Right, Equity, and Justice: Rev. Henry McNeal Turner and Black Chaplaincy in the Civil War Era

As the first African American chaplain appointed to the Union Army, Reverend Henry McNeal Turner redefined the chaplaincy in the Civil War Era. The experiences of Black chaplains reflect the complex intersections of race, gender, and military service. Turner’s role as chaplain demands we examine the intersections of gender and race with the chaplaincy, as well as considering how his mission extended beyond the spiritual. As a correspondent to the Christian Recorder , Turner’s ministry was amplified beyond the troops directly under his purview. Turner approached the chaplaincy as an opportunity to provide far-reaching and multifaceted support that reflected his belief in the centrality of piety, masculinity, and education as pathways to African American citizenship and political equality in the post-war period.