Customer Reviews

Christ in the Camp

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First, I was surprised to find this book on line. My version is one of the original printed books, which sells for $150.00. ( this book is a real bargain at this price!)

J.W. Jones was a Chaplain who knew Lee, Jackson, Gordon and others very well. Jones meet with them, prayed with them, and of course was with them in the Army of Northern Virginia.

This is not a "WAR" of "BATTLE" book, but exemplifies the religious character of the aforementioned people. On this basis, I have to give it five stars.

As a book that touches your heart, with the feeling of those men that served in the ANV, I also give it the maximum of five stars.

I would like to quote just one page---

"Christ in the Camp" by J. William Jones D.D. page 50, Sprinkle Publications.1886

Feb 1864, Chaplains, Rev. J.W. Jones and Rev. B.T. Lacy, visited Lee along the Rapidan as a committee of the Chaplains Association.
After the meeting their were about to leave Lee's tent when Mr. Lacy said,
----" I think it right that I should say to you, General, that the chaplains of the army have a deep interest in your welfare and that some of the most fervent prayers we offer are in your behalf."
The old hero's face flushed, tears started in his eyes, and he
replied with choked utterance:
"Please thank them Sir,---I warmly appreciate it. And I can only say that I am nothing but a poor sinner trusting in Christ alone for salvation, and need all of the prayers they can offer me."

There are many pages of similar content.
This book sits in a place of Honor in my Library.

Christ in the Camp, written by one of the regimental ministers of the Army's second corps came to my attention while reading Douglas Southhall Freeman's four volume epic Robert E. Lee. Dr. Freeman quoted excerpts from this book repeatedly. I ordered it from Amazon.com and it arrived within about a week. Initially, reading the book was interesting. The Reverend Dr. Jones disclosed little emphasized facts about the religious practices of Robert E. Lee, "Stonewall" Jackson and a host of other fairly recognizable southern military leaders. Most of this disclosure was in the form of letters, either written by the Generals or written by fellow ministers about the famous men. After covering the general staff officers the author began to recount the religious lives and deaths of some not so recognizable historical figures. While these were of some interest, mainly due to the dramatic way in which they were presented, these stories aren't ones that create a great deal of enlightenment. One of the areas that I thought would be of value to a Civil War buff like myself turned out to be the most disappointing part of the book. That is the religious revivals that spread through the southern camps along the Rappahanock and Rapidan Rivers in the winters of 1863 and 1864. What I got instead of something I could really sink my teeth into was a littany of repetative ministirial jargon with no hard cold facts to speak of. Although these letters did mention the brigades, individual names were left out on purpose, such as Colonel _____ of _______, Georgia. Almost all the letters spoke of the soldiers desire to be saved and how many each minister was responsible for baptizing. Unfortunately, this section made up about one-third of the book. But, just as I was about ready to give up on the rest of the book Dr. Jones' last chapter was what I was looking for. He spoke of the job of the coleporters during the war. Coleporters were people who distributed religious material to the soldiers, especially in the form of tracts. The last chapter in the book included a tract called the Soldier's Bible. It was very well written and if someone could get a hold of some of the other tracts Dr. Jones mentions I'm sure it would make a great study. Overall, the book was a primary source about a topic that doesn't get as much attention as it deserves. The lives and deaths of these men were greatly influenced by their religious zeal. I recommend reading this book for anyone who is truely interested in this period of history. --- Carl Hill

This book came to be recommended by a pastor whose great-grandfather had been in the Union Army during the Civil War. I found the work very interesting, on several scores. One..it was fascinating to read the way in which people wrote in the days of the war. It may be unfair but seemingly safe to assume that most people in those days were illiterate and unable to write/read.. yet the accounts presented in this book spell out a different picture..of a time when men had skills to paint meaningful word pictures..a skill that is quickly fading away in our day. It was also interesting to note that the men in gray were praying to the same God as were the men in the blue. This irony was also evident in Michael Shaara's award winning book, The Killer Angels of 1974..a work about Gettysburg. If nothing else, this work of Dr. Jones presents yet another piece of important information in regard to the battle between the states and deserves to be reviewed by any serious student of American history. The work is not about the war so much as it is about the men behind the cannons, behind the rifles, seeking God in difficult moments, and of pastors and others who were there in those dark days, shedding light into a dismal situation. Though the book is written from the Southern perspective, we may wish to assume much of the same kind of evangelistic efforts were being conducted north of the Mason-Dixon Line. This is an old book but simply because it is old doesn't mean it isn't valuable. There are treasures here to be appreciated.

