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REBUILDINGZION: THERELIGIOUSRECONSTRUCTIONOFTHESOUTH,1863-1877 B) DANIELWESLEYSTOWELL ADISSERTATIONPRESENTEDTOTHEGRADUATESCHOOL OFTHEUNIVERSITYOFFLORIDAINPARTIALFULFILLMENT OFTHEREQUIREMENTSFORTHEDEGREEOF DOCTOROFPHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITYOFFLORIDA 1994 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Manypeoplecontributedtothesuccessfulcompletionofthisstudy. Iowemy greatestintellectualdebtstoBertramWyatt-Brown,thechairmanofmycommittee,and SamuelS.Hill,Jr. Eachhashelpedmetorefineandshapethisdissertationthrough severalseminarsandtheresearchandwritingprocess. Theyhavesharpenedmyprose aswellasmyarguments,andmyrespectforbothofthemcontinuestogrow.Theother membersofmygraduatecommittee,KermitL.Hall,DarrettB.Rutman,andC.John Sommerville,havealsocontributedtomydevelopmentasascholar,andtothemIalso expressmyappreciation. StephenGrossbartandHaroldWilsongraciouslyagreedto participateintheoraldefenseofthiswork,andtheirinsightshaveenhancedthefinal product. Severalorganizationshavecontributedgenerouslytohelpmefinancemygraduate educationandthisstudy. Duringtheearlyyearsofmydoctoralprogram,theRichard J.MilbauerFellowshipfromtheDepartmentofHistoryattheUniversityofFloridaaided meincompletingmycoursework. AtravelgrantfromtheSouthernBaptistHistorical LibraryandArchivesallowedmetomakeuseofthecollectionshousedthere. Finally, aCharlotteNewcombeDissertationYearFellowshipfromtheWoodrowWilson Foundationsupportedmeinthefinalstagesofresearchandwriting. Iwishtoexpress mygratitudetoeachoftheseorganizationsfortheirassistanceinmygraduatecareer. TheDepartmentofHistoryattheUniversityofFloridahasbeenfortunateover thepastsixyearstohaveanexcellentgroupofgraduatestudents. Myspecialthanksgo tomycomradesinexams,JohnGuthrie,JackHenderson,DaveTegedar,andJoe Thompson. IalsowishtothankMichaelJustusforhisexampleandAndyChanceyfor hisunderstanding.Twoofmyfellowstudentsdeservespecialmention.StanDeatonhas beenaclosefriendsinceweenteredgraduateschoolattheUniversityofGeorgia. His enthusiasmforthestudyofthepastcontinuestoreawakeninmetheloveofhistorythat hasdrawnmetothisprofession. TimHuebner,alwaysoptimistic,encouragedmein manywaysoverthepastsixyears. Mostimportantly,hehasalwayslistenedpatiently tomyless-than-optimisticlamentations. Onapersonallevel,Iwouldliketothankmyparents,FrancisandEunice Stowell,andmybrother,TimothyStowell,whohavealwaysencouragedandsupported meevenwhentheydidnotunderstandwhymy"paper"tooksolongtocomplete.My parents-in-law,DaveandEulaKeener,alsoofferedencouragementthroughoutmy graduatecareer. Themostsignificantpeopleinmylives,myimmediatefamily,havecontributed muchtothisstudybyshapinghowIviewboththepresentandthepast. Samueland Joseph,bothbornsincethisdissertationbegan,havekeptmesaneandhappybydrawing meawayfrommyresearchandwritinglongenoughnottomisstheimportanteventsin theirlives. Theirtearsandlaughter,theirfirstsandfitshavemadethepasttwoyears simultaneouslyfrustratingandwonderful.Mywife,Miriam,hasbeenaconstantsource ofsupportthroughoutgraduateschool,financiallyandemotionally.Shehasappliedher considerableeditorialskillstopolishingthismanuscript,makingitconsistentwhereIam