Early America - Morality in the Army

The Library of Congress has some excellent exhibits on early America, including images of the original hand-written documents. One can learn there many of the connections between our Founders' religious background and the early foundations of our government. Consider this quote:

Congress was apprehensive about the moral condition of the American army and navy and took steps to see that Christian morality prevailed in both organizations. In the Articles of War, seen below, governing the conduct of the Continental Army (seen above) (adopted, June 30, 1775; revised, September 20, 1776), Congress devoted three of the four articles in the first section to the religious nurture of the troops. Article 2 "earnestly recommended to all officers and soldiers to attend divine services." Punishment was prescribed for those who behaved "indecently or irreverently" in churches, including courts-martial, fines and imprisonments. Chaplains who deserted their troops were to be court-martialed.

See the L.O.C. article Religion and the Congress of the Confederation 1774-89