context: Cited to show God's command not to destroy fruit trees in siege warfare, contrasting with Grant's scorched-earth policy.
Galatians 6:7-8
Context: Applied as the principle of sowing and reaping, illustrated by Custer's fate.
James 2:13
Context: Quoted to show that those who show no mercy will receive judgment without mercy, applied to Custer.
Romans 14:7
Context: Used to argue that no one lives or dies to himself, meaning our actions affect others.
2 Corinthians 6:2
Context: Quoted to emphasize the urgency of salvation: 'now is the day of salvation.'
Historical References
William Thomas Overby
Context: Confederate soldier and Medal of Honor recipient, the main subject of the sermon.
Confederate Medal of Honor
Context: Established posthumously in 1977; Overby was a recipient.
John Singleton Mosby
Context: Confederate commander known as the 'Gray Ghost,' leader of Mosby's Rangers.
General Ulysses S. Grant
Context: Issued orders to destroy the Shenandoah Valley and hang Mosby's men without trial.
General George Armstrong Custer
Context: Carried out Grant's orders, earned nickname 'Attila the Hun,' and was present at the hangings.
Black Friday (September 23, 1864)
Context: The day Overby and other Rangers were captured and executed in Front Royal, Virginia.
Lieutenant Charles McMaster
Context: Union officer whose claimed surrender and death inflamed Union soldiers against the captured Rangers.
Henry C. Rhodes
Context: 17-year-old Ranger captured and brutally murdered after Overby's hanging.
Battle of Little Bighorn
Context: Referenced as the place where Custer and his men were killed without mercy, fulfilling James 2:13.
Oak Hill Cemetery, Noonan, Georgia
Context: Overby's body was reinterred here in 1997 after 132 years in a Virginia grave.
Important Quotes
Render therefore to all their dues, tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
Significance: Foundational verse for the sermon's theme of giving honor.
A man's pride shall bring him low, but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.
Significance: Key verse explaining the sustaining power of honor.
eat out Virginia clear and clean as far as they go, so that crows flying over it for the balance of the season will have to carry their own provisions with them.
Significance: Illustrates the ruthlessness of Grant's orders, contrasted with biblical warfare.
when any of Mosby's men are caught, hang them without trial.
Significance: Shows the unlawful nature of the executions.
Mosby will hang ten of you for every one of us.
Significance: Overby's prophetic defiance, later fulfilled by Mosby's retaliation.
such is the fate of all of Mosby's gang.
Significance: The placard placed on the hanged men, symbolizing Union vengeance.
For he shall have judgment without mercy, that showed no mercy.
Significance: Applied to Custer's death, illustrating divine justice.
Discussion Questions
In what areas of modern life have we lost the concept of honor, and how can we recover it?
Context: Weaver laments the loss of honor in marriages, homes, and workplaces.
How does the biblical principle of not harming civilians (1 Samuel 15:6) apply to modern warfare or conflicts?
Context: Weaver contrasts Grant's orders with Saul's treatment of the Kenites.
What does Overby's refusal to betray Mosby teach us about loyalty and courage under pressure?
Context: Overby repeatedly refused to give information despite threats of death.
How have you seen the principle of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7-8) play out in history or personal experience?
Context: Weaver applies this to Custer's death and Mosby's retaliation.
In what ways do our individual actions affect our families, churches, and nation, as suggested by Romans 14:7?
Context: Weaver argues that the Union soldiers' actions led to the death of their own comrades.
Why is it dangerous to assume we have time to repent later, and how should Overby's sudden death motivate us?
Context: Weaver emphasizes that Overby did not expect to die that day and urges immediate repentance.
Applications
Give honor to whom honor is due
Summary: We are commanded by Scripture to recognize and honor those who have demonstrated valor and integrity.
Evidence: Weaver begins with Romans 13:7 and states, 'God requires us to give honor to whom honor is due.'
Live honorably as Christians
Summary: Believers must uphold honor in all areas of life, reflecting Christ in every circumstance.
Evidence: Weaver says, 'you have the duty, you have the right, and you have the privilege, and you have the honor to act like a Christian.'
Trust in God's justice
Summary: God will repay wickedness; we should not take vengeance but trust His timing and righteousness.
Evidence: The story of Custer's death illustrates James 2:13: 'he shall have judgment without mercy, that showed no mercy.'
Consider the impact of your actions on others
Summary: Our sins and choices inevitably affect those around us, so we must live responsibly.
Evidence: Weaver cites Romans 14:7 and notes that the Union soldiers' cruelty led to the death of their own men.
Be ready to die by repenting and trusting Christ now
Summary: Since death can come unexpectedly, we must not delay salvation.
Evidence: Weaver urges, 'Now is the time to seek Christ. Now is the time to repent.'
deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-04T14:12:13Z
deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-05T18:11:43Z