Era or Event: 1860s: Civil War

Celebrating Black History Month: The Rev. Francis J. Grimke

“Washington is a hard training ground for preachers.”

This quote probably remains as accurate today as it was 100 years ago when it was made by famous black pastor Francis James Grimké. 1

Grimké was born to a slave mother in South Carolina in 1850. When his guardian tried to sell him into slavery, he escaped and served as a valet in the Confederate Army. He was taken hostage and almost died, but was nursed back to health by his mother only to be sold into slavery to a Confederate officer, spending the rest of the Civil War as a slave. 2

When emancipation was finally achieved, Francis first attended Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, and then graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary as an ordained Presbyterian minister,  3 becoming pastor of Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church in Washington, D. C. 4 As famous black historian Carter Woodson reported, his ministry had a definite impact:

During the first years of the ministry of Mr. Grimké, which began in the spring of 1878, there was a great spiritual awakening as the result of his forceful preaching. 5

Grimké pastored this church for almost 50 years,6 and during one of his sermons, he reminded his congregation:

It is now no longer a question as to whether we are a nation, or a confederation of sovereign and independent states. That question is settled, and settled once for all by the issue [outcome] of the [Civil] War. …The Stars and Stripes, the old flag, will float, as long as it floats, over all these states, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Lakes to the Gulf. If the time ever comes when we shall go to pieces, it will not be form any desire or disposition on the part of the states to pull apart, but from inward corruption — from the disregard of right principles, from the spirit of greed, from the narrowing lust of gold, from losing sight of the fact that “righteousness exalteth a nation, but that sin is a reproach to any people” [Proverbs 14:34]. It is here where our real danger lies – not in the secession of the States from the Union, but in the secession of the Union itself from the great and immutable principles of right, of justice, of fair play for all regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.7

This same principle applies to America today. Let us remember to seriously regard the warning issued by Rev. Grimké and to continue to walk in those “immutable principles of right” that are found in the Holy Scriptures.

Endnotes

1 William H. Ferris, The African Abroad (New Haven: Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor, 1913), 2:889.
2 William J. Simmons, Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive, and Rising (Cleveland: Geo. M. Rewell & Co., 1887), 608-609.
3 “Grimke, Francis J.,” Who’s who of the Colored Race: A General Biographical Dictionary of Men and Women of African Descent, ed. Frank Lincoln Mather (Chicago, 1915), 1:125.
4 Simmons, Men of Mark (1887), 610.
5 The Journal of Negro History, ed. Carter G. Woodson (Lancaster, PA: The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, Inc., 1922), 7:81.
6 Dictionary of American Negro Biography, s.v. “Grimke, Francis James.”
7 Rev. Francis J. Grimke, from “Equality of Right for All Citizens, Black and White, Alike,” March 7, 1909, Masterpieces of Negro Eloquence, ed. Alice Moore Dunbar (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 2000), 246.

The Webster Regiment

An anniversary occurs each April of an 1861 event: the formation of the Twelfth Massachusetts Regiment. Benjamin F. Cook, who enlisted as a Union private in the Civil War and quickly rose through the ranks, was later tasked by his comrades with documenting the history of that regiment.1 Affectionately known as “The Webster Regiment,” it was named after Fletcher Webster, the longest surviving son of the great Daniel Webster 2 (who is commonly referred to as the “Defender of the U.S. Constitution”).

Fletcher Webster had previously served under his father in the State Department and was one of the two men chosen to deliver the news of President William Henry Harrison’s death to Vice President John Tyler.3  On April 21, 1861, responding to an event that happened in Baltimore two days earlier4  as well as to President Abraham Lincoln’s call for volunteers, Fletcher Webster gave a moving speech urging the formation of a new regiment.5 Benjamin Cook recorded a newspaper’s description of the scene:

Mr. Webster’s remarks were patriotic in the extreme. He could, he said, see no better use to which the Sabbath could be put than to improve it by showing our gratitude to Divine Providence for bestowing upon us the best government in the world, and to pledge ourselves to stand by and defend it. 6

Webster concluded that speech by stating:

Let us show the world that the patriotism of ’61 is not less than that of the heroes of ’76; that the noble impulses of those patriot hearts have descended to us.7

The crowd responded and a new regiment was formed. Having enlisted enough men to fill “sixteen full companies,”8  it arrived at Fort Warren the first week in May. Significantly, WallBuilders owns original organizational documents for this regiment that we thought you might enjoy seeing. They establish temporary officers, chaplains, etc., pending the official recognition of the regiment, which occurred in early June.

