Professor Dennis Mahan Speaks Out on West Point Chapel Issues, 1850

Dennis Hart Mahan, legendary West Point professor of the pre-Civil War era, was also a devout Christian and active Episcopal layman. In this 1850 letter to the Secretary of War, Mahan explains (1) why the post of West Point chaplain should always go to an Episcopalian, and (2) why chapel attendance should not be mandatory for West Point staff. His explanation indicates that for Mahan the concept of being a "Christian gentleman" was not merely a nominal one.