USA > Indiana > Indiana Methodism : being an account of the introduction, progress, and present position of Methodism in the State; and also a history of the literary institutions under the care of the church, with sketches of the principle Methodist educators in the state . . > Part 5
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conduct, and that the action of the Church was rather an interference with his personal rights; but rather than leave the Church, he would promise to try to quit; and on that promise the committee retained him. But said Cravens, " Brother, you must quit." That was more than the brother would promise, and Cravens carried the case up to the next session of the quarterly conference; and the brother was required either to give up his drams or give up the Church. He concluded to give up the former; and doubtless owed his salvation from a drunkard's grave. to the uncompromising integrity of his pastor.
In 1821, the Ohio Conference met in Lebanon, and the Missouri Conference at Cape Girardeau. From the Ohio Conference there were sent to circuits in Indiana :
Whitewater-Allen Wiley and James T. Wells. Lawrenceburg-Henry Baker. Madison-James Jones and James Murray.
And from the Missouri Conference :
INDIANA DISTRICT-SAMUEL HAMILTON, PRESIDING ELDER.
Charlestown-James Armstrong.
Flat-rock-George K. Hester. Blue-river-John Wallace and Joseph Kincaid. Bloomington-John Cord.
Honey-creek-David Chamberlin.
Vincennes-John Stewart.
Patoka-James L. Thompson. Mount Sterling-Ebenezer Webster.
Corydon-Job M. Baker. Indianapolis-William Cravens.
There were but few settlements in Central Indiana when William Cravens came to organize Indianapolis circuit, in the Fall of 1821. A few families had settled at Indianapolis as early as 1819; but it was the policy of the Church to keep even pace with the tide of popu- lation, and Cravens was just the man for this ·pioneer work. He made an impression in favor of Methodism,
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and against slavery and intemperance, that has never faded out.
Indianapolis had been selected by the Commissioners as the seat of Government for the state in 1820, and emigration was beginning to set in to the new capital of the state.
Connersville Circuit was organized in 1822, under the presiding eldership of Alexander Cummins, who was in charge of Miami District, and who employed John Havens to travel Connersville Circuit. I have before me a transcript copy of the Journals of the quarterly conferences of Connersville Circuit, from its organization, in 1822, down to 1843. The following extract, for 1822, shows the meager support received by the early pioneer preachers, and the efforts put forth by the people to fur- nish even that meager support :
THE STEWARDS OF CONNERSVILLE CIRCUIT, Dr.
To Cash received from Lewis's Class $ 50
To
Curtiss's "
50
To
Connersville Class
2 50
To 66
Abbott's 1 00
To
Hardy's 66
872
To Bridle-leathers
622
To Cash from Fuller's
25
To Shoe-leather and Corn.
75
To Cash from Lowers's.
. 25
To 12 yards Linen from Bridges's.
3 00
To 9
J. Lowers's.
2 562.
To 1 pair Shoe-soles.
50
To Cash from Roberts's.
4 65
To Hardy
75
To 24 yards Linsey ..
1 123
To Cash from E. Abbott's
1 32
To
Curtiss's
50
To 7 yards Linen,
1 75
To 1 small pair Shoes.
1 00
To 74 yards Linen from Alley's.
1 93%
To 22 Linsey “
1 25
To 83 = Lewis's
3 27
To 1 pair Socks 6
433
To Cash from Gregg's.
2 123
Total.
$36 12}
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Cr.
By Cash to A. Cummins, Esq. $ 50
By J. Havens, expenses. . 50
By
A. Cummins, allowance 3 75
By " J. Havens, 30 37號
$36 12}
NATHAN LEWIS, Recording Steward.
CONNERSVILLE, April 27, 1822.
In September, 1823, the Ohio Conference met in Urbana, and the following appointments were made in Indiana :
Whitewater-John Everheart and Levi White.
Lawrenceburg-W. H. Raper and John Janes. Madison-John F. Wright and Thomas Hewson. Connersville-A. Wood.
Dr. Wood gives the following account of his journey to his new circuit, on the eastern border of Indiana: "On the 12th of September, 1823, I left my father's for the circuit to which I had been appointed. I met brother Bigelow in Springfield, and we rode on to Father Moses', who lived twelve miles from Dayton. Saturday, we started early, and rode to Dayton for breakfast, went on to Eaton, and after tea rode on to Centerville, where we arrived about midnight, sixty miles from where we started in the morning. Here I remained during Sun- day, and preached in the court-house. On Monday, the 15th, I arrived in Connersville, which was a new circuit."
