Chapter VRELIGION IN THE CAMP
"It is earnestly recommended that all officers and soldiers diligently to attend Divine Service and all officers and soldiers who shall behave indecently or irreverently at any place of Divine worship shall if commissioned officers be brought before a court martial there to be publicly and severely reprimanded by the President, if non-commissioned officers or soldiers, every person so offending shall for his first offence forfeit one sixth of a Dollar to be deducted out of his next pay, for the second offence he shall not only forfeit a like sum but be confined for twenty-four hours and for every like offence shall suffer and pay in like manner, which money so forfeited shall be applied to the use of the sick soldiers of the troops or company to which the offender belongs."146
The continental congress in its acts for the regulation of the Army issued the above orders. Orders also came from headquarters directing the soldiers actions along religious lines. "All officers see that their men attend upon prayers morning and evening also the service on the Lord's Day with their arms and accouterments ready to march in case of any alarm, that no Drums to be beaten after the parson is on the stage".147
But the religion of the American soldier was more than an order from the provincial congress or from headquarters. It wasan influence which was an important factor in the soldiers life and in the war. In the American Revolution perhaps the religious element was not the paramount factor as it had been in the crusades or the Puritan Revolution giving character to the whole movement, it rather stayed in the back ground and supported the political and military organizations.148
The pulpit had been a factor in shaping the soldier's life before he left home, it was a day when newspapers and other means of disseminating ideas were not very plentiful and the pulpit was about the only way of reaching the majority of the people. It is said of one minister who was famous for his bold sermons and his purely political discourses although they were delivered from the pulpit he "knows all our best authors and has sometimes cited even in the pulpit passages from Voltaire and Jean Jaques Rousseau".149
The house of representatives of Massachusetts saw the value of the clergy in shaping public opinion and passed a resolution asking them to make the question of the rights of the colonies a topic of their discussions on week days. The pulpit, too, had its place in the election campaign. There was preached before the governor and house of representatives of Massachusetts what was called the "election sermon". It was a sermon preached by the best ministers of the colony, not exactly as a mere compliment to religion, but with the object in view of instruction. The ministers did not only deliver dissertations on the doctrinal truths, but they discussed therights of men, the nature of government and theories of liberty and equality. The sermons delivered on such occasions do not seem to be impracticable theological discourses, but rather on the other hand very practicable. The questions of the day being subjects discussed; for it was through the medium of the church that the people received the foundation for their beliefs in political affairs.
On Monday the 29th of May, 1771, John Tucker of Newbury preached the election sermon on the text "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of men for the Lord's sake whether it be the king as Supreme". From that as a text he went into a discussion of the sort of submission which was due to the rulers. In 1773 Charles Turner preached from Romans and tried to show why it was the right and duty of the clergy to enter into politics. The next year when excitement was reaching its height it is interesting to note the sort of text Rev. Hitchcock of Pembroke took for the basis of his sermon. It was from Proverbs XXII, 2, "When the righteous are in authority the people rejoice but when the wicked bear rule the people mourn".150It is not hard to believe that just such sermons and many others like them had some thing to do with the Revolution as well as Navigation Acts and Correspondence Committees. Of course it must be said that since the people did not rise as one man there was another view to take on the question, but the people were guided in the opposite view also by the clergy.151
The clergy did more than discuss politics from the pulpit before the conflict broke for when the war was on in earnest and troops were being raised the ministers left their pulpits to take their place in the army not always as chaplains, but sometimes in the ranks and sometimes as head of the company. In one company of minute men from Domeers the deacon went as captain and the minister as lieutenant.152Besides the part played by the clergy, the church as a whole was one of the forces working for the care and comfort of the American Soldier. The churches were turned into barracks and hospitals.153Messages of the officers of the army describing the soldiers' conditions in camp were read from the pulpit on Sunday Morning; the afternoon congregation would be made up almost entirely of men, and the women were to be found at home knitting or spinning.154
