USA > Texas > History of Methodism in Texas > Part 4
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It was reported that, when Mr. Hord was preaching in Washington, a young man carried under his coat a fighting- cock, and would occasionally make him squall during the services. Several years later than this, after the county- seat had been removed to Brenham, a preacher was hold- ing service in the new and unfinished court-house. Some young men entered, smoking. The preacher mildly re- quested them not to smoke while religious services were being held. They left the room, and collecting some scraps of old leather and other stuff, set it on fire and placed it under the end of the house occupied by the preacher. As the floor had not been laid except with loose planks, the smoke passed up through the cracks into the preacher's face. The next day the boys boasted that they had " smoked out the preacher ;" and yet those same boys were the preacher's personal friends, and they had no idea of offering an insult to people worshipping God. But they were fond of fun and could permit no opportunity to pass that promised them amusement.
During the year 1838 there were three churches built in
countable impulse seized bim to take the Bible at San Felipe, and that the reading of that precious book had brought him to realize his lost condition as a sinner. From this until his death, which took place in Columbus in 1855, Mr. Secrest maintained a consistent Christian character.
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Texas, one in Washington, one in the McMahan settle- ment, where the first society had been organized in the Red- lands, and one in the town of San Augustine. General Rusk took an active part in the erection of the San Au- gustine church, and delivered an eloquent address during the dedicatory services.
On the 4th of June, 1838, Dr. Bangs, Missionary Secre- tary, appointed Jesse Hord to the Texas mission. This was Mr. Hord's fourth year in the intinerancy. In 1836 he was stationed in Murfreesboro, and in 1837 in Memphis.
In October, 1838, Mr. Fowler attended the Tennessee Conference at Huntsville, Alabama. From this Conference Samuel A. Williams was sent to Texas. Mr. Williams had been three years in the itinerancy. Joseph P. Sneed came from the Mississippi Conference. He had been travelling eight years. In Louisiana he had travelled circuits border- ing upon Texas, and had frequently crossed the Sabine and - assisted in holding meetings on this side of the river.
SECTION IV.
Appointments for 1839-Death of Strickland-Jasper Circuit-Cente- nary Camp-Meeting - The Voice of Prayer in the Night- Three D. D.'s.
IN the Minutes of the Mississippi Conference, held at Grenada, December 3, 1838, the following appointments are announced.
Texas Mission district : L. Fowler, P. E .; Galveston and Houston : Abel Stevens; Nacogdoches: Samuel A. Wil- 5 liams ; Washington : R. Alexander, Isaac L. G. Strickland ; Montgomery : Jesse Hord ; Brazoria: Joseph P. Sneed.
Mr. Hord informs us that a majority of the preachers
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met at a log-cabin near San Augustine, where these appointments were remodelled, of course Mr. Fowler con- tinuing as presiding elder : San Augustine, including Shel- byville and Nacogdoches, etc., S. A. Williams; Montgom- ery, all the territory between the Trinity and Brazos Rivers, I. L. G. Strickland; Washington, including the upper settlements on the Colorado, R. Alexander ; Egypt, includ- ing Brazoria County and westward to the Guadalupe River, Jesse Hord.
In March following Mr. Sneed arrived and took charge of the Montgomery circuit, and Mr. Strickland was sent to assist Mr. Hord. This was Mr. Strickland's sixth year in the ministry, and proved to be his last. He was a young man of rare promise, and while diligently prosecuting his work, fell a victim to congestive fever. He died at the house of Mrs. Bell, at Columbia. When convinced that his end was approaching he exclaimed, "Can this be death ?" and then confidently added, "I shall soon be in heaven." His body rests under a live-oak tree in one of the unmarked graves in the family burying-ground on the Bell plantation, near West Columbia. Some years later a little church was built at Chance's Prairie, called Strickland Chapel, but his grave is unmarked. His successors in the ministry may not be able to find it, but doubtless his Master knows how he labored and died, and where his body sleeps, and the point from which it will come forth when He comes to make up His jewels. A tear to the memory of Isaac L. G. Strick- land.
Mr. Stevens did not arrive to take charge of Houston and Galveston, and these cities were without regular preaching. To give an idea of the size of circuits, we may notice that the four quarterly meetings for the Egypt
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circuit were held successively at Egypt, Velasco, Houston, and Texana. When Mr. Stevens came on he labored princi- pally in Austin and Washington Counties.
