Autobiography and sermons of Elder Elijah Martindale, also Pioneer history of the Boyd family

THE LIBRARIES

Bequest of

Frederic Bancroft

1860-1945

X

'.-3^ %1^

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND SERMONS

Elder Elijah Martindale

PIONEER HISTORY OF THE BOYD FAMILY

By Belle Stanford

INDIANAi^OjLI^^ , ;/,

CARLOX & HOLLENBECK, PRINTERS

'', ,1802 :

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<)6>1L<^

INTRODUCTION.

Few men in the Christian ministry to-
day know what toils and privations accom-
panied the early pioneer preachers.

It is well to take a glance backward, and
read a few sketches of those men who went
forth without money and without price, try-
ing to sow the seed of the Kingdom in tlie
wild regions of America.

In preparing the second part of this work
for publication, it is not the sole object
merely to preserve a family history, but to
show to the present generation what it cost
our forefathers to purchase the blessings and
liberties that we as a nation enjoy.

Belle St.\xford.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PART FIRST.

CHAPTER I.
Birth and Early Training — Emigration to Ohio —
To Indiana — Indian Troubles'— Returning a Sec-
ond Time to Our New Home — Religious Impres-
sions 1

CHAPTER II.

Marriage — Deep Conviction for Sin— Christian Ex-
perience and Baptism— A Journey with William
Stubbs — Uniting with the XewHght Church. ... 10

CHAPTER III.
Ordained to the Ministry— First Sermon— Pov-
erty and Persecution— Mourners Uncomforted—
Preaching Near New Lisbon— Flattery 18

CHAPTER IV.
The Jerusalem Doctrine Calls Down Persecution —
Voted Out of the New House — Some Things
Lacking — Controversial Preaching — Ministers
Exhorted to Faithfulness 25

CHAPTER V.
Preaching the Gospel — Desire _f or Unio» — Love for
the Erring — Zeal of the Old Preachers 31

CHAPTER VI.
Preaching Near Middletown 38

vi TABLK OF COXTKNTS.

CHAPTKK VII.
Preaching at Beiitoiiville 44

CHAPTER YIII.

A Flourishing Church at Hillsboro 51

IIRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMOXS.

CHAPTER IX.

On Family Training 59

CHAPTER X.

The Gospel Invitation CA

CHAPTER XL

Thanksgiving Sermon 69

CHAPTER XII.
Sermon on Prayer 74

CHAPTER XIII.
Letter to Church Members 80

CHAPTER XIV.
Object and Form of Local Churches 82

CHAPTER XV.

On Exhortation 85

CHAPTER XVI.

Parable of the Ten Virgins 87

CHAPTER XVIL

Religion and Politics 94

CHAPTER XVIII.
Where is the True Church of Christ 98

TABLE UF CONTENTS. yii

CHAPTER XIX.
Letter to My Brother John 103

CHAPTER XX.

Extract from a Speech Delivered at an <)1<1 Set-
tlers' Meeting, New Castle, August 10, 1871 107

CHAPTER XXI.

Sermon Delivered at Xew Castle 1 10

Song 115

History of the Martindale Family in America, by
Elijah Martindale 117

PART SECOND.

CHAPTER I.

P'Jizabeth Martindale — She Sends Out a Mission-
ary— The Boyd Family in the Revolutionary
War ". 120

CHAPTER II.
History of Samuel Boyd and Family 126

CHAPTER III.

Samuel Boyd Among the Indians 136

CHAPTER IV.

Elijah and Elizabeth Martindale and Family 141

CHAPTER V.

The Boyd Family 153

CHAPTER YI.
The History of Dr. Boyd and His Brothers in the
Army 162

CHAPTER YII.
Pioneer Life at Mt. Yernon 160

CHAPTER I.

BIRTH AND EARLY TRAINING — EMIGRATION TO OHIO— TO
INDIANA — INDIAN TROUBLES — RETURNING A SECOND
TIME TO OUR NEW HO^IE — RELIGIOUS IMPRESSIONS.

I was born in Laurence District, South
Carolina, November 10, 1793. I was the
oldest child of my mother, who was a
pious member of the Baptist church. To
her more than any earthly means am I
indebted for that influence which made
me a Christian. Well do I remember
the first family prayer she ever made
with her children. I was quite young
but I never entirely lost the impression
that was made on my mind by that
prayer. I now believe that the admoni-
tions, warnings, exhortations and prayers
of a faithful mother seldom if ever fail to
bring her children under the saving
power of the Gospel.

2 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

My father became a member of the
Baptist church when I was about ten
years old. I remember how it rejoiced
my mother when she got her companion
to join her in the service of the Lord.
When I was about eight years old my
father left the South and moved to War-
ren county, Ohio, where I was brought to
manhood.

In the fall of 1811 we moved to the
Territory of Indiana and my father, John
Martindale, bought land in Wayne
county, and built his cabin on the creek
that took his name and will carry it per-
haps to the end of time.

In a few days after we made our settle-
ment came the battle of Tippecanoe, then
war with England, and what was worse
the uprising of the Indians in many parts
of Indiana. Those dark and gloomy days,
so full of 23eril and danger, come throng-
ing back in my memory yet. The In-
dians became so troublesome that a few

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. 3

settlers went to work and built a fort, en-
closing our cabin with a block-house, and
some two or three families moved in.
We soon found this to be a very unhappy
way of living. The fort was protected to
some extent by rangers sent out by the
government to watch the movements of
the Indians, yet father, seeing the bad in-
fluence by which his family was sur-
rounded, concluded to move back to Ohio.
Before he left he was visited by his
cousin, David Young, who had bought
land in the neighborhood Avhere the city
of Richmond now stands. He had moved
his family away for fear of the Indians
and was living alone trying to raise some
corn. He greatly desired father to let me
go home with him and help him to tend
his corn. I went, and while I was there
a large company of Indians claiming to
be friendly came into the neighborhood
to buy provisions. They made their
camp a short distance west of Young's

4 AUTOBIOGEAPHY OF

house, which lay right between their
camp and the settlement, so they would
pass us generally twice a day. We didn't
feel much afraid of them while they kept
sober, but after some days some wicked
person sold liquor to a squad of them and
made them drunk, so drunk they could
not get into camp, but late in the iiight
they stumbled into Young's house where
we were fast asleep. They hallooed.
Young awake and ordered the door open.
He made no reply. They then forced the
door open and came in, ten or twelve in
number, all drunk, singing, dancing and
hallooing at the top of their voices. By
this time Young had succeeded in waking
me by severe pinching as he was afraid
to speak to me. He said in a whis-
per, "What shall we do?" I think he
proposed leaving the house. I had been
more among the Indians than he and I
suppose was not so much alarmed, though
I was then but a boy. I said let us get

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. 5

up and spread some bedding on the floor
and order those drunken rascals with
authority to lie down and be still. We
did so' and succeeded in getting them
all to lie down. We went to bed
and I slept soundly, but my friend
Young said he slept no more that
night, but lay and watched our intruders.
He said several times one or more would
rise and dance awhile, then lie down
again. I have often wondered why I was
so insensible to the dangers we were in
'with those dru^iken savages, who were
always filled with hatred to the white
man, and especially in a state of intoxica-
tion. The Pottawotamies and the Dela-
wares were the tribes most common.
They owned all the land west of the West
Fork of Whitewater and east of the Wa-
bash. All this beautiful land was an un-
broken wilderness under the claims of the
savages.

