USA > Illinois > Pages from the early history of the West and Northwest: embracing reminiscences and incidents of settlement and growth, and sketches of the material and religious progress of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri > Part 2
USA > Indiana > Pages from the early history of the West and Northwest: embracing reminiscences and incidents of settlement and growth, and sketches of the material and religious progress of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri > Part 2
USA > Missouri > Pages from the early history of the West and Northwest: embracing reminiscences and incidents of settlement and growth, and sketches of the material and religious progress of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri > Part 2
USA > Ohio > Pages from the early history of the West and Northwest: embracing reminiscences and incidents of settlement and growth, and sketches of the material and religious progress of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri > Part 2
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On one occasion, in calling for mourners, he set out three benches, one for seekers of religion, one for backsliders, and the other for hypocrites, and they all had occupants. On the hypocrite bench was a man who had two wives. Cravens was soon by his side, and said: "I understand that you have two wives; are you determined now to forsake this woman and go and live with your lawful wife?" The man replied "no." "Be off, then," said Cra- vens; "you can't get religion here !" He could strike as hard in a few words as any man I ever heard.
Once he was preaching at a camp meeting. Among the preachers on the platform were a slave- owner and a lawyer. Speaking of the qualifications of the ministry, he said he "would as soon hear a negro play a banjo, or a raccoon squeal, as to hear a negro-holder or a petty lawyer preach;" then turning abruptly to the two men he exclaimed,
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"How dare you lay your bloody hands on this Sacred Book !" He termed all instruments of music introduced into churches wooden gods. Rev. Mr. Fillmore once preached where brother Abbot led the singing in a choir in which they had instru- mental music. After the service he asked brother Abbot how he liked the music, whose only reply was, "Your wooden brother did very well to-day." A bass-viol being once introduced into a choir when Cartwright preached, he announced the hymn with the invitation, "We will fiddle to the Lord, my brethren." Brother A. E. Phelps told me the fol- lowing story of the manner in which Rev. J. Gruber once disposed of a choir difficulty: there being a division in the choir, he wished to have the whole matter turned over to him. When the choir began to sing he began to roar on a shell which he had procured. This, of course, put a stop to the sing- ing. On the choir starting again at his request, he began to blow again, exclaiming, "I can't sing, but I am a roarer on this shell !"
To Joseph Williams belongs the honor of being the first itinerant preacher appointed to a circuit in Indiana. In 1809 the Indiana district was formed, embracing the entire area of the territories of Indi- ana, Illinois, and Missouri. Samuel Parker was the first presiding elder. In this year Silver Creek cir- cuit was formed. It embraced all the settlements in the southern part of Indiana, reaching up the Ohio River to Whitewater circuit. Josiah Crawford
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had charge of it; returning a membership of one hundred and eighty-eight. In 1810 Silver Creek was a part of Green River district, Wm. Burke presiding elder, and Sela Paine preacher in charge. This district embraced, besides Silver Creek, the following circuits: Green River, Barren, Wayne, Cumberland, Danville, Salt River, and Shelby. The Indiana dis- trict was composed of Illinois, Missouri, Maramack, Coldwater, Cape Girardeau, and Vincennes circuits, Samuel Parker presiding elder. At the close of this year, 1810, Silver Creek returned four hundred and forty-eight members. In 1811 Wm. Burke was presiding elder on Green River district, and Isaac Lindsey had charge of Silver Creek circuit. The number of members returned was 397. The total number returned from Indiana was 1,160. In 1812 two additional circuits were formed in Indiana, Lawrenceburg and Patoka. Silver Creek was this year connected, under the charge of Wm. M'Mahon, with Salt River district, James Ward presiding elder.
In 1815 the Western Conference was divided into the Ohio and Tennessee Conferences. The Indiana circuits were assigned to two different Conferen- ces; Whitewater and Lawrenceburg in the Miami district, and Silver Creek in Salt River district, being within the bounds of the Ohio Conference. The total membership in the State was 2,176-all gathered in within five years. In 1814 Charles Harrison was appointed to Silver Creek, Jesse Walker presiding elder. The number of members
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reported in Indiana was 1,759. In 1815, 1,504 were returned, the decrease being due to the War. Shadrach Ruark was preacher in charge on Silver Creek circuit, Charles Holliday presiding elder. In 1816 Joseph Kinkaid went to Silver Creek. This year Blue River was detached from Silver Creek circuit, under the charge of John Shrader. It ex- tended down the Ohio and out to the head waters of the Patoka. There were now six circuits in Indi- ana, with a membership of 1,877. In 1817 Joseph Pownal was sent to Silver Creek, and John Cord to Blue River, Samuel H. Thompson presiding elder.
