USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > The old Trappe Church, 1743-1893 : a memorial of the sesqui-centennial services of Augustus Evangelical Lutheran Church, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania > Part 16
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George Sill.
about eleven years, two years in Fairfield County and two elsewhere in Ohio. He then accepted a call to Dickinson, Cumberland County, and entered the West Pennsylvania synod. On September 19, 1854, he ac- cepted a call to the Trappe charge and connected himself with the Minis- terium of Pennsylvania. Having been elected pastor at Hummelstown and Union Deposit, Dauphin County, on December 1, 1858, he resigned on the 22d, moved in March to Hummelstown and served there until April 27, . 1861. During this time he was a member of the East Pennsylvania synod. In 1861 he was called to the charge in which he began his ministry, Tip- pecanoe City, Ohio, and received an honorable dismission from the East Pennsylvania synod to the Wittenberg synod of Ohio. In this, his last charge, he continued to labor until disabled by sickness. In 1862, the question of his return to the Trappe charge was presented to him, to which he replied that " If God should be pleased to spare his life, and restore him to health, and the call would be without a dissenting voice and as spontaneous as the playing of a fountain, he would accept." But instead of being informed of his willingness to entertain a call to Trappe, the congregation received the sad intelligence of his death, which occurred on Sunday, March 30, 1862. He had frequently over- taxed his strength, and for a number of years before his death suffered from a complication of diseases. His funeral took place on April 2d, on which occasion Rev. Prof. M. Diehl, now also deceased, preached the sermon from I Thess. 4: 13-14. He was buried at Carstown, Ohio. As a preacher Rev. Link revealed a singular power in appealing to the con- science and feelings of his hearers. His sermons, always carefully pre- pared, were delivered without manuscript, and generally under pressure of great emotion. His language was chaste and appropriate, his voice strong and his manner solemn and impressive. He was of an exceedingly nervous and excitable temperament, and perhaps at times too hasty and impulsive, but his Christian character was above reproach, and his per- sonal piety fervent and sincere.
REV. GEORGE SILL.
George, son of Daniel and Catherine Sill, was born in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, on December 19, 1820. After taking a partial collegiate course at Gettysburg, he pursued his theological studies pri- vately under Rev. George Leiter, at Mansfield, Ohio. He was licensed at Bucyrus, Ohio, November 10, 1841, and immediately began traveling as missionary through Union County, Ohio, then a very sparsely settled country. Living at Mount Vernon, he was obliged to pass through sev-
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eral forests, one twelve miles in extent, the only sign of human habitation being a few log cabins. Five or six miles West of Mount Vernon was a German settlement of Lutherans where he preached during the Winter in one of the cabins. There are now two large Lutheran churches in that community. The following Spring Rev. Sill became assistant to Rev. W. G. Keil, at Senecaville, Ohio, and once in four weeks supplied a congre- gation in Belmont County, Ohio, forty miles distant from his place of residence. But after two years of exposure and hard work, his health failed him and he was obliged to resign. As soon as his health was re- stored, having been ordained by the Miami synod in October, 1843, at Wooster, Ohio, he resumed his missionary labors in various parts of Mont- gomery, Lebanon, Preble and Butler Counties, Ohio. In the Spring of 1845 he was called to the Milville charge. Here he organized a congre- gation in Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio, and one at Darrtown, where a church was soon erected. On account of the severe and protracted illness of his wife he resigned in September, 1848. During this pastorate he was elected a member of the Board of Directors of Wittenburg College by the Miami synod. Rev. Sill now moved to Pennsylvania, and on April 1, 1849, became pastor of the Belleville charge in Mifflin County, in connection with which he organized a congregation and built a church at Yeagertown. He resigned April 1, 1855, and immediately after as- sumed the pastorate of the Grindstone Hill charge, where he remained as pastor until he was called to Trappe in the Spring of 1859. In 1862 he organized St. John's German Lutheran congregation at Phoenixville, where a mission had been previously started by Rev. H. W. Ries in 1859. In the Fall of 1863 he accepted a call to Whitemarsh, Montgomery County, and served the congregation there and at Upper Dublin until March 1, 1869. On April 1, 1869, the four congregations of the Turbot- ville charge, (Turbotville, Fulmer, Paradise and McEwensville,) North- umberland County, came under his pastoral supervision. He resigned June 20, 1870, and one week later preached his introductory sermon in the Manchester, Md., charge. After a pastorate of eleven years, during which time he organized a congregation and built a church at Snydersburg, he resigned March 26, 1881, moved to Ohio, and supplied the Philadelphia charge in Logan County for one year. From May, 1882 to 1885, he served the Fisher's charge, Allen County, Ohio, supply- ing also as circumstances permitted the Middlepoint charge in Van Wert County. In July, 1885, he following a call to the Fryburg charge, Clar- ion County, Pennsylvania, which on December 5th of the following year his impaired health, after several months prostration, forced him to re- linquish.
