The Faith of the Civil War Soldiers

This class examines the role of faith in the lives of Civil War soldiers as told in their letters and diaries.

The Civil War generation was the product of the Second Great Awakening, an evangelical movement that began in the early 19th century. The areas most affected by this were the south and the old Northwest, which comprised the Great Lakes region. By the time the Civil War broke out, the people living in these areas had become the most religious in American History. Therefore, it was very common or soldiers who fought that war to reflect on the role their faith played as they faced the dangers of the battlefield, the outbreaks of disease, and the privations of life in the army.

This Great Awakening was a purely Protestant phenomena, however it crossed denominational lines. For the most part, three denominations were involved in this effort to bring Christianity to the rapidly growing western part of the nation. The denominations most involved were the Presbyterians, the Methodists, and the Baptists. The Presbyterian church was Calvinist. John Calvin, second only to Luther in his influence during the Reformation, taught the doctrine of Double Predestination. According to this doctrine, God has decided in advance the destiny of every person – perdition or life in Heaven. Nothing we do will change this. On the other hand, the doctrine known as Arminianism had replaced this idea in the teachings of most churches. According to this doctrine, our life beyond this world depends on the choices we make. While most soldiers accepted this doctrine, there was some that shared the idea that God has chosen when we will die and nothing can change that. For a person facing a hail of bullets, this idea granted him a certain amount of courage.

Prayer became very important to many of those who were unfortunate enough to have been born into this generation. It was common for men to carry pocket bibles with them, and many solders organized group prayer times, especially during the long times of encampment. In both armies, the men prayed for forgiveness and the success of their arms.

The commandment “Thou shalt not kill” bothered many Civil War soldiers. The ancient concept of a just war helped some to reconcile their faith with the war, but others could not reconcile killing another Christian. Some soldiers made a distinction between combat and murder, while others rationalized killing with the belief that God was on their side.

Studies have shown that wars often increase religious piety. As the war dragged on, many baptisms were performed and there were more conversions. Many soldiers were comforted in times of dread by the conviction that God was watching over them. The idea that God had already set the time a person would die seems to have been a source of comfort for some. Another great source of comfort to the men on both sides was the Christian belief in ultimate redemption and life in Heaven.