In the war of 1812 the frontier settlers

6 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

suffered mostly from that barbarous prac-
tice of bribing the savages to murder in-
nocent women and children. Some of the
tribes professed to be neutral, but they
no doubt were in league with the war In-
dians and would often commit murder
and robbery in order to sell the scalps
and plunder to those in the British serv-
ice. At all events they were much in-
clined to do mischief, and few of them
could be trusted.

When peace was restored we moved
back to our new home and went to work
to clear away the forest trees and make a
farm. We had but little chance for im-
provement from either church or school,
but there was more kindness and neigh-
borly services than I find in older settled
countries. When people attain wealth
they are apt to lose that brotherly regard
that is necessary to social enjoyment in
this life. My father's house was for sev-
eral years the meeting place of the Bap-

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 7

tist people. Adams Banks, James Smith
and others were the preachers. I often felt
deep convictions at these meetings. My
kind parents took much pains to enlighten
my mind in regard to the great truths of
the Bible. My early religious training
was among the Baptists and Methodists
exclusively. The first deep and lasting
conviction for sin or the danger of living
and 'dying in sin was fastened on my mind
in hearing a discourse from Adjet Mac-
guire, a Methodist minister, on the words
of Jesus, "Come unto me all ye that labor
and are heavy laden and I will give you
rest." The sermon was such an exhibi-
tion of the love of God in the gift of his
son, of the love and condescension- of our
adorable Savior in coming from Heaven
to this poor earth, in laboring and teach-
ing, in suifering and dying, and all to
save poor lost souls such as I felt myself
to be. Oh ! it was an arrow from the di-
vine quiver fastened in my heart. I was

8 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

then about fifteen years of age. Most
likely I should have joined the Methodist
church then had it not been for the strong-
objections of my father ; he didn't like
the doctrine taught by the Methodists. I
was often religiously impressed by hear-
ing both Baptist and Methodist sermons
after the time referred to, but such was
the influence of parties and sects in re-
ligion that I was thrown back into sin
and wasted some ten years of my life that
might have been spent in the service of
my Master if the good people had been
united happily in the oneness for which
Christ so earnestly prayed. Oh. what a
debt of thankfulness I owe to God for
sparing my life until I could get clear of
Satan's net spread out to entangle me
through the work of a divided church.
Creeds and names and a party spirit is
the great hindrance to the conversion of
the world to-day. It is a Babel of confu-
sion which causes many poor souls to

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 9

wander on in sin. May the Lord hasten
the time when such discord and strife
will cease and the watchmen ujoon the
walls of Zion will speak the same things,
fulfilling the prayer of the Savior, " that
they may be one in us that the world
may believe that thou hast sent me."

10 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

CHAPTER II.

MARRIAGE — DEEP CONVICTION FOR SIN — EXPERIENCE AND
BAPTISM — A JOURNEY WITH WILLIAM STUBBS — UNITING
WITH THE NEWLIGHT CHURCH.

I was .married to Elizabeth, daughter
of Samuel Boyd, October 12, 1815. My
companion was a member of the church
called JN'ewlights. I was greatly preju-
diced against these people. I thought
their religion was merely animal excite-
ment. I once attended a meeting near
Jacksonburg, Wayne county, Indiana.
The excitement was carried to a high
pitch. The jerks were common in those
meetings. While I was trying to muster
up evidence to condemn the work I was
so full of superstition and my mind so
darkened in religious matters, I remem-
ber going to the woods to pray to the
Lord to give me some way or means to

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 11

decide whether the work was of God or
not. Why did I not go to the Bible? I
well knew that I was an unconverted man,
and I had been strictly taught that such
an one could not understand the Scrip-
tures. I will here state that after nearly
a half century of my life has been spent
in reading, praying and preaching the
Grospel, I am more confirmed in the be-
lief that this relic of popery, this teach-
ing that excludes the unconverted from
learning the will of God by reading the
Scriptures, is not only erroneous but dan-
gerous to the souls of men. For several
years after I was married and settled in
life, I was in deep trouble about my soul,
and although much error was mixed with
my former teaching, yet one great truth
was firmly fixed in my heart : " You must
be born again." Wherever I Avent I was
followed by these powerful words. I tried
to shield myself by the errors of the
churches ; I scrutinized the conduct of

12 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

23rofessors and tried to bring them on a
level with myself, but this truth still
rankled in my heart : " You must be born
again or be forever lost." I went to the
preachers of different orders ; some would
say, " stand still and see the salvation of
God ;" others would say, " pray on till you
find relief." This last advice I heeded
most. How could I help trying to do
something ? There was too much at stake
to be idle, but what to do I didn't know ;
I would sometimes leave my work and
wander in the grove, sometimes kneeling
to pray, other times weeping and groan-
ing in great distress. After many days
spent in this condition, my mind turned
on the words of the blessed Savior : "In
my Father's house are many mansions ;
if it were not so I would have told you."
— John, xiv : 2. Oh, the love these
words conveyed ; but may I claim them ?
I labored for some evidence that I was a
character embraced in these blessed words.

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 13

At length other Scripture that I had
learned came into my mind, and gradually
and thankfully I settled down into the
hope that I was converted and saved.
JN'ow I began to look about to find the
right church. My j^arents were Baptists
of the old school ; my wife and her par-
ents were Christians. Many of my near
relatives, whom I greatly esteemed, were
Methodists. They all seemed to have
confidence in me and wanted me to unite
with them. I decided at once that some
of them must be Avrong or they would not
diifer so much. I concluded I had better
apply myself to reading and prayer to
find the right way. I went among them
all and joined them in worship and was
kindly received. I had been taught to
believe that a converted sinner must be
baptized. How could I obtain baptism
without joining the church ? I greatly
desired to be immersed by a Baptist min-
ister. I often talked with them on the

14 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

subject. They would say, " Come to the
church." I answered, " I don't receive
the covenant of the church as scriptural."
Finally we were visited by a Seventh Day
Baptist missionary from the state of New
Jersey. I attended his meeting at the old
Baptist church on Martindale's creek.
When he finished his discourse I walked
forward, though he was an entire stranger,
I told him in the presence of the congre-
gation I wanted him to baptize me. He
seemed surprised, and w^anted to know
why I didn't come to the church. I told
him I couldn't endorse the covenant.
After some consultation, I was requested
to tell my experience. I did so, and was
approbated. Old Father Platts was re-
ceived, and we repaired to the water,
where we were both immersed. This was
about the year 1818. I now felt happy
in the belief that I was in Christ's king-
dom, though not in any of the churches
of the contending parties. Now I had at-

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 15

tained a happy and blessed enjoyment of
the love of God shed abroad in my poor
heart. I wanted others to come and feast
with me, so I began to exhort at the dif-
ferent meetings I attended. I had but
little learning and but a small store of
Scripture knowledge ; still I was every-
where invited and encouraged to go on in
the good work of exhortation. In those
days I attended a meeting of the United
Brethren, conducted by a preacher whose
name was William Stubbs. He invited
me to go with him a week or two on his
circuit. I went, and we had a good time.
Many of the members of that order were
pious, good people. While we were rid-
ing* along one day on our way to our next
appointment, I asked Bro. Stubbs this
question: "Were not the persons that
the apostle commanded to be baptized
about the same as we call mourners?"
After a short pause, he replied : "It looks
a good deal like it ; but it would not do

16 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

for a rule with us. We would get too
many bad members in the church." Now
I don't think I had ever heard such a
thought expressed by any living man at
that time. Some years after, when I read
an article from the pen of Bartain W.
Stone, advocating the doctrine of baptism
for the remission of sins to believing peni-
tents, it looked as natural as the face of
an old acquaintance.