In the early part of 1839, Mr. Fowler requested Moses Spear to visit the region of country lying between the Neches and Sabine Rivers, and organize a circuit. C. Arnett, R. Barclay, and some others living on Wolf Creek, had already commenced holding prayer-meetings. Hear- ing that a preacher was somewhere in the country, Mr Barclay started to hunt him up. Travelling thirty miles, he found Mr. Spear at the house of Mr. Edward Goode. Mr. Spear sent on an appointment and preached at Wolf Creek, and organized a class, appointing Mr. Arnett as class- leader. (Mr. Arnett subsequently became a local preacher, and lived for many years at Lampasas.)
Messrs. Fowler and Williams visited the Wolf Creek settlement, and at the close of the year that society num- bered thirty members. The town of Jasper had at this time obtained an unenviable notoriety. Messrs. Fowler and Spear held a quarterly meeting at the place, at which there was a most gracious revival of religion. Many were converted, and a great change effected in the morals of the community. Judge Patrick C. Jack stated to us that, be- fore this meeting, he found it difficult to obtain sober men enough to organize a court; afterward Jasper was as quiet as any town in his district.
The year 1839 is famous for having been observed as the centenary of Methodism. Texas participated in the cele- bration. In the bounds of Mr. Alexander's circuit, near Independence, a centenary camp-meeting was held, at which there were one hundred conversions, and, including infants, as many baptisms. Captain Horatio Chrisman,
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J. G. Swisher, Dr. Asa Hoxie, and other leading citizens of Washington County, camped on the grounds. At the close of the meeting a little incident occurred which .pro- duced a deep impression upon the audience. Mr. Sullivan, when about to dismiss them, announced some other appoint- ments, and among them another big camp-meeting, the time of which he could not definitely fix. It would be held on the bank of a river near a large spring whose waters were clear as a crystal. It would be a beautiful camp- ground, shaded with trees bending with fruit. None of the campers would suffer with sickness. All would be happy, as they would leave sorrow and sighing behind them, and God would wipe tears from all eyes. They would need no light, for God himself would illuminate the scene. And, as to death, those who pitched their tents on the bank of that river would die no more. The wreaths they wore would be fadeless. The songs they sung would roll on without cessation through eternity. The fine poetic taste of Mr. Sullivan enabled him to make such a talk with in- imitable pathos. As the people caught his meaning a tide of emotion rose in every bosom, and by the time he had his congregation assembling around the big spring, one uni- versal shout was heard over the encampment.
In the Fall of this year Mr. Stevens arrived in Texas with Rev. Mr. Hoes, agent of the American Bible Society. After spending a Sabbath in Houston, the two started across the prairie to the Brazos, mounted on Spanish ponies. To them the scene was new and exciting. The boundless meadows were covered with cattle, deer, and an occasional wolf. Just at dark they arrived at the edge of the Brazos timber, and stopped for the night. The house was a cabin of one room, already occupied by a large family. They passed the
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night sleeping upon their cloaks on a puncheon floor. The next day they pushed on across the river, and up toward Centre Hill. Night overtook them. They got bewildered- lost. Carefully listening, they heard a human voice, and, drawing near, recognized it as the voice of prayer. Paying still closer attention, they were surprised at the eloquence and appropriateness of the language used. They were at the house of Thomas Bell, one of Mr. Kinney's earliest con- verts, and he from whom the town of Bellville was named. Mr. Bell had procured of Mr. Alexander the works of Richard Watson, and he had studied them until he had unconsciously adopted the style and language of the great Englishman. After remaining a few months in Texas and preaching with great acceptability, Mr. Stevens returned to the North to become the historian of Methodism. Some anecdotes are still told in Texas of Mr. Stevens. It is re- ported that at one place he inquired of a lady which of the cows gave buttermilk, and before the astonished woman could answer he wanted a recipe for making clabber. We have heard anecdotes of two other D. D.'s who for a short time figured in Texas. Dr. T. O. Summers was on his way to the Rutersville camp-meeting in company with some ladies. They stopped to noon near a field on Cummings Creek. The Doctor thought he saw some fine watermelons in the field. Hot as it was, he went in and brought his arms full To his surprise the ladies did not thank him, and could hardly suppress laughter. The Rev. Doctor had brought a load of cymlings ! As long as he stayed in Texas Doctor Summers had a queer look-out from under his spectacles whenever cymlings were mentioned in his presence. Dr. Joseph Cross is the subject of another anec- dote. He became enthused on the profits of cattle-raising.
