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The Coming of the LORD: an Analysis of Religious Rhetoric in the American Civil War Drake Smith Campbell University Faculty Mentor: Jaclyn Stanke Campbell University

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The Coming of the LORD: an Analysis of Religious Rhetoric in the American Civil War Drake Smith Campbell University Faculty Mentor: Jaclyn Stanke Campbell University The Coming of the LORD: An Analysis of Religious Rhetoric in the American Civil War Drake Smith Campbell University Faculty Mentor: Jaclyn Stanke Campbell University ABSTRACT Propaganda has always served an important function in warfare. In the American Civil War, much of the propaganda of both the United States and the Confederacy utilized religion or religious rhetoric. A key aspect of the religiosity of both sides in the war was the notion of an all-powerful Providence that guided history as He saw ft, and while it was a powerful source of encouragement early in the war, as the death toll rose, it posed problems for many people, especially Southerners. The sermons and speeches delivered during the war demonstrate that political and religious rhetoric intermingled freely in churches, and show that political leaders eagerly claimed the favor of God on their causes. Each nation’s claims to divine favor refected distinctive views of God. The Union and Confederacy alike came to defne themselves through religion as well as politics, and they defned their opponents in the same ways. The North held itself to be a crusading force, striking down godless rebels who sought to overthrow rightful au- thority. By contrast, the South portrayed itself as an embattled defender of Christian tradition against invaders who were heretics at best, and infdels with no regard for Scripture at worst. he United States, being such a vast the Civil War in general, from the great Tcountry, has always had distinctive revival of the Confederate armies to the clash regional cultures, and by its very nature, over biblical interpretation.1 This paper, the American Civil War brought those however, aims to look at a narrower aspect differences to the fore, both highlighting and of this topic: the role of religious rhetoric as deepening them. Not only were North and propaganda in the war. South at odds over matters of economics, Religious rhetoric was a fundamental societal organization, and government, but aspect of Civil War propaganda for both also over matters of faith. The outbreak of the the Confederacy and Union, on the home Civil War, like most wars, led to incredibly front and in their respective armies. It was nationalistic propaganda on both sides. In used to motivate soldiers to take up arms, a situation in which both the Confederacy to encourage confdence on the home front, and Union were deeply religious, it is to keep up morale, and, eventually, to color unsurprising that religious rhetoric was ever- perceptions of the war even after it ended. A present in their propaganda. Much has been key aspect of the religiosity of both parties written about the interaction of religion with in the war was the notion of an all-powerful 1George Rable, God’s Almost Chosen Peoples: A Religious History of the American Civil War (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press), 2010; Mark Noll. The Civil War as a Theological Crisis (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press), 2006. 47 Explorations |Humanities Providence that guided history as He saw it will but remain for us, with frm resolve, ft, and that notion would permeate wartime to appeal to arms and invoke the blessings rhetoric, as well as pose a profound challenge of Providence on a just cause.”4 In another to people’s faith as the war dragged on and speech after the war had begun, Davis echoed more men fell.2 this language, stating, “It may be that we shall The sermons and speeches delivered during have to encounter sacrifces; but, my friends, the war are particularly valuable in studying under the smiles of the God of the just, and this issue. These serve to demonstrate that flled with the same spirit that animated our political and religious rhetoric intermingled fathers, success shall perch on our banners.”5 freely in churches, and show that political Abraham Lincoln, too, utilized religious leaders eagerly claimed the favor of God on rhetoric in his inaugural address. However, their causes with absolute confdence. Each his tone was less confdent than Davis’ cer- nation’s claims to divine favor refected tainty of God’s favor. Lincoln used cautious distinctive views of God. The Union and language, saying, “If the Almighty Ruler of Confederacy alike came to defne themselves Nations, with His eternal truth and justice, be not just through ideological differences, on your side of the North, or on yours of the but through the religious rhetoric in their South, that truth and that justice will surely propaganda. The North portrayed itself as a prevail by the judgment of this great tribunal heroic force crushing the rebels against right of the American people.”6 Lincoln thus re- and good, while the South portrayed itself as frained from overzealous declarations while a protector of