View source for Cold Water Army (temperance organization)

{{Short description|American temperance organization for children}}
{{Infobox organization
| name                = Cold Water Army
| image               = 1843 Christmas TremontTemple Boston.png
| caption             = poster (1843)
| formation           = 1839
| founder             = [[Thomas Poage Hunt]]
| type                = [[Non-governmental organization]], [[Non-profit organization]]
| focus               = [[Temperance movement]]
| region_served       = {{hlist|U.S.|Canada}}
}}
'''Cold Water Army''' was an [[Temperance movement in the United States|American temperance]] organization for children. It was established in 1839 by Rev. [[Thomas Poage Hunt|T. P. Hunt]], who was affiliated with the [[American Temperance Society]] (ATS).<ref name="Martin-2014" />{{efn|According to Cherrington, it was founded about 1835.<ref name="Cherrington-1925">{{cite book |last1=Cherrington |first1=Ernest Hurst |title=Standard Encyclopedia of the Alcohol Problem |date=1925 |publisher=American Issue Publishing Company |pages=644–45 |volume=2 |url=https://archive.org/details/standardencyclop02cher/page/644 |via=Internet Archive |access-date=29 July 2022 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref>}} In its day, hundreds of thousands of children belonged to the society.<ref name="Norton-2014">{{cite book |last1=Norton |first1=Mary Beth |last2=Kamensky |first2=Jane |last3=Sheriff |first3=Carol |last4=Blight |first4=David W. |last5=Chudacoff |first5=Howard |title=A People and a Nation: A History of the United States |date=11 February 2014 |publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-1-285-97462-0 |page=301 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZEnAAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA301 |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en}}</ref> The movement attained its height in 1843,<ref name="Scomp-1888" /> but interest was diminished by the [[Washingtonian movement]], whose members absorbed almost the whole attention of the temperance movement community. Yet for several years, these youthful organizations continued to exist in various locations. Even as late as 1862, some of these societies were known to be active.<ref name="Clark-1888" />
==Early history==
[[File:Thomas Poage Hunt (Ency. of the PCUSA, 1884).png|thumb|[[Thomas Poage Hunt]]]]
About 1835, the "Cold Water Army" originated with Rev. Thomas P. Hunt, a [[Presbyterian Church (USA)|Presbyterian]] minister of [[Pennsylvania]], a noted temperance lecturer and the first lecturer in favor of [[Teetotalism|Total Abstinence]]. He awakened a great interest in both parents and children, in the new idea of saving the young from an intemperate life. He was a quaint and amusing speaker. His addresses were keen and forcible, yet generally within the comprehension of his youthful audience. The children had frequent picnics, wore badges, carried banners in their processions, and sang songs, which were of no less interest to the parents, who generally met with them, than to the children.<ref name="Clark-1888" />
Hunt's child pledge of Total Abstinence was thought to be the first generally circulated pledge of the kind.<ref name="Cherrington-1925" />{{efn|Cherrington cites Cary's ''The National Temperance Offering''.<ref name="Cary-1850">{{cite book |last1=Cary |first1=Samuel Fenton |title=The National Temperance Offering: And Sons and Daughters of Temperance Gift |date=1850 |publisher=R. Vandien |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dpouAAAAYAAJ |page=226 |access-date=31 July 2022 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref>}} That early pledge was set to music, and was sung at the meetings:—
<poem>
"This youthful band
Do with our hand
The pledge now sign-
To drink no Wine,
Nor Brandy red
To turn the head,
Nor Whiskey hot
That makes the sot,
Nor fiery Rum
To turn our home
Into a hell,
Where none can dwell,
Whence peace would fly,
Where hope would die,
And love expire
'Mid such a fire:-
So here we pledge perpetual bate
To all that can intoxicate.”