This year there were six circuits in Indiana, with -a membership of 1,907. In 1818 John Cord was sent to Silver Creek. A new circuit, Little Pigeon, was established; seven in all, with nine preachers and 3,044 members. I have been thus particular about the introduction of Methodism into Indiana, of the districts of that Conference, and especially of Silver Creek circuit, because it was there that I passed so much of my early life and entered upon the work of the ministry. Brother Wm. C. Smith thinks that the first Indiana meeting-house was erected in 1808.
It was in this year that the first circuit-White- water-was formed. I think the claim to precedence lies between the Meek's Church, as it was termed, and the Robertson meeting-house, three miles north of Charlestown, Clark county. There was also one built at an early day near my father's. The date
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I can not give. It was the first that I recollect attending. Thomas Allen and James Garner were the preachers. I told a playmate that I liked the former the best, because he did not swear so much. as old brother Garner. That building was subse- quently burned, and afterward the old Salem meet- ing-house was erected one mile further north.
Since the first rude log cabin meeting-house was erected in Indiana, the work of church-building has gone on, till the number reaches about 1,300; many of them magnificent buildings, costing from thirty to seventy thousand dollars. What has God wrought through this "pioneer " Methodist Episcopal Church ! Wm. C. Smith thinks the first camp meeting in In- diana was held in Wayne county. I think that about the same time we held one on the Robinson camp-ground, Clark county.
Brother Smith, in his sketch of Miami district, says that T. Nelson and S. H. Thompson, who preached on Whitewater circuit in 1810, then went to Kentucky-Nollechuckie circuit-and neither of them ever returned to Indiana to labor. S. H. Thompson was on the Illinois district in 1817, and I recollect distinctly his sermon at our quarterly meeting at old Salem meeting-house, Clark county. His powerful sermon and his fresh, manly look, all left an ineffaceable impression on my mind. I thought him one of the handsomest men I had ever seen. He was so good a hand at soliciting aid for our Church charities, that he bore the name of
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"beggar-general." His strong appeals were almost resistless. On one occasion he closed his appeal by telling the people to come forward and lay their offerings on the table. Among those who responded was a gentleman who put his hand deep into his pocket and took out a handful of silver to get some change. Thompson saw him, and, as if supposing that he intended to lay all upon the table, exclaimed at the top of his voice, "Thank God for one liberal soul !" By this time all eyes were fixed on the "liberal" gentleman, who could not help laying down the entire handful. But Thompson illustrated his precept in this respect by example. He generally headed the contribution; and so generous was he in his offerings, that he not infrequently had to borrow money to get home with. Indeed, he was hardly an exception. The liberality of the Methodist preach- ers was remarkable; giving beyond their means, they yet realized that it was more blessed to give than to receive.
In this connection, I may appropriately introduce some account of the early history of Methodism in Northern Indiana, with sketches of a few of the prominent preachers. Among the many whom I heard preach, were brothers A. Joslin, James Con- well, A. Wood, James Havens, John Morrow, J. Strange, A. Wiley, J. L. Thompson, Calvin Ruter, James Armstrong, George Hester, and Richard Har- grave. Wiley was a superb preacher; beginning slowly, and deliberately, and cautiously, but surely
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making his way to the hearts of his congregation, till his deep feelings seemed to take charge of his tongue, and his whole soul would be poured out with his words. His appeals, always affecting, were some- times overwhelming.
James Havens, as the Hon. O. H. Smith describes him, may be justly termed the Napoleon of Method- ism in Eastern Indiana. He was hard to handle, physically, as well as intellectually; his strength of ·muscle being equal to his mental powers. At one of the Connersville circuit camp meetings, I once saw him, just as Strange was beginning his Sabbath morning sermon, take hold of a ruffian who was making a disturbance at the altar. He threw him literally " heels over head," giving him a tremendous fall, then holding him so fast as almost to strangle. him; having fairly subdued him, he took the hum- bled rowdy to head-quarters for trial. Strange preached a most powerful sermon, resulting in the conversion of many souls. O. H. Smith regards Strange as one of the most effective preachers he ever heard. He does not hesitate to say that Indi- ana owes him a special debt of gratitude for his efforts through a long, laborious life, to form her new society on the enduring basis of morality and education.
