Faith During the Civil War (Civilians)

At the risk of creating a controversial series, I feel the Lenten season is a good time to take a brief look at the status of faith/religion in the United States during the mid-nineteenth century.  This post will be longer than usual.  This post will be followed by one as faith was experienced by the soldiers in the armies.


Grace Episcopal Church, Petersburg Virginia

The United States on the eve of war was a much less multicultural society than today. While many religions did exist within the then boundaries of the country, the primary faith was Christianity.  To be more specific Protestant Christianity. Other faiths such as Judaism, Buddhism (among Chinese in California) and "Paganism" (primarily Native American Faiths), were represented in the country, the bulk of the nation were Christians.  As such, we will be dealing with the national baseline.

The first thing to keep in mind is that Protestantism in all it's denominations was the primary faith structure.  Catholicism was a minor factor and indeed was discriminated against.  In the 1850s a political party known as the "Know Nothings" and later the "American" party campaigned largely on an anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic platform.

Catholicism did have a presence in America during this time. Many orders and institutions sent priests and nuns to the front to serve as chaplains  and nurses respectively. One of the most famous institutions to do so being the University of Notre Dame. Their roles will be covered in a later post. One of the most prominent Catholic generals was William S. Rosecrans, commander of the Union Army of the Cumberland from late 1862 to the fall of 1863.

General Rosecrans

While Catholicism was and is one specific faith or denomination, Protestantism was and is a highly diverse group of faiths.  This was made worse by the cultural changes that were rising in the country prior to the war.  Beginning early in the century, Northern and Southern churches began to divide on how they saw their callings. At the risk of making a generality, Northern congregations were more active in reform movements.  These included the controversial topics of public education, women's rights, and, of course, abolition. Southern congregations tended to be much less interested in social reform and more interested in personal salvation.  Prior to the 1850s, many Protestant denominations had national organizations that were overarching to the local churches.  During the decade, many split into Northern and Southern branches over the differences in views on how one should conduct their ministries. At least one split still remains, perhaps others, as this is where the term "Southern Baptist" originates from.

A side effect of the reform movement in the North was the formation of various soldier's aid societies.  These groups, such as the Sanitary Commission and the Christian Commission, were formed out of local groups to bring aid and comfort to the soldiers in the field. The South never created any overarching organization.

Having split apart years prior to the election of 1860, the churches were in no position to attempt to keep the country together. As the fateful election approached, ministers often would rail against the sins of the other section of the country, be it black slavery in the South or rampant and wanton capitalism in the North.

Abolitionist and minister Henry Ward Beecher

 Once the war began, ministers on both sides would paint their respective national causes as a crusade against the evils of the enemy.  It is this that led Abraham Lincoln to say "In a great war both sides claim to have God on their side.  Both MAY be and one MUST be, wrong."

One aspect of faith that permeated the culture was the concept of "the good death." In part this involved a person dying at home, surrounded by friends and loved ones. Their last words would be recorded as a final and critical act of grieving for the family.  What was a key part of this belief was the intactness of the body.  While not a universal belief, many believed that to get to Heaven one had to be whole and complete with no parts missing.  This belief, termed Ressurectionism, was based on the concept that since Jesus ascended to Heaven bodily this was what was required to get to Heaven.  As we will see in the second part of this series, the massive number of casualties during the Civil War led to a decline in this belief.


Please note: this post is meant to give a very brief description of faith as it existed. I insert this caveat as I do not wish to offend our readers as I know and understand that faith is a very personal subject.  All this information and more can be found in books on the subject.


-Corporal



Petersburg, Virginia. Grace Episcopal church. United States, 1865. Apr. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/cwp2003005038/PP/. (Accessed February 12, 2018.)


Brady National Photographic Art Gallery, photographer. Portrait of Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans, officer of the Federal Army. United States, None. [Between 1860 and 1865] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/cwp2003000376/PP/. (Accessed February 12, 2018.)


