Chaplains In Gray: The Confederate Chaplain’s Story

By Charles Frank Pitts

ONE of the oddities of history is that men of peace have never been known to stay out of a fight!

There yet remains to be told the story of the chaplains to the men in gray who fought through the bitter years of 1861-1865. Men of war, they stood for him who is called the Prince of peace.

In considering the chaplains in the Army of the Confederate States, we are brought face to face with the most amazing display of spiritual power ever witnessed among fighting men on the American continent. We are made aware of the effectiveness of their unique approach to the religious needs of men in uniform. We find tangible proof of the tremendous contribution which religious faith makes to military efficiency. We see the startling results of close co-operation between officers of the line and their spiritual leaders. In the ranks of the Southern armies there appeared a spiritual hunger that could only be assuaged by the uncompromised preaching of the cross. In the valley of the shadow, men of God, loyal to their native states, by precept and example wrote their names among Dixie’s men of valor. These chaplains have a message peculiarly fitted for us today—a message of optimism and encouragement.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Golden Springs Publishing
• Release date: Nov 6, 2015
• ISBN: 9781786255938

Charles Frank Pitts

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Text originally published in 1957 under the same title.

© Pickle Partners Publishing 2015, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

CHAPLAINS IN GRAY: THE CONFEDERATE CHAPLAINS’ STORY

BY

CHARLES F. PITTS

GOD’S GOOD GIFT

Give attention to reading. Read good things; any good book will gird your holy might, whether the book be history, biography, devotional literature, fiction, or poetry. Read noble thoughts, whoever wrote them. Authors are God’s generous gifts to help us to a better life. Use them and therein justify God’s good gift. The poets have, so many of them, seen God, that they will teach you how to see Him. Flee the delusion that you are never studying God, save when you are in Church or reading the Bible. When you watch the sunrise, you are watching one means of God’s event for the world. Who gathers flowers, and revels in them, is studying and enjoying God’s thoughts. Read nature. Read books, but do not forget the one Book!

—The Blessed Life, Bishop William A. Quayle

*************************

BLAZONING MY SCUTCHEON

Oh, my soul, hast thou learned the love of the book, and hast thou learned a book is as a delight, and hast thou learned not as the scholar reads, to get to be great, nor to read as the egotist reads, to be thought wise, but hast thou read as God would read, to catch good and, to see far, and to learn to live and to blazon thy scutcheon with the radiance of the morning light?

—Books As A Delight, Bishop William A. Quayle

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS 6

DEDICATION 7

PREFACE 8

FOREWORD 9

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 10

INTRODUCTION 13

CHAPTER I 16

CHAPTER II 23

CHAPTER III 29

CHAPTER IV 37

CHAPTER V 46

CHAPTER VI 54

CHAPTER VII 62

CHAPTER VIII 70

CHAPTER IX 73

CHAPTER X 82

CHAPTER XI 90

APPENDIX 101

BIBLIOGRAPHY 122

PORTRAITS 126

REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 155

DEDICATION

DEDICATED TO

The memory of my grandfather

MOSES PITTS

Last survivor of the Twenty-ninth Arkansas Cavalry

And to the

Confederate States Army Chaplains

Who through faithful service to God

Prepared him

Spiritually for an honored and fruitful life including

Sixty-five years as a Baptist deacon

PREFACE

One day Rev. John Jones was handing out tracts in the trenches, surrounding Petersburg not far above Hatchers Run. As he was witnessing to the tired and starving soldiers, he saw a large cavalcade approaching. As they drew near, he recognized them to be a very distinguished group including Generals Lee, Hill, Gordon, and Heth. As they passed by, General A. P. Hill stopped and greeted the personal worker, John, don’t you think the boys would prefer ‘hard tack’ to tracts just now? To which the Preacher answered, I have no doubt that many of them would, but they crowd around and take the tracts as eagerly as they surround the commissary when he has anything to issue and besides other advantages, the tracts certainly help them to bear the lack of hard tack. Such was the life of a Confederate Army Chaplain. As a group they were some of the most godly and zealous men who have ever served our Savior. They were tireless in their efforts to convert sinners, comfort soldiers, and train disciples. They were fearless in their willingness to face hardship and danger to do the work of the Gospel. The history books have recorded the great deeds of generals and their armies, but heaven has recorded many names in the Book of Life because of these tireless servants for Jesus Christ. May God give us a portion of their zeal, a measure of their courage, and a liberal dose of this love as we serve our generation for Him.