A. Wood, D. D., and myself, were both young men when we became acquainted. He bid fair, at an early age, to become a useful man. He had a sound mind, a most felicitous elocution, and a zeal
3
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without bound. He preached always with all his power, frequently becoming so exhausted as to fall helpless into the arms of those near him. He still enjoys the best of health in his green old age.
The following sketches from his pen will give value to this book, written in reply to a request to furnish some recollections of the early Methodist societies in Laporte county, Indiana. He prefaces his personal sketches with some valuable statistics of the early Conferences :
" Previous to the year A. D. 1832, all the settle- ments of Northern Indiana were visited by mission- aries from Michigan, which was then in what was called the ' North Ohio Conference.'
"Erastus Felton, in 1830, and L. B. Gurley, in 1831, preached in Laporte county. But in 1832 there was made an 'Indiana Conference,' and James Armstrong was appointed missionary. He moved to the county and settled on a farm near Door Vil- lage. James Armstrong was the evangelist of our Church in this county, influencing many Church members to move to it from older parts of the State; and remaining in the county as an enterprising missionary till his death, which occurred on the 12th of September, 1834.
"N. B. Griffith came to the county about the same time, but he settled in St. Joseph, where he also died in 1834. The first societies in both these coun- ties were organized by these men. It may be in place for me to give some pen-portraits of them.
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" Armstrong was of medium hight, and weight. His chin, lips, and nose sharp, eyes small, eyebrows heavy, forehead square and high, and hair thick set and dark. He was always neatly dressed in plain black. He had a good voice, with a free use of plain, English words of Saxon origin ; nothing of the Irish brogue, but much of the fire, which, as he felt himself, he failed not to impart to others who gave him audience, till the bond became so strong be- tween the speaker and hearer, that both were carried along with the force and beauty of the subject before them. He was what we called a 'topic preacher ;' and before a promiscuous congregation, his memory, his imagination, and tact enabled him to conduct a controversy with great ingenuity for success to any cause he espoused. As a man and a minister he attached personal friends, who liberally sustained his enterprises and boldly defended his measures. .
" Having been presiding elder over all the State of Indiana, from the Ohio to the lakes, he was a herald of the Gospel whom God owned and blessed, and his untiring industry and influence, devoted as they were entirely to the organizing of the Church in the then new settlements, place him on the page of our history as the leading evangelist.
"In the order of time, the societies were formed: first, at Door Village; second, at Springfield; third, at Robinson's; fourth, at Laporte; fifth, in Michigan City. At all these there were societies, and stated worship, before the year 1837.
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"The first meeting-house was at Door Village; the second at Laporte; the third, Union Chapel ; the fourth at Michigan City ; and from these there have branched off all the societies in the county.
"N. B. Griffith had a ready mind, well adapted to organize religious societies in a new country. He was remarkably quick and correct in his knowledge of human nature-a discerner of human character on first acquaintance. Earnestly devoted to the one work of bringing men to Christ, his congregations were large and his labors successful. He died August 22, 1834.
"It is difficult to give a true history of our Church as bounded by county lines, for these were not the lines of circuits or societies in the first mission. In 1833 there was a missionary district, in which there was a Laporte mission. Elder Armstrong had charge of both district and mission. The former inclosed Ft. Wayne, Elkhart, St. Joseph, and Kala- mazoo, as well as Laporte. On this district were four young unmarried men; namely, R. S. Robinson, B. Phelps, J. T. Robe, and G. W. Beswick. As the elder lived in Laporte county, this was the head of the district. These gave to the people not only the wisdom of the presiding elder, but the variety of these young men.
"The returns of 1833 give to Laporte 140 mem- bers; but this included Terre Coupee society, most of whom lived beyond the county line. The first camp meeting was on J. A. Osborne's lands, near
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Door Village. At this meeting $300 was subscribed to build the first Door Village church; here, for some years, was the strongest society in the county. It had laymen and local preachers, whose general knowledge gave them influence, and whose devotion to the Church made them a power for usefulness.