tradition and doctrine. still suggesting that the secessionists were in danger of running afoul of God’s will. The Approach of the War While the presidents invoked God to one The secession of the Deep South and the for- degree or another, the religious communities mation of the Confederate States of America of the Union and Confederacy set about made the religious differences immediately thoroughly sanctifying their causes. In both obvious. The Northern states were far from nations, the clergy took up the cause with irreligious. However, the Confederate gov- zeal, and ministers unabashedly preached ernment went out of its way to claim God’s politics, proclaiming in apocalyptic terms favor. Where the United States Constitution the righteousness of their cause and the is a purely secular document, the Confederate wickedness of their enemy. Still, there were Constitution explicitly aligned itself with the- voices of moderation. The Reverend Thomas ism by opening with a preamble similar to Atkinson, an Episcopalian bishop and that of the U.S. Constitution, but adding the minister at St. James Church in Wilmington, phrase “invoking the favor and guidance of North Carolina, preached that the Confederate Almighty God.”3 Jefferson Davis, in his inau- cause was just, and argued that the taking of gural address, invoked divine favor as well, arms was necessary and right. However, declaring that God would judge who was cor- he warned the Confederates to look to their rect. President Davis suggested that, in the own morals, and prepare for a long, diffcult event of war, they could count on Providence struggle that might end in defeat, explaining: to protect them, stating that if “...the integrity I cannot then doubt, and it seems a singular of our territory and jurisdiction be assailed, hallucination that any man should mistake, the 2Kimlyn Bender, “The American Experience of a Darkening and Receding 4Jefferson Davis, “First Inaugural Address,” February 18, 1861, The Providence: The Civil War and the Papers of Jefferson Davis. Accessed 5/29/2017. http://www.civilwar.org/ Unmaking of an American Religious Synthesis,” Cultural Encounters 9, education/history/primarysources/davisinaugural1.html. no. 2 (2013): 111, accessed October 25, 5Jefferson Davis, “Speech at Richmond,” June 1, 1861, The Papers of Jef- 2016, doi http://dx.doi.Org/10.11630/1550-4891.09.02.109; Noll. The ferson Davis. Accessed 4/19/2017. https://jeffersondavis.rice.edu/archives/ Civil War as a Theological Crisis, p. 77. documents/jefferson-davis-speech-richmond. 3CSA Constitution, March 11, 1861, The Avalon Project. Accessed 6Abraham Lincoln, “First Inaugural Address,” March 4, 1861, The Avalon 9/3/2017. http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/csa_csa.asp Project. Accessed 4/192017. http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/ lincoln1.asp. 48 Drake Smith righteous cause in this present most lamentable Universalist preacher, declared the South a controversy, and I hope and I believe that God wicked enemy of freedom, and claimed that will bless with temporal success the righteous “God calls us out of these events, henceforth cause. He may not, however, for He does not to consecrate the Church – its spiritual power, always see ft to make right visibly triumphant.- its moral strength, and all it has, to freedom.”10 -But succeed or not, it is the cause on the side of which one would desire to be found. Yet, Political philosophy and theology mingled however this thought may cheer us, we cannot freely in these passionate sermons, as many disguise from ourselves that success, should clergy preached politics in the most literal we obtain it, will not probably be reached possible sense, making arguments based until after an arduous and painful struggle, equally on legal theory and theology. involving severe trials of the feelings, and of the character of the community, and of ourselves Religion in the Union Camps individually.7 Neither government in the Civil War was Other clergy were less restrained. Ministers averse to using religious rhetoric as propa- on both sides preached sermons with the ganda, nor were civilian preachers. However, national cause put forth as the manifest one should note the different tones struck will of God. In accordance with President by each side. Where the Confederates por- Davis’ call for a day of prayer, Reverend trayed themselves as defenders of Christian Daniel Dreher, delivered a sermon in which tradition against apostates and infdels, the he declared, “...a just God will hold the rhetoric of the Union lent itself towards an offender responsible for the injury done” and aggressive, crusading view that refected the condemned Northern leaders as “fanatics” military situation – Southerners on the de- and “inhuman.”8 The rhetoric sounding the fensive, Northerners heading south to defeat call to arms in the North was hardly less them. In the Federal view, the Confederacy furious. Pastor Henry Bellows thundered to was a blight that needed to be stamped out his congregation that: aggressively, for its very existence endan- I wish to know nothing of that kind of religion gered the Union and American Christianity.
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