I left Bro. Stubbs in the neighborhood
of Connersville. The next meeting I at-
tended was a Baptist association in a grove
near Judge Webb's. Here the doctrine
of the eternal justification of the elect
was argued with a zeal and talent worthy
of a better cause. Soon after this I 'at-
tended a large protracted meeting of the
Christian body called Newlights. Here I
united with the church. When the way
was open for the reception of members I
went forward and asked the privilege of
speaking a few words. This being granted,

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 17

I remarked that I felt such an anxious de-
sire for the oneness of the Lord's peojDle
that I wanted so far as possible to be
united with all of them. I requested the
hand of brotherly affection from every
Christian in the congregation. The hands
of many did I clasp that day that are gone
home to die no more, and I hope to meet
them in a land where divisions and par-
ties and sectarian strivings are never
known.

2

18 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

CHAPTER III.

ORDAINED TO THE MINISTRY — FIRST SERMON — POVERTY —
PERSECUTION — MOURNERS UNCOMFORTED — PREACH-
ING NEAR NEW LISBON — FLATTERY.

Up to the time of uniting with the
Christian body of believers I had only
been exercising my gifts in exhortation.
I was a long time in an unsettled state of
mind about trying to preach. I thought
the preacher must be specially called and
sent. I labored and prayed for a true de-
cision of the matter. I felt like it would
be a dreadful thing to venture to take the
holy office without a divine call. Finally,
through the encouragement and strong-
solicitations of the brethren, I ventured,
with much diffidence, to undertake the
work. My first effort in the ministry was
at Jacksonburg in the year 1820. Several
of the old preachers were present. I se-

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. 19

lected my text, 1 Cor., ix : 24 : " So run
that ye may obtain." After I got through
Father Dooly came forward, extending to
me his hand said: " Occu^^y, occupy, my
son." This gave me much comfort and
encouragement. I now felt that my way
was clear to go forward in the work. Some
time after this I received ordination by
the imposition of hands of Levi Purvi-
ance, John Plummer and William Hub-
bert. I now went into the ministrv with
my whole heart and with all the powers
of mind and body that I j^ossessed. The
people were kind, but the thought of giv-
ing the preacher anything for his time
and labor was scarcely ever thought of.
Many of the preachers had to work when
others were asleep to keep their families
from starving ; but what was worse, we
were looked upon by the ministers and
leaders of the sects generally as poor ig-
norant enthusiasts. Their meeting-houses
were closed against us, and showers of

20 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

abuse fell continually upon our poor de-
fenceless heads from almost every pulpit
in the land. I suppose many of them,
like Paul, did it ignorantly in unbelief
The great cause of the opposition was our
continual testimony against "human
creeds" and "party names." We con-
tended that the Word of God should be
our guide and the name of Christ should be
worn by his people. The same war is still
waged, but the persecution is greatly mod-
ified since the people have more knowl-
edge and have laid aside some of their
prejudice.

Without knowing any better I preached
with all my might for nearly ten years
that faith, repentance and prayer were the
only divinely appointed means on the sin-
ner's part for the remission of sins ; and
that the evidence to the sinner was a
change in his mind and feelings from sor-
row to joy. "The oil of joy for mourning
and the garments of praise for the spirit

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 21

of heaviness." So we preached. When
poor sinners would say, "What shall I
do?" the answer would be in substance,
" Believe, repent and pray." "But this I
have done," some said, "and still I have
not found peace and joy and comfort."
In this condition I have known some to
linger for months and even years. What
was the matter ? Ah ! this was a hard
question for the wisest preacher among
us. I feel thankful to my heavenly
Father that the light of truth has shone
more brightly and opened the way for
the sinner to come to Christ and know
that his many and grievous sins are all
forgiven for his name's sake, who has suf-
fered and died to redeem and save a lost
world. Strange, indeed, that so plain a
truth should be lost in the rubbish of
human tradition. Why did we not tell
the poor sinner to arise and be baptized,
calling on the name of the Lord? Why
did we not preach as Peter did on the

22 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

Day of Pentecost at the inception of
Christ's kingxlom on earth ? We were so
blinded by our wrong teaching that this
plain truth was hid from our eyes, and
still it is hid to many honest souls.

While I was preaching among the peo-
ple called Newlights I was much united
in labor with my good old father-in-
law, Samuel Boyd. He was my precep-
tor and spiritual adviser in my first ex-
perience in the ministry. By invitation
we made an appointment at the house of
old Sister Buck, near New Lisbon, Henry
county, Indiana. But few meeting-houses
had been built at this time and some of
the few were locked against us, so our
preaching was chiefly in private dwel-
lings or school-houses. Our first appoint-
ment at her house was about the year
1826. I preached from the text, " The
wages of sin is death, but the gift of God
is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our
Lord." I gave satisfaction in my dis-

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 23

course and a few sinners seemed to be
brought under conviction. The influence
was such that we continued our visits
once a month. We soon began to make
disciples. Our first accession was a man
of very audacious habits, drinking, fight-
ing and swearing, but he was humbled
under the power of the Gospel and we
took his confession or profession, for we
thought the sinner must be pardoned be-
fore he was a fit subject for baptism.
Many a long and tiresome struggle did
we have at the mourners' bench to obtain
some evidence that our sins were forgiven.
I baptized the man — the first person I ever
immersed. I was doubtful about his
holding out well, but from all accounts
he was a soundly converted man. The
good work went on gloriously at that
point for years. I was loaded with eulo-
gies until I was often ashamed. I have
often found those poor, weak-minded
brethren who are so ready to praise the

24 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

preacher to his face are almost sure to
get oflPended after awhile and use every
means at command to crush the same
preacher. It was so in the 'Ne^Y Lisbon
church. I afterw^ards displeased them by
preaching as the Apostle Peter did on
the Day of Pentecost.

ELDEE ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 25

CHAPTER IV.

THE JERUSALEM DOCTRINE CALLS DOWN PERSECUTION —
VOTED OUT OF THE NEW HOUSE — SOME THINGS LACKING

— CONTROVERSIAL PREACHING MINISTERS EXHORTED

TO FAITHFULNESS.