Charles D. Fredricks & Co, photographer. Clergyman and abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher with hat / C.D. Fredricks & Co., 587 Broadway, New York ; 108 Calle de la Habana, Habana ; 31 Passage du Havre, Paris. United States, ca. 1860. [New York: C.D. Fredricks & Co., 587 Broadway] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2016652258/. (Accessed February 12, 2018.)

Monuments found in odd places

Monuments to historic events and people can be found in unusual or out of the way places. On family trips over the years I have always been on the lookout for plaques and monuments that relate to the Civil War or to history in general.

Recently I was reminded of a monument I discovered in Gatlinburg, Tennessee on a family vacation there in 2010. Today this town is familiar to many as the gateway to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Extremely built up as a tourist town, this plaque would once have been on a post as a standard sign. Presumably as the space was required for the building it is hanging on in this photograph, they left it in the vicinity and just attached it to the structure instead. As the photographs show, an odd place indeed.

The plaque itself

The location... on the side of a building with a Pizza Hut

As these photographs were taken in 2010, I can not guarantee that it is still hanging there for two reasons.  The first is as this is a Confederate monument so there is no guarantee it has survived the purge of monuments occurring in the country.  The second being the wild fire of 2016.  The tourist areas of Gatlinburg were largely spared, but I do not have any personal knowledge of the survival of this particular spot.


John Reagan, Confederate Postmaster General

-Corporal


Portrait of Postmaster-general John H. Regan, officer of the Confederate States Government. United States, None. [Between 1860 and 1865] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/cwp2003000422/PP/. (Accessed February 11, 2018.)



Mass production monuments

As previously mentioned in other posts a large number of monuments were mass produced during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many readers might be wondering why this was so. In large part this was a business decision.  Given the number of casualties and the number of towns that lost sons, the demand was high.

As the Sears catalogue was the equivalent then of Amazon.com today, it is not surprising that the statues could be ordered through them. There were many models and variations within models, to account for tastes and finances. As so many towns North and South wanted statues for their squares and cemeteries, large statues could be obtained. These variations are demonstrated in the differences between the Coldwater statue and the Middlebury statue.

But what of a still grieving family? Here too the market could be satisfied. Often smaller statues could be ordered, perfect for a private garden, home,  or grave.

One other aspect of customization was also available.  If photographs of the deceased could be provided, the face of an otherwise generic statue could be custom made to represent the soldier in question.

Until next time

-Corporal

Making a Cannon

Before we get into the specifics of individual artillery types as used in the American Civil War, it does not hurt to understand how they were made.  The materials having been previously described, what was the basic procedure used to convert the raw component metal into an artillery piece?

In the case of both the bronze guns such as the Napoleon and the cast iron Parrott, an outer flask is created out of sheet metal bolted together. Inside this flask a mold is made of hard sand surrounding a wooden model. Once the mold is created it is split to remove the model and then reassembled for casting. This mold has space for extra material at the muzzle end to provide extra metal to ensure the piece remained at proper size as it cooled.  This section was called the "dead head."

When it was time to cast, the mold was typically placed into a pit near the furnace where the metal was melted. With the molten metal poured into the mold as quickly as possible, it was filled to the top.  As it was filled the molten metal was agitated with a pine stick with the intention of forcing impurities to the center. When the pour was finished, the intended artillery piece was allowed several days to cool.

Once cool the piece was removed from the mold and the dead head was cut off. At this point cutters and reamers were applied to the muzzle until the bore was cut to the proper depth and size. If all went well during casting, this also removed the impurities. As this is going on, most of the exterior is finished by hand chisels. The exception to this finishing are the trunnions, which are the parts that protrude from the sides of the cannon. These are turned on a large lathe after the boring work is completed until they are straight and true, allowing the piece to pivot on its center with relative ease.  At this point the vent hole is drilled out.

With the Parrott an additional part is attached, the reinforcement band around the breech.  Made of wrought iron and thus stronger than the cast iron of the tube, this was heated until red hot to expand it and then the band was forced onto the cast barrel. Once in place, the band cooled and increased the strength of the breech.

The 3 inch Ordnance Rifle was the other common artillery piece and it was produced differently. Instead of being cast the iron was welded in place.  It is easiest to take the description from the original 1855 patent.

