Stone Church, Centreville, Virginia
In northern Virginia Brig. Gen. Joe Johnston’s Confederate Army and Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell’s Union Army jockey for position as they prepare for battle. On both sides are Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, Catholics, Jews … and Baptists. The men of faith within the armies, as the others, carry weapons and are ready to kill the enemy – fellow Americans. Yet mingled with the anticipation is apprehension. The scope of the battle about to take place has no precedence in American history.
As soldiers prepare to fight, mothers, wives, and children live in daily anxiety, not knowing if they will ever again see their sons, husbands, and fathers.
Late in the day, Federal troops march past Stone Church in Centreville (a.k.a. Centerville), Virginia, on their way to battle. Night falls, and the Sabbath awaits. Among Baptists, some will be fighting in desperation on a bloody battlefield in the morning, while others will be singing hymns and listening to preaching in church. It will be a day unlike any other in the history of America.
Source: Stone Church (link)
