Religious Persecution

[Legion Para]

I know religious persecution has existed in the United States Military from WW I to the present day. I have seen it first hand and I have talked to veterans who experienced it. It was particularly bad during the Second World War.

The new movie Hacksaw Ridge about Medal of Honor recipient Desmond Doss brings up an interesting question. Did religious persecution exist in the Union Army and the Confederate Army? If yes, does anyone know of primary sources (wartime letters, diary entries and postwar memoirs) which mentions it?

 

[TFSmith121]

In terms of conscientious objectors, the concept of avoidance of military service because of religious belief was well established, with precedents going to the Revolutionary War or even before for Quakers and members of similar denominations.

Best,

 

[Legion Para]

In terms of conscientious objectors, the concept of avoidance of military service because of religious belief was well established, with precedents going to the Revolutionary War or even before for Quakers and members of similar denominations.

Best,

I wasn't thinking in terms of conscientious objectors or avoidance of military service. I am talking about religious persecution of active duty military personnel.

 

[TFSmith121]

I wasn't thinking in terms of conscientious objectors or avoidance of military service. I am talking about religious persecution of active duty military personnel.

Not aware of anything significant in terms of those actually in the service, loyal or rebel.

Christian Protestants were by far the most numerous adherents of any faith present in either army, but Catholics were as well, and small but representative numbers of Jews as well. Along with the major faiths, presumably there were at least a few representatives of the Orthodox/Eastern Christian churches, the more unique Christian offshoots (the LDS, for example), Islam (crypto-Muslims included, at least among a small number of the USCTs), North American native faiths among a few of the "Indian" units on both sides, even a few Pacific Islanders, at least with the USN's Pacific Squadron who may have been less than "fully" Christians, etc.

Presumably even a few Hindus, Buddhists, etc, here and there, but probably in the navies rather than the armies, given where the US Merchant Marine recruited at the time...

Wiley's Billy Yank/Johnny Reb books have some detail on faith in the armies.

Best,

 

[John Hartwell]

When you use the term "religious persecution," you suggest an official policy at some level. I've seen absolutely no evidence of that.

Within a specific unit, or under the jurisdiction of individual officers, there may conceivably have been some degree of preference shown to one denomination or another, or discouragement of members of another denomination. Nothing even vaguely suggesting "persecution," I think, unless on very small scale. But, again, I have seen no actual evidence of it. Quite the opposite, in fact. Within the Union army, at least, at established posts (forts, garrisons, winter encampments, etc) we occasionally find mention of services, prayer meetings, Bible study, etc opportunities for multiple denominations.

Perhaps you can give us a few examples of the kinds of "persecution" you are talking about?

 

[Pat Young]

The most well-known example of religious persecution was Grant's expulsion of the Jews from territory under his jurisdiction at the end of 1862. Under the modern definition of persecution contained in the 1967 UN Protocol Relating to Refugees and the 1980 Refugee Act this was a persecutory act and there were Jews forced to leave their homes. It was, however, rescinded at Lincoln's insistence soon after it was issued.

There were several instances of religious discrimination during the war, such as the ban on rabbis as chaplains. Again, Lincoln found a way around this ban.

There were also many instances of boneheaded bigotry based on religion. For example, wounded Jews sometimes reported that evangelical Protestant ministers tried to goad them into deathbed conversions to Christianity.

 

[diane]

That happened with Sherman, who was something of an agnostic, who steadfastly resisted Catholicism all his life. But, when he was unconscious and about to step out, his daughter got a priest and tried to make her dad a Catholic at the last minute! John Sherman stopped it, saying if his brother didn't want to be a Catholic in life he wasn't going to be one in death.

I've heard of some pushing and shoving about religion but it seemed to me that the predominant Protestant religions had the majority and so there were revivals and sings and meetings all the time. Generals like Old Blue Light made sure Protestant literature was liberally distributed. Nobody had to read it and nobody had to attend services, but you did feel like a pariah if you sat out the dominant-religion's meetings. One Jewish Union soldier said he was hungrier than most because he couldn't eat the salt pork and bacon handed out for rations! In his case, though, his buddies found kosher things for him to eat and had no problem with his religious practices.

I kind of think any persecution of religious beliefs was political rather than organic.The regular folks seemed to leave people alone with their faith or lack of same. Grant expelled the Jews because he was having a fit - we hope that's all! - Sherman ragged on Catholics, and before the CW a war was conducted against the Mormons. However, to my mind, the people who experienced true religious persecution were Indians. It was determined that Indians would be Christians whether they wanted to be or not as that was the only way they'd be civilized. I don't know of any Catholic churches, Baptist meeting houses, Jewish temples or anybody else's sacred placed being destroyed but that happened with Indians, and then religious practices were outlawed until the 1990s when NAGPRA was passed.