About the year 1830, I commenced
preaching faith, repentance, prayer and
baptism, all connected as so many links
in the chain of the divine arrangement of
pardon as taught by Christ and the apos-
tles. I was soon nicknamed a Campbell-
ite. Many of the old brethren with Avhom
I had long lived in love and fellowship,
began to turn the cold shoulder and bar
me out just like the sects had been serv-
ing us. I had almost embraced the doc-
trine of baptism as a link in the chain of
pardon before I ever heard of A. Camp-
bell; but when I became acquainted with
the writings of Campbell, Stone and oth-

26 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

ers I was helped much in understanding
the Scripture on this point and some oth-
ers. The first time I ever ventured to
preach this old Jerusalem Grospel was in
the cabin of Mother Buck, near New Lis-
bon, where we had been holding forth the
word of life. It made some fluttering in
the camp, but w^e went on for awhile with-
out much trouble. I was successful from
the very start, and the cause of truth
would have moved on grandly had it not
been for the opposition of the brethren.
When they saw the new way would sup-
plant the mourners' bench and its eflPects
as the Lord's way of converting sinners,
a few of the leading spirits went to work
in great earnest to put me down and stop
the work. By this time the old Christian
brethren had built a small log meeting-
house at this place, and they managed to
get a majority vote that Bro. M.'s new
doctrine should not be tolerated in their
meeting-house. There was a minority

ELDER ELIJAH MAETINDALE. 27

vote in my favor and some Baptists who
were converts to the new doctrine, so the
work went on. By careful, kind manage-
ment we finally overcame the opposition
and got nearly all the old members and
some of the Baptists united and harmo-
niously organized on the principles of the
reformation. Elisha and John Shortridge,
two ministers, came in from the Baptist
church and were a great comfort to me
and helped much to build up the cause in
JN'ew Lisbon. The church flourished
greatly while the old members remained,
but some moved away and many have
been called home, and the church has, to
a great extent, gone down. One great
fault with us since we attained to more
light and truth in the Scriptures is, we
have failed to bring out the latent talent
of our members by the exercise of their
gifts in exhortation and prayer. We have
not encouraged the brethren to speak and
pray in public as we should have done. I

28 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

have long desired to see more exhortation
and prayer in our social meeting. Almost
every member, young and old, male and
female, could, by practice, be able to speak
a few words in public or offer a short
prayer. This would greatly enliven and
strengthen the spirituality of the congre-
gation.

Our reformation has been careful to
avoid enthusiasm but could not see the
danger of stoicism, hence our ordinary
meetings have been too cold and dry to
make us happy or convert the unbe-
lievers. Bro. Samuel Rogers once said
in a conversation on this subject: "We
Newlights were so anxious to have all
Christians united that when we saw the
Baptists making a move for union, we, in
our haste to meet them, ran clear through
the temperate zone and joined them in
the frigid zone ; but he hoped we would
all get back to the true Grosj^el zone after
awhile." I fear w^e have never come to

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. 29

that warm, life-giving climate yet. Too
much winter seemingly, and no bright
birds singing to enliven our souls. We
have guarded against undue excitement
which we looked upon as a great fault
among our religious neigbors, until we
have become in great danger of coldness
and formality. In too many cases our
growth in humility and godliness has not
kept pace with our advancement in Script-
ure knowledge. This is much to be la-
mented. Still we think our brotherhood
will compare favorably with that of any
other people. Yet, as we claim to be
nearer apostolic teaching, we ought to
come nearer apostolic practice. There
is one thing that might be mentioned as
an apology for our delinquency in these
things, that is the continual war that has
been waged against us by all the creed
parties. We entered the field amidst the
continual booming of artillery and the rat-
tlino; of small arms. Yet in many cases

30 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

our preachers have been too belligerent
in their manner of presenting the truths
of the Bible. Much of the controversial
preaching of our day has its origin in
pride. Young preachers are very apt to
be caught in this snare of the devil. The
people are fond of such preaching. It
flatters their j^ride of opinion and suits a
cold, backsliding state of religion.

If ever the success of a return to prim-
itive Christian piety shall crown our ef-
forts as reformers, it must begin among
the preachers. Come, dear fellow-sol-
diers, come up to the w^ork. The old
pioneers are soon to pass away. Where
are the mighty men of God who are to
fill up the lines as leaders of Zion's hosts?
Oh, that they may have a burning zeal
for their Master's cause, in meekness
instructing those who 023pose themselves
if God peradventure will give them re-
pentance to the acknowledging of the
truth.

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. 31

CHAPTER V.

PREACHING THE GOSPEL — TRAVELING THROUGH MUD AND
BRUSH — DESIRE FOR UNION — LOVE FOR THE ERRING —
THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT — ZEAL OF THE
OLD PREACHERS.

When I first came to Henry county to
make a home I was in feeble health. I
felt anxious to give my whole time and
strength to the work of the ministry, but
I was almost in the woods, my family
large, some in debt on my land, and no
means to hire laborers. I thought I
could give two or three days in each
week to the work of preaching and with
the balance of my time and the help of
my family we could, by strict economy,
get along. So I commenced under this
arrangement and with the blessings of
our heavenly Father, I was enabled to
continue for a number of years. The

32 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

truth prevailed and I was happy. For
several years, there was not another resi-
dent in Henry county who went abroad
as an evangelist and who Avas engaged in
promulgating the truths that we were
trying to establish. I traveled over the
counties of Henry, Wayne, Fayette, Rush,
Delaware, Madison, and some in Han-
cock, sowing the seed in all these counties
and some in Ohio. We sowed and others
did reap ; we labored and others were par-
takers of the fruit of our labors. Well,
be it so. I am now happy in the reflec-
tion, old and worn out that I am. I re-
joice in the prospect that the time is near
when " he that soweth and he that reap-
eth will rejoice together;" when "he that
went forth weeping, sowing precious seeds
will come again rejoicing, bearing pre-
cious sheaves with him." Most of the
churches that I had helped to build up
in the old Christian body were brought
into the reformation, but some held back

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. 33

contrary to their acknowledged principles.
We started on the divinely anthorized
ground of no creed but the Bible and no
name but those found in the Xew Testa-
ment scriptures. We urged the necessity
of the union of all Christians as the great
means for the salvation ot a lost world.
Now we are contending for this same
great Gospel platform : but when we
found that we had not attained to a per-
fect understanding in every particular
and that we must follow the light of
truth wherever it might lead, strange, in-
deed, that some would fly back and op-
pose. But so it is with poor fallible man.
"The leaders of my people do cause them
to err." These blind leaders, too proud
to acknowledo'e themselves in the wrons:,
will have a fearful reckoning at the judg-
ment seat of Christ. The war that now
exists between us and the old Christian
body is to my mind the most unjustifia-
ble of all the religious controversies of
3

34 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

the day. It puts a weapon in the hands
of all the creed parties that they can use
effectively against us. It has ever been
a source of deep regret to me that we
failed to harmonize on Bible grounds.
Many of our preachers were to blame.
They failed to exhibit the meekness and
gentleness, the long forbearance that we
should feel toward the erring. They cut
off the ears of their hearers before the
truth could reach their hearts. When
the wall of prejudice has become so great
it can only be removed by love. The
war would never have been waged so in-
tensely if our people had dwelt less on
first principles and more on vital godli-
ness and the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit. Then it seems to me we could
have helped them to get out of their ig-
norance and blindness.