Pastor Michael E. Edwards

Heritage Baptist Church

Woodbridge, Virginia

FOREWORD

I AM HAPPY IN THE PRIVILEGE of introducing what I know you will consider a delightful study of the Confederate chaplains. Charles Frank Pitts has given us a very interesting and a very human story of this important period in our American history. Here is a picture of the chaplain and other religious workers that made a great contribution to the men and officers in gray. Not too much has been written about these devoted and unselfish men of God. This story also gives us a picture of many of our fine Southern Christian officers and men whom the ordinary historian does not portray. It may be surprising to many to know that large numbers of clergymen were to be found in the ranks.

I certainly could wish that this book might fall into the hands of every chaplain in the armed forces today. In fact, it would be a splendid going away gift for the pastor or for the church to place in the hands of young men and women going into the service.

Roy H. PARKER, Chaplain

(Major General) U.S. Army, Retired

Former Chief of Chaplains

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ONE OF THE WELL-NIGH IMPOSSIBLE tasks in connection with the presentation of this book is that of expressing adequate appreciation for those who have made the work possible.

Especially am I grateful to the United Daughters of the Confederacy, L. S. Ross Chapter, Bryan, Texas, for their invitation to speak on the subject of Priests, Pastors, and Rabbis of the Confederacy. This invitation rekindled my interest in the subject and brought my scattered notes into organized form.

It is quite doubtful, even then, that this material would have been submitted for publication without the encouragement of a group of military chaplains, both active and reserve. Among these were Chaplain (Colonel) William H. Andrew, of Bryan, Texas, U.S. Air Force Reserve and past president of the Southern Baptist Chaplains’ Association; Chaplain (Major) Herbert R. Earley, U.S. Army Reserve, also of Bryan, Texas; Chaplain (Captain) R. L. Herring, Texas National Guard, Nacogdoches, Texas; Chaplain (Major) Charles P. Pitts, Texas National Guard, Dallas, Texas; Chaplain (Major) Robert B. Mathis, Fort Hood, Texas; Chaplain (Captain) Don Maxfield, Blytheville Air Force Base, Blytheville, Arkansas; and Chaplain (Colonel) Roy J. Honeywell, U.S. Army, Retired, now serving as editor of the Military Chaplain, Washington, D. C.

The suggestions and encouragement given by former Army Chief of Chaplains, Roy H. Parker, Major General, will forever be appreciated. Dr. Parker, now professor of history at William Jewell College, Liberty, Missouri, also bestowed a great honor upon the author when he wrote the Introduction to this book. Dr. Walter Pope Binns, president of William Jewell College, was kind enough to read the manuscript and offer suggestions toward bringing the book to its present form. His opinions were highly valued and were, as much as possible, embodied in the final revisions of the book.

Only one who has sought out hidden or obscure information can fully appreciate the marvelous spirit of helpfulness manifested by the librarians of our country. Not one time did I find one too busy to lend assistance. Everyone went beyond the call of duty in furnishing books, newspapers, periodicals, microfilms of rare documents or papers, letters, and unpublished manuscripts.

In particular, let me thank the librarians of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, College Station, for their help in the beginning of this work. To me it was an inspiration to know that the first elected president of this institution was none other than Confederate President Jefferson Davis, although he declined to serve.

Carnegie Library, Bryan, Texas, Headquarters and Last Stand of General John Bell Hood’s Texas Brigade, furnished much valuable material. In addition, Mrs. Arthur W. Melloh, librarian, rendered invaluable service in gathering material from other libraries.

In addition to these, I received a most wonderful cooperation from the librarians of the University of Texas, Austin; the Confederate Museum of Austin, Texas; Central Library, Houston, Texas; Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas; Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas; Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky; Municipal Library, Little Rock, Arkansas; the Arkansas Historical Society, Little Rock; the Blytheville, Arkansas, Public Library; Mississippi County Public Library, Osceola, Arkansas; the Public Library, Pine Bluff, Arkansas; the Goodwin Institute, Memphis, Tennessee; Cossitt Library, Memphis, Tennessee; Southwestern University, Memphis, Tennessee; Southern Baptist Historical Commission, Nashville, Tennessee; Tennessee State Library, Nashville; Carnegie Library, Nashville, Tennessee; the Virginia State Library and the Confederate Museum, Richmond.

From numerous private collections came many helpful books and letters. Also, from individuals and institutions came prompt correspondence in answer to specific queries.

As the manuscript began to take final form, Mrs. Laura Hardy Gray, librarian of the Public Library, Blytheville, Arkansas, herself a writer, was called upon for many suggestions as to style and form. She was never too busy to read what was written, and could be counted upon to offer constructive criticism on style and content. Optimistic from her first acquaintance with my notes, she constantly urged me to bring my work to completion and submit it to the Broadman Press.