Although Fletcher Webster was killed a little over a year later on August 26, 1862, at the Second Battle of Bull Run,9  the regiment retained its nickname as “The Webster Regiment.” It went on to fight in major battles at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and elsewhere, and was later declared by General Meade to be “the finest regiment in the service.”10

Endnotes

1 “Captain Benjamin Franklin Cook,” Antietam: On the Web; Benjamin F. Cook and James Beal, History of the Twelfth Massachusetts Volunteers (Webster Regiment) (Boston: Twelfth (Webster) Regiment Association, 1882), 3-5.
2 William Schouler, A History of Massachusetts in the Civil War (Boston: E.P. Dutton & Co., 1868), 111.
3 “John Tyler,” United States Senate.
4 “Exciting days of the Civil War are Recalled: When Webster’s Regiment Passed Through York,” The Reading Eagle (Friday, August 4, 1922).
5 “The Late Colonel Fletcher Webster,” Harper’s Weekly: A Journey of Civilization (New York: Harper Brothers, Saturday, September 20, 1862), VI:299; Cook and Beal, History of the Twelfth  (1882), 9-10.
6 Cook and Beal, History of the Twelfth (1882), 9-10; Schouler, Massachusetts in the Civil War (1868), 111.
7 Cook and Beal, History of the Twelfth (1882), 10.
8 Cook and Beal, History of the Twelfth (1882), 10-11.
9 “Webster, Fletcher,” The National Cyclopedia of American Biography (New York: James T. White & Co, 1906) XIII:169; “Death of Col. Fletcher Webster,” New York Times, September 2, 1862.
10 Cook and Beal, History of the Twelfth (1882), 143.

Black History Issue 2006

The Civil War

Casual students of the Civil War often disagree about whether the War was fought over slavery, unjust economic policies, or “states’ rights.” Yet for millions of Americans in the 1860s, their reason for going to war is different. It can be found in a famous 1830 speech made by Daniel Webster in the US Senate.

At that time, South Carolina was threatening secession. On the floor of the Senate, Webster eloquently proved that there was no such right and that to secede would be an act of treason. (Founding Fathers such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, and others had rejected the doctrine of secession, later used by the Confederacy.) The closing words of Webster’s speech have become some of the most famous in American history:

When my eyes shall be turned to behold for the last time the sun in heaven, may I not see him shining on the broken and dishonored fragments of a once glorious Union. . . . Let their last feeble and lingering glance rather behold the gorgeous [flag] of the republic, now known and honored throughout the earth, still full high advanced . . . not a stripe erased or polluted, nor a single star obscured . . . [A]s they float over the sea and over the land, and in every wind under the whole heavens, [may they unfurl] that sentiment dear to every true American heart: Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable!

Black Americans

Liberty and Union. For millions in 1861, this was the driving motivation: Liberty (ending slavery), and Union (keeping the nation intact). Pursuing that double objective resulted in over 600,000 American lives being lost. Additionally, 410,000 were maimed and crippled. Thus, the Civil War was the bloodiest war in American history. Black Americans were not just spectators; from running the Underground Railroad to leading the charge in battle, they were often active participants.

Black Americans fought bravely in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, but their service in the Civil War silenced the myth that blacks could not perform well in battle. In fact, the battlefield bravery and tactical skill of black soldiers not only met but often surpassed that of their counterparts. And their deep Christian faith was just as visible as was their great courage.

The examples of distinguished black soldiers in the Civil War are many, but this issue will profile three heroic individuals.

Robert Smalls (1839-1916)

Robert Smalls was raised as a slave in Charleston, South Carolina, where he learned how to pilot large vessels along the Atlantic seaboard. He earned a reputation for exceptional navigational skills. At the outbreak of the Civil War, he was forced into service for the Confederacy as quartermaster on the Planter, a 300-ton side-wheel steamer. As quartermaster, Smalls was in charge of the ship’s steering. He was thus the de facto pilot of the Planter, but he did not hold that title. Such an important post was not allowed a black slave in the Confederate south.