"F. Standiford was one of those who came to this county. He was brought up in Maryland in the midst of old Methodists, and graduated to the order of elder as a 'local ' preacher. He moved : to Laporte from Putnam county, Indiana, having lived first in Kentucky after leaving Maryland. He was a representative 'local' preacher, assisting the itinerating preachers by his experience in knowl- edge of 'Scripture holiness.' There was, in the days of large circuits traveled by young men, a necessity for something more fixed than the occa- sional visits of the itinerating evangelist; and a society was favored when it had an ordained local preacher. This was the condition of the Door Vil- lage society. There were also tried laymen in that band of men, who, though they had come, some from Ohio, others from Virginia, and others from New York State, yet met with one accord in one place, and were blessed of God. Many of these have finished their careers, and rest from their labors. F. Standiford, A. Stearns, and J. Sale, have passed on, before those who yet remain to see the fruits of planting the Church in this beautiful prairie.
"Of traveling preachers, who did betimes something
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to build these societies, and who have passed away, I now call up E. Smith, A. Johnson, G. W. Baker, J. Garner, W. F. Wheeler, G. M. Beswick, J. Jenkins, and W. Poney. All these had at some time con- tributed to the ministerial work of a quarterly meeting at Door Village. The first and strongest off-shoot from this old stock was Union Chapel, on the south end of Door Prairie, composed largely of a colony from Clark county, Indiana, relations of 'Robertsons' and 'Garners,' who formed the first Methodist class in Indiana Territory in 1802. The leading laymen and local preachers were sui generis Methodist, of old Maryland and Ohio stock-oral- hospitable-earnest-loyal."
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CHAPTER III.
FOR the subject-matter of this and the following chapter, I am indebted to brother W. C. Smith's "Indiana Miscellany;" from different portions of which they are compiled.
It has generally been thought that Methodism was introduced into Indiana, in what is known as Clark's Grant, which included a portion of what is now Clark and Floyd counties. In later years it has been stated that a class of Methodists was formed in Clark's Grant, as early as 1802; but upon what evidence or authority we do not know. We do know that Rev. Hugh Cull, a local preacher, set- tled in the Whitewater country as early as 1805, having visited the country the year previous. The first circuit in Indiana was called Whitewater, and belonged to the Ohio district, in the old Western Conference. It embraced all the country from the Ohio River along the eastern line of the territory, as far north as there were any white settlements, which was in the region where Richmond now stands, and west to the land belonging to the Indians. This circuit was probably formed in 1807. It ap- pears upon the Minutes of the Western Conference, in the year 1808, with Joseph Williams as preacher in charge, and John Sale presiding elder of the
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district. The settlements visited by Mr. Williams were remote from each other; the traveling was la- borious and hazardous; the roads along which he passed were Indian traces and newly blazed ways; the streams were unbridged; the country was full of ravenous beasts and the much-dreaded Indians. The emigrants, to whom he ministered, could afford him but few accommodations. He labored faithfully, hunting up the Methodists who had pitched their tents in the wilderness, and at the end of the year returned 165 white members and one colored, Ac- cording to the most reliable data, these were all the Methodists who had to this date been organized and numbered in Indiana, In 1808 Indiana contained but one circuit, with 166 members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Now, 1866, there are four An- nual Conferences, with a membership of about 100,- 000 in the State. How great the change in fifty- eight years! Mr. Williams has the honor of being the first itinerant Methodist preacher appointed to a circuit in Indiana. We would, if we had the par- ticulars of his life and death, give them to the pub- lic to perpetuate his memory. In 1809 he was sent to Scioto circuit, in the State of Ohio, and in 1810 he located. In 1809 Indiana district was formed, and Samuel Parker was appointed presiding elder. It was composed of the following circuits: Illinois, Missouri, Maramack, Coldwater, Whitewater, and Silver Creek. Though but two circuits of this dis- trict were in Indiana, we give its entire bounds,