During the year, Mr. Wood traveled, according to his diary, now before me, two thousand, two hundred and fifty miles, preached two hundred and eight-eight times, and received for his year's salary fifty dollars. The preaching-places established on the circuit that year were as follows : Connersville, Hawkins's, Hinston's, Hardy's, Connell's, Crist's, Alley's, Lewis's, Miller's, Imley's, Short's, Gregg's Meeting-house, Young's, Taylor's, Grove's, Patterson's, Jacob Lowden's, Morris's, Newcastle, Sand-
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ford's, Joseph Lower's, and Briggs's. Here was a circuit of twenty-one appointments, extending from Pipe Creek, in Franklin County, to Newcastle, the present county- seat of Henry County. At the close of this year Mr. Wood was admitted into full connection in the Ohio Con- ference, which met for that year in Zanesville, and was ordained deacon by Bishop Roberts. At the General Conference, in 1824, the Missouri Annual Conference was divided, and Illinois Conference constituted, includ- ing the States of Illinois and Indiana. The appoint- ments for that year, in Indiana, were as follows :
MADISON DISTRICT-JOHN STRANGE, PRESIDING ELDER.
Madison Circuit-Allen Wiley and A. Wood. Lawrenceburg-James Jones and Thomas Hitt. Whitewater-Peter Stevens and Nehemiah B. Griffith. Connersville-James Havens. Rushville-Thomas Rice. Indianapolis-John Miller. Flat-rock-Thomas Hewson and James Garner. Eel-river-John Fish.
INDIANA DISTRICT-JAMES ARMSTRONG, PRESIDING ELDER.
Charlestown-James L. Thompson and Jacob Varner. Corydon-George K. Hester and Dennis Willey. Salem-Samuel Low and Richard Hargrave. Paoli-Edward Smith.
Booneville-Orsenith Fisher. Patoka-W. H. Smith and George Randle. Vincennes -- Edwin Ray. Honey-creek-Samuel Hull. Bloomington-Daniel Anderson and John Cord. Vermilion-Hackaliah Vredenburg and Robert Delap.
As a sample of the better class of circuits in the older settled portions of Indiana, in that day, we give the appointments on Madison Circuit, which were filled by Allen Wiley and A. Wood: Rising Sun, Buell's Mill, Green's, Davis's, Spoon's, Campbell's, Vevay, Mount Sterling, Slawson's, Alfray's, Bellamy's, Brook's, Crooked-
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creek Meeting-house, Simper's, Hyatt's, Overturf's, Brown's, Herkul's, Versailles, Wiley's, Allensville, Down- ey's, Dexter's, including all of Switzerland and Ohio Counties, and the larger portions of Jefferson and Ripley Counties.
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CHAPTER IV.
First Session of the Illinois Conference-Charges in Indiana in 1825- Appointments made at the Illinois Conference for Indiana-Preach- ing-places in Vincennes District in 1825-Remarks on Circuits and Stations-Sketch of Rev. William Beauchamp-His Eloquence- Incident-Second Session of the Illinois Conference in 1826-Num- ber of Members returned for Indiana-Appointments made in In- diana-Preaching-places in Indianapolis Circuit in 1825-Honey- creek Church in 1825-Paoli Circuit in 1826-Appointments for Indiana at the third Illinois Conference-Radical Controversy at Madison-Indiana Members reported at the Illinois Conference in Madison in 1828-Extent of Madison District-Revival in Law- renceburg District-J. V. Watson-Indianapolis Station-Fall- creek-Camp-meeting at Pendleton-Incident connected with the Meeting-Illinois Conference at Edwardsville, Illinois, in 1829- Incidents concerning John Strange-Illinois Conference at Vin- cennes in 1830-Number of Members reported-Incident of Allen Wiley-Meeting Held in Fort Wayne.
TLLINOIS CONFERENCE convened in session, for the first time, in Charlestown, Clark County, Indiana, August 25, 1825. There were present two bishops- M'Kendree and Roberts-and forty-four traveling preach- ers, gathered from the various charges in Indiana and Illinois. The charges in Indiana stood numerically as follows :
MADISON DISTRICT.