The Planter

On the evening of May 12, 1862, the Planter was docked in Charleston. The Confederate officers left the ship to attend a party onshore, leaving Smalls and the rest of the crew to ready the ship for departure the next morning. Always watchful for an opportunity to gain his freedom, and recognizing the potential in this situation, Smalls alerted the families of the crew to be in hiding nearby. Upon receiving his signal, they quickly boarded the ship.

Smalls took the wheel and quietly headed toward open sea. Knowing he would have to pilot the ship past Confederate sentinels, he donned the captain’s clothing and hoisted the Confederate flag. Moving the ship along slowly, and blowing the usual signals, Smalls was successful in not attracting unwanted attention. In fact, a Confederate soldier later reported that he saw the Planter moving but didn’t “think it necessary to stop her, presuming that she was but pursuing her usual business.”

Sneaking Past Fort Sumter

Having surmounted the dangers of the initial departure, Smalls and his crew still faced two major obstacles. The first was Fort Johnson (which Smalls safely passed, giving the customary steam-whistle salute). The second – and much more ominous threat – was Fort Sumter, the starting place of the Civil War. As the Planter approached its stark gray walls, some of Smalls’ crew urged him to turn back, fearing that the Sumter guards would board and inspect the ship.

Smalls cried out to God: “Oh, Lord, we entrust ourselves into Thy hands. Like Thou didst for the Israelites in Egypt, please stand guard over us and guide us to our promised land of freedom.” Rather than retreating, he continued bravely on. He knew that if they were stopped or shot, at least they would enter Heaven as free men.

As they approached Fort Sumter, Smalls – still wearing the familiar hat and coat of the captain – turned his back slightly to the sentry in order to obscure his own face. He then signaled with the whistle, asking for permission to pass. The crew waited in tense expectation. After what seemed like hours, the Confederate guard finally answered, “Pass the Planter!”

To Freedom

Even though the most difficult part of the escape was now behind them, it was still too early to celebrate. When the Planter eventually reached the outer edge of Confederate waters, Smalls replaced the Rebel flag with a white sheet of surrender – but nearly too late. The commander of an oncoming Union vessel, the US Onward, had almost given the command to fire on the Planter before recognizing the flag of truce. He guided his ship alongside the Planter and the Union crew boarded the vessel. When they asked for the captain, Smalls proudly answered, “I have the honor, sir, to present the Planter, formerly the flagship of General Ripley!”

The ship was now in Union hands. Even more valuable to the Union was Smalls’ extensive knowledge of Confederate placements around Charleston. Upon delivering the ship, Smalls explained with a wry smile, “I thought they might be of some service to Uncle Abe.”

The Union Navy

President Lincoln personally invited Robert Smalls to Washington, where he and his crew were recognized for their bravery. Smalls was then commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the 33rd Regiment of United States Colored Troops. (For a black American to be commissioned as an officer was extremely rare and was an exceptional honor. At that time, most officers – even of black troops – were white.)

After receiving his commission, Smalls was made the official pilot of the Planter, now sailing for the Union. The Planter was assigned to transport service, delivering supplies along the coastal waterway near Charleston.

On a routine trip in November 1863, the Planter came under Confederate bombardment. The shelling proved so intense that the Union captain of the ship panicked, wanting to surrender. Smalls refused, knowing that he and the crew would be killed if captured. (The Confederacy had issued orders that blacks who surrendered were to be put to death on the spot.) The frightened Captain fled below deck, leaving Smalls in charge. He brought the ship safely through the shelling, landing amidst the cheers of thousands gathered at the dock awaiting the supplies. Union Major General Quincy Gillmore promoted Smalls to Captain, a position he held until the end of the war. Smalls eventually rose to the rank of Major General in the South Carolina Militia.

In Congress

After the War, Smalls was elected as a Republican to the South Carolina House. He was later elected to the United States Congress, where he served for nine years. As a Member of Congress, he pursued equal treatment for black Americans. As he explained: “My race needs no special defense, for the past history of them in this country proves them to be the equal of any people anywhere. All they need is an equal chance in the battle of life.”

Robert Smalls was a strong Christian, whose faith was evident in both the military and the political arena.