not. ToMiriamfarmorethantoanyoneelsegoesthecreditforthecompletionofthis dissertation. Herfaithinmehaskepttheprojectmovingandcanonlyberepaidbymy profoundgratitudeandlove. TABLEOFCONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS u ABSTRACT vii INTRODUCTION:STONEWALLJACKSONANDTHEPROVIDENCEOF GOD 1 Notes I4 CHAPTERS 1 GODI'NSSWORUATTHHE:RNDIRSERLUIPGTIIOOUNS,LDIEFSETRUCTION,ANDCONFUSION 16 Notes 48 2 GODO'FSTCHHEASCTIIVSIELMWEANTR:THECONFEDERATEUNDERSTANDING 57 Notes 83 3 GODC'ISVIJLUWDGAMRENT:THENORTHERNUNDERSTANDINGOFTHE 90 Notes 117 4 GODO'FSTDHEELICVIEVRIALNWCAE:RTHEFREEDMEN'SUNDERSTANDING 124 Notes 150 5 CROASUSTINOGNOJMORYDAN:THEBLACKQUESTFORRELIGIOUS 156 Notes 187 v 6 SOUTHERNCHURCHESRESURGENT:DENOMINATIONAL STRUCTURESANDRELIGIOUSNEWSPAPERS 195 Notes 220 7 EDUCATINGCONFEDERATECHRISTIANS:SUNDAYSCHOOLS ANDDENOMINATIONALCOLLEGES 224 Notes 253 8 "APUREANDLOYALGOSPEL":NORTHERNMISSIONARY EFFORTSINTHESOUTH 260 Notes 288 9 ONENATIONUNDERGOD?:EFFORTSTOWARDSECTIONAL REUNION 294 Notes 325 CONCLUSION:THESHAPEOFRELIGIOUSRECONSTRUCTION 331 Notes 340 REFERENCES 342 BIOGRAPHICALSKETCH 368 AbstractofDissertationPresentedtotheGraduateSchool oftheUniversityofFloridainPartialFulfillmentofthe RequirementsfortheDegreeofDoctorofPhilosophy REBUILDINGZION: THERELIGIOUSRECONSTRUCTIONOFTHESOUTH,1863-1877 By DanielWesleyStowell April1994 Chairman:BertramWyatt-Brown MajorDepartment:History Thisstudyexploreshow,inlightoftheirunderstandingofGod'sprovidencein theoutcomeoftheCivilWar,southernersandnorthernersrebuiltthereligiouslifeofthe South. Adoptingdifferentinterpretationsoftheprovidentialmeaningofthewar,three groups—Confederates, northerners, and freedmen—defined what the religious reconstructionoftheSouthshouldmean. Theinteractionamongthesevisions determinedthecontoursofreligiousreconstructioninthe1860sand1870sandshaped muchoflate-nineteenth-centurysouthernreligiouslife. ConfederateChristians,confidentoftherighteousnessofslaveryandsecession, believedthatGodpermittedtheoverthrowoftheConfederacy,butwaschastising,rather thanjudging,southernersfortheirsins. Thisfinedistinctionwascrucialtosouthern evangelicals'self-understandinginthepostwarperiod. ThusinterpretingConfederate defeat,theysawlittleneedformajorreformsintheirreligiouslife,includingthebelief thatthefreedmenshouldremainquietlyinthebiracialchurches.Whilerebuildingtheir denominationalorganizationstoupholdsectionalidentity,southernevangelicalsstaunchly refusedtoconsiderreunionwiththeirpoliticizedandradicalcounterpartsintheNorth. NorthernevangelicalsinsistedthatGodhadjudgedtheSouthforthesinsofslaveryand secession,meaningthatsoutherndenominationsshouldnotbeentrustedwiththefateof theSouth'smoralregeneration.Onlynorthernmissionariesandtheirreligiousscalawag allieswereworthy,sincetheyproclaimedapureandloyalgospel. Thecentralfactofthewarforfreedmenwastheirdeliverancefrombondage. ThisconceptionofConfederatedefeatmandatedrapidseparationfromsouthernbiracial churches. Manyunitedwithnortherndenominationswhoprovideddesperatelyneeded financialandorganizationalassistance. Freedmenalsozealouslypursuededucational opportunitiesforthemselvesandtheirchildren. TheConfederateplanforreligiousreconstructionpredominatedinthepostwar