Madison Circuit. .700
Madison Station.
139
Lawrenceburg Circuit. 707
Whitewater
942
Connersville.
412
Rushville
268
Indianapolis.
304
642
Flat-rock
Eel-river 365
Making for Madison District, members .. 4,481
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INDIANA DISTRICT.
Charlestown 975
Corydon
648
Salem 455
Paoli. 422
Booneville 439
Patoka 335
Vincennes 532
.385
Honey-creek.
601
Bloomington
200
Vermilion.
Total on Indiana District 4,992
While there was but one presiding elder's district in Illinois, with a membership of only 3,505. Why the Conference was named Illinois is not apparent, any more than why, previous to this time, the charges included in Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, were named Missouri Conference, when a large majority of the charges were in Indiana, and but a small fraction of them in Missouri. The appointments made at the first session of the Illi- nois Conference, held at Charlestown, Indiana, August 25, 1825, for the work in Indiana, were as follows :
MADISON DISTRICT-JOHN STRANGE, PRESIDING ELDER.
Madison Station-Samuel Bassett. Madison Circuit-George K. Hester. Lawrenceburg-James L. Thompson. Whitewater-James Havens. Connersville-N. B. Griffith.
Rushville-Stephen R. Beggs. Flat-rock-James Jones and Thomas S. Hitt. Indianapolis-Thomas Hewson.
CHARLESTOWN DISTRICT-JAMES ARMSTRONG, PRESIDING ELDER.
Charlestown Circuit-A. Wiley and G. Randle. Corydon-Samuel Low and George Locke. Paoli-John Miller.
Bloomfield-Eli P. Farmer.
Crawfordsville-H. Vredenburg. Bloomington-Edwin Ray. Salem Station-William Shanks. Salem Circuit-John Cord.
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INDIANA METHODISM.
WABASH DISTRICT-CHARLES HOLLIDAY, PRESIDING ELDER.
Vermilion-James Hadley. Honey-creek-Richard Hargrave. Vincennes-A. Wood. Patoka-James Garner and J. Tarkington. Booneville-William H. Smith.
We have given Connersville and Madison as speci- mens of the size of the circuits of that day in the eastern part of the state. Take Vincennes as a speci- men of the size of the circuits in the south-western part of the state. In 1825, Vincennes included the follow- ing preaching-places : In the county of Knox : Vin- cennes, Cane's, Thomas's, Snyder's, Terebaugh's, Nichol- son's, Hawkins's; in the county of Davis : Bethel Meeting-house, Stuckey's, Thomas Havell's, Widow Stone's, T. Stafford's, Ballon's ; in the county of Mar- tin: Hammond's, Clark's, Mount Pleasant, Love's Maner's, in Green County; and back again, in Davis County, to Bratton's, Williams's, Osmon's, and Florer's.
It will be seen from the appointments for this year that there were two stations in Indiana-Madison and Salem. While the circuit system is admirably adapted to a new country, and a sparse population, enabling a number of congregations to unite in one pastoral charge, and thereby secure, at regular intervals, the preaching of the Word of God and the administration of the sacraments of the Church, yet, as soon as any com- munity feel that they can support a pastor of their own, there is a natural and universal desire to have one; and thus stations grow up in our towns and cities in answer to a demand from the people. In older communities a minister's influence depends largely upon his personal ac- quaintance, and not simply upon his ministerial character. This is especially true in cities ; and hence a growing desire for lengthening the term of the pastoral relations.
5
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INDIANA METHODISM.