 

[TFSmith121]

The most well-known example of religious persecution was Grant's expulsion of the Jews from territory under his jurisdiction at the end of 1862. Under the modern definition of persecution contained in the 1967 UN Protocol Relating to Refugees and the 1980 Refugee Act this was a persecutory act and there were Jews forced to leave their homes. It was, however, rescinded at Lincoln's insistence soon after it was issued.

There were several instances of religious discrimination during the war, such as the ban on rabbis as chaplains. Again, Lincoln found a way around this ban.

There were also many instances of boneheaded bigotry based on religion. For example, wounded Jews sometimes reported that evangelical Protestant ministers tried to goad them into deathbed conversions to Christianity.

Except that Grant's order, however bigoted, dealt with civilians in areas under his jurisdiction as a department commander, not - as the OP asked - men within the Army itself.

The issue of rabbis as chaplains is more on point, but as you note, the Administration dealt with it and even at its most unfair, not sure I'd agree the policy issue as such rises to the level of persecution.

There are at least two good case studies of how Jewish officers dealt with some of these issues in the antebellum regulars, those of Alfred Mordecai in the Army and Uriah Levy in the Navy. Obviously, prejudice was an issue and they both dealt with it in the common manner of religious minority pioneers in a given field, trying to be exemplars. Mordecai seems to have been quite successful at it; Levy not so much. Having said that, despite his disciplinary history (unfair or not) Levy rose from boy volunteer to captain and squadron command (commodore/flag officer) so it's undeniable he was successful at his chosen profession.

Both are interesting case studies in comparison to non-Christians in the professional officer corps in other Western nations in the Nineteenth Century.

Best,

 

[TFSmith121]

That happened with Sherman, who was something of an agnostic, who steadfastly resisted Catholicism all his life. But, when he was unconscious and about to step out, his daughter got a priest and tried to make her dad a Catholic at the last minute! John Sherman stopped it, saying if his brother didn't want to be a Catholic in life he wasn't going to be one in death.

I've heard of some pushing and shoving about religion but it seemed to me that the predominant Protestant religions had the majority and so there were revivals and sings and meetings all the time. Generals like Old Blue Light made sure Protestant literature was liberally distributed. Nobody had to read it and nobody had to attend services, but you did feel like a pariah if you sat out the dominant-religion's meetings. One Jewish Union soldier said he was hungrier than most because he couldn't eat the salt pork and bacon handed out for rations! In his case, though, his buddies found kosher things for him to eat and had no problem with his religious practices.

I kind of think any persecution of religious beliefs was political rather than organic.The regular folks seemed to leave people alone with their faith or lack of same. Grant expelled the Jews because he was having a fit - we hope that's all! - Sherman ragged on Catholics, and before the CW a war was conducted against the Mormons. However, to my mind, the people who experienced true religious persecution were Indians. It was determined that Indians would be Christians whether they wanted to be or not as that was the only way they'd be civilized. I don't know of any Catholic churches, Baptist meeting houses, Jewish temples or anybody else's sacred placed being destroyed but that happened with Indians, and then religious practices were outlawed until the 1990s when NAGPRA was passed.

Not much shooting in the "Mormon War," however, at least not involving the US Army.

Best,

 

[Pat Young]

Except that Grant's order, however bigoted, dealt with civilians in areas under his jurisdiction as a department commander, not - as the OP asked - men within the Army itself.

No one at the time assumed that Jewish soldiers were exempt.

 

[TFSmith121]

No one at the time assumed that Jewish soldiers were exempt.

I'm not aware that Jewish soldiers were transferred from Grant's command because of the order; if so, I stand corrected.

Best,

 

[Pat Young]

I'm not aware that Jewish soldiers were transferred from Grant's command because of the order; if so, I stand corrected.

Best,

They were not, however, the order was the persecutory act in this case.

 

[James B White]

I don't know of any Catholic churches, Baptist meeting houses, Jewish temples or anybody else's sacred placed being destroyed but that happened with Indians

Not to downplay what whites did to Indians because it was truly awful, there was enough church burning to go around.

These are pre-war, during the rise of Know Nothingism, and I was going to post and ask, did the hatred really die out that fast, that Catholics could serve side-by-side, or at least in the next brigade, as Protestants who recently tried to burn their churches, and nobody cared? Humans are strange.

Philadelphia Nativist Riots
"Kensington [PA] erupted in violence on May 6 [1844] and started a deadly riot that would result in the destruction of two Catholic churches and numerous other buildings. Riots erupted again in July, after it was discovered that St. Philip Neri's Catholic Church in Southwark had armed itself for protection. Fierce fighting broke out between the nativists and the soldiers sent to protect the church, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries. Several Catholic churches were burned"

Bath, Maine Anti-Catholc Riot, 1854
"In the late afternoon the crowd marched to the church, began smashing up the pews, hoisted an American flag from the belfry, rang the bell, and set it on fire. After the church was burned, a smaller crowd of at least a hundred roamed through the streets all night. There is no record of attacks upon any Catholic persons. A year after the riot, on Nov. 18, 1855, the Catholic Bishop of Portland attempted to lay the cornerstone for a new church on the same site, but the congregation was chased away and beaten."