When Washington assumed command of the army at Cambridge he found chaplains attached to different regiments sent from various colonies, especially from the New England colonies. Some of these were volunteers without pay and others were appointed by the provincial congress.155
The chaplain of that war was not like the chaplain of the present time. A sort of half-soldier, half-minister, never expected to fight or endure the hardships of the private; on the other hand he was one of the men on the field, but also reverenced by the soldiers because of the place he had filled in their activities at home.156
At first, as has been noticed, there was no regulation concerning the appointment and pay of the chaplain by the continental congress. Washington wrote to congress in December 1775 and said, "I need not point out the great utility of gentlemen whose lives and conversation are unexceptionable being employed for that service in the army".157He went on to suggest plans whereby all regiments might be served by a chaplain. The plan which congress adopted was of having a chaplain for every two regiments and they fixed the salary at thirty-three and one-third dollars a month.158The plan worked when the soldiers were in camp, but not when they were on the march.159In 1776 a chaplain was allowed for each regiment.160
According to the regulations of the army, there were to be prayers morning and evening,161and on Sunday services were almostcontinuous. There were always two services and often more, the chaplains from the various regiments preaching in rotation.162
The places of holding religious meetings varied with circumstances, services were held in a church163in or near camp, on a college campus,164in an opening in the woods,165and in a log hut built for the purpose.166When the army entered Cambridge, the next day was Sunday and a stage was erected on the campus by turning up a rum hogshead.167On another occasion a pulpit was formed out of knapsacks piled together.168
The kind of sermons provided by the chaplains to the soldiers makes an interesting study, they were always of a practicable nature. The sermons seemed to fall into two general classes, one class setting forth the characteristics of a good soldier,169and the other those which had to do with the political and social troubles of the time.170
There are records of the attitude of the soldier beingchanged very materially by some of the sermons heard both concerning his own personal attitude171and his attitude in general toward the war. The story is related that one time Rev. Gano knew that a number of the soldiers in his audience were men who had only enlisted for a few months, hence during the service he made the remark "he could aver of the truth that our Lord and Saviour approved of all those who had engaged in His Service for the whole warfare". The rank and file were much amused and those who enlisted for the whole war forced many short-term men by their jesting to re-enlist.172
Another observance which might be considered part of the soldier's religion, was the day of fasting and prayer ordered by congress and the officials of the various colonies.173
There is yet one more effect which grew out of the religious activities of the soldier while in the army camp. That is the weakening of the rigid lines which had been drawn between sects. When the soldier was at home he was, Presbyterian, Anglican, Catholic or what not, but in the army there was a tendency to forget the barriers; both Protestant and Catholic services were held, but it was one of the orders of Washington that no person should make light of another's religion.174It had been the custom of the people near Boston to celebrate what was called "Pope Day" when they burnedan effigy of the Pope; the soldiers were contemplating a celebration of this custom when Washington issued orders against it calling it a "ridiculous and childish custom."175
The fact that the chaplain of a regiment might have members of a number of sects in his audience would tend to create a common interest, and also the fact that whenever the troops were near a church they were ordered to attend regardless of denomination. The incident is related of Washington who was Anglican that he and a number of his men, asked a Presbyterian minister to give them communion in his church, and it was gladly done.176All of which were factors in bringing about democracy in the church.