During the preceding year, the Church in Indiana had suffered the loss of one of her ablest ministers, Rev. William Beauchamp, Presiding Elder of Indiana District, Missouri Conference, which event took place at Paoli, Orange County, Indiana, October, 1824, in the fifty-third year of his age. Mr. Beauchamp was a native of Delaware; was converted in early life, and, in 1794, joined the itinerancy. His first appointments were Alleghany Circuit, Pittsburg, New York, and Boston. He located in 1811. In 1815, he removed to Chilli- cothe, Ohio, and took the editorial charge of the Western Christian Monitor-the only periodical at that time in our Church. He discharged his editorial duties with conspicuous ability. Mr. Beauchamp had previously published a volume of "Essays on the Truth of Chris- tianity," a work of considerable merit. In 1817, he removed to Mt. Carmel, Illinois, and superintended the formation of a new settlement. In 1822, he again entered the traveling connection, and was stationed in the city of St. Louis. In 1823, he was appointed pre- siding elder of Indiana District, which included Charles- town, Flat-rock, Blue-river, Bloomington, Honey-creek, Vincennes, Patoka, Mount Sterling, Corydon, Indian- apolis, and Eel-river-eleven large circuits-embracing one-third of the territory of the state of Indiana. He was the same year elected a delegate to the General Conference, which met in Baltimore; and such was the impression made by him upon the members of that body that he lacked but two votes of being elected to the episcopal office. Had it not been for the fact that so large a portion of his ministerial life had been spent out of the itinerancy, his name would doubtless have honored the history of our episcopacy. On his return to his district he was seized with an affection of the
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liver, and, after suffering for about six weeks, fell asleep in Jesus, in the full prospect of a glorious immortality.
Mr. Beauchamp was one of nature's noblemen, a man of true greatness. He was often styled the "De- mosthenes of the West." His manner was plain, and his style easy and natural. His sermons made a lasting impression. His standard of Christian character was high. Holiness was his favorite theme. When holding forth the promises and invitations of the Gospel, there was a gentleness and tenderness in his manner and in the tones of his voice, that was sure to touch the sym- pathies of his hearers; but when he became argument- ative, and discussed doctrinal points, and especially when he denounced dangerous errors, his voice would become elevated, his whole system nerved, and the tones of his voice and the flash of his keen eye would startle his hearers like peals of thunder. On one occa- sion the force of his eloquence was fully demonstrated. It was on a subject of controversy. His antagonist, who had sat and listened for some time to his argu- ments, too powerful for him to answer, began to look as if the voice which he now heard came from another world through the shadow of a man. He rose, appar- ently with a view to leave the house; but, being over- come, he staggered, caught by the altar-railing, and fell into his seat, and there sat overwhelmed and con- founded until the discourse closed, when he quietly left the house. The death of such a minister is deeply felt; but God watches over his Church, and "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
The second session of the Illinois Conference was held in Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana, begin- ning September 28, 1826. There were returned to this Conference members as follows : In Madison District,
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INDIANA METHODISM.
4,352; in Charlestown District, 4,443; and in those portions of the Wabash and Illinois Districts lying in Indiana, 2,045; making a total membership in Indiana of 10,840; while that portion of the Illinois Confer- ence lying within the state of Illinois only included a membership of 2,595. The appointments to the work in Indiana, made at this Conference, were as follows :
MADISON DISTRICT-JOHN STRANGE, PRESIDING ELDER.
Madison Station-C. W. Ruter. Madison Circuit-James Scott and Daniel Newton. Lawrenceburg-James L. Thompson and George Randle. Whitewater-James Havens and John F. Johnson.
Connersville-Robert Burns. Rushville-N. B Griffith. Flat-rock-Abner H. Cheever.
Indianapolis-Edwin Ray.
CHARLESTOWN DISTRICT-JAMES ARMSTRONG, PRESIDING ELDER.
Charlestown-Allen Wiley and James Garner. Corydon-George Locke and Samuel Low. Paoli-W. H. Smith and Smith L. Robinson. Eel-river-Daniel Anderson and Stith M. Otwell. Crawfordsville-Henry Buell. Bloomington-A. Wood. Salem-Wm. Shanks and John Hogan. Washington-William Moore.
WABASH DISTRICT-CHARLES HOLLIDAY, PRESIDING ELDER.
Vincennes-Stephen R. Beggs. Patoka-Asa D. West. Booneville-Thomas Davis. Mount Vernon-Thomas Files.