Not long ago I attended a conference
meeting of the old brethren. I was kindly
and respectfully received, but I thought I

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 35

could see the workings of that old enemy
called prejudice in some of their move-
ments and preaching. One good speaker
labored hard to prove that faith was all
that was required of the sinner in order
to insure his conversion and salvation. So
then repentance, prayer and baptism must
go by the board. This case I have given
shows the failure of my old Christian
brethren in declaring the whole counsel
of Grod. Now, I will speak of some of
our failures. Some of our talented preach-
ers have taught the people this way :
^' There is no direct gift of the Holy Spirit
nowadays, either to saint or sinner." This
error has attained among some of our
people, and it has given some grounds to
our opposers to charge us as a people with
denying the operations of the spirit en-
tirelv. This error, for it is surelv an er-
ror, has done much injury. Jesus says,
speaking of the comforter: "Whom the
world can not receive, but he shall be

36 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

in YOU that is in his peoi^le." If any
would inquire how the Holy Spirit oper-
ates in reproYing the world, I would an-
swer when the preacher is largely en-
dowed with the Holy Spirit his preach-
ing is eifectiYe, and he makes his audi-
ence feel the power of truth. Now, if all
our preachers were of that class of which
it was said they were full of the Holy
Spirit and of wisdom, would it not make
a wonderful chano-e in the adYancement
of the church? The preacher must be
able to impress Ills'* audience with the firm
couYiction that he belicYes these great
truths, and that with all his heart. Head
faith won't do ; it must get down deep into
the heart of the cYangelist before he is fit
to preach the Gospel to a dying world.
I do not mean that the truth is not S23ir-
itual, but I mean that there is a direct,
immediate and powerful agent in the work
of the ministry called the gift of the Holy
Spirit. This indwelling comforter is prom-

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. 37

ised to all Christians, but the preacher
needs a greater portion than any other in-
dividual in the church, because he is light-
bearer and messenger to the people. Oh,
I remember so many of the old preachers
whose souls were filled with a burnino-
zeal for the Master's cause. We had but
few men who could read Greek, but we
read the Bible with prayer often when
other men were asleep. We were willing
to sacrifice much of this world's ease and
comfort in order to win souls to Christ.
Our whole souls, yes, afl our powers, were
summoned to the great and glorious work
of saving sinners, comforting saints and
building up the cause of the blessed
Master. The times have changed, and
the preacher has more learning and better
salaries, but the question is, will they
draw deeply from the wells of salvation,
from the eternal fountain of God's love?

38 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

CHAPTER VI.

PREACHING NEAR MIDDLETOWN— WALKING FIFTEEN MILES
TO FILL AN APPOINTMENT — SAMUEL ROGERS MOVES TO
THE VICINITY OF MIDDLETOAVN — BAPTISM OF BENJAMIN
AND DANIEL FRANKLIN — PERSECUTION AND POVERTY.

About the year 1835, I, in company
with my good brother, Reuben Wilson,
went to the neighborhood of Middletown,
Henry county, to try to sow the seed of
the kingdom in that newly-settled region.
We held our meetings at the house of
William Stewart. On our journey we were
caught in a great rain. The road was bad,
only a bridle path most of the way. Xo
house being near, we were com23elled to
plod on in our wet clothes. When we ar-
rived at Brother Stewart's we were gladly
received, and every attention was given
to make us comfortable. When we were
rested and refreshed we commenced our

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. 39

meeting and had good attention. Many
will praise God in a better world for the
privilege of hearing the old Jerusalem
Gospel for the first time in their lives at
that meeting. I continued to visit them
as often as I could for years. A church
was planted there, or rather a congrega-
tion of believers united, having declared
their allegiance to Christ and a desire to
follow him. Brother Samuel Rogers,
from Ohio, moved and settled among
them. He was a man of experience and
much talent and energy in the work of
preaching the Gospel. We labored to-
gether for some years, and were greatly
united in heart and soul as missionaries of
the cross. We visited several new points
and sowed the good seed of the kingdom,
where churches have since been planted.
I visited the Middletown or Fall Creek
church once a month for some years. I
remember one time during the busy sea-
son I was compelled to make the journey,

40 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

nearly fifteen miles, on foot. I set out
early in the morning, stopping to rest at
a cabin near where the village of Cadiz
now stands. I then pursued my journey
until I reached Israel Personet's, not far
from the place of my destination. I had
several times stopped with him, and was
always made to feel at home. I supposed
the little children, who were the only oc-
cupants of the house when I arrived,
knew me. As I felt greatly exhausted
with my long walk and fasting, I walked
to a bed and lay down to rest until the
parents would return. One of the chil-
dren ran to where her uncle was plowing
in the field and told him a drunk man
had come to their house and gone to bed.
The man hastened to come to their res-
cue. I had fallen into a sweet slumber, but
was waked by a heavy tread on the floor,
and, looking up, saw a man staring in-
tently at me to make out who the intruder
was. He soon knew me and laughed

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. 41

heartily at the joke. Late in the evening
Bro. Personet and wife came home and
brought the old parents with them. These
were the parents of Sister Benjamin
Franklin. Sister Personet soon prepared
a good repast, and we had a happy even-
ing, socially and religiously. After hold-
ing good meetings Sunday morning and
evening, my good Brother Rogers con-
veyed me homeward. These were happy
days ; I love to think upon them yet.
About this time, or a little later on, we
held a night meeting at the house of Bro.
Joseph Robins. I was put forward to
j)reach. I read as a foundation from the
fifty-fifth chapter of Isaiah, tenth and
eleventh verses. I dwelt on the power of
the word of God. At the close I made a
draft on the faith of the unprofessors pres-
ent. Benjamin and Daniel Franklin, then
young men, Daniel not married, came for-
ward and gave me their hand. We took
their confession, and by the light of Ian-

42 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

terns and torches we Avent to the water,
where Bro. Rogers buried them with their
Savior in baptism the same horn- of the
night. They soon commenced preaching
and became men of full stature in the
Lord's vineyard. They have turned many
to righteousness. We can look back to
those days when a few of us poor perse-
cuted preachers, leaving our homes, trav-
eling over bad roads, high waters, tearing
through brush and swamps, from cabin to
cabin, without pay, our families at home
without many of the comforts of life, and
our opposers, like the enemies of the work
of rebuilding the temple, would say,
" What do these feeble Campbellites ? If
a fox would run over their work it would
soon totter and fall." These were days
of trial, but the love of Christ constrained
us. We endured as seeing him who is
invisible. We trusted in the strong arm
of Jehovah, who upholds all things by

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 43

the word of his power. We were feeble
instruments in the hands of God, and he
has been pleased to command his blessing
upon the work. We are permitted, now
in old age, to sit and hear the Gospel pro-
claimed by those highly gifted brethren
that we enlisted and many more whom
they have enlisted, and that little wave
of reformation that was set in motion in
Henry county will roll on, increasing in
its heavenly course until the Lord comes
and we shall have the privilege, through
grace, of bringing our sheaves rejoicing,
and saying: " Behold thy servant, Lord,
and the children which thou hast given
me." This is the hope that inspires me,
now that I am old and feeble and' can toil
no longer. I can sit and muse upon the
goodness of God and give thanks to him
that his mercy has been so great to the
children of men.

44 AUTOBIOGExlPHY OF

CHAPTER VII.

PREACHING AT BEXTONVILLE — D. R. VANBUSKIRK — JOHN
LONGLEY— B. B. FIFIELD — MISSIONARY TOUR — THE
FRANKLINS START IN THE MINISTRY — ARTHUR MIL-
LER— GOING AMONG THE CHURCHES TO SEE HOW
THEY DO — EXHORTATION TO PREACHERS.

