Faith in Their Hearts, Battle at Hand ; Devotional Book Keys On Writings of Ordinary Soldiers

Summary

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Readers of Civil War literature have long known that the average soldier, both Confederate and Union, had strong religious faith that carried him through battle and the separation from home and loved ones.

Leaders such as Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson for the South were quick to thank the Almighty for victories and to pray for continual strength in battle. Even Ulysses S. Grant, who was not given to public religion, said children should attend Sunday school and receive "instruction in the science of morals."

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Extract

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Faith in Their Hearts, Battle at Hand ; Devotional Book Keys On Writings of Ordinary Soldiers

However, it is in the writings of ordinary soldiers, chaplains, women at home and slaves that devotion to God comes forth most strongly. It is from this great source material that Terry R. Tuley, a minister in Tennessee, compiled a yearlong devotional book called "Battlefields and Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage From the Civil War."

For each day, he cites a section from a private letter or diary written by one of the war's p...

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