Charles Augustus Briggs

Charles Augustus Briggs was a Presbyterian minister who is one of few documented UVA students to have fought for the Union during the Civil War

Early Life and Time at UVA

Born on January 15, 1841, in New York City, Briggs attended the University of Virginia after being encouraged by an uncle who had found living in the South beneficial to his health. As a student from 1857-1860, Briggs studied languages, philosophy, and mathematics. In 1858, he converted to Presbyterianism and was later remembered by his peers as a devout Christian.

Civil War

The commencement of the Civil War prevented Briggs from traveling to Charlottesville to continue his studies at UVA, and he instead enlisted in the Union Army, serving for thirty days in the 7th New York Militia. His daughter recalled him as "too loyal to his country to hesitate" from doing so. His regiment was used in the defense of Washington, D.C. against the new Confederate forces in April of 1861. His thirty-day enlistment ended that June, and he joined the Union Theological Seminary later in 1861.

Ministerial Career

Briggs received his preaching license from the First Presbytery of New York in 1866, then spent three more years studying theology in Berlin, Germany. In 1870, he began his first pastoral role at the First Presbyterian Church of Roselle, New Jersey, where he served until 1874. He became Professor of Hebrew and Biblical Theology at the Union Theological Seminary later in 1874, and held the position until 1891.

In 1891, Briggs was accused of heresy by the Presbyterian Church after delivering an address in favor of both reason and religion as divine authorities, and denied the Presbyterian belief in biblical inerrancy. A trial regarding the accusations ended in Briggs' acquittal, but the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church defrocked him in 1893. In the same year, Union Theological Seminary fully separated from the Presbyterian Church, making it completely independent and allowing Briggs to continue teaching there.

Determined to continue his religious career, Briggs was ordained as an Episcopalian priest in 1899. He published several works on theology and was awarded several honorary doctorates from the University of Oxford, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Glasgow.

Death and Legacy

On June 8, 1913, Briggs died of pleuro-pneumonia in New York City. Unlike most of his fellow Northern UVA alums, an obituary for him was written in the UVA Alumni Bulletin. The obituary stated that although Briggs was unable to return to Charlottesville following the outbreak of the Civil War, he remained dedicated to the University, and made regular visits and commented often on the beauty of the school.