CHRIST IN THE CAMP or Religion in the Confederate Army This book is not for the person who has a passing interest in religion in the Civil War or for the person who would like a "readers-digest" version condensation. It is in depth and detailed. It will introduce the reader to the names and places, revivals and prayer meetings, salvation preaching and the dedication of the officers. It was written a mere 22 years after the conclusion of The Civil War/The War of the Rebellion/The War of Northern Aggression. It is quite fascinating to see Jackson and Lee in this setting. It is written by J. William Jones, the chaplain of the Army of Northern Virginia so it is an up close and personal look. For the student of the Civil War interested in a deeper understanding this book is invaluable.

Ironically, I bought this book at the Fredericksburg VA battlefield visitor's center - the area of the one of the Army of Northern Virginia's greatest revivals. I bought this book back in the 1990's and just recently started to read and finish this book.

The book is written by one of the former chaplains in the Army of Northern Virginia and is a record of the revivals the army experienced during the Civil War. Mentioned throughout the book are several examples of entries by various chaplains and preachers of soldiers (officers and enlisted) coming forward to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.

Other areas covered by the book include:

1. Example of Christian officers in the Army of Northern Virginia - Lee, Jackson, Gordon, Ewell, etc.
2. Profiles of several chaplains who served in the army.
3. Places of revival - Fredericksburg, Winchester, etc.
4. Revivals that took place in various brigades - Lane, Daniel, Cobb, Hoke, Law, Barksdale, Dole, Armistead, and several others.

A great book to read if you are interested in the religious life of the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War.

Highly recommended!

Please understand my title to the review. I do not doubt that revival hit the Confederate army. I know some, given their advocation of slavery as a way of life in the Confederacy wonder how Christ could ever send revival to this area of the world. But he did.

In a visit to Washington and Lee University, I had the pleasure of visiting the Robert E. Lee Chapel and Museum. In their bookstore, I happened upon the book Christ in the Camp: The True Story of the Great Revival During the War Between the States by J. William Jones (Sprinkle Publications). Jones was a chaplain in the Army of Northern Virginia, led by Confederate General Robert E. Lee. In this, Jones seeks to show the world (as the subtitle shows) the movement of revival in the Confederate armies through the arduous work of the Confederate army chaplains with their preaching and tract distribution.

In the process, Jones gives extended sketches on the Christian generals who led the Confederate army, such as Robert E. Lee, Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, J.E.B. Stuart among others--men who provided great access and liberty and encouragement to these chaplains and their efforts. Included also are stories of great valor of Christian men such as Richard Kirkland who, as a recently converted Confederate soldier, raised the white flag to take water out to the wounded Union and Confederate soldiers who lay on the battlefield and provided each with a drink of water. The move brought a cease fire from both sides, and left Kirkland with the name "The Angel of Marye's Heights" (you may read about him here).



Some reading this may wonder how such a revival could have taken place amongst the Confederate armies, since the Confederacy was a slave-based economy. Some may ask, "How could there be a move of the Spirit of God among a people who enslaved others based on their race?" A number of factors could be at play.

1. The cultural standards of the day played too great a factor in how Christians viewed the world, and thus a revival was needed in order to open their eyes to this scourge. It should cause all of us to evaluate the institutions and mindsets we take for granted as part of our culture, but should never be a part of someone who names the name of Christ.

2. Not everyone in the Confederacy was for the institution of slavery, just as not everyone in the Union was for the abolition of slavery. In the decades after the Civil War, we see that the predominate view of both North and South was that the black man was inferior to the white (see the campaign slogan of Gov. Horatio Seymour (D-NY) who ran against Ulysses S. Grant in 1868, who had the campaign slogan, "This is a White Man's Country: Let the White Man Rule.") This was the reigning view of many, who worried about the policies of Reconstruction and the violence that occurred in the South during this time. Lee and Jackson were against slavery (although Jackson did own five slaves whom he taught to read and write, something that was bordering on illegal in that time).

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though the author is clearly pro-Confederate and pro-Lost Cause--which may be off-putting to some. This author does not deal with the problematic issue of slavery. He sticks to the chaplain's work of preaching and tract distribution and the fruits therein.

Takes you back to a time when God was clearly placed first in the lives of most Americans. Refreshing, insighful and inspiring throughout.

Highly recommended!

Great book. I have been looking for a book like this for some time but didn't know it existed. Very informative.

This is a great work and should be read. While the Northern Army was not having the Great Revivals the Southern Army was.

Dr. Arthur L. Mellon Ph.D.