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that the young men, who are now traveling circuits and districts in the State, may see the extent of the fields of labor our fathers had to cultivate. This district covered all the territories of Indiana, Illi- nois, and Missouri. It required, surely, a man of strong nerves and stout heart to travel such a dis- trict at such a time. In traveling this district Mr. Parker had to go from the eastern boundary of In- diana across Illinois, and then across the Mississippi River into Missouri. In some places many miles of unbroken wilderness intervened between the settle- ments he had to visit. This year Silver Creek cir- cuit was formed, and embraced all the settlements in the southern portion of the territory, and up the Ohio River to Whitewater circuit. Hector Sanford and Moses Crume were appointed to Whitewater, and Josiah Crawford to Silver Creek. The most northern appointment on the Whitewater circuit was the cabin of George Smith, which was about two miles from where the city of Richmond is now situated. At the close of this year the preachers returned 352 members for Whitewater circuit, and 188 for Silver Creek, making an increase of 374. In 1810 Whitewater was placed in the Miami dis- trict, with John Sale presiding elder, and Thomas Nelson and Samuel H. Thompson circuit preachers. This district was composed of the following circuits: Cincinnati, Mad River, Scioto, Deer Creek, Hockhock- ing, White Oak, and Whitewater. Silver Creek was in the Green River district, William Burke presiding
1829 V
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elder, and Sela Paine circuit preacher. This dis- trict was composed of the following circuits: Green River, Barren, Wayne, Cumberland, Danville, Salt River, Shelby, and Silver Creek. Indiana district was composed of Illinois, Missouri, Maramack, Cold- water, Cape Girardeau, and Vincennes circuits. Samuel Parker was returned to the district, and Wm. Winans was appointed to Vincennes. Nelson and Thompson, who traveled the Whitewater circuit this year, both rose to considerable distinction, par- ticularly Mr. Thompson. The next year Nelson was sent to Rapids circuit in Mississippi. Mr. Thomp- son was sent to Nollechuckie, in the State of Ten- nessee. Neither of these men ever returned to In- diana to labor.
Sela Paine, who traveled the Silver Creek circuit this year, was sent the next to Natchez circuit, Mississippi.
Vincennes circuit appears on the Minutes of the Conference this year for the first time, making three fields of labor in Indiana. What the dimensions of this circuit were we have no means of knowing. Vincennes was an old French post, under the in- fluence of the Roman Catholics, a hard place in which to plant Methodism. Mr. Winans, who had been sent to Vincennes this year, had been admitted on trial in the Western Conference the year before. He was a young man of promising talents, and made a good impression on those who heard him preach. It was difficult for him to get the people of
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Vincennes to come to preaching, so wicked and so much were they under the influence of the Romish priests.
The following incident is said to have occurred this year: General William H. Harrison was Gov- ernor of the territory of Indiana, and resided at Vincennes .. Young Mr. Winans had an appointment to preach one night, in a small room in town. Gen- eral Harrison and one other person composed the congregation assembled to hear the young preacher. There was but one candle to give light, and nothing to place that upon. The General held the can- dle for the young preacher to see to read his hymn and text. Mr. Winans preached faithfully to those two hearers. After this he had no trouble in getting a congregation to preach to. At the close of this year the preachers returned 484 members from Whitewater circuit, 235 from Silver Creek, and forty-three from Vincennes, making a total of 765, an increase of 418; showing that Methodism began to take a deep hold upon the pioneers in Indiana. In 1811 Whitewater circuit was continued in con- nection with the Miami district, Solomon Langdon presiding elder, and Moses Crume in charge of the circuit. The people hailed Mr. Crume's return to them with great delight. He had traveled the cir- cuit as junior preacher two years before. He made his impress upon the people so deeply this year, that he was ever afterward a great favorite among them. Isaac Lindsey was sent to Silver Creek circuit this
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year. It remained in connection with the Green River district, with William Burke as presiding elder.
Vincennes appears on the Minutes this year as "St. Vincennes," in connection with the Cumberland district; Learner Blackman presiding elder, and Thomas Stilwell circuit preacher. Mr. Blackman was a man eminent for his talents, piety, and useful- ness. During the course of his life he traveled over a very extensive territory of country, ranging from Pittsburg to New Orleans, and was highly esteemed by all who knew him. This year the preachers reported 368 members from Whitewater circuit, 397 from Silver Creek, and 325 from Vincennes, making a total of 1,160, or an increase of 395. In 1812 two additional circuits were formed in Indiana; Lawrenceburg and Patoka. Whitewater and Law- renceburg were connected with the Miami district, Solomon Langdon presiding elder. Silver Creek was connected with Salt River district, James Ward presiding elder; while Vincennes and Patoka were connected with Wabash district, James Axley pre- siding elder. Walter Griffith was sent to Lawrence- burg, Robert W. Finley to Whitewater, William M'Mahon to Silver Creek, James Turner to Vin- cennes, and Benjamin Edge to Patoka. These men were all faithful and useful.
Walter Griffith, who traveled the Lawrenceburg circuit this year, was afterward made presiding elder, and filled that important office with great
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