Andre Cailloux (1825-1863)

Andre Cailloux was a member of the Afro-Creole community of New Orleans. (The Afro-Creoles were French in language and culture, and Roman Catholic in faith.) Cailloux was a pioneer in black American military history. Although born into slavery, he received his freedom in 1846. He then quickly began to make his mark as a leader within what was considered one of the most prosperous black regions in the nation. Cailloux received a formal education. He later married, purchased a home, and bought his mother out of slavery. He also sent his sons to a prestigious school and was elected to various posts within the Afro-Creole community.

During the Civil War

At the outbreak of the Civil War, most battlefield activity initially occurred far from Louisiana, in the North and the East. With the Union’s desire to break the communication and supply lines of the Confederates, gaining control of the Mississippi River became a priority. In April 1862, the Union army captured New Orleans. It authorized the formation of the Louisiana Native Guards: black Americans from New Orleans who would fight for the Union.

In 1862, Cailloux was commissioned as captain of E Company in the 1st Regiment of Louisiana Native Guards. This was the first black regiment officially recognized for military service in the Civil War. Upon receiving his commission, Cailloux began recruiting both free men of color and runaway slaves from the New Orleans region.

An imposing figure in character and stature, Cailloux was a direct visual repudiation to the image of black servility, inferiority, and cowardice long perpetuated by racists. His gentlemanly demeanor, athletic build, and keen intelligence gave him a confidence and charisma that made him a natural to help lead the newly formed Louisiana Native Guards.

Cailloux and his men faced many challenges – and not all from their Confederate enemy. Too often they had to endure insults from white troops, insufficient supplies (less than what their white counterparts often received), and excessive manual labor pushed on them by lazy soldiers. Nevertheless, they continued to train, anxious to prove their mettle on the battlefield.

Ultimate Sacrifice

That opportunity arrived in May 1863. The Confederate stronghold of Port Hudson on the Mississippi River (north of Baton Rouge) was under siege. The forces were led by Union General Nathaniel P. Banks. The 1st and 3rd Louisiana Native Guards was assigned to Banks and were chosen to mount an attack on the heavily fortified bluffs and rifle pits protecting Port Hudson. It was a critical but dangerous assignment. Cailloux’s E Company was designated to lead the charge as the standard bearer for the entire regiment.

As the regiment took the field, Cailloux encouraged his men with calm words of assurance. They charged and were met by extremely heavy Confederate fire. Cailloux and the other officers regrouped and rallied their men on several occasions. At last, Cailloux led a charge all the way to the backwater of the Port, just 200 yards shy of the bluffs. He and his men finally got off a round of musket shot, only to be answered with a wave of Confederate artillery. Their losses were heavy; and Cailloux himself was wounded, taking a bullet through his arm just above his elbow. He rallied his men once again and charged across the muddy waters toward the bluffs, his useless arm dangling beside him. This charge was his final heroic act; he received a fatal blow in the head from an enemy shell.

All along the line, Union forces were pushed back with heavy casualties. Both the 1st and the 3rd Regiments were finally forced to break ranks and seek shelter in the surrounding willow trees. Nevertheless, the bravery of Andre Cailloux did not go unnoticed, or the actions of so many of his troops who fought fiercely against overwhelming odds.

Black Soldiers in the Civil War

The story of Cailloux and his men quickly spread across the North. The false stereotype had been shattered and the black soldier was now viewed as a valuable and integral part of the war. This reputation was strengthened with the accomplishments of the Native Guards’ counterparts in the North, the Massachusetts 54th. By the end of the Civil War, some 180,000 black Americans had fought in the United States Armed Forces.

Andre Cailloux – a hero in New Orleans – received a hero’s funeral. He laid in-state for four days, watched over by a military guard. His funeral procession was led by a band of musicians playing somber dirges followed by a horse-drawn, tasseled caisson with Cailloux’s body. Mourners lined the streets for almost a mile along the funeral route, holding tiny American flags as his remains rolled by. The attack in which Cailloux lost his life had been unsuccessful. (As was a subsequent attack two weeks later.) Union General Banks eventually pulled back and laid siege to Port Hudson, forcing their surrender a month-and-a-half later. That surrender was considered one of the Confederacy’s most devastating defeats, opening the Mississippi River to Union troop and supply movements.

Over 12,000 lives were lost at Port Hudson. 5,000 of which were Union deaths with many occurring during the initial attack led by Cailloux. Nevertheless, the attack had not only produced the first black hero of the Civil War, it also proved the strength and courage of black American troops. Thus firmly cementing their permanent place in future American military service.