South,buttheothertwoviewsachievedsomesuccess. Mostnotableamongthesewas thefreedmen'sdesireforseparateblackchurches,despiteobjectionsfromtheirwhite brethren.FocusingonthethreemajorevangelicaldenominationsinthestatesofGeorgia andTennessee,thisstudyexamineshoweachvisioncontributedtothecontestedprocess ofreligiousreconstruction. INTRODUCTION STONEWALLJACKSONANDTHEPROVIDENCEOFGOD OntheeveningofMay2,1863,GeneralThomasJ."Stonewall"Jackson,afew ofhisofficers,andseveralcouriersrodebeyondConfederatelinestoreconnoiterthe FederalforcesalongthePlankRoadnearChancellorsville.Jacksonwasplanninganight attackinthemoonlighttocapitalizeonthesuccessesofthepastfewhours.AsJackson's partyreturnedtotheirownlinesovertheunfamiliarground,picketsofthe18thNorth CarolinaRegimentmistookthemforFederalcavalryandopenedfire.Severalmembers ofthepartywereshotfromtheirhorses. Oneoftheofficersshoutedtothepicketsthat theywerefiringontheirownmen.BelievingthistobeaYankeetrick,thepicketsfired anothervolley. Intheshooting,threebulletsstruckGeneralJackson,oneintheright handandtwomoreintheleftarm.Onebulletseveredanarteryneartheshoulder.That bulletstrucktheheartoftheConfederacy,foritprovedtobeamortalwoundfor Jackson. Jackson'ssorrelboltedintothewoods,carryingitswoundedridercrashinginto thebranches. Jacksonmanagedtoreininthehorseandreturntotheroad. Twoofhis officerscarefullyremovedhimfromhissaddle,andJacksonmuttered,"Myownmen." WithmuchdifficultyinthemidstofaFederalartillerybombardment.Jackson'smen transportedhimtoafieldhospitalwherehisleftarmwasamputated.Despitethesuccess ofJackson'sboldflankingmaneuveragainstsuperiorUnionforces,GeneralRobertE. 1 2 Leewastroubledbythenews: "Anyvictoryisdearlyboughtwhichdeprivesusofthe servicesofGeneralJackson,evenforashorttime." Thefollowingday,LeesentanotetoJacksoncongratulatinghimonhisvictory andassuringhimthat"forthegoodofthecountry,"hewouldhavechosentobe woundedinJackson'sstead.OnMay5,Jacksonwasmovedtoafieldhospitaltenmiles southofFredericksburg,whereheshowedsignsofrecoveringfromtheamputation,but twodayslater,hedevelopedpneumonia.Jackson'swifeAnnaandtheirinfantdaughter Julia,notyetsixmonthsold,arrivedthenextday. Heassuredhiswifethathewas "perfectlyresigned"toacceptGod'swill. Jacksonhadseenhisdaughteronlyonce, sometwoweeksearlierbeforeFederaltroopsmarchedtowardChancellorsville.Hesaw heronlyoncemoreonSaturday,May9. Bythenextmorning,Jackson'sdoctorshad littlehopeforhissurvival.Annatoldhimhemustpreparefortheworst,andaskedhim ifhewantedGodtohaveHiswillwithhim. "Ipreferit,"hereplied. "Yes,Iprefer it." Afewhourslater,Jacksontoldthoseathisbedside,"Ialwayswantedtodieon Sunday." AndthatSundayafternoon,hiswishwasfulfilled. TheConfederacymournedasithadfornootherloss. GeneralLeelamentedto hiswife,"Iknownothowtoreplacehim;butGod'swillbedone!ItrustHewillraise upsomeoneinhisplace." MaryJonesinGeorgiawrotetoherson,"Thedeathofour pious,brave,andnobleGeneralStonewallJacksonisagreatblowtoourcause! May Godraiseupfriendsandhelperstoourbleedingcountry!"' OnMay15,Jackson's funeralwasheldinthePresbyterianChurchinLexington,Virginia,whereJacksonhad beenadeaconandthesuperintendentofablackSundaySchool. Hispastor,theRev.