The tide of emigration was extending northward, and as the Church kept even pace with the population the names of the charges indicate very clearly what portions of the state were being settled by white men, and the plans of these early circuits give a clearer idea of the physical toil and personal hardships of the itinerancy of that day, than any mere verbal description, however
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INDIANA METHODISM.
graphic it might be. Indianapolis Circuit, in 1825, com- prised the following preaching-places : In the county of Marion : Indianapolis, Headley's, M'Laughlin's, and La- master's; in the county of Madison : Pendleton, Shet- terley's, and Smith's ; in Hamilton County: Danville, Wilson's, and Claypool's ; in Hendricks County and in the county of Morgan : Matlock's, Barlow's, Booker's, Martins- ville, Culton's, and Ladd's; at Hough's, in Johnson County, and Ray's and Rector's, in Shelby County. In 1825 Honey-creek Circuit included the following appoint- ments : Carlisle, Johnson's, Robbins's, Wall's, and Wear's, in Sullivan County ; Jackson's, Jr., Jackson's, Sr., Ray's, and Barnes's, in Vigo County ; and Wilkens's, Merom Bond's, and Graham's, in the county of Sullivan. Paoli Circuit, in 1826, embraced the following appointments : In Orange County : Paoli, Vawter's, Little Orleans, and De Pew's ; in the county of Lawrence: Irving's, Fingir's, and Sewell's Meeting-house; in the county of Martin : Bruner's, the Widow Shelmyer's, M'Gaw's, Nellam's, Fa- ther Hall's, and at Hall's, Jr. ; Brider's and Springer's, in Perry County ; and in the county of Crawford : Leaton's, Fredonia, Leavenworth, M'Grew's, Sherwood's, and Ri- ley's. The roads were merely bridle-paths, the streams were unbridged and without ferries, meetings were mostly in private houses. School-houses and churches were few and far between.
The third session of the Illinois Conference was held at Mt. Carmel, Illinois, September 20, 1827. At this Conference, the appointments for the work in Indiana were as follows :
MADISON DISTRICT-JOHN STRANGE, PRESIDING ELDER.
Madison Station-Edwin Ray.
Madison Circuit-James Garner and Abner H. Cheever. Lawrenceburg Circuit-Allen Wiley and D. Newton.
Lawrenceburg Station-James L. Thompson.
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INDIANA METHODISM.
Whitewater Circuit-Thomas S. Hitt and James Scott. Wayne-S. R. Beggs and William Evans. Connersville-Robert Burns. Rushville-James Havens. Columbus-C. B. Jones. Indianapolis-N. B. Griffith.
Ternon-Henry Buell.
CHARLESTOWN DISTRICT-JAMES ARMSTRONG, PRESIDING ELDER.
Charlestown Circuit-G. Locke, C. W. Ruter, Supernum., and E. G. Wood. Corydon-J. W. M'Reynolds and S. Low, Supernumerary.
Paoli-William Moore and James M'Kean.
Eel-river-William H. Smith and Benjamin Stevenson.
Crawfordsville-Eli P. Farmer.
Bloomington-Daniel Anderson and S. M. Otwell.
Salem-William Shanks and John Hardy.
Washington-Thomas Davis.
WABASH DISTRICT-CHARLES HOLLIDAY, PRESIDING ELDER.
Vermilion-John Fox. ·
Vincennes-J. Miller and Asahel Risley. Patoki-Charles Slocum.
Booneville-William Mavity.
Mount Vernon-Thomas Files.
Edwin Ray found the Church in Madison greatly ex- cited over what was known as the Radical Controversy. Ray did what he could to reclaim the disaffected brethren, and to disabuse the public mind by publicly vindicating the economy of the Church ; but his efforts apparently hastened the crisis. During the year quite a number withdrew, and organized a separate Church. They built a respectable house of worship on Third Street, and flourished for some years ; and their Church, at one time, numbered some three hundred; but they soon began to decline, and the greater part returned to the old Church again, and appeared satisfied that, while there might be a difference of opinion as to the rights and powers of bishops and presiding elders, that difference of opinion did not justify schism in the Church. In 1828, the Illi- nois Conference met in Madison, Indiana, Bishop Roberts presiding. The members reported in that part of the
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INDIANA METHODISM.
