Mississippi Soldiers in the Civil War
Formed only one year earlier, the Mississippi Baptist Association, meeting at Mars Hill, offers “fervent prayers … to God on behalf of our beloved country,” and adopts a resolution regarding the war:
“Resolved, That Saturday before the first Lord’s day in November be recommended to the churches composing this Association as a day to be devoted to fasting and prayer in view of the state of our Confederacy and the war that is being waged against us.”
A committee was also appointed for the purpose of receiving donations to procure Testaments for those who were volunteering in the service of the country.”
While Baptists throughout the South focus on raising money to provide religious literature for Confederate soldiers, traditional local and regional missionary efforts are faltering in the face of the war. Mississippi Baptists are not immune from this trend, as the Mission Committee reports of associational missionary Elder W. H. F. Edwards:
“Traveled over 3,000 miles, visited 150 families, preached 136 sermons, and baptized 19 persons … While we know that Bro. Edwards has been faithful in his labors, and a successful missionary, we feel that it will be impossible for your committee, under existing circumstances, to continue a missionary in the field during the ensuing year.”
Sources: Minutes, Mississippi Baptist Association, 1861 (link); illustration (link)