He entered upon his last charge in May, 1890, as pastor of St. James'
151
John Kohler, D. D.
Lutheran church Chalfont, Bucks County, which he served until Novem- ber 12, 1893, when failure of sight constrained him to lay down the active work of the ministry after a service of fifty-two years. During his Trappe pastorate he was a member of the Ministerium of Pennsylvania and since then has been connected with the East Pennsylvania synod. For several years he served as a director of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and as a member of the Board of Publication of the East Pennsylvania synod.
Rev. Sill was married on March 4, 1845, to Hannah M. Mulford who died December 23, 1892. She bore him nine children, four of whom died in infancy. In January, 1893, he buried his son Mulford who was born at Trappe. He now resides in his own home in Philadelphia where one of his daughters conducts the affairs of the household. Rev. Sill is still vigorous in body and mind, and frequently engaged in assisting other pastors and supplying vacant pulpits.
REV. JOHN KOHLER, D. D.
John, son of Andrew and Anna M. Kohler, was born in Juniata County, Pennsylvania, May 27, 1820. He received his classical educa- tion in Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg, and after graduating in 1842 took his theological course in the Lutheran Theological Seminary at that place. After his ordination in 1844 he was sent as Home Missionary to Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Services were held at this place as early as 1816 and probably earlier, and in 1826 an organized congregation and a union church were in existence. But before Dr. Kohler's arrival there had been a long vacancy and most woeful neglect. Dr. Kohler, who entered upon his missionary duties November 1, 1845, preached in German, and also introduced English services. So successful were his labors that after two years this mission became a self-sustaining congregation, out of which an English and a German congregation were subsequently formed. At Wil- liamsport Dr. Kohler held services every two weeks and on the inter- mediate Sundays preached at two other points five miles apart and six miles distant from Williamsport, to which stations he traveled regularly on foot. He resigned the charge October 31, 1849, and on March Ist of the following year became pastor of the congregation at New Holland. In addition to his services at New Holland, where during his pastorate a new church was built, he supplied two other preaching points on Sunday afternoons, where members of the congregation were living but not in sufficient numbers to form a congregation, averaging three services every other Sunday. In the Fall of 1863 he resigned and accepted
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The Old Trappe Church.
a call to the Trappe charge, which he assumed January 1, 1864. During his pastorate here which closed September 27, 1873, he for a number of years preached once in four weeks at the almshouse. On October I, 1873, he took charge of the congregation at Stroudsburg, from which he was called in the Fall of 1882 to fill the Principalship of the Preparatory department of Muhlenberg College, and after two years of academic ser- vice resumed pastoral labors at Leacock (formerly Mechanicsburg,) June 1, 1884. While pastor of this charge he had church extensively renovated, the special improvements being re-roofing, frescoing and the addition of a recess to the building. On September 30, 1893, Dr. Kohler relinquished this field and since then, though actively engaged in preaching as opportunity offers, has been without a regular charge. He has served the church in various positions of influence throughout his ministry. From 1870-81 he was a member of the Examining Commit- tee of the Ministerium of Pennsylvania and has served in the same capac- ity since 1886. He enjoys the distinction also of having been a Director of the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia since its inception. He was appointed a member of the English Hymn-Book and Church- Book Committee into which the former was merged. In 1890 the Doc- torate of Divinity was conferred upon him by Muhlenberg College, mak- ing the sixth of the pastors of the Trappe congregation who received this degree. Dr. Kohler has been industrious also with his pen, and his con- tributions to various church periodicals have been frequent and meritori- ous, the best known being " The Episcopate for the Lutheran Church in America" and a history of the New Holland church, which appeared in various numbers of The Missionary, published by Dr. William Passavant but long since discontinued. In 1869 the Ordination sermon which Dr. Kohler was appointed to preach at synod in that year was published by request. He has on various other special occasions delivered addresses and sermons, one of the latter being also in print.