"A pile of wrought-iron rods 7/8" x 7/8" x 4 1/2 feet were welded together to form a mandrel. A long bar 3/4" x 4 1/2" was wound spirally around this by revolving the lathe.  Three successive layers were thus applied to the mandrel, each layer spiraling in a direction opposite to the previous one.  A thin layer of staves was applied to the outside, and a plug driven in to form the breech. Welding heat was then attained and the mass was rolled out to the length of seven feet.  Trunnions were welded on and the gun was bored and rifled from the solid."

This process made the strongest and safest (for the gun crew) artillery piece used in the Civil War. Only one is known to have burst in the course of the entire war, as opposed to dozens of Parrott rifles. To give perspective, all artillery pieces were "proof" fired to ensure they could take the strain of service.  When initially produced they were tested to the point of failure.  When the Ordnance Rifle was tested, it was eventually destroyed by stuffing the bore with a total of seven pounds of Black Powder and 13 Projectiles. Only then did it fail.

Next time in our discussion of artillery we will begin to examine the artillery itself, strengths and weaknesses.

-Corporal

The Honored Dead

I would like to pause a moment and address an issue some people may have with this blog or with reenacting in general. We are not intending to "glorify" war and destruction. What we are trying to do in part is to bring attention to those who came before us.

Is it fun to reenact the American Civil War? Jade and myself as well as all reenactors of all eras would have to admit that it is. If it weren't fun, we wouldn't be doing it in the first place.  That being said, we try to never lose sight of what we are actually portraying. 



Confederate Dead, Rose Woods, Gettysburg

The soldiers who fought and died are the ones we try to honor.  In reenacting, we are able to bring a small piece of their existence back to life and explain to the present day spectator (or reader) the sacrifices that were made by these soldiers. Our weapons may only fire blanks and the "dead" rise after the battle is over, but seeing the "casualties" on the field can give pause.

Confederate and Union "Dead", Cascades Civil War Muster, Jackson MI, 2015

We like to post about museums and monuments that we find along the way. Entire books exist detailing monuments or grave locations.  In a small way, this blog can be taken as a monument to those who came before us. It is all about remembering. I would like to add in here a monument only recently installed in White Pigeon, Michigan. Part of a memorial park that will be detailed here sometime in the future, it lists the names of those who lost their lives in the Civil War from Saint Joseph County, Michigan.

The Gettysburg Address, in stone

Right hand side, as referenced from the front

Left Side, as referenced from the front

Rear

These names, listed in stone, are just a tiny fraction of the between six hundred thousand (600,000) and seven hundred fifty thousand (750,000) soldiers who lost their lives during the American Civil War from both sides combined.


On a personal note, I have been reenacting for a little over a decade as of this writing.  In that time, I have participated in several grave dedications, honoring of veteran ceremonies, and Memorial Day observances including parades.  I can not speak for others, but I consider it my duty to participate when it is at all possible.  Personally I consider it important to honor and salute those who served.


Until next time,

DETAIL!

ATTENTION! 

PRESENT ARMS!

 

To those who came before us and to those who come after us... we salute you.

 

-Corporal

O'Sullivan, Timothy H, photographer. [Gettysburg, Pa. Confederate dead gathered for burial at the southwestern edge of the Rose woods, July 5, 1863]. Gettysburg Pennsylvania United States, 1863. [July 5] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/cwp2003000200/PP/. (Accessed February 04, 2018.)

Monumental cousin

As mentioned in our post on the soldier's monument in Coldwater, statues were available as a product of mass production.  As example of this can be seen in the cemetery on the outskirts of Middlebury, Indiana.

Standing watch over Civil War soldiers buried with government markers

As our readers will note, the plinth our soldier is standing on is much simpler and shorter than the one in Coldwater. Perhaps this is befitting a small and relatively rural community as opposed to a small city.

The flag, forever flying in stone

Right Face

Left Face

As one can see, the inscriptions on the plinth are much simpler than that of the monument in Coldwater. It should be noted that the statue itself appears to be a cousin to the Coldwater statue, not the twin. There are a few details that are different. The pose is the same, as is the musket he is holding. The bayonet scabbard does not look quite as lifelike to the one I carry when fighting as infantry. This could simply be a variation in the casting of the concrete statues.