In the summer of 1840 I was engaged
with some other preachers to hold a
meeting of days near Bentonville in Fay-
ette county. Those expected to labor with
me failed to attend. Old Father Banks,
the same that used to be a Baptist
preacher at my father's house, was now
in the reformation and attended with me.
I was glad to meet him. In the days of
his strength he was a fine speaker. His
voice was soft and musical, his language
partook largely of eloquence and he was
quite successful as a Baptist preacher, and
was a great favorite with my dear old
parents.

ELDP:R ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. 45

Our meeting at Bentonville went on
with great success and rejoicing. About
twenty noble souls came out and confessed
their Lord and Savior and were immersed
during our meeting, Avhich lasted some
days.

The Avork went on grandly at that
place. During my labors at that point,
which lasted monthly for about three
years, more than one hundred precious
souls enlisted under the glorious banner
of King Immanuel. I have attended
some of their meetings more latterly, and
they seem to be doing well. That church
has raised up one of the best preachers
in the state, Daniel R. Yanbuskirk. I
used to stop often with his kind old fa-
ther when D. R. was a boy. Plis urban-
ity even at that time seemed to mark him
out for some high station in coming life.

The Bentonville church has had a great
deal of preaching from our most gifted
brethren and they had great advantages

46 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

in the way of song, as one brother, An-
drew Cole, was not only a good singer,
but he raised a large family who were
almost natural musicians; and I think
nearly all of them became church mem-
bers. Yet the church may not be as
jDrosperous as it once was. So many of
the old members have been called home
and some still linger on the banks of Jor-
dan waiting for the summons. Oh ! ye
time-Avorn veterans of the cross, you and
I will soon have mingled our last tear
with the sorrows of earth and if we are
faithful a crown of life Avill be ours.

About this time I was a co-laborer with
Brother John Longiey, of Fayette county.
He was an able minister of the Gospel
and helped much to build up the cause in
many places in Indiana.

B. B. Fifield, a preacher from Rush
county, was also my co- worker. He and
I were appointed to go as missionaries
together and visit waste places. My

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. 47

health was very poor, so we agreed that
he would preach half the time and ad-
minister the ordinance of baptism when
required. Our first meeting was at the
house of old Father Johnson, on Buck
Creek. Here we held a night meeting.
It was my turn to preach. I labored
hard and was much exhausted. I made
a call and four persons came forward.
As w^e were about starting to the water
Mother Johnson came and told me the
four applicants were all her children and
they wanted me to baptize them. I
told her our arrangement and that
Brother Fifield was a good baptist. She
went and talked with her children, then
came again and said' if I were not able to
go into the water it must be put off. I
was in a high state of perspiration, the
night was cold and the ice partly over the
stream. After a little hesitation I ven-
tured to go on, trusting in the Lord to
preserve my health. The stream was

48 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

low and the water proved too shallow
where I first went in, so I came out and
went with my boots full of water some
distance down the stream where we found
a suitable depth when the ice was re-
moved. When the baptism had been
2:)erformed and I came out of the water I
found my legs and feet so numb with the
cold, they had but little or no feeling. I
think I spoke to some brother to help me
until I could walk. The circulation soon
returned. I went to the house, put on
dry clothes, went to bed, rested quite well
and Avhen I arose in the morning felt re-
freshed and better of my cold than I had
been for days before, thanks to my Heav-
enly Father.

We kept up our missionary work un-
til Brother Fifield was called to take a
school and I devoted my time to farm
work for awhile, preaching at intervals.

By this time the two Franklins had ex-
ercised their oifts in the ministry until

ELDER ELIJAH MAETIXDALE. 49

they had become a power in the pulpit.
Perhaps no man in modern times has
ever made greater efficiency in learning
and oratory than did Benjamin Franklin.
He was possessed of a fine, native talent
for speaking, which he inherited from his
mother. Few women in that day were
gifted with such power in exhortation as
was Sister Franklin,

Brother Benjamin Franklin and I made
several tours into Madison and Delaware
counties. We made a good impression in
many places. Some of those places have
now large churches 'where we started the
work.

In the winter of '42 Brother Arthur
Miller, one of our best preachers, and I
held meetings at Plum Creek and Fair-
view, where good churches have since
been organized and good houses of wor-
ship have been built. I love to go among
the brethren at those places where I helped
to sow the good seed many years ago.

50 . AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

Once ill a while I find one of my children
in the common faith and they feel near to
me yet, especially those who have been
faithful. I feel it a great privilege to im-
itate the example of Samuel, the old
prophet of God and Judge of Israel, to
go round and visit these congregations
where I labored in the days of my
strength and see how they do, and give
them what encouragement I can. I feel
to rejoice that men of greater ability have
come onto the stage and yet I sometimes
fear the people are more filled with love
for the preacher than with love for Christ.
Oh ! that they would strive more to imi-
tate the apostle who could say, " my
speech and my preaching was not with
enticing words of man's wisdom but in
demonstration of the spirit and power,
that your faith should not stand in the
wisdom of men but in the power of God.

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. 51

CHAPTER VIII.

A FLOURISHING CHURCH AT HILLSBORO — THE BRETHREN'
BELIEVE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUDGMENT TO COME,
BUT OPPOSE TEMPERANCE — A GREAT CONFLICT — TRUTH
AT LAST VICTORIOUS.

Some time after I was settled in Henry
county I made an appointment to preach
in Hillsboro, a village three miles north
of jSTew Castle. There was no house of
worship, so we met in the grove. I read
from the book of Daniel : "In the days of
these kings shall the God of heaven set
up a kingdom," etc. The discourse was
listened to with marked attention. When
the meeting was about to close an elderly
man of Quaker proclivities came forward
and requested another appointment. This
was quite unexpected. I knew I was in
rather a hard part of community. Some
years before I had been there in company

52 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

with my old co-laborer, John Plummer.
AVe held a night meeting, and got our
horses shaved most shamefully. So I was
not greatly encouraged to make an effort
in that place ; but when such a man as
Benjamin Harvey walked forward, and
with tears in his eyes requested another
appointment, I felt that I must comply.
I Avent again and again and saw the good
seed was beginning to grow. This same
old friend Harvey was among the first
who came nobly up and confessed the
Savior. ^N'ow the work seemed deep and
general. At almost every meeting we had
candidates for baptism. Old Bro. Will-
iam Canady's house and the school-house
were our places of worship in cold weather
and the grove in warm weather. After
while other preachers came to our assist-
ance. It seemed for a time like every-
body would be converted. The brethren
went to work harmoniously and built a
nice little frame meeting-house. The

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. 53

membership now numbered about two
hundred, all in peace and love. But, as
it has been with every faithful watchman
who stood upon the walls of zion, there
were troubles brewing for me. It came
in this way : There were a number of the
brethren who were leading members that
I never could persuade to quit the use of
ardent spirits as a beverag*e, both for
themselves and families. After aAvhile
the devil or some of his servants put it
into the head of one of the members to
start a distillery. By this time the breth-
ren had purchased a small farm near the
meeting-house for the use of a preacher.
They wanted a resident pastor, but in this
they failed, so they concluded to rent the
parsonage farm and apply the proceeds to
pay for preaching, for now the idea was
beginning to be common that the laborer
was absolutely worthy of his hire. They
rented the farm, takino- o-rain rent and
turning the grain over to the brother who