</poem>
During Hunt's travels over the country, he tried to organize a Cold Water Army society in every Sunday School which he visited.. Though hundreds of units were formed, there was no attempt to effect a central control of the movement.<ref name="Krout-1925" /> Soon after the formation of the Massachusetts Temperance Union, in 1838, they embraced the idea of educating the young in the principles of [[Teetotalism|total abstinence]] by organizing the children into "Cold Water Armies".<ref name="Clark-1888">{{cite book |last1=Clark |first1=George Faber |title=History of the Temperance Reform in Massachusetts, 1813-1883 |date=1888 |publisher=Clarke & Carruth |pages=44–47, 206 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yRcPAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA45 |access-date=1 August 2022 |chapter=Chapter VII. The Cold Water Army. |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref> While for many years, there were juvenile temperance societies and other associations among children and youth, the Cold Water Army differed from them all, in some respects. While the former had Constitutions and By-Laws, Presidents, Secretaries, and other officers, this set-up was sometimes found to be too complicated for long continuance. Nor did this arrangement contain, in itself, sufficient force to spread it as widely as the temperance movement required. By contrast, the Constitution of the Cold Water Army was its "Pledge". Its officers were the Leader, and such other adult persons as may have been necessary for supervision and assistance in conducting the meetings.<ref name="Warren-1842">{{cite book |last1=Warren |first1=Charles J. |title=The Cold Water Army. Remarks Upon the Advantages, ... of this Temperance Enterprise Among Children and Youth |date=1842 |pages=2– |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iXgmcx8-NpsC&pg=PA2 |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref>
==Growth==
The organization grew rapidly. The Army sent large and enthusiastic delegations to the public temperance meetings held from 1837 to 1844 on the [[Independence Day (United States)|Fourth of July]] and [[Presidents' Day|Washington's Birthday]].<ref name="Cherrington-1925" />
The popular name of "Cold Water Army" was adopted in the State of [[Massachusetts]] where 40,000 were enrolled. In [[Connecticut]] and [[New Jersey]], they spread through the agency of Rev. C. J. Warren and T. B. Segur. In [[Sunday school]]s all over the States, they became generally introduced.<ref name="Scott-1860" /> For a time, during the first half of the nineteenth century, the Army had a membership of about 200 boys and girls among the Cherokee Indians. Scomp records its activity in Georgia in 1843, and stated that most of the Cold Water Army of [[Savannah, Georgia|Savannah]] enlisted for service in the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], but few survived.<ref name="Scomp-1888">{{cite book |last1=Scomp |first1=Henry Anselm |title=King Alcohol in the Realm of King Cotton, Or, A History of the Liquor Traffic and of the Temperance Movement in Georgia from 1733 to 1887 ...: It Also Contains the History of All the Temperance Organizations of America ... and is Illustrated with ... Portraits ... of Noted Temperance Men and Women |date=1888 |publisher=Blakely Print. Company |page=428 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g6cSnQEACAAJ |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref>
The first city in Canada to become involved in the society's work was at Montreal, August 1842, established by Mr. Wadsworth. Five years later, it numbered 5,000. After spreading throughout the Province and into adjoining sections, the interest declined. Other, better organized and more efficient societies replaced this branch of the Cold Water Army.<ref name="Scott-1860">{{cite book |last1=Scott |first1=William |title=The Teetotaler's Hand-book: In Four Parts, Being a Compilation of Valuable Information for the Use of All Classes ... |date=1860 |publisher=A. Dredge |page=41 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j31GAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA41 |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref>
A paper was published two or three years, called the ''Cold Water Army''.<ref name="Clark-1888" />
==Accoutrements==
[[File:Cold Water Army (The Emilio Collection of Military Buttons, 1911).png|thumb|button]]
Youthful soldiers paraded in their white and blue uniforms, waving their inscribed banners, and singing temperance songs.<ref name="Krout-1925">{{cite book |last1=Krout |first1=John Allen |title=The Origins of Prohibition |date=1925 |publisher=A.A. Knopf |page=186 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=un7aAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA186 |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref> A Cold Water Army uniform button from [[Springfield, Massachusetts]], of 1843, was characterized as solid, flat, gilt, 14. On the polished surface, an eagle, incised, head to left, was positioned above an oval upon into which were cut the words "Cold Water Army", a word to a line. There was an ornamental border to lower half of oval.<ref name="Emilio-1911">{{cite book |last1=Emilio |first1=Luis Fenollosa |title=The Emilio Collection of Military Buttons: American, British, French and Spanish, with Some of Other Countries, and Non-military, in the Museum of the Essex Institute, Salem, Mass. A Descriptive Catalog with Historical Notes and Ten Plates Illustrating Two Hundred and Forty Important Specimens |date=1911 |publisher=Essex Institute |page=236 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L3kuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA236 |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en |chapter=1389}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref>