Detail of front

Detail of rear

The largest difference between the two statues actually appears on the rear. If one studies the Coldwater statue, the waist belt can be seen under the cape of the greatcoat.  What isn't seen there, but is quite visible in the statue here in Middlebury, is the cartridge box for his ammunition.  Apparently the townsfolk of Middlebury felt that the honored dead should be defended with hot lead in addition to the cold steel.

As noted, these statues were once mass produced. It is the individual variations that make the statues themselves interesting, as well as the plinth they are mounted on.  The plinths were of a greater degree custom work to the installation itself.

I believe I know of at least one more of these statues local to myself.  I will endeavor to get photographs of that one and it's plinth for comparison sake.

-Corporal

Our post on the soldier's monument in Coldwater, MI can be found here: https://bplreenacter.blogspot.com/2018/01/coldwater-soldiers-monument.html

What is Blackpowder?

A question we recently received was "What is Blackpowder?"  Since it is part of the namesake for this blog, I feel it is a good time to do another technical post, this one on Blackpowder itself.

Blackpowder, first and foremost, is an explosive.  Reenactors such as Jade and myself, along with the people we reenact with, have experience with it and know how to use it safely.  It should always be treated with respect.

But what is blackpowder itself?  Blackpowder is a mixture consisting of primarily three components.  Saltpetre, Sulfur, and Charcoal.  The exact ratios and production techniques have changed over the centuries but these are the key components. How is blackpowder made?  I'll leave the particulars to other websites and books with one key exception for explanation purposes.  After the ingredients have been properly combined, they are wet during the production process.  Once this cake has dried, it is broken up and sifted.

The reason it is sifted is to permit a sorting into different sizes of grains. Different sizes are useful for different purposes.  Commonly the grains are sorted on the "F" scale, the more "F" the finer the grain. 1F powder is primarily used, in reenacting, by cannon for blanks or live fire. 2F is intended for muskets (shoulder weapons) for live fire and blanks.  3F is used for live fire in pistols and can be used for blanks in muskets and pistols. 4F is used as the priming powder in a flintlock.

Example of the size of 1F powder

Example of the size of 3F powder

The key thing about the fineness of the powder is the finer the powder, the faster the burn.  I have seen 4F used in a cannon once due to accidental purchase, but the noise factor and the pressures involved makes this highly dangerous.

The key visible component of blackpowder is the smoke that is generated when fired.  It is this smoke that caused the powders created beginning in the latter half of the 19th century to be generically called "smokeless." This was due to the lack of telltale smoke left behind.  All one has to do is compare these photos with almost any modern action film to tell the difference right away.

Squad of Federal Infantry, musket smoke

20lb Parrott Rifle, prior to firing. Robinson's Battery

Same weapon, recoiling from live round. Grayling, MI artillery shoot

The term "Blackpowder" is a term that may have been coined in the late 19th century as well. As it was, literally, the only explosive and firearm propellant around, for centuries it was primarily called "gunpowder." With the advent and general use of the new smokeless powders, a new generic term was needed.  Thus we get the term "Blackpowder" applying to the older while "gunpowder" began to be applied to the new smokeless forms.

A slight sidebar directly pertaining to the Civil War era.  At the beginning of the conflict, the largest powder mill was in the North.  The company still exists but doesn't manufacture Blackpowder any longer.  The family that started the company still has the name attached to the company.  Who is it?  The DuPont corporation.  During the course of the war, however, a much larger powder mill was established in the Confederacy in Augusta, Georgia.

A word of caution IF you happen to be looking to purchase "Blackpowder." As it is an explosive, many firearms stores do not stock it.  This is due to it be classified differently from modern smokeless powders. Also, smokeless powders come in many colors. I relate this because I do know of one reenactor who accidentally purchased smokeless powder because it was black.  In any historic or reproduction blackpowder firearm, NEVER use smokeless powder.  They are not interchangeable. It will blowup a blackpowder firearm of any scale.

-Corporal