54 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

ran the distillery to be made into whisky
and enable the brethren to pay the
preacher. While matters stood as I have
named I went to a temperance meeting
and when the pledge was passed I placed
my name on record as an abstinence
man. I told the people I believed the
Gospel was pledge enough if it was lived
up to, but I found so many professors
that failed to keep the pledge of temper-
ance I thought it my duty to let the
world know that I was an abstainer from
religious principles. Moreover, I wanted
to give every assistance in my power to
stop the awful ravages of the demon of
intemperance. My brethren at home
found no fault Avith me for enrolling my-
self in the temperance movement. Not
so at Hillsboro. The news went from lip
to lip " Bro. Martindale has joined a tem-
perance society. What must be done?"
It was decided to send some five or six of
the brethren to labor with me and try to

ELDER ELIJAH MARTI>'DALE. 55

reclaim the erring brother. They came
and such another day's controversy I
never want again. They took dinner
with me and we parted. Sometime after-
ward I sent an appointment to preach on
the subject at their meeting-house on
Sunday afternoon. I went and preached
Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
At the close of our morning services a
brother arose and stated that the after-
noon discourse could not be preached in
that house as agreed by the church. I
felt a strange sensation come over me
w^hile I yet stood in the pulpit, a feeling
I never had ex]3erienced in a stand for
divine worship and hope I never will
again. I didn't say much in retort, but
announced that I would make the speech
in the adjoining grove. So we dispersed.
While we were at dinner, several of the
brethren insisted that I had better not go
on to make the speech, but let a Brother
Hendrix who was present talk a wdiile to

56 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

the people in the house. I yielded to
their entreaty but never felt sure that I
did right. The brethren told me some
time after this, that I could have the
house on week-day to preach temperance,
as it was considered too unholy a subject
to occupy the Lord's house on the Lord's
day. After my temperance meeting at
Little Blue River (for that was the name
they gave the church)^ I didn't often at-
tend at that place. Although time and
patience have healed the wound, it left an
ugly scar. Take it all in all it was one
of the hardest trials I was ever called to
bear. One brother, and one only, came
and confessed his fault like a Christian.
He is gone home, and I hope all of them
will repent of their sins and get home to
the good world. Since I quit preaching
lor them they have had some excellent
preaching from others, but never has the
work gone on with the same glorious suc-
cess that it did before our temperance

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 57

troubles. I have by special invitation
preached for them a few times in the last
several years, and I suppose I would be
a very welcome visitor among them now,
but I am old and feeble and can not labor
as I once did. Many of them are my
children in the common faith and feel
near to my heart, and I would greatly re-
joice to see them walking in the truth.

In conclusion I would say, that tem-
perance principles have been greatly on
the increase among these brethren ever
since our great burst-up on the subject.
May the Lord open every blind eye on
this all important subject I pray. In
those days, preaching against the sin of
intemperance or slavery was condemned
on the ground that it was mixing politics
with religion. There are many in the
church to-day who will not be pleased
unless these great sins are entirely
ignored in the work of the ministry.
Kow while I read in God's word so many

58

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF

plain and positive commands against
these great sins, I must be permitted to
speak out and bear a faithful testimony
against them.

I have often had to bear evil treatment
from some poor misguided brethren, Avhose
worldly interests and animal propensities
have led them astray in these plain mat-
ters. I now feel thankful to God that he
has preserved me through all these trials
and still blesses me with the joys of his
salvation.

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. 59

BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS.

CHAPTER IX.

ON FAMILY TRAINING.

There are three divinely appointed organ-
izations in human society. The family, the
the church and the state.

The family is the foundation of all human
society. If this institution is corrupted both
the others must partake more or less of the
defect. The union of one man and woman
in the matrimonial state seems to be clearly
the Divine plan in the beginning. Polyg-
amy and slavery, though admitted with cer-
tain restrictions in the former dispensation,
were infractions of the Divine law, and, un-
der the Gospel, were not to be tolerated.
They both have their origin in sin, and
never fail to bring down the just judgments
of God on those who practice them. A happy
union of man and wife is essential to the
great work of training children. The force
of parental example always has a threefold

60 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

influence on their tender minds, and will
leave an impress where precept will he for-
gotten. Immodesty, hypocrisy and selfish-
ness are traits of character that children
often imhihe from parents. Let them hear
them talk unkindly of their neighbors, say
hard things about them ; then let those same
persons come in, and a wonderful show of
friendship is displayed. In this way the
seeds of hypocrisy are sown in the child's
mind.

Selfishness and even dishonesty in trading
are often instilled in the child's mind by the
parents. I have said a few things in regard
to moral training ; now I want to speak of
religious training. Wheii Moses had re-
ceived the law from Sinai's fiery top, it con-
tained a special injunction for parents to
teach to their children : ''When thou sittest
in thy house and when thou walkest by the
way and when thou risest up keep these
things continually on the child's mind." In
the Gospel we have a like injunction to the
parents. "And you fathers provoke not
your children to anger, but bring them up in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
Family religion is the oldest religion in the
world. The form is changed under the Gos-

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. . ' <Ql

pel but the Lord still holds every parent ac-
countable for the manner in which the}^
bring up their children. They should begin
the work of impressing their minds with Gos-
pel truths very earW. Let the good seed be
sown and take root before it comes in contact
with the wicked world. I want to say to
you, Christian mothers, that the child from
infancy is in your hands like clay in the
hands of the potter. 'Must as the twig is
bent the tree's inclined." You have greater
power in moulding the characters of your
precious offspring, than all the preachers in
the land. Some of you will say, "What can
the mother do if the father is a sceptic, a
scoffer at religion?" Well, this is truly the
greatest trial a Christian mother could be
called to bear. I would say, be true to your
high and holy profession, read the good
book and pray much, be patient under trials,
try to show by your example that you believe
in the teachings of the blessed Bible. Don't
be weary in well doing, for in due season you
shall reap if you faint not. Nearly all the
great men that have adorned either the
church or state have had pious, praying
mothers.

Paul savs to Timothv, ^'AVhen I call to

62 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

mind the unfeigned faith that is in thee,
which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois,
and in thy mother Eunice, and I am per-
suaded in thee also." You may think dear,
Christian mother, that it is little use to strive
against such opposition, hut remember, the
Lord is on your side and will be with you in
all your trials. He has said, ''I will never
leave thee nor forsake thee."

I am thankful to my Heavenly Father that
he gave me a praying mother. She was the
best teacher I ever had. I can remember even
to this advanced age, when in my youth sin-
ners would entice me, how like a mighty
sentinel would come the counsels and warn-
ings of my dear mother. She very early
fi.xed the thought in my mind that God would
mark my sin and bring me into judgment
for doing wicked things.

The natural affection between mother and
child gives her a power that no other human
can possess in turning the young mind to
God and religion. Then, dear mother, work
for God and for the salvation of your children.
Think what tremendous results are con-
nected with your work. The faithful dis-
charge of dut}^ by one mother may be the
means through God's grace of bringing many

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 63

to the good world. Then, let me say to all my
dear children and grandchildren, and others
who may read this: Try to bring up your
children for heaven, so in the great day you
may say, ''Here lam, Lord, and the children
whom thou hast given me."

64 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMOXS OF

CHAPTER X.

THE GOSPEL INVITATION.

Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and
learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye
shall find rest to your souls. — Mat. xi, last three verses.