William Carney (1840-1908)

Sergeant William H. Carney – another black American renowned for his heroism – was born into slavery in Norfolk, Virginia. While William was still a boy, his father escaped to freedom on the Underground Railroad. He soon purchased the family out of slavery and brought them to New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, black Americans – both slave and free – believed that God would use President Abraham Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant to bring them freedom in the same way that God had used Moses to lead the Israelites out of captivity. Viewing abolition as a spiritual mission made black Americans all the more eager to help, thereby hastening the arrival of freedom.

Joining the US Military

In 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The Union Army also began actively recruiting black volunteers. William understood the powerful spiritual dimension of emancipation and eagerly enlisted. This decision sprang from his deep Christian convictions. As he explained: “Previous to the formation of colored troops, I had a strong inclination to prepare myself for the ministry; but when the country called for all persons, I could best serve my God [by] serving my country and my oppressed brothers.”

Carney joined the Morgan Guards, who later became part of the Massachusetts 54th (featured in the 1989 movie Glory). The regiment was led by the 25 year-old white Colonel Robert Shaw, son of prominent Boston abolitionists. The all-black 54th had freeborn men and former slaves, including two sons of Frederick Douglass who played a major role in establishing the 54th. Upon completing their training, the 54th was assigned to attack Fort Wagner, South Carolina.

Fort Wagner

On the evening of July 18, 1863, the 600 men of the 54th lay along the sandy beach 1,000 yards from Fort Wagner. Chosen to lead the charge, they were awaiting orders to move out. Union guns had pounded the Confederate stronghold all day long, attempting to weaken its defenses. That evening, the order to advance finally came.

The men set with fixed bayonets, running toward the enemy. But the Union bombardment had failed to weaken the gun emplacements, so the 54th ran into heavy Confederate cannon fire and torrents of bullets. They suffered extensive casualties. Among those who fell was Sergeant John Wall, the carrier of the United States flag. Sergeant William Carney, who had been running next to Wall, dropped his rifle and caught the flag before it could hit the ground.

Protecting the Flag

As Carney carried the flag, he was shot in the leg, but he continued to lead the attack. Ignoring the searing pain, he and his forces pushed forward and were able to gain control of a small part of the fort. Carney proudly planted the American flag and held his position against the wall of Fort Wagner for nearly half an hour through hand-to-hand combat. In the darkness of the night, Carney saw troops moving toward him and made the mistake of believing them to be fellow Union fighters. Suddenly surrounded by Confederate soldiers, he quickly wrapped the flag around its staff as his unit fell back down the embankment.

Retreating across the chest high water, he held the flag high. He was shot twice more, once in the chest and again in the leg. Still, he continued on, resolved not to let the flag fall. A member of another regiment pleaded with the injured Carney to let him carry the flag, but he quickly replied, “No one but a member of the 54th should carry the colors.” Carney was shot again (for the fourth time), this time narrowly escaping death as the bullet creased his skull. At last he reached the safety of what remained of the 54th. He proclaimed breathlessly before collapsing, “Boys, I only did my duty. The flag never touched the ground.”

After the Battle

The attack against Fort Wagner was unsuccessful, and the battle was a defeat for the Union. The total lives lost that day were 351, only twelve of whom had been Confederates. But the 54th had acquitted itself courageously, just like their counterparts in the Louisiana Native Guards.

On May 23, 1900, Sergeant William Harvey Carney was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. (Several black Americans had already received the prestigious award for gallantry in both the Civil War and the subsequent western Indian Campaigns. However, Carney’s heroism at Fort Wagner was the earliest action of the Civil War to be recognized.)

He died eight years later in New Bedford, still strong in his Christian faith. His grave is marked with a gold image of his nation’s highest award for valor in battle.

Conclusion

The list of black American heroes of the Civil War is long and impressive. All the more impressive is that many of these men not only fought bravely against the enemy but also against occasional racism in their own army. Admirably, their response to racist opposition did not include personal animosity, bitterness, or hate, but rather an increased determination to prove wrong the misconceptions. In fact, to have harbored destructive feelings of ill-will would have violated their strong Christian faith. They lived by Biblical admonitions such as those delivered long before by the Rev. Richard Allen (himself a former slave), who had urged:

[L]et no rancor or ill-will lodge in your [heart] for any bad treatment you may have received from any. If you do, you transgress against God, Who will not hold you guiltless. He would not suffer it even in His beloved people Israel; and you think He will allow it unto us? . . . I am sorry to say that too many think more of the evil than of the good they have received.