Dr. Kohler was married on February 26, 1846, to Louisa A. Baum, of New Berlin, Pennsylvania, who bore him five sons and four daughters, all of whom are living. Two of his sons are in the active ministry of the Church.
REV. OLIVER PETER SMITH.
Oliver Peter, son of Frederick and Mary Smith, was born at Tripoli, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, September 4, 1848, and is the youngest of eight children. He received his first instruction from his father, who was then a teacher in the public school of that place, and at the age of
I53
Oliver Peter Smith.
ten his brother Theodore became his tutor. He prepared for college in the Allentown Collegiate Institute and Military Academy, entered Muh- lenberg College in the Fall of 1868 and graduated in 1871. For one year while at college he was engaged by the school board of Allentown as instructor of German in the public schools. After graduating from the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, in 1874, he was ordained to the ministry at Lancaster on June 3d. On the Sunday following his ordination he was installed as pastor of the Trappe charge and served un- til 1889, when he became Dr. B. M. Schmucker's successor as pastor of the church of the Transfiguration in Pottstown where he continues vig- orously to prosecute his pastoral labors. During his pastorate at Trappe, where he also served in the capacity of German Professor in Washington Hall Institute, the church was remodeled at a cost of $7000, a new union church built at Limerick at a cost of $10,000 and a Lutheran church at Schwenksville costing about $15,000. Since he has been pastor at Potts- town the church has been remodeled, the church property much im- proved and a fine parsonage erected. He was president of the first district Conference of the Ministerium of Pennsylvania, 1890-92, and for a num- ber of years has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Theo- logical Seminary, Mt. Airy, Philadelphia, serving for a time as secretary.
He was married June 23, 1874, to Laura Affie Barnes, daughter of Ezra R. Barnes, Esq., of Bridgeport, Connecticut. She died June 30, 1884, and left him no children. Rev. Smith was again married on October 21, 1886, to Mary Matilda Hobson, and they are now the happy parents of two prospective candidates for the ministry. " The subject of this sketch uses the English and German language with equal ease and fluency, which gives him the qualification for distin- guished usefulness in his church. His style in the pulpit is free and earnest accompanied with great force. When preparing his sermons he draws them up with great care in manuscript form, but never uses a note in the pulpit, which makes him especially popular as a speaker."110
(110) Hist. of Mont. Co., p. 1060.
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The Old Trappe Church.
ADDITIONAL SKETCHES.
It is interesting to remember that the distinguished patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America was the head also of a distinguished family. As most of Muhlenberg's children spent their early years at Trappe, as two of his sons for a time sustained pastoral relations to the congregation as assistants to their father, and as several of his chil- dren have here found their last resting place, it will not be without per- tinency and interest to add some further biographical account of the family.
Eight of Henry M. Muhlenberg's eleven children were born at Trappe, and the remaining three at Philadelphia. Three, John Charles, born November 18, 1760; Catherine Salome, born April 18, 1764 and Emanuel Samuel, born July 11, 1769, died in infancy, and John Enoch Samuel, born August 21, 1758, died in early childhood at the age of six years on February 16, 1764.
GEN. JOHN PETER GABRIEL MUHLENBERG.
Peter Muhlenberg-as the first-born son of Henry Melchior and Anna Maria Muhlenberg always abbreviated his autograph-was born at Trappe, October 1, 1746. After a preliminary school training at Trappe, and a few years at the Philadelphia academy, he with his two younger brothers was sent to Halle on April 27, 1763, to be educated and pre- pared for the ministry. In a letter to the Halle authorities the father stated that Peter's chief fault was his fondness for hunting and fishing, and advised, that if Peter should not prove tractable, he should be sent to a well disciplined garrison town where he might "obey the drum if he would not follow the Spirit of God." After some time, as the Halle discipline and the close application proved irksome, he was apprenticed to a druggist at Lübeck for a term of six years, but being soon disgusted with the limited opportunities of his apprenticeship, he took sudden leave of his employer, enlisted in a company of dragoons passing through the town, and was soon engaged as secretary of the regiment. After his dis- charge had been obtained by a British colonel who had formed Muhlen- berg's acquaintance some years before in America, Peter with his
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John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg.
