Halls native Dennis L. Peterson has released his newest book.
“Christ in Camp and Combat” tells the story of chaplains of the Confederacy during the U.S. Civil War.
He writes: “Religion has too often been relegated to the far periphery of the history of the War Between the States, eclipsed by the emphases on the battles, tactics and personalities of the conflict. In reality, religion was the very marrow of who Americans were.”
The book explores the role of missionaries, ministers and other religious laymen in the trenches of the Civil War. “Christ in Camp and Combat” features an intense study of a fundamental aspect of a Confederate soldier’s life during the Civil War: their religion. Christianity lay at the core of each soldier’s identity, Peterson said, and the missionaries and chaplains who serviced each camp formed a much bigger role than most might realize.
Peterson is an independent author/historian with a long list of titles (here).
His work has been reprinted in textbooks and anthologies, including The Writer’s Handbook (The Writer, Inc.), The Shape of Ideas (Harcourt Brace), and The Spirit of Freedom: Essays in American History (Foundation for Economic Education).
For 19 years, Peterson taught primarily history and writing at the junior high through college levels. He was also a senior technical editor for Lockheed Martin Energy Systems Inc. at the Oak Ridge nuclear facilities and an independent editor for numerous Christian publishers, educational organizations and individuals. He and his wife live in Taylors, South Carolina.
Read excerpts from his book here.