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In showing how rapidly they increased, he assumed that every calf would be a heifer, and have a calf at two years old. One of our cow-boys reminded the Doctor that on his ranche fully one half of the calves were of the mascu- line gender. Doctor Cross got out of the dilemma by stat- ing that he obtained his information from a stock-raiser who had acquired a large stock, and only bought two to begin with -- a yoke of oxen. In general, the Texans excuse any want of acquaintance with our customs, as the good lady did Abel Stevens, when he inquired about the cow that gave the buttermilk. "Why, la, Brother Stevens, you must be just green from the States."
SECTION V.
East Texas Appointments, 1840-Dr. Baker's Narrative of Events in the East-Death of Moses Spear.
AT the Mississippi Conference, held at Natchez, Decem- ber 4th, 1839, Texas was divided into two districts. The appointments for the East were : San Augustine district : L. Fowler, P. E .; San Augustine, S. A. Williams ; Jasper, Daniel Carl; Nacogdoches, Francis Wilson; Crockett, Henderson D. Palmer; Montgomery, Moses Spear, Robert Crawford; Houston, Edward Fountaine. Harrison to be supplied. Francis Wilson entered the Ohio Conference in 1820; he had been nineteen years in the intinerant work when he came to Texas. Mr. Carl has already had an in- troduction to our readers. H. D. Palmer had been a pro- fessor of religion from his early boyhood. He was for a short time a student at Lagrange College, Alabama. Feeling impressed that he ought to preach, and shrinking from so great a responsibility, he wandered off to Texas. 3*
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Here Littleton Fowler found him teaching school at Na- cogdoches. This was in 1838. Mr. Fowler appointed young Palmer a class-leader, and on the 7th of July the same year gave him license to preach. Robert Crawford had been for some time in Texas. He was a soldier at the battle of San Jacinto, and is still a soldier of the cross.
Crockett was a new work. Mr. Palmer, aided by Messrs. Fowler and Wilson, succeeded in organizing a church in that town .*
Mr. Palmer's health not being very good, Mr. John Wil- son, a local preacher, was appointed to assist him. Mr. Palmer subsequently married Mr. Wilson's daughter. It will be seen that Harrison was left to be supplied. Dr. Joh M. Baker was medical director of that district and one of the commissioners to locate the county-seat of that county. In a letter to us Dr. Baker says :
" In the year 1839 I moved my family to Harrison County. There was not a preacher of any kind in the county besides myself. I settled in the neighborhood of Mr. Page and his son-in-law, Mr. Josephus Moore, men of unenviable reputation. Mr. Page was an industrious, energetic man. He was hung by a company of regulators from Red River County for an alleged murder. His family said the Indians committed the murder. I afterward took the widow Page into the church and baptized her by immersion. Her son John also became a useful church-member. There was a good deal of horse and cattle stealing between the whites and Indians. The Indians stole from the whites and the whites stole from the Indians, as they
The first members of the church in Crockett were J. R. Bracken (still living), Sarah Bracken, John Box, L. E. Dance, Charlie Ellis and James Brent and their families. A church was also organized at Shiloh, consisting of Steven and Stillwell C. Box, the Holmarks, and others. Camp-meetings are still held at the old Shiloh camp-ground.
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said, by way of reprisals. It is hard to tell which party came out winner in this game, though I believe the whites a little more than held their own.
"In the year 1839 the Cherokee war broke out. We moved into Fort Crawford, and for months had no flour, meat, or coffee. We lived on corn pounded in a mortar. During this period I preached one sermon to a few hearers in Fort Crawford. At this time the war between the ' Regulators' and 'Moderators' was growing very bitter, and it was difficult to conduct religious services, though I occasion- ally had appointments to preach.
" Dissatisfied with the sparse population and bad society, I moved down near the Louisiana line. Here we were visited by the regular ministers in 1840. Francis Wilson was our first presiding elder. The first camp-meeting held in Harrison County was in the neigh- borhood of Mr. William Scott's, about five miles from Marshall. This meeting had a very beneficial influence. The next was held in the neighborhood of Jacob Booker's, a local preacher from East Tennessee. He lived near the Sabine River. One of his sons died in the intinerancy. In 1842 I held a camp-meeting at Union Acad- emy, five miles from Swanson's Landing, on Lake Soda. We had a glorious time. Our first preachers were Shook, Stovall, Craig, and O'Conner.
