Stories of Faith and Courage from the Civil War

Battlefields And Blessings

by Terry Tuley

The period from 1861–1865 proved to be one of the greatest periods of trial and suffering in our nation's history. A significant lapse of time had passed since America had engaged in the horrors of war. After the war of 1812, little memory remained of the fact that war could be “hell.” A veteran of the war with Mexico, General “Stonewall” Jackson wrote to his wife and said, “People who are anxious to bring on war don’t know what they are bargaining for; they don’t see all the horrors that must accompany such an event.” When the prospect of a War Between the States became a reality, the average age of a young soldier was twenty-two. To an aspiring young man who was bored with “life on the farm,” the romanticism and exhilaration of battle was an allurement that soon tried the faith and physical stamina of all who crossed war’s threshold. The threat of losing life and limb from a hailstorm of bullets and shrapnel was compounded by the ever-present danger of dysentery, and all sorts of diseases with little means for treatment. In spite of these frustrating circumstances, many of the soldiers found great consolation and relief through prayer and reading the Bible. Stories of Faith and Courage from the Civil War is a devotional book that opens a rare treasure chest of intimate thoughts and feelings illustrated from the private letters and diaries of both men and women of faith during the Civil War period. The courage and faith examples of these “soldiers of Christ” will inspire both the mind and heart of every reader who desires to have a closer walk with God.

Genres: Civil War, History, Religion

1134 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 12, 2006

Reviews

[Seth P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing what people wrote about during the Civil War and how this author could connect it with scripture and then make modern day applications. It was a fun daily devotional read before bed, especially for this student of the Civil War.

[Joyce Walton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my 2nd tone reading this book. I really enjoyed reading the inspirational stories from the Civil War.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stories of Faith and Courage from the Civil War is another yearly devotional book, this time from the Civil War time period. Each starts with a quote from someone living at that time; men, women, children, soldiers, slaves, politicians and more. There is a Scripture as well as some commentary from Terry Tuley. This book offers an insight into the time period as well as the Christian faith.


This devotional is as captivating as the first one I reported on, Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II. It is very interesting to see the faith of our forefathers and how it impacted such a momentous time of our country's history. This book is not just from the military standpoint as there are quotes from and information about women and children, slaves, and plain old regular people. It helps to give a rounded view of the time. The faith of American citizens in this time of war was amazing. If you love history, this is a book you will enjoy for the historical twist as well as the faith enriching words from the past and of Tuley. I award this book five out of five pieces of bacon.

Terry R. Tuley is the senior pastor of a church in Knoxville, Tennessee. In addition to writing, he is a military historian who collect items from the Civil War period. He is a lover of books and collects rare religious books. This married father of three also enjoys hiking and fishing.


Stories of Faith and Courage from the Civil War was written by Terry Tuley and published by God & Country Press, an imprint of AMG Publishers.

[Rick Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although there are some good spiritual applications, I could not get past a number of historical inaccuracies. On page 36 the author writes that General O.O. Howard fought alongside General W.T. Sherman at Antietam. That was impossible because after the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861, Sherman was promoted and sent west. Also on the same page the author states that Antietam was fought in 1863 and that too is incorrect. The battle was fought on September 17, 1862.

Another inaccuracy arises on page 69 related to General William Rosecrans where the author writes that Rosecrans was promoted to commanding general of the Army of the Potomac and later general-in-chief of the Union armies. Rosecrans never served as the commanding general of the Army of the Potomac. Also, Generals Halleck and Grant served as the generals-in-chief of the Union army, not Rosecrans.

There are other areas where historical inaccuracies arise as well. As a student of the Civil War I found it difficult to overcome these problems. The book started strong up until page 36 and then I began to lose interest after that.

[Sandra Noel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was my second "Battlefields and Blessings" book, and this one was even worse than the first one I read. God is not the author of confusion, but you have 3 different Bible versions being used, and some of the stories leave you scratching your head. For instance, the story or Jan 19th is about Ada Bacot and an entry in her journal about how much she loves the South--she wants to live and die there and could never live in the north. So where, exactly, is the "faith" and "courage"? They use that to say we christians should not get too attached to the things of the world, but it still feels out of place in the book. There were multiple "stories" that didn't seem to fit the "stories of faith and courage" title. Many of the verses at the end of that days devotion is no more than a phrase or small portion of the verse. Very disappointing.

I was given a digital copy of this book by AMG Publishers through NetGalley.com. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Dick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a gift from a widow (Donna) of a friend of mine(Eric) and is so good and timely.

It is a series of outtakes from letter home from the front from both sides.

The faith of these people makes me ashamed of how we conduct our lives in this time and place.

It underlines the stupidity of war - both prayed to the same God, for success over the other. How sad is that?

Lincoln knew this and even commented on it in an inaugural address.

I miss you Eric . . . but know that in time we will be in the same place and can talk once again about our mutual interest in a horrible war that redefined us as a nation.

Oh that our generation would be as strong in its faith.

[Dann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Battlefields & Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from the Civil War is a somewhat average Christian devotional. Author Terry Tuley compiles numerous writings from the Civil War, from letters to poems, which highlight differing aspects of life during that time. However, the content gets rather repetitive fairly quickly and the connection to faith is often tenuous at best. Still, many of the book’s stories are interesting and quite captivating at times. But as with all devotionals, what you get out of Battlefields & Blessings is dependent on what you put into it.

[Jamie Pennington · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been reading this as a supplimental devotional for over a year. I must confess that especially at first it took a while to get used to. It was a bit depressing and contains some hard hitting stuff and reminds us of the realities and horrors of war. But overall it was a good book. I am not sure if I will pick up on any of the others in this series or not. But I did enjoy the book.