146.Journals of Continental Congress, Vol. II, p. 112.147.Coit,Orderly Book, (June 14, 1775), p. 19.148.Headley,Chaplain and Clergy of the Revolution, p. 14.149."Narrative of Prince De Broyle" inAmerican Historical MagazineVol. I, p. 378.150.For election sermons see Headley,Chaplains and Clergy of the Revolution.151.See on that phase "Free Thoughts" by Samuel Sebury.152.Greene,Historical Men of American Revolution, p. 215.153.See,Wilds Journal, p. 80; Boudinot, Elias, p. 189; Niles,Principles and Acts of the Revolution, p. 361.154.Headley,Chaplain and Clergy of Revolution, p. 323.155.Headley,Chaplain and Clergy of Revolution, p. 89.156.Headley,Chaplain and Clergy of Revolution, p. 89.157.Ford's,Writings of Washington, Vol. III, p. 310.158.Ibid., Vol. III, p. 310.159.Ibid., Vol. IV, p. 187.160.Ibid., Vol. III, p. 310.161.Farnsworth,Journal, (April 20 and May 1, 1775), p. 79.162.Gardner, "Last Cantonment of Continental Army of Rev." inAm. Hist. Mag.Vol. X, p. 369.163.Hosock, "Life of Clinton" inHarper's, February 1859.164.Headley,Chaplain and Clergy of Revolution, p. 291.165.Ibid., p. 95.166.Gardner, "Last Cantonment of Army of Revolution" inMag. Am. Hist.Vol., X, p. 369.167.Headley,Chaplain and Clergy of Revolution, p. 291.168.Ibid., p. 95.169.Hitchcock, Diary p. 87; Roger,Journal(July 11, 1779) p. 250; Lyman,Journal(Oct. 15, 1775) p. 121.170.Boardman,Journal(Sept. 25, 1775), p. 227; Farnsworth,Journal, (Oct., 1, 1775), p. 86, Thorton,Pulpit in the Revolution, p. 187.171.Farnsworth,Journal, (May 14, 1775), p. 79.172.Quoted by Bolton inPrivate Soldier Under Washington, p. 161.173.Hitchcock,Journal, p. 107; CoitsOrderly Book(July 15, 1775) Moore "Diary" p. 18.174.Griffin,Catholics and the American Revolution, Vol. I, p. 127.175.Griffin,Catholics and the American Revolution, Vol. I, p. 127.176.Hosach, "Life of Clinton,"Harper's, Feb., 1859.
146.Journals of Continental Congress, Vol. II, p. 112.
147.Coit,Orderly Book, (June 14, 1775), p. 19.
148.Headley,Chaplain and Clergy of the Revolution, p. 14.
149."Narrative of Prince De Broyle" inAmerican Historical MagazineVol. I, p. 378.
150.For election sermons see Headley,Chaplains and Clergy of the Revolution.
151.See on that phase "Free Thoughts" by Samuel Sebury.
152.Greene,Historical Men of American Revolution, p. 215.
153.See,Wilds Journal, p. 80; Boudinot, Elias, p. 189; Niles,Principles and Acts of the Revolution, p. 361.
154.Headley,Chaplain and Clergy of Revolution, p. 323.
155.Headley,Chaplain and Clergy of Revolution, p. 89.
156.Headley,Chaplain and Clergy of Revolution, p. 89.
157.Ford's,Writings of Washington, Vol. III, p. 310.
158.Ibid., Vol. III, p. 310.
159.Ibid., Vol. IV, p. 187.
160.Ibid., Vol. III, p. 310.
161.Farnsworth,Journal, (April 20 and May 1, 1775), p. 79.
162.Gardner, "Last Cantonment of Continental Army of Rev." inAm. Hist. Mag.Vol. X, p. 369.
163.Hosock, "Life of Clinton" inHarper's, February 1859.
164.Headley,Chaplain and Clergy of Revolution, p. 291.
165.Ibid., p. 95.
166.Gardner, "Last Cantonment of Army of Revolution" inMag. Am. Hist.Vol., X, p. 369.
167.Headley,Chaplain and Clergy of Revolution, p. 291.
168.Ibid., p. 95.
169.Hitchcock, Diary p. 87; Roger,Journal(July 11, 1779) p. 250; Lyman,Journal(Oct. 15, 1775) p. 121.
170.Boardman,Journal(Sept. 25, 1775), p. 227; Farnsworth,Journal, (Oct., 1, 1775), p. 86, Thorton,Pulpit in the Revolution, p. 187.
171.Farnsworth,Journal, (May 14, 1775), p. 79.
172.Quoted by Bolton inPrivate Soldier Under Washington, p. 161.
173.Hitchcock,Journal, p. 107; CoitsOrderly Book(July 15, 1775) Moore "Diary" p. 18.
174.Griffin,Catholics and the American Revolution, Vol. I, p. 127.
175.Griffin,Catholics and the American Revolution, Vol. I, p. 127.
176.Hosach, "Life of Clinton,"Harper's, Feb., 1859.