" While Mr. Fowler was P. E., a second camp-meeting was held near William Scott's. It was progressing finely until a despe- rado came on the ground and created a disturbance, Sunday night. Mr. Scott remonstrated with him and reproved him. This only made him worse, and he swore he would kill Mr. Scott. He went to Marshall, got drunk, armed himself, and came back to execute his threat. While hunting for his intended victim, he was himself shot, and mortally wounded. This broke up the meeting. The preachers exhorted the wounded man to repent and prepare for death. At first the dying man was defiant, but before his death he became penitent, and asked the preachers to pray for him."
Moses Spear had been admitted on trial in Arkansas in 1836. He came to Texas and organized the Jasper circuit in 1839. At the close of that year he was received into full
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connection in the Mississippi Conference and sent to the Montgomery circuit. He was well advanced in years, and while prosecuting his labors he was stricken down with disease, and died before the close of the year. He was buried in the Robinson settlement .*
SECTION VI.
Appointments in West Texas for 1840-The Work on the Colorado- Elect Ladies-John Haynie-A Dream-James Gilleland killed by Indians.
THE following were the appointments for West Texas for 1840 : Rutersville district : R. Alexander, P. E .; Rutersville, C. Richardson, and president of Rutersville College; Austin, John Haynie; Matagorda, Robert Hill ; Brazoria, Abel Stevens; Victoria to be supplied ; Houston, Edward Fountaine ; Galveston, T. O. Summers; Washing- ton, Jesse Hord, J. Lewis; Nashville, Joseph P. Sneed. In 1826 Chancey Richardson was admitted on trial in the New England Conference. For some years before coming to Texas he had charge of a Female College at Tuscumbia, Alabama. Edward Fountaine was from Mississippi. He was a young man of fine promise, and labored successfully both in Galveston and Houston. Soon after this he en- tered the ministry in the Episcopal Church. Thomas O. Summers had been six years in the ministry in the Balti- more Conference. Abel Stevens was in the North when the
* The author of " Methodism in Tennessee," confounds our Moses Spear with a Moses Speer who located in Louisville in 1794. That Speer was the father of Samuel W. Speer, D.D., and father-in-law of Rev. Greenbury Garrett. A similarity of names doubtless misled the usually accurate Dr. McFerrin.
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Conference met, and never returned. His place on the Brazoria circuit was supplied by O. Fisher, then on a visit to Texas. This was John Haynie's first year in the itin- erancy, though he received license as a local preacher in 1811. The Austin circuit, to which he was appointed, in- cluded the new capital and the counties of Bastrop and Travis. This was a portion of country infested by Indians. The neighborhoods were far apart. Corn was scarce, and the preacher carried a larieto, and kept his horse staked out. Mr. Haynie was everywhere well received .*
Immediately after arriving at Austin, Mr. Haynie was elected chaplain to Congress, a position to which he was several times re-elected. At one of his meetings at Moore's Fort, Miss Gilleland (whose father was killed by Indians) professed religion. As soon as she was converted, Mr. Haynie, who was kneeling by her side, exclaimed, " God has acknowledged the Independence of Texas." While preach- ing at Austin, the next Sunday, he repeated the same decla- ration. The expression, "God has acknowledged the In- dependence of Texas," became a kind of talisman. In the gloomy times that followed, when the Comanches descended to the coast and burned Linnville, the Mexicans captured San Antonio, carrying off the district Judge, and officers of the court, and many leading citizens. When our Presi-
* Among those who cordially greeted the preacher were John Ingram, the Craft and Boyce families, N. Moore, J. S. Hotchkiss, C. Anderson, David Thomas, and others. A goodly number of elect ladies were church-members, including his own daughter, Mrs. Cald- well, Mrs. McGehee (afterward Mrs. J. W. Whipple), Mrs. Middleton Hill, Mrs. A. W. Hill, Mrs. T. B. J. Hill, and Mrs. Judge Webb. (Francis A. Morris was then Judge Webb's law partner. He is now a D. D. in St. Louis.) We might mention others, some of whom still live, though the most of them have fallen asleep.
