In 1904, Alexander Davis Betts published his Civil War journal, Experiences of a Confederate Chaplain. In his introduction, Betts emphasizes the role of religion in the South. He challenges southerners "without any consciousness of guilt or shame, to accept in perfect good faith the result of the war and the changed order of things." Most of Betts's Experiences consists of concise daily entries. The longer entries tend to reflect his frustration with the War or describe the tragedies he encounters as a chaplain, because he was responsible for writing letters of condolence to the families of dead soldiers. The journal closes with a series of statements testifying to Betts's fine character and good standing among his neighbors and parishioners.

Work Consulted: Powell, William S., ed., Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, Vol. 1, Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1979.

Harris Henderson