rescuer returned to his native land in 1766. In obedience to his father's wish and to a great extent owing to the happy influence of Provost Dr. Wrangel, who personally conducted his theological studies, he gave himself seriously to the work of preparing for the ministry. Examined June 20, 1769, he was licensed to serve the New Germantown and Bedminster, N. J., congregations, where he had already for some time acted as his father's substitute. While here he married Anna Barbara Meyer, of Philadelphia, on Novem- ber 6, 1770. Resigning his charge to accept a call to Woodstock, Virginia, where the state laws required Episcopal ordination to enable a minister legally to discharge all the functions of his office, to " perform marriage ceremonies " and " enforce the payment of tithes," he set sail for England March 2, 1772, was ordained a priest in the King's chapel in London April 21st, and upon his return in the Fall entered upon his pastoral duties in his new charge. It is said that for recreation he occa- sionally indulged in the sports of the field and at times hunted in com- pany with Washington, who, skilled marksman as he was admitted that he was outmatched by the Lutheran pastor.
Throughout the exciting preliminaries of the Revolution and the war itself he took a conspicuous and distinguished part. Elected a mem- ber of the House of Burgesses, and a delegate to the state convention in 1774 where he became an ardent supporter of Patrick Henry, he in December of the following year was appointed colonel of the eighth regiment of the state militia,-his appointment being strongly urged by Washington and Henry. When a short time afterward he concluded his farewell sermon to his people with the memorable words, "there is a time to preach and a time to pray ; there is also a time to fight and that time has now come," he threw aside his gown and stood before his awed congre- gation girded in his colonel's uniform. He was actively engaged in the battles of Sullivan's Island, Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth Court- house, Stony Point and Yorktown. On February 21, 1776, he was appointed a Brigadier-general and on September 30, 1783, Congress recognized his efficient and heroic service by advancing him to the rank of Major-general. Whilst the army was in Winter quarters at Valley Forge he frequently visited his father at Trappe, spending the night with him and returning to camp in the morning. But when his movements were reported to the enemy, a carefully arranged plan was made to cap- ture him from which only the fleetness of his horse enabled him to escape. In 1784 he journeyed to Ohio to locate lands received for service during the war, with the intention of subsequently settling there, but his call to civil responsibility frustrated the plan. Under Benj. Franklin's presi- dency of Penna., he was elected in the Fall of 1785 as Vice President,
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The Old Trappe Church.
and re-elected until 1788. In December of this year he became a member of the first congress under the new constitution and was returned to the third congress in 1793. On February 18, 1801, he was elected a member of the United States senate, but after a few months resigned and accepted from President Jefferson the appointment of Supervisor of the Internal revenue of Pa. In July, 1802, he was appointed Collector of the Port of Phila., retaining the position until his death, which occurred at Phila., October 1, 1807. Two sons, Peter, a major in the war of 1812, and Francis, congressman from Ohio, and one daughter survived him. He was buried beside his father in the grave-yard of the Old Trappe Church. General Peter Muhlenberg was " tall in person, very active in body and of undaunted heroism. His coolness and determination made him one of the men on whom Gen. Washington relied for success." "He was brave and generous to a fault, cool in danger, sound in judgment, indifferent to fame, zealous in duty, -these were his distinguishing traits as a soldier."11 He was one of the two most distinguished soldiers of Pennsylvania, whose statues were placed in the Capitol at Washington.
HON. FREDERICK AUGUSTUS CONRAD MUHLENBERG.
Born on the evening of January 1, 1750, baptized January 15th, the second son of the Patriarch received the name of Frederick Augustus Conrad in honor of his grandfather Conrad Weiser, and of Drs. Frederick M. Ziegenhagen and G. Augustus Francke, sponsors. After receiving a six years' classical and theological training at Halle, and a course also in vocal and instrumental music, he with his brother Henry Ernest at the meeting of the Ministerium at Reading, 1770, passed a highly creditable examination, conducted in Latin by Rev. J. L. Voigt, and was there or- dained on October 25th. After serving a few years as assistant to Rev. C. E. Schultze, at Tulpehocken, Schaeffertown and Lebanon, he became the successful and highly esteemed pastor of Christ's church, New York, 1773-6. To him belongs the honor of having made the first movement toward the organization of a Synod in New York,-a movement which was however not consummated until 1786 by Dr. Kunze. Upon the entrance of British troops into New York in 1776, he was compelled to leave the city because of his ardent espousal of the patriot cause, re- moved to his father at Trappe, and in the following year settled at New Hanover, assisting his father in his charge and soon extending his pas- toral labors to Oley, New Goshenhoppen and Reading. Yielding to the
(111) Life of Major-General Peter Muhlenberg, by Henry A. Muhlenberg, p. 333.