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dent abandoned Austin, and removed to the interior for safety, the feeling that God, by the conversion of souls, had recognized the Texan cause, encouraged the brave fron- tiermen to save their beautiful land from Indian savages, and semi-savage Mexicans. In the Fall a camp-meeting was held at Moore's Fort, but both Mr. Alexander and Mr. Haynie were in feeble health, and were compelled to close the meeting on Monday. A Mr. Millett, who was seeking religion, was almost in despair when he found the meeting was to close. While Millett was taking the hopples from his horse to start home, he was happily converted. He made an excellent church-member, and died a few years since at Seguin. We close this section with a couple of incidents illustrative of life on the frontier. Colonel Cole- man was one of the earliest settlers upon the upper Colorado, and a brave and successful Indian fighter. He finally fell a victim to the savages. After his death, and while his wife was a widow, a company went out on Walnut Creek sur- veying. While they were absent, Mrs. Coleman three times in a night dreamed that the Indians had attacked the party, and that some were killed, but one of the number had been scalped and was still living, and could be found at a cer- tain spring, unable to walk. The dream made such an impression on Mrs. Coleman, that she induced the neigh- bors to go out prepared to bring in the sufferer. The dream was, alas, too true. Some of the surveyors had been killed, and young Wilbargar had been scalped, but was still living. He was brought in and recovered, and lived for several years. In February, 1838, the Indians made another raid, and killed the widow Coleman and her son. Mr. Gilleland (whom we have mentioned before as a son-in-law of Nathaniel Moore's, and a local preacher) raised a company
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to chastise the savages. Before overtaking them, Mr. Gille- land told his men that they would have a fight and he would be killed. The presentiment was too true; Gille- land was mortally wounded. He was carried home, and, after nine days of intense suffering, died in great peace. He was buried upon the bank of the beautiful creek that bears his name. Though he had no regular license to preach until the last year of his life, from his earliest settlement in Texas, in 1828, he had been accustomed wherever he lived to hold religious services in his family and among his neighbors. He was universally esteemed as a good man and a worthy citizen, and his tragic death was very much regretted.
CHAPTER III.
FROM THE ORGANIZATION OF THE TEXAS CONFERENCE IN 1840, TO THE DIVISION OF TEXAS INTO TWO CONFER- ENCES, AND THE ORGANIZATION OF THE M. E. CHURCH SOUTH, 1845.
SECTION I.
First Texas Conference-Appointments for 1841 and 1842-Episcopal Correspondence.
THE General Conference in 1840 provided for a Confer- ence in Texas, including the whole republic except the strip of country on Red River. The Conference met in Rutersville on Christmas-Day, 1840, Bishop Waugh in the chair. Thomas O. Summers was elected secretary. There were nineteen travelling preachers in attendance, ten of whom were probationers. Nathan Shook, Jas. H. Collard, D. N. V. Sullivan, and Richard Owen were admitted on trial. A missionary society was organized, and pledges made, deemed at the time worth $1,000. A tract of land, given by Mr. Rabb, sold for nearly $2,000 at a subsequent period, and the money was applied to the payment of a debt on the church at San Antonio. This was with Mr. Rabb's consent, and the direction of the General Confer- ence of 1854. A. tract of land in Rutersville given by A. Thomson, was sold for $300, and the money was paid into the treasury. The village of Rutersville, the site of the new college, hospitably entertained the preachers and visit- ors attending the session. The following were the appoint-
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ments for 1841 : San Augustine district: L. Fowler, P. E .; San Augustine, F. Wilson; Nacogdoches to be supplied ; Harrison, N. Shook; Jasper, H. D. Palmer. Galveston district : S. A. Williams, P. E .; Galveston and Houston, Thomas O. Summers; Brazoria, A. P. Manley; Mont- gomery, Richard Owen, J. H. Collard ; Liberty to be sup- plied ; Crockett, Daniel Carl; Nashville, R. Crawford. Rutersville district: R. Alexander, P. E .; Austin, J. Haynie; Washington, Jesse Hord; Centre Hill, R. H. Hill; Matagorda, D. N. V. Sullivan ; Victoria, Joseph P. Sneed. C. Richardson, President of Rutersville college.
The year 1841 was not especially remarkable. The preachers were generally at their work. Mr. Sneed organized churches at Victoria, Port Lavaca, Gonzales, Seguin, and perhaps at other places. A good many successful camp- meetings were held, both in the east and the west. This year the Waugh camp-ground was established in Burleson County.
In the regular plan of Episcopal visitations, Bishop Morris was to hold the next session of the Texas Confer- ence. The bishop secured some additional laborers for this field. J. W. Whipple was now in his third year in the ministry. Texas was to be his future home and field of ministerial usefulness.
John Clark had entered the New York Conference in 1820, and filled various important stations, both in the east and in the west. He was a member of the Gen- eral Conference of 1840. Messrs. Clark and Whipple left Lee County, Illinois, for Texas, on the 4th of October, 1841. At St. Louis, on the 18th, they were joined by Bishop Morris, and came on by land, without serious accident or detention, reaching San Angustine, Texas, December 18th.
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