The badge of the armies was a satin ribbon, on which was the picture of a fountain, and also a procession of the army marching to a grove, where a collation was to be served.<ref name="Clark-1888" />
==Organ==
Aimed at children, the ''Cold Water Army and Youth's Picnic'' was a small, four page weekly periodical, of three columns, and about fourteen inches long. It was published at No. 9 Cornhill, by the Massachusetts Temperance Union. It was established probably in September 1841. Five numbers were issued in October 1841, by a Mr. Shepard. It had as a [[Vignette (graphic design)|vignette]] a fountain, and a picture representing a procession of children marching with banners. William S. Damrell was the printer, and Nathan Crosby its editor for some period of its existence. About 15,000 copies were printed the first year. It became a monthly magazine, which was included in every Sunday school library. Its duration was 20 years.<ref name="Clark-1888" /><ref name="Tyler-2011">{{cite book |last1=Tyler |first1=Alice Felt |title=Freedom's Ferment - Phases of American Social History to 1860 |date=23 March 2011 |publisher=Read Books Ltd |isbn=978-1-4465-4785-4 |page=322 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=blR8CgAAQBAJ&pg=PT322 |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Martin-2014">{{cite book |last1=Martin |first1=Scott C. |title=The SAGE Encyclopedia of Alcohol: Social, Cultural, and Historical Perspectives |date=16 December 2014 |publisher=SAGE Publications |isbn=978-1-4833-3108-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ANm5BgAAQBAJ&pg=PA414 |access-date=1 August 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
==Pledge==
The following is the pledge which was taken by members of the Cold Water Army:—<ref name="Cherrington-1925" />{{efn|Cherrington cites Stearns' ''Temperance in All Nations''.<ref name="Stearns-1893">{{cite book |last1=Stearns |first1=John Newton |title=Temperance in All Nations: History of the Cause in All Countries of the Globe. Together with the Papers, Essays, Addresses, and Discussions of the World's Temperance Congress, Held by the National Temperance Society, in Chicago, Ill., June, 1893 |date=1893 |publisher=National temperance society and publication house |page=165 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3MA4AQAAMAAJ |access-date=31 July 2022 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref>}}
<poem>
Trusting in help from Heaven above,
We pledge ourselves to works of love,
With hearts and hands united stand
To spread a blessing o’er the land,
And now resolve we will not take,
Nor give, nor buy, nor sell, nor make.
Through all the years of mortal life
Those drinks which cause pain, woe, and strife —
Rum, Brandy, Whisky, Cordials fine,
Gin, Cider, Porter, Ale, and Wine.
</poem>
==Notes==
{{notelist}}
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
==Further reading==
* A Lady, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=I5EpAAAAYAAJ&pg=PP1 The Dead child : a story of my childhood]'', 1842
* Crosby, Nathan, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=hehFwQEACAAJ The Cold Water Army]'', 1866
* Gordon, Anna A., ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=tn6ekgAACAAJ Marching songs for young crusaders : temperance songs for the Cold Water Army]'', 1885
* Hunt, Thomas P., ''The Cold Water Army. [A Temperance Tract.] Fourth Thousand'', 1841
* Marsh, Simeon B., ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=kkrcoQEACAAJ The Cold Water Army Song Book: For the Use of Juvenile Schools and Adult Choirs, Adapted in Part to Temperance Meetings, and Fourth of July Celebrations]'', 1890
* Warren, Charles J., ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=GlghXtwk3JwC&pg=PA5 Cold water army dialogues. Selected, arranged, abridged, and enlarged; for schools, families, picnics, and Cold water army reviews]'', 1842
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=bvtIHQAACAAJ The Cold Water almanac for ...]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=zV6NtgEACAAJ Temperance pledge collection]''
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=8kcZAAAAYAAJ Temperance Song Book of the Massachusetts Temperance Union]'', 1842
{{Prohibition}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:Temperance organizations in the United States]]
[[Category:Temperance organizations in Canada]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1839]]
[[Category:Defunct clubs and societies of the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct international non-governmental organizations]]
[[Category:Youth organizations based in the United States]]