Meaning of "The Lord is on our side"
Written in 1836 in Texas
P.S. The Lord is on our side—When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of corn—We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels & got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves.
(for further context, see the Wikipedia entry for this letter)
The bit I found interesting was the last line about the Lord being on their side. Was this used as an expression to encourage people to join them, or was it used as a literal statement, as in, the Lord literally put bushels of corn in the house for them?
Solution 1:
It's a bit of both, I think. The writer is probably taking their "luck" in finding grain and obtaining cattle as a sign of divine favor (in the sort of hedged half-believing way that seems particularly American to me, but doubtless people of other nationalities are perfectly familiar with), and in any event describing it that way sounds better and more devout than saying "oh, hey, we got lucky with food, good thing since we had all the military preparedness in that area of a kid's tea party". It serves the purpose of both helping give the letter a tone of cheerful bravado and, probably, easing people's fears that if they answer the call to arms they'll wind up starving.
Solution 2:
In context, that has two possible meanings to me.
The Lord is on our side could be equivalent to "Thank God...". Expressing relief at good fortune in the most typical manner. Not necessarily prescribing it to God.
"We are on the side of the Right/Good/Just". The Lord only ever siding with those who are good, and just, by saying this he is implying that they are in the right. Then using their good fortune to prove it.
It would depend on the writer for which meaning is to be taken. In that time period, it is more likely definition 2 is intended.
Today, it would be either definition 1, or a mixture of both, expressing God is on our side and as a thanks for what we found (without prescribing it to God).
Solution 3:
The words would be interpreted differently by every reader, depending on the particulars of their faith. It seems very likely to me that the writer knew this to be the case when he wrote it.
A particularly superstitious believer might think that God himself magicked up the corn in a puff of smoke, in a piece of direct intervention to help the Texans.
A more pragmatic, yet still ardent, believer might believe that God had subtly influenced the course of the last few months, engineering things so that when the time came, there would be food for the Texan forces.
A secular person could read it in a non-religious manner: "Hey guys, we had some good luck".
The skill of a great rabble rouser, is to make lots of people believe they agree with you, by making your words fit many interpretations.