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Gotthilf Henry Ernest Muhlenberg.
pressure brought to bear upon him, chiefly by his German friends, he resigned the pulpit for the forum, being appointed to fill a vacancy in the Continental . Congress, March 2, 1779, and elected for the full term. on November 12th. The following year he was elected a representative of Philadelphia in the State Assembly over which he presided for two. terms. In 1783 a resumption of pastoral work was contemplated, but. before the plan of sending him to Ebenezer could mature, he was elected to the Board of Censors of Pennsylvania and chosen its president. Re- signing the position of Justice of the Peace and Judge of Montgomery County after a few months incumbency in 1784, he served as Register-
of Wills until January 14, 1789. Under the federal constitution, adopted by the State Assembly December 13, 1787, when he again served as pres- ident, he was elected and three times re-elected to the House of Repre- sentatives, and as speaker of the first and third houses presided with dig- nity and marked ability. His casting vote, April 29, 1796, in the noted Jay Treaty with England, deserves to be specially mentioned as having in all probability averted another war. In 1798 his political activity ceased, and after filling a short appointment as Receiver General of the Land Office in 1800, he retired the same year to Lancaster, where he died, June 4, 1801. He was married to Catherine Schaefer, daughter of one of the elders of the Philadelphia congregation. Six of his children survived him.
He was president of the German Society of Pennsylvania from 1790- 1797, and was also a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania. He was. twice a candidate for governor of Pennsylvania, 1793 and 1796, but the majority was on the other side.
Hon. F. A. C. Muhlenberg was a man of high attainments and un- impeachable integrity, whose sterling character, admirable self-command and correct judgment specially qualified him for the presiding chair, which he so frequently and ably filled.
REV. GOTTHILF HENRY ERNEST MUHLENBERG, D. D.
The Patriarch's youngest son was born at Trappe, November 17, 1753. At the age of ten he was sent to Halle with his two brothers. The latter proceeded directly to Halle, but Henry under the care of an at- tendant was sent to Eimbeck to visit the home of his father. Abandoned by his faithless guide, he continued his journey alone and on foot, and as he approached the town, fatigued, hungry and despairing, a good Samar-
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The Old Trappe Church.
itan kindly took him on his back and carried him the remaining distance, charming away the lad's troubles by his entertaining stories.
After a six years' thorough course at Halle, where his talents and diligence placed him at the head of his class, he returned to America with his brother Frederick Augustus and future brother-in-law Dr. Kunze, and when only seventeen years old was ordained to the ministry at Read- ing, October 25, 1770, his marked proficiency disclosed by the synodical examination overcoming any objections against his youthfulness. As assistant to his father he remained at Philadelphia until the occupancy of the city by the British when he was obliged to leave for safety. Under an Indian disguise, robed in a blanket and with a gun on his shoulder, the treachery of a tory innkeeper might have resulted fatally for the young divine had it not been for the opportune warning of a Whig occupant of the inn. He reached New Hanover in safety, and there devoted the time of his enforced leisure chiefly to a vigorous study of botany, until the withdrawal of the British troops at length permitted him to return.
Early in 1779, after his brother Frederick Augustus had entered the political arena, Henry succeeded him at New Hanover, remaining only until the following year when he was called to Lancaster as Dr. Hel- muth's successor. After a most diligent, faithful and successful pastorate of thirty-five years, winning the deepest attachment of his people, the universal esteem of his brethren in the ministry, and the admiring recog- nition of the world of letters, he succumbed to a stroke of apoplexy, and with his Bible clasped closely to his breast, gently breathed his last on May 23, 1815, in his sixty-second year. He was buried at Lancaster, Dr. Helmuth preaching the sermon at the funeral from Heb. 13 : 7.
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