The illustrious stories of Robert Smalls, Andre Cailloux, and William Carney are the stories of heroes who not only followed the teachings of Christianity but who also fought with exceptional courage, doing the work of the Lord in “Liberty and Union.”

“Be strong and of a good courage;
fear not, nor be afraid of them,
for the Lord thy God –
He it is that doth go with thee;
He will not fail thee
nor forsake thee.”
Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua 1:9

Are You Smarter Than a Fourth Grader?

As students across the nation take exams to determine whether or not they have mastered the skills necessary to be promoted to the next grade, let us reflect on what education used to be.

Whereas, in today’s educational system, Geography and Social Studies are neglected in favor of “teaching to the test,” this was not the case in 1862. We thought you might enjoy seeing a Geography Quiz from the WallBuilders’ Collection that was given to Fourth Grades in 1862.

Abraham Lincoln

abraham-lincoln-2Abraham Lincoln was born on February 22, 1809 and died April 15, 1865.

Take this quiz to see how much you know about Abraham Lincoln! (Answers below)
1. True of False: Lincoln is the tallest of America’s 43 presidents.
2. True of False: Lincoln was the first president to have no college degree.
3. True of False: Lincoln was the only president to sign a ratified constitutional amendment.
4. True of False: Lincoln was the third president to have a full beard.
5. True of False: Lincoln was the last president to be born in a log cabin.
6. True or False: Lincoln is in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
7. How many daughters did Lincoln have? How many sons?
8. In what war did Lincoln hold the rank of a military captain?
9. Where was Lincoln, and what was he doing when he was assassinated?

abraham-lincoln-1 The 16th President of the United States, was born in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky on February 12, 1809. [1] He is widely considered one of America’s most influential presidents, [2] being memorialized in stone on Mount Rushmore.

abraham-lincoln-3 Lincoln learned to read from the Bible, [3] and used Bible phrases extensively in his speeches throughout his Presidency. Maintaining integrity and good character was his high objective, and “Honest Abe” became his nickname. [4] In fact, honesty was so important to him that he once advised aspiring attorneys:

[R]esolve to be honest at all events; and if in your own judgment you cannot be an honest lawyer, resolve to be honest without being a lawyer. [5]

In the WallBuilders library, we have many unique pieces related to Abraham Lincoln, including this remarkable printing of the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. It is a calligraphic portrait, consisting of bolder letters being used in strategic points throughout the text to form a portrait. You will marvel at the creativity and technology found in this amazing document.

 Answers

1. True.
2. False. (Abraham Lincoln was the 8th president without a college degree. The first seven were: George Washington, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, and Millard Filmore. Since Lincoln, four other presidents had no college degree: Andrew Johnson, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, and Harry Truman.)
3. True.
4. False. (Lincoln was the 1st President to have a full beard.)
5. False. (James Garfield, the 20th President, was the last log cabin President.)
6. True.
7. Lincoln had no daughters and 4 sons, and only one of the sons lived to adulthood.
8. The Black Hawk War.
9. He was at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D. C. attending a play.

Endnotes

1 The Miller Center, “Abraham Lincoln,” University of Virginia (accessed on January 27, 2015).
2 See, for example, James Lindgren, “Ranking Our Presidents,” historyworld.org, November 16, 2000; Frank Newport, “Americans Say Reagan is the Greatest President,” Gallup, February 18, 2011; “Assessment, Evaluation and Ranking of the Presidents. Two different surveys,” The Presidents of the United States (accessed on April 8, 2015).
3 P. A. Hanaford, Abraham Lincoln: His Life and Public Services (Boston: B. B. Russell and Company, 1865), 15.
4 The Miller Center, “Abraham Lincoln,” University of Virginia (accessed on January 27, 2015).
5 Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln Complete Works, eds. John D. Nicolay and John Hay (New York: The Century Co., 1894), 1:164, “Fragment. Notes for Law Lecture,” July 1, 1850.