Newark, 1850s, Catholic Church burned
Several other riots with deaths are also listed, including an anti-Catholic militia regiment formed in the 1850s, 71st NY, that served in the war.

Mormon church burning and killing was also rampant until they got to Utah, but again, it settled down somewhat out there by the 1860s. I wonder if the country was just becoming more accepting of other religions by the war? Or if individual circumstances controlled individal hatred?

 

[Pat Young]

There was at least one Catholic church burned by Union troops in the South that was used quite a bit in Democratic papers as emblematic of a revival of Know Nothingism.

 

[diane]

Not to downplay what whites did to Indians because it was truly awful, there was enough church burning to go around.

These are pre-war, during the rise of Know Nothingism, and I was going to post and ask, did the hatred really die out that fast, that Catholics could serve side-by-side, or at least in the next brigade, as Protestants who recently tried to burn their churches, and nobody cared? Humans are strange.

Philadelphia Nativist Riots
"Kensington [PA] erupted in violence on May 6 [1844] and started a deadly riot that would result in the destruction of two Catholic churches and numerous other buildings. Riots erupted again in July, after it was discovered that St. Philip Neri's Catholic Church in Southwark had armed itself for protection. Fierce fighting broke out between the nativists and the soldiers sent to protect the church, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries. Several Catholic churches were burned"

Bath, Maine Anti-Catholc Riot, 1854
"In the late afternoon the crowd marched to the church, began smashing up the pews, hoisted an American flag from the belfry, rang the bell, and set it on fire. After the church was burned, a smaller crowd of at least a hundred roamed through the streets all night. There is no record of attacks upon any Catholic persons. A year after the riot, on Nov. 18, 1855, the Catholic Bishop of Portland attempted to lay the cornerstone for a new church on the same site, but the congregation was chased away and beaten."

Newark, 1850s, Catholic Church burned
Several other riots with deaths are also listed, including an anti-Catholic militia regiment formed in the 1850s, 71st NY, that served in the war.

Mormon church burning and killing was also rampant until they got to Utah, but again, it settled down somewhat out there by the 1860s. I wonder if the country was just becoming more accepting of other religions by the war? Or if individual circumstances controlled individal hatred?

Yes, this is all true but I think most of this was either the military interacting with civilians or civilian in origin - militias usually being separate from the national army - with the exception of the Mormon war and suppression of Native beliefs. It seems to me - and sure correct me if I'm wrong! - that the military of both sides was much more tolerant in religious areas than the general civilian population.

I think there may have been some prejudice with the Quakers and the Amish, who were pacifists. There were numbers of Quakers who did indeed take up arms despite their faith, not sure about Amish, but there was always a prejudice against any able-bodied man who didn't join up - either side.

 

[damYankee]

The most well-known example of religious persecution was Grant's expulsion of the Jews from territory under his jurisdiction at the end of 1862. Under the modern definition of persecution contained in the 1967 UN Protocol Relating to Refugees and the 1980 Refugee Act this was a persecutory act and there were Jews forced to leave their homes. It was, however, rescinded at Lincoln's insistence soon after it was issued.

There were several instances of religious discrimination during the war, such as the ban on rabbis as chaplains. Again, Lincoln found a way around this ban.

There were also many instances of boneheaded bigotry based on religion. For example, wounded Jews sometimes reported that evangelical Protestant ministers tried to goad them into deathbed conversions to Christianity.

I doubt Grant was aware of the 1980 refugee act. Or the 1967 UN Protocol.

 

[Pat Young]

I doubt Grant was aware of the 1980 refugee act. Or the 1967 UN Protocol.

I cite them as codifications of the term persecution.

 

[damYankee]

I cite them as codifications of the term persecution.

I understand that, do you have codifications from his time?

 

[Pat Young]

I understand that, do you have codifications from his time?

Was the term used as a legal term in 1862? It was certainly used as a common part of speech, but whether it was codified I don't know.

 

[Pat Young]

Here is the broader use of the term in the 1828 edition of Webster's:
PERSECU'TION, noun The act or practice of persecuting; the infliction of pain, punishment or death upon others unjustly, particularly for adhering to a religious creed or mode of worship, either by way of penalty or for compelling them to renounce their principles. Historians enumerate ten persecutions suffered by the Christians, beginning with that of Nero, adjective D. 31, and ending with that of Diocletian, adjective D. 303 to 313.