Men of the cloth fighting in the army

[jenna]

A friend of mine is doing some genyology about her family and has the following question that I do not know the answer to. Would anyone be able to help?

I also have a question. My great grandfather was a Methodist minister
who
enlisted in late 1863 and served as a chaplain in the 12th VA. The 12th
VA
was one of the first to defend the Confed. line at the Crater. Would my
grandfather have a rifle like any other soldier? Presumably, he would
have
had to defend himself. Would he have taken part in the battle? We have
some
of his belongings including a Confed bible, a medical book and kit
(confed
issue). (Our family history says that he was the company medic since he
was
a college graduate - I don't want a doctor of theology operating on me,
but
desperate times call for desparate measures, I guess.) But back to my
question, he didn't leave any type of weapon or cartridge box. Do any
of
your reenactor friends intrepret a chaplain? None I know here do.

Anyone who can help out with this one would be great.

Thanks,
Respectfully yours,
Jenna

Jenna,
Sorry, I cannot really help much. The 12th Va inf. was at the Crater. Commanded by Mahone. A late bloomer general of the war.

Sorry I cannot help you more. But I got a feeling someone will know the answer...

YMOS
tommy

[bill_torrens]

Jenna,

It sounds like your friend’s relative was Samuel V. Hoyle, who was appointed Chaplain of the 12th Va. on 1st December 1863, and resigned on 3rd February 1865.

Although it was no part of a Chaplain’s duty to fight, some men of the cloth were prone to picking up a gun and firing away. An example is:

CAMERON, Stephen J. Chaplain, 1st Maryland Inf. Involved in a skirmish in 1861:- "Chaplain Cameron, who had accompanied us, took a gun and fired one and was assured he had killed his man through or around a haystack, and, not doubting it, was filled with mixed feelings of triumph and remorse. It was not the last of his uncanonical acts." Campbell Brown described him as follows: “[His] Reg’t used to say that he would steal for them – but never for himself. He was very kind to me once when wounded - & in a way that showed he knew what he was doing - & they all said he was the best nurse they could have. I recollect once his securing a box of nearly twenty pounds of dessicated vegetables for soup, from the plundering of a sutler’s store, & carrying it all night on his saddle to give to his Reg’t in the morning. He quite demurred to giving me any, till I proved that I was half-starved – when I got enough for one. But he never could preach, so they said & seldom tried.” [Howard, Recollections Of A Maryland Confederate Soldier, pp.53-54; Jones, Campbell Brown’s Civil War, p.53.]

I can recommend the published diaries/letters of two men who were chaplains in the Army of Northern Virginia:

Buckley, A Frenchman, A Chaplain, A Rebel: The War Letters Of Pere Louis-Hippolyte Gache [Loyola University Press, Chicago, 1981. ISBN 8294-0376-0]

Sheeran, Confederate Chaplain: A War Journal [Bruce Publishing Company, Milwaukee, 1960]

I hope this helps a little. By the way, I would be very grateful for any biographical information about this chaplain which you could possibly pass on from your friend. I am compiling biographical data on all the field, line & staff officers of the ANV, and my file on Hoyle is skimpy.

Bill


(Message edited by Bill_torrens on September 03, 2004)

[blue_zouave]

There's a nice overview of the subject at http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/civilwarchaplain/

It's along the lines of a surgeon... according to his rank, which was a captain of cavalry, a chaplain was entitled to carry a sidearm. Some did and some didn't. He would not have been issued a rifle. As an officer, he'd be expected to provide his own uniform and accoutrements.

I've heard a lot of family stories from people about their surgeon or chaplain ancestor being the first to fire a shot at whatever battle. It was risky for these fellows to be found armed if captured. They'd be treated like any other captive, whereas surgeons (at least) were usually released after the battle was over.

Told by Zou, so you know it's true, at least as far as Zou knew!

[gary]

Best fighting preacher I know of was Lorenzo Barber of the 2nd USSS. He not only preached but joined the boys in "putting down the rebellion" by shouldering a telescope rifle. I've read where he's even led a company in the absence of officers. He was much admired by the men of both 1 USSS and 2 USSS.

[wt_jimbos]

Bell Irvin Wiley's Johnny Reb and Billy Yank cover many aspects of chaplains, both their roles, their quality and their adventures. But as the chaplains and their stories are only a small part of the books i'm not sure if there will be enough detail, but what is covered is interesting and a enjoyable insight into the men of the cloth.

[rivrrat]

Y'all have missed the highest ranking preacher in the war, both in his church and in military rank in the war, Lt. General Leonidas Polk C.S.A. Gen. Polk was the Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana at the start of the war. He was commissioned a Major General by Pres. Davis and fought in the west. He was killed as a Lt. Gen. on June 14 1864, by union cannon fire, while scouting the enemy at Pine Mountain Ga. He also founded the University of the South at Sewannee.

[virginiayankee]

For an overview of chaplains in the Civil War you might want to find a copy of this book:

Brinsfield, John W., William C. Davis, Benedict Maryniak, and James L. Robertson. Faith in the Fight. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2003.

This book contains a roster of chaplains that lists their date of birth and death, religious denomination, and their unit.

[jenna]

Thanks Anthony, I shall pass that along for my friend. That may be very helpful.

Jenna

[jenna]

Thanks to all as well. I must admitt, that I haven't checked the thread in a while, but I also never saw anything come up when I was surfing thru the new messages. Weird.

But thanks to all,
Jenna