"Old Prayer Book"-A Christian In Blue

“The generals (Like U.S. Grant and William T. Sherman) who led the North to victory mainly involved themselves with military matters and evinced little interest in cultivating any spiritual sensitivity during the War.” So writes Gardiner H. Shattuck, Jr. in his work, A Shield and Hiding Place: The Religious Life of the Civil War Armies. There is at least one exception among the leaders of the Union. Maine native Oliver Otis Howard was so devout that he was know across the North as “The Christian General” and “Old Prayer Book”.


In 1857, Howard was a full-time soldier who was deployed to Florida for the Seminole Wars. After reading the diary of famed Christian soldier Hedley Vicars of Great Britain, it was there that he experienced a conversion to evangelical Christianity and considered resigning from the army to become a minister. His religious proclivities would later earn him the nickname "The Christian General." On the outbreak of the American Civil War, Howard, an opponent of slavery, resigned his regular army commission and became colonel of the Third Maine Volunteers in the Union Army. Much like Jackson, Howard made spiritual strengthening a daily part of his troop's regiments. As a brigadier commander he insisted on all his regiments holding divine services on the Sabbath. If the regiment had no chaplain, Howard himself would conduct the regiments service. 

 

As the war progressed, a movement referred to as "The Great Revival" took place in the South. Beginning in the fall of 1863, this event was in full progress throughout the Army of Northern Virginia. Before the revival was interrupted by Grant's attack in May 1864, approximately seven thousand soldiers-10 percent of Lee's force-were reportedly converted. Dr.Shattuck,  again in his book, "A Shield and Hiding Place: The Religious Life of the Civil War Armies," reports that "The best estimates of conversions in the Union forces place the figure between 100,000 and 200,000 men-about 5-10 percent of all individuals engaged in the conflict. In the smaller Confederate armies, at least 100,000 were converted. Since these numbers include only "conversions" and do not represent the number of soldiers actually swept up in the revivals-a yet more substantial figure-the impact of revivals during the Civil War surely was tremendous."

Few men of any rank participated in more of the War’s significant battles. He fought at First Manassas, The Seven Days Battles (Two Confederate bullets cost him his right arm at Fair Oaks), Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, in just the first two years.

According to some accounts, in the early stages of the war, revivals like the one Howard led were not the rule but the exception. Religion did not seem to have left home with the soldiers. The magazine "Christianity Today" recalled the trials and tribulations with living a Godly life while on campaign. It stated: "Day-to-day army life was so boring that men were often tempted to "make some foolishness," as one soldier typified it. Profanity, gambling, drunkenness, sexual licentiousness, and petty thievery confronted those who wanted to practice their faith. Christians complained that no Sabbath was observed; despite the efforts of a few generals like George McClellan and Oliver O. Howard, ordinary routines went on as if Sunday meant nothing at all. General Robert McAllister, an officer who was working closely with the United States Christian Commission, complained that a "tide of irreligion" had rolled over his army "like a mighty wave."

As was quite common, many surviving commanders became “celebrities” in the public eye, and they often signed autographs. Howard routinely signed his, “The Lord Is My Shepherd”