My sincere thanks go to Miss Dottie Whitsel, of the Baptist Student Union editorial staff, Southern Baptist Sunday School Board, Nashville, Tennessee, and to Dr. John E. Steeley, professor of history, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina, for rendering valuable editorial service; also, to Mrs. Roland Bishop, of Blytheville, Arkansas, the exceptionally efficient typist who very patiently prepared the manuscript throughout its often changing forms.

Underlying all these efforts was the magnificent interest and support manifested by the membership of the two churches with which I was privileged to serve as pastor during the years of preparation of this book. The College Avenue Baptist Church, of Bryan, Texas, and the First Baptist Church, of Blytheville, Arkansas, shall always stand out in my mind as the scenes of happy and productive years. Unnumbered are those faithful fellow members who asked me many times, Pastor, how’s the book coming? We’re anxious for you to finish it! Without these personal assurances the work would long since have been lost in the press of pastoral duties. Few indeed were the phone calls between the hours of 11:00 P.M. and 2:00 A.M. when the majority of the writing was done. Written under the illumination of midnight oil, I could only wish that the book might prove interesting enough to some to warrant its reading in that same light.

To Dorothy, my wife, a perennial optimist and perfectionist, goes any honor of achievement in the completion of my task. When, due to the pressure of pastoral duties, the inability to locate sufficient information, or the discouragement of constant revision, I was tempted to lay the work aside, she always replied in the spirit of the wife of the weary Confederate Chaplain, John B. McFerrin, of Nashville, Husband, stay with them to the last!

INTRODUCTION

"They said that Love would die when Hope was gone,

And Love mourn’d long, and sorrow’d after Hope;

At last she sought out Memory, and they trod

The same old paths where Love had walk’d with Hope,

And Memory fed the soul of Love with tears."

—ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON

ONE of the oddities of history is that men of peace have never been known to stay out of a fight! Consider the case of James Caldwell, pastor of a church at Elizabethtown, New Jersey, during the Revolutionary War. In the midst of a particularly brisk skirmish at Springfield, the soldiers of a regiment of which he was chaplain ran low on wadding for their hot muskets. Having no time to preach and hardly time to pray, the good parson, a staunch Presbyterian, ran to a near-by church, gathered up a good supply of Watts’s psalm books, and distributed them to his fellow soldiers with, Give ‘em Watts, boys, give ‘em Watts! His patriotism was to cost him his life, but, like all real heroes, he did not consider the price to be too high.

With men such as Caldwell the tradition of the army chaplain began. In each war thereafter he has been seen at the front. Mingled with the fury of combat has been heard the voice of prayer. So long as American men battle for principles in which they believe, they will find their chaplains beside them for spiritual encouragement and consolation. The story of the army chaplain has been told many times. He has been praised by his friends; he has been scorched by his enemies. But, taken as a whole, the story he has written for himself is one of honor to both God and country.

There yet remains to be told the story of the chaplains to the men in gray who fought through the bitter years of 1861-1865. Men of war, they stood for him who is called the Prince of peace.

In considering the chaplains in the Army of the Confederate States, we are brought face to face with the most amazing display of spiritual power ever witnessed among fighting men on the American continent. We are made aware of the effectiveness of their unique approach to the religious needs of men in uniform. We find tangible proof of the tremendous contribution which religious faith makes to military efficiency. We see the startling results of close co-operation between officers of the line and their spiritual leaders. In the ranks of the Southern armies there appeared a spiritual hunger that could only be assuaged by the uncompromised preaching of the cross. In the valley of the shadow, men of God, loyal to their native states, by precept and example wrote their names among Dixie’s men of valor. These chaplains have a message peculiarly fitted for us today—a message of optimism and encouragement.

It is not uncommon to hear the voice of the pessimist decrying the lack of spiritual power in our land today. We are constantly warned of the crusading zeal of communism and the fighting qualities of men so imbued with the socialistic ideology. Yet a study of the effect of the Confederate chaplain’s ministry upon the fighting qualities of the Southern soldier should encourage us to optimism in the light of our nation’s spiritual potential.

Let it be remembered that there is but one example in history of our American people fighting against superior odds to complete defeat. Of course, our military forces have known their Lexingtons, their Alamos, their Corregidors, and their Heartbreak Ridges, but these were setbacks of a temporary nature. We have but the downfall of the Confederacy to witness to the reaction of an American people to national catastrophe.

May we never hear the tread of an invader’s heel upon our shores or the roar of hostile airmen. But we are