1884-09-12 Trouble in the Ranks Part 3

 “For some weeks there has been discontent in the ranks of the Salvation army in this city. There have been murmurings not loud, but deep, and at last the dissatisfaction has broken out into open mutiny.

Several causes have contributed to this catastrophe.”

Hamilton Spectator.  September 10, 1884.

The major rift in the corps of Hamilton’s Salvation Army corps had become public knowledge late on September 9, 1884.

 Early the next day, reporters for both the Times and the Spectator conducted interviews to determine the cause of the rift.

Different Salvation Army soldiers were interviewed and although the basic reasons for the split were similarly stated, there were some slight differences as well.

One difference that the Spectator reporter learned that the Times reporter had not be told was that the problems had not started recently, but had their origins much farther back in time.

Happy Bill Cooper was one of the first captains of the Third Corps, the formal name for the Hamilton corps.

Happy Bill was a flamboyant speaker and on street evangelist. His singing, exhortations and even his physical acrobatics during the street processions were major factors in the success of the army during its earliest days in Hamilton.

However, there were some questions about his leadership :

“The beginning of the trouble dates back to Happy Bill Cooper’s time.

“Cooper, it appears was , to say the least, an inexpert accountant, and neglected to keep a business-like record of receipts and expenditures of the corps as some of the more methodical soldiers thought advisable.

“It is also complained that he was too extravagant, spending all the money as soon as it was received. Those who had confidence in him believed all the money went to legitimate expenses, but there were not wanting others who suspected him of appropriating the funds raised to other ends than the spread of the Gospel and the salvation of souls.

“It was thought that there should have been some small surplus to have been applied to the fund for the erection of a new barracks. When remonstrated with on the subject if his management of the finances, Happy Bill would say, “Lord, love you, brother, the money is well spent. I have used it to bring in the masses to our meetings. I can’t give you details, God bless you! Don’t worry about the barracks. The Lord will provide for that. Hallelujah!”

“And with this somewhat unsatisfactory explanation, the discontented ones would have to be contented.”¹

¹  “Trouble in the Army : Threatened Disintegration of the Hamilton Corps of the Salvationists”

Hamilton Spectator. September 10, 1884.

While the Spectator account of the split in the ranks was the only one to refer to Happy Bill, both accounts made reference to the problems that began to percolate when Captain Bertha Smith and her two female lieutenants were appointed as leaders of the local corps.

The Spectator’s account of that aspect of the problems included the reporter’s analysis of the psychology involved :

“But Happy Bill’s eccentric financial management is not the chief cause of the present discontent. It only prepared the way for it. It first became visible when Capt. Bertha Smith and her two female lieutenants were appointed to the command of this corps. It is an underlying principle of the female nature, that women do not like to submit to the authority of woman. Though most women will cheerfully yield to the authority of the most absolute male tyrant (if they like him), they feel humiliated when compelled to bow beneath the yoke of a superior of their own sex, however easy that yoke may be.

“This proved to be the case with the women of the Hamilton corps.  They who had almost worshipped Happy Bill and obeyed his slightest behest gladly, murmured when asked to submit to the authority of women. All the women were not discontented, but most of them were, and very soon some of the men were influenced by the discontented women and became discontented too, without actually knowing why.”¹

The general uneasiness with Captain Smith’s leadership became more heated and focussed when the captain chose to replace one of her lieutenants:

“The trouble was heightened by a disagreement between the captain and her first lieutenant, Annie Howell. Bertha complained that Annie, though a good girl, was not energetic enough. She lodged a complaint with Major Coombs, the head of the Canadian division, and he, very wisely, suggested that it would be best for Annie to go to another field of work. This she refused to do, and accepted the alternative of leaving the army. She resigned her commission and went to Lindsay.

“The discontents in the army made this unpleasant occurrence the subject of a great deal of talk. They were pleased to look upon Miss Howell as a martyr and the captain’s action as tyrannical. The women’s tongues were especially busy, and their remarks were so cutting that they struck home to the heart of Captain Bertha, who, to her justice, seems to have been inspired from first to last with her desire to do her duty to all alike.” ¹

The army member who the Spectator interviewed included the following statement regarding Captain Smith efforts to calm the waters:

“ ‘I have seen her,” said a prominent member of the army to a SPECTATOR reporter this morning, “when she was in soul of agony over the conduct of some of the members – when she would beg them, with tears running down her cheeks, to cease their mutinous action and talk, and be faithful soldiers. I have seen her throw herself on her face and pray to God to punish her if it was through her that the trouble had arisen.’ ”¹

Finally the hostility, gossip and back-biting, open insubordination became too much for Captain Smith and she chose a bold method of addressing the situation :

“The crisis came last Monday night. It appears that one sister named Membury made herself particularly busy in her opposition to the captain and in secretly fomenting strife.

“On Sunday night, Captain Bertha so far forgot herself in her excitement as to refer to this sister as “a Judas.” This acted as a spark to the inflammable feelings of the disaffected ones. And Monday night the flames burst forth fiercely.

“There was great confusion, and many of the soldiers sprang up and declared that they would no longer serve under Capt. Bertha. But the captain was not cowed by this sudden display of opposition. She became quite calm and self-possessed amid the hubbub and perceived that a prompt, bold stroke was the only thing that would prove effectual.

“With the quick, military instinct of a good officer, she decided on a coup d’état . Raising her voice above the tumult of voices, she declared that she had destroyed the roll call, and that the Third army corps had ceased to exist.

“ ‘Now.’ she said, ‘all those who wish to join the Salvation army come forward and kneel at the penitent forms and pray, for the grace of God to enable you to acknowledge me as your captain and to obey my commands, and those of who will not do that that had better leave the army and connect yourself with churches. ‘ ”¹

As reported in both the Times and the Spectator, about half the corps followed the captain’s suggestion to come forward towards her and affirm her leadership, while the other half moved away towards the back of the hall.

Captain Smith allowed the seceding members to hold their impromptu meeting, but urged them to get it over quickly and leave the hall.

After the meeting, telegrams were sent to Major Coombs and others in senior leadership positions with the Salvation Army in Canada. The nature of the volatile situation was presented and requests for assistance to deal with it were made.

(To be continued)