Civil War – Webster’s Regiment

The following documents written by an unknown soldier in the regiment outlining the organization of “Webster’s Regiment” (officially known as the 12th Massachusetts regiment), which was established under the command of Fletcher Webster (son of Daniel Webster), the second generation Founding Father who was known as the “Defender of the U.S. Constitution.” This regiment was formed in April of 1861, and was recognized as an official regiment by the Union in June of that year. This regiment was later declared by General Meade to be “the finest regiment in the service.” More information about Webster’s Regiment can be found in this WallBuilders article.

This document is Webster’s copy of a telegraph that was sent to President Lincoln requesting that the regiment be officially recognized by the Union.

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The following document outlines the election of field officers (which were temporary positions assigned to the unofficial regiment), including the appointment of Gerald Fitzgerald as chaplain. In June of 1861, Edward Clark was appointed official Chaplain of the newly formed regiment.

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The following document recounts a sermon given by Rev. Gerald Fitzgerald and mentions that “[t]he volunteers were present and seemed much interested in an eloquent sermon on the duties and responsibilities of the holy cause, which they were about going forth to defend.”

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Congressional Records on Chaplains

Below are several documents from Congressional records relating to pay for U.S. Army Chaplains. There is a “Memorial of Chaplains in the U.S. Army” dated January 17, 1862. Also, a “Letter from the Secretary of War” relating to pay for chaplains dated June 19, 1862. Finally, a “General Order” relating to pay for chaplains dated October 6, 1862.

 

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Civil War – Religious Artifacts

The following group of religious artifacts are from the Civil War. The first set of items were all found in an area in the vicinity of the Battle of Vicksburg (May 18-July 4, 1863). The medals include: a brass Virgin Mary figurine, two crosses, and three small religious tokens. The second religious item is a chaplain’s insignia from the Mexican War and the Civil War era.

 

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Proclamation – Thanksgiving Day – 1863

This is the text of the October 3, 1863 Abraham Lincoln national Thanksgiving Day Proclamation.

proclamation-thanksgiving-day-1863-1

President Abraham Lincoln’s
Proclamation of Thanksgiving

Issued, October 3, 1863

The year that is drawing towards its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to invite and provoke the aggressions of foreign States, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict; while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

The needful diversions of wealth and strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship. The axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battlefield; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people; I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer to our beneficent Father, who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to him that, for such singular deliverances and blessings; they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

Abraham Lincoln

By the President: William H. Seward, Secretary of State.

Proclamation – Thanksgiving – 1866

Samuel Cony held the office of the Governor of Maine from 1864-1867.He was a graduate of Brown university where he studied law. He held various offices including legislator, judge and Land Agent of the State followed by election as State Treasurer and Mayor of Augusta. His two elections as Governor were won by large majorities. Cony died on October 5, 1870.

proclamation-thanksgiving-1866-1

State of Maine

By The Governor

A Proclamation

For A Day Of

Public Thanksgiving and Praise

In obedience to that usage having its origin in a profound sense of obligation and gratitude to the All Wise Power of human events, and hallowed by the most cherished associations, I do, by the advice of the Executive Council, appoint

Thursday, the Twenty-Ninth Day of November
to be observed by the citizens of this State as a day of Public Thanksgiving and Praise to him for the blessings we have enjoyed during the year that is now hastening to its close.

The continuance of peace in our country while other nations have been afflicted with war; the exemption of our State from that fearful pestilence which have desolated other lands: the bountiful harvests which have crowned the labors of the husbandman, furnishing ample supplies of food for or people, banishing even the apprehension of famine, the cries of which are heard coming up from remote portions of the earth; the great prosperity attending all the varied pursuits of life; the rapid recovery of our country from the wounds of a frightful civil war; the continuance of the blessings of education and the freedom of religious worship; and the manifest purpose of the people this country under sore disappointment that manhood of every complexion and clime shall be recognized within its domain, and impartial justice assured to all, are pregnant causes for thanks and praise.

I therefore invite the citizens of this State to unite according to the custom of our fathers with prayer and anthem to commemorate the return of this festival day, remembering from their abundance the poor and distressed in our midst, to invoke the continuance of Divine Favor and the pardon of our transgressions through the grace of our Lord and Saviour.

Given at the Council Chamber at Augusta, this twenty-ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the ninety-first.
 

SAMUEL CONY.

By His Excellency The Governor,

EPHRAIM FLINT, Secretary of State.