work lying in Indiana were: Madison District, 5419 ; Charlestown District, 6700 ; and in that part of Wabash District lying in Indiana, 3974. Madison District began at Madison, on the Ohio River, and extended north of Randolph County, and thence west to White River, and down White River, including Andersontown, Noblesville, Indianapolis, and Martinsville ; from thence south-east to the east fork of White River, called Driftwood, some distance below Columbus, in Bartholomew County, and from thence to Madison, embracing all of the interme- diate country, except a narrow strip of country extending from Paris to Versailles, called Vernon Circuit, which was included in Charlestown District. Extensive revi- vals prevailed throughout most of the Conference. Law- renceburg Circuit, under the labors of N. B. Griffith and E. G. Wood, was in a blaze of revival. A number of young men were received into the Church, in the bounds of this circuit, during the year, whose names have been since identified with the history of the Church. Of these we mention J. V. Watson, subsequently of the Michigan Conference, sometime editor of the North-western Chris- tian Advocate, and author of several good books; a re- markably gifted preacher, and although a great sufferer from asthma, and for several years a confirmed invalid, yet such was his strength of will that he accomplished more than most robust men would have thought possible for them to have done; he was a man of brilliant im- agination, had a remarkable command of language, and while he was naturally a true genius, he depended on the genius of hard work for success,-Edward Oldham, who labored for some years as a faithful and effi- cient minister in the Indiana Conference, and F. C. Hal- liday. Indianapolis appears on the list of appointments, for the first time, as a station, and James Armstrong was
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INDIANA METHODISM.
pastor. Wisely and well did he lay the foundations of Methodism in the capital of the state. Fall-creek ap- pears for the first time on the list of appointments, with Charles Bonner as the preacher. During the year there was a glorious camp-meeting held in the vicinity of Pen- dleton, within the bounds of Bonner's circuit, at which fifty souls were converted to God and added to the Church. The following incident, in connection with this meeting, is from the pen of Wiley: " A part of the ses- sion, at the middle of the day, on Sabbath, was devoted to the subject of Baptism, and at the close of the service some forty or fifty adults and children were baptized. After the public baptism was over, the elder was informed that there was a poor, afflicted man in a wagon, whose body was, to a considerable extent, decayed by some kind of abscess or ulceration; but there was yet body enough left to hold the soul, which could not stay much longer on the earth, as disease was rapidly encroaching on the vital parts of the system. This poor Lazarus, with all his stench of disease, heard the sermon, and felt its force, and was desirous to be baptized before he died; and his wish was met in the wagon. His meek, penitent, weep- ing countenance is still fresh in my memory. If baptism were confined to immersion alone, this poor man must have died unbaptized ; for I suppose the most zealous im- mersionist in the world would not have attempted to put the fragments of his decaying body under the water. To my mind this fact is a most powerful argument against the absolute necessity of immersion to constitute valid baptism; for if that be the case, this penitent believer. must have died unsealed with God's sign of the Christian covenant; but if pouring or sprinkling be valid baptism, while the head and heart are alive, and reason and feel- ing continue, the penitent may be baptized. This poor
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INDIANA METHODISM.
man felt that it was valid, and in a few days left the remains of a loathsome carcass, and went to rest."
In September, 1829, Illinois Conference met in Ed- wardsville, Madison County, Illinois ; Bishop Soule pre- siding. The following charges appear for the first time in the list of appointments : Washington, in Wabash District ; Franklin and Vernon, in Madison District; and Logansport Mission, which was included in Charlestown District ; Stephen R. Beggs, missionary, and John Strange, Presiding Elder. .
How a man could make four rounds in a year, on a district extending from Charlestown, on the Ohio River, to Logansport, on horseback, without improved roads, with few ferries, and no bridges across the streams, is marvelous. But Strange was a man of one work, and, although of a delicate constitution, he was lion-hearted. He had threaded his way through the forests in Eastern Indiana, from one settlement to another, and from one block-house to another, carrying a trusty rifle to protect himself from the Indians, that he might preach the Gospel, and carry the consolations of religion to the first pioneers of civilization. Such heroism greatly endeared him to the people, and his visits to the block-houses and forts were hailed with delight. He had a remarkable trust in Divine providence. When on a visit to some of his old friends in Lawrenceburg, in 1816, he had a severe attack of fever. Toward the close of his sick- ness, the horses which he and Mrs. Strange rode got out of the stable and strayed off. The family with whom he stayed, and other friends, having made an unsuccess- ful search for the horses, seemed quite uneasy about them. Strange said to them, in a mild, chiding way: "Why are you so uneasy about the horses? All the horses in the world belong to the Lord, and he will give
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