National Civil War Chaplains Museum

Last fall, Liberty University President Dondi Costin honored veterans during his speech at Convocation. He shared the story of one of his predecessors in the role of Air Force Chief of Chaplains, Chaplain Robert P. Taylor.

Taylor’s story is extraordinary. He became a chaplain in 1940 and, in 1941, became regimental chaplain to the 31st Infantry Regiment, Philippine Division. This fateful assignment changed his life. Less than a year after arriving in Manila, he was taken as a prisoner of war. He endured the infamous Bataan Death March and faced the starvation and hopelessness of captivity. But Taylor held firm to his faith and encouraged those who suffered alongside him. Later, he was moved onto a Japanese “hellship,” which was bombed by American forces. Although he sustained injuries, Taylor was never awarded the Medal of Honor because they were caused by American forces.

Ultimately liberated from captivity and safely returned to the United States, Taylor never left the chaplaincy. He served as Air Force Chief of Chaplains from 1962 to 1966, the third to hold the position. When asked how he survived so much, Taylor answered “I think the key to my survival, of course, was the dominant, lasting, optimistic faith that I`ve been possessed of a long time.”

Robert P. Taylor had every reason to lose hope in God: he was imprisoned, tortured, and unrecognized for the many challenges he faced. Despite all this, Taylor resolutely held fast to God and his mission to further the spiritual health of his soldiers. His story is one of a determined, hopeful, exemplary man.

Image 1: Chief of Chaplains Robert P. Taylor. To learn more about Taylor’s extraordinary sacrifice in service, read his book titled Days of Anguish and Hope. Courtesy of the National Museum of the United States Air Force, www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Upcoming/Photos/igphoto/2000510444/.

Image 2: Last November, Dr. Costin led the Liberty community in honoring American veterans, sharing the emotional story of Taylor’s sacrificial service.

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250 years ago today, the Shot Heard ‘Round the World was fired in Lexington, Massachusetts, and the American Revolution began. You may know of this iconic moment in American history, but did you know that at least three chaplains took part in the skirmish?

As the British Regulars advanced on Concord, Patriot militias rallied to halt them at the Old North Bridge. Rev. William Emmerson witnessed the skirmish and, according to some historians, fought in the Battle of Concord alongside the Minute Men. Emmerson was chaplain of the Provincial Congress, a Patriot organization that formed in response to the Intolerable Acts. Rev. Benjamin Balch, part of the Lexington Alarm Company, helped spread Paul Revere’s warning of advancing British Regulars. Rev. Jonas Clarke, chaplain of the Lexington Militia, joined his unit on Lexington Green, becoming an eyewitness to the war’s opening shot. In the first few months of the war, these chaplains were strictly volunteers, making their bravery even more noteworthy.

When the Army Chaplain Corps was established on July 29, 1775, Emmerson and Balch were among its first members. Tragically, Emmerson died of disease three months later. Balch later joined the Navy in 1778 and became the first U.S. Navy Chaplain, dying of natural causes in 1815.

Today chaplains are noncombatants, but their legacy of bravery, like the Shot Heard ‘Round the World, continues. Although they do not carry weapons, many chaplains still enter the battlefield right alongside their fellow servicemembers. To learn more about chaplains in combat, come see the Chaplain Museum’s exhibit “Service on the Battlefield.”

Image 1: Ch. Rev. William Emmerson lived next to the Old North Bridge, pictured here. Sources claim he jumped into the skirmish with the Patriots.

Image 2: A chaplain encourages American troops. Before and during much of the American Revolution, chaplains were volunteer ministers.

Image 3: An artistic rendering of the Shot heard `Round the World.

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We’re always excited to lead guided tours, and this semester we’ve hosted some enjoyable groups! Dr. Jones` and Dr. Snead’s classes both journeyed down to the museum and got to experience history in 3-D.

Dr. Christopher Jones’ Civil War & Reconstruction class experienced a guided tour from some of our student workers. As Gaius, Natalia, and Micah showed the class around, they highlighted some of our most interesting Civil War artifacts and focused on the chaplaincy’s key role during that conflict. They also had a lot of fun along the way!

Dr. Snead’s Historical Methodology class enjoyed a different experience, focusing on the public history side of things. They heard a little about museum work and public history from Professor Donald, then watched Micah catalog an artifact using PastPerfect software. As a cataloging system, PastPerfect is an exciting part of our work at the Chaplains Museum. Stay tuned for updates on our website, where you will soon be able to see some of our collection on digital display!

Image 1: Gaius, one of our excellent student workers, leads a group of Dr. Jones’ students through our “Partners in Service” exhibit. Come in and get a student-worker tour for yourself!

Image 2: Micah, another history student worker, demonstrates the cataloging process to Dr. Snead’s Historical Methodology class. Stay tuned for updates on our digital catalog, which will soon be available on our website!

Image 3: Professor Donald shares her experiences in public history. Check out her upcoming archaeology lab class scheduled for this summer.

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