The Spirit Divided: Memoirs of Civil War Chaplains-The Confederacy

by John W Brinsfield Jr (editor)

In this anthology of Civil War memoirs, we get a clearer impression of some of the chaplains who served during that Great Conflict. Chaplains were among the most omnipresent observers on the battlefield, and some wrote extensively about their experiences. Eighty-seven of the 3,695 chaplains who served in both armies wrote regimental histories or published personal memoirs, not counting a multitude of letters and more than 300 official reports. Yet, there has never been an extensive collection of memoirs from chaplains of both the Confederate and Union armies presented together. In this groundbreaking work, many of the Confederate chaplains write that they opposed secession and submitted to it only when war was inevitable. Moreover, some of the ministers who became chaplains were active in ministry to black slaves. They spoke out against the neglect and abuse of those held in bondage both before and during the war. For example, Reverend John L. Girardeau formed a large mission church for slaves in Charleston, South Carolina, before the war; Reverend Isaac Tichenor criticized the abuses of the slave system before the Alabama Legislature in 1863; and Chaplain Charles Oliver preached to black laborers in the Army of Northern Virginia in 1864 with the thought that more needed to be done for them. While these efforts may appear trivial in the face of the enormity of the entire slave system, they do reflect that a social conscience was not completely lacking among the Southern chaplains. From the battlefield to the pulpit, Confederate chaplains were surprising and complex individuals. For the first time, explore this aspect of the great struggle in each chaplain’s own words.

Genres: History

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Larry]

Most of the chapters in this book deal with the writings of particular chaplains and follow a pattern. First John Brinsfield tells us the background of the chaplain, when and where he was born and educated and his earliest affiliations. Second comes the letter or memoir of the chaplain. Third the author tells what happened to the chaplain after the war. Interspersed whenever the chaplain mentions a battle, a person or a military unit Brinsfield footnotes with the name of the battle, identity of the person and military unit. Much research must have been done to find the letters, many of which have not previously been published, figure out who, when and what the chaplain described, and follow up with what happened afterward. I have read many books about the Civil War. This one is different in so many ways and gave me a new perspective on the war.

[Ty Beatty]

A good look into the Civil War Chaplin experience, but can seem lengthy at times.