Book Review: Faith of the Fathers: A Comprehensive History of Catholic Chaplains in the Civil War
Faith of the Fathers: The Comprehensive History of Catholic Chaplains in the Civil War. By Robert J. Miller. Norte Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2025. Hardcover, 459 pp. $45.00.
Reviewed by Sean Chick
Faith of the Fathers: The Comprehensive History of Catholic Chaplains in the Civil War is the latest book by Robert J. Miller. A retired Catholic priest and former president of the Chicago Civil War Round Table, Miller has written on a variety of topics, including Indigenous history, Jesus Christ, and religion in the Civil War.
Religion was a key part of life in the 19th century, and the Union and Confederate armies were filled with believers. However, they were predominantly Protestant, and Miller’s interest lies in the Catholic experience. Through the 19th century, a heavy influx of Irish and, to a lesser degree, Germans, brought Catholics to a nation dominated by Protestantism since the founding of Jamestown. This disparity placed these newly arrived Americans in a rather unique position within the armies. The war was the first time Catholics entered a mainstream American event in large numbers, and they left their mark.
Miller chronicles the experiences of various Catholic chaplains during the war, often through short biographies of each man. The book does not follow the format of Ezra J. Warner’s Generals in Gray and Generals in Blue, which lists each general alphabetically and provides a short biography. Instead, Miller organizes Faith of the Fathers by thematic chapters, such grouping the many Jesuit and Holy Cross chaplains together. Other chapters fall under the specific experience of the Irish. Famous figures such as Abram Ryan are found in the chapter, “Unconventional Chaplains in Unique Situations,” which deals with men who performed religious work, but were not attached to particular units. This approach works quite well, as the various figures are treated within a connective thematic context rather than as isolated individuals. To help readers search for information about individuals, there is a separate index just for the chaplains discussed within the text.
Faith of the Fathers is mostly, but not solely a biographical resource. There is analysis, particularly towards the end, where Miller examines the Catholic experience during the war and its many challenges. Catholic chaplains represented a faith that was in a period of noted conservatism and opposed to the democratic ideals of America. Many believed the Catholic Church was an enemy of progress. Interestingly, Miller concludes that Catholic military service in the Union army had no major influence on the gradual acceptance of Catholics after the war. He notes that Catholics were not featured in the grand narratives crafted by either side. The Catholic Church remained a subject of suspicion following the conflict.
This rejection, or at least indifference to Catholicism, did not extend to the soldiers. Many Union generals and soldiers were won over by the devotion of Catholic chaplains. Miller believes it was because Catholic chaplains were, on the whole, better trained and stayed in the field longer than many of their Protestant equivalents. One might think this is because of Miller’s ecclesiastical background, but he backs it up with numbers and personal testimonials. He also makes the argument at the end of the text. By then, the reader, having read of the actions of Isidore Turgis, Peter Tissot, William Corny, and others, is more likely to be convinced.
One line of thought deserving more work is Catholics within the Lost Cause. Charles Reagan Wilson’s Baptized in Blood: The Religion of the Lost Cause made the case for the Lost Cause’s quasi-religious iconography and pretensions. Miller accepts Wilson’s thesis and touches on it, but not enough to be convincing, it seems. In addition, the South’s Catholics mostly came from established families, particularly in Louisiana, while the North was dealing with recent arrivals. The South was seemingly better at integrating Catholics into memory, a point that could use additional elaboration.
A quibble with the book is its notation. The research relies mostly on secondary sources. The primary source bibliography is only two pages long. Many sources cited are not in the bibliography. The book also contains several minor errors that tend to pile up over time, such as the 4th Louisiana containing New Orleans Creoles and Isidore Turgis being at Port Hudson.
Faith of the Fathers is a vital contribution to religious history in America’s bloodiest conflict. It will be the go-to book for anyone wanting to understand the experiences of Catholic chaplains in the war and, therefore, Catholics in the ranks. The book is a good read and offers cogent analysis of the figures and their experiences. Miller’s work is at its best when recounting the individual quirks, strengths, and circumstances of each man. These are also considered within the wider war. Faith of the Fathers has a humanity and intimacy that can be affecting. As such, it offers a personal portrait of the Civil War that is sometimes lacking in other works.