This text contains a clear and full declara-
tion of our Savior's great mission as the Son
of God and Savior of the world. Let us con-
sider the subject in the following order:
First. Who are invited? Second. How can
they come? Third. The great advantage in
coming. In the fourth and last place, The
awful consequences in not coming.

The good, old preachers in my youthful
days, used to tell us that none were embraced
in this text but penitent sinners. AVell, that
class is invited, and we think the text reaches
farther, and takes in every one who can be
induced to listen to the invitation. If the
hardest-hearted sinner can be made to feel
the burden and weight of his sins, he is sure-
ly invited to come to Christ and find rest

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 65

and peace, and take upon himself the blessed
yoke. This brings us to the second proposi-
tion. How can the sinner come to the
Savior? God has endued man with an
animal and a spiritual nature. The spiritual
part can not be satisfied with earthly things,
but must be brought into fellowship with
the Creator in order to be happy. In turn-
ing the sinner from darkness to light, from
the power of Satan unto God, the first great
element or power is faith. The object of his
faith must be Jesus, the Christ, the Savior of
the world, and that he died for a propitiation
for our sins. The faith of the sinner must
look to Calvary. He must believe with all
his heart, not merely an assent of the intel-
lect but with the heart, man believeth unto
righteousness. Faith purifies the heart, and
turns the mind to seek after heavenly things.
Faith saves us from the love of sin. Repen-
tance and prayer saves us from the practice
of sin. The work of repentance is alwa3^s in
proportion to the thoroughness of faith.
Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salva-
tion, not to be repented of. Every step the
sinner takes from -the time he first starts for
heaven until he arrives safely at the blessed
mansion is by faith. It is the great moving

5

66 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

power to every act of obedience. When the
sinner is saved from the love of sin by faith,
and from the practice of sin by repentance
and prayer, then he is prepared for baptism
which changes his state, and pardon is
promised which saves him from the guilt of
sin. The gift of the Holy Spirit is now
promised. Because ye are sons (that is ye
have been adopted into the family), God hath
sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your
hearts, crying Abba, Father. Oh, the blessed
assurance with w^hich the child of God can
approach the mercy-seat, knowing that he
has obeyed the Lord in all his blessed com-
mands. Why do not men come and accept
the Savior? One says, the Book nowhere
says faith, repentance and baptism for the
remission of sins. Well, let us take Matthew,
Mark and Luke on the great commission
given to the Apostles. Mark says, ' 'Go ye in-
to all the world and preach the Gospel to
every creature. He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth
not shall be damned." Matthew says, ''Go
ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Ghost." Luke says,
"Thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. 67

rise from the dead the third day, and that
repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in his name among all nations, be-
ginning at Jerusalem."

Now I suppose, these three evangelists de-
signed to make a plain record of the great
commission of their Master. Faith must
come first in the order. The Book plainly
teaches that Faith must antecede every at-
tempt to draw near to God. "Without Faith
it is impossible to please God." ''He that
Cometh to God must believe that he is and
that he is a rewarder of them that diligently
seek him." But one says, the Lord has
pardoned many a poor sinner without baptism.
What is that to thee? Does the commission
given hold out a promise without baptism?
Are you not safer in obeying the great com-
mission? Are you willing to risk your salva-
tion in disobedience to such plain commands?
''Great peace have they that keep the law."
The prophet says, "Oh that thouhadst heark-
ened unto my commandments, then would
thy peace have been as a river, and thy
righteousness as a wave of the sea."

We have now come to the fourth and last
proposition, the awful consequences of re-
jecting the offer of salvation. The sinner

68 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

has been shown that every one of Adam's
lost race is included in the Gospel invitation.
He is a propitiation for the sins of the whole
world. He gave himself a ransom to be
testified in due time. Poor sinner, you are
left without excuse. You will be speechless
before the judgment seat of Christ. Your
boat is gliding down toward an awful abyss.
It will soon meet the rapids which will hasten
you on to destruction. Are you sleeping
amid such dangers? God is calling. Jesus
is pleading, the church is praying for you.
The ministers are sounding the Gospel call.
All good beings in heayen and on earth
feel a deep solicitude for you. Oh, come to
Christ and find rest to your souls. "Take
his yoke upon you and learn of him, for his
yoke is easy and his burden light."

ELOER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 69

CHAPTER XL

A synopsis of a speech delivered at a meeting called
in compliance with a proclamation of the President,
in order for humiliation, prayer and fastino;. That our
heavenly Father would be pleased to avert the threat-
ened destruction of our good government and save this
great nation from distress and ruin. In the year of
our Lord, 1862.

As a starting point we will inquire, first,
is it right for Christians to bear arms in any
case? We think Paul, in his letter to the
church at Rome (thirteenth chapter, first six
verses ) has placed the matter beyond all cavil
as to the right and duty of Christians to help
keep order and suppress lawless attempts
against the rights of the innocent and against
a good and righteous government. We con-
clude, then, that God has ordained human
or civil governments, and when civil law
protects the innocent in the enjoyment of
their rights in person, property or character,
that the violator of such law shall be pun-
ished. That the ruler or chief executive
shall employ the sword when no other means
will avail to put down offenders and main-
tain order.

70 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

In the second place we would inquire, Is
the war now raging in our country one of
the cases in which the Christian should en-
gage? I do most conscientiously believe that
this war, on the part of the loyal defenders
of the government, is a righteous one. There
has never been a war since the days of
Joshua, son of Nun, that could be better and
more clearly defended on principles of right
and justice.

Our fathers fought and bled to procure for
us the best government on earth, with one
exception ; that was, they allowed slavery to
be incorporated in their constitution and by-
laws. How strange that after being so sig-
nally blessed of God in their struggle for lib-
erty, that they should refuse the same bless-
ing to the poor degraded African. If the
friends of liberty could have excluded slav-
ery from our constitution, what rivers of
blood and tears it would have prevented.
When that venerable body of wise and patri-
otic men from every state .in the Union met
at Philadelphia in 1787 to form our present
constitution, with the great Washington in
the chair, and the venerable Franklin and
many of the wisest men of the age in conven-
tion, while slavery was* young and weak and

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 71

while Mr. Mason of Virginia and Governor
Morris of Pennsylvania and other speakers
were making the ears of slave-holders tingle,
why did they not vote the monstrous iniquity
out of the constitution at once and be done
with its dreadful consequences? Ah! pride
and selfishness were too strong. Still the
friends of liberty seemed to hope that the
great curse would die out and give place to a
more enlightened and happy state of society.
This was a vain hope, as facts in after years
will testify. After this shameful oppression
had gone on gaining strength from year to
year, its friends finally concluded that it
should spread its dark wings and cover the
entire land. Having ruled the nation so
long, they were unable to bear defeat in the
election of a president, but must lay foul
hands on the ship of state and resolve to sink
it or perish in the attempt. Now what could
we do but rally to the conflict and try to save
the nation from anarchy and ruin? Then
have not our brethren done right in march-
ing to the field of battle trusting in the Lord,
whether living or d^ing, for the righteous-
ness of their cause? One might say, If your
cause is so plainly good, why have not your
armies been more ^successful? Why have

72 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

the Union armies suffered so many disasters
on the field of battle? Well, it may be with
us as it was with the children of Israel when
they were called to go to war with their
brother Benjamin. The tribe of Benjamin
were the aggressors. They were wholly at
fault. Yet they were victorious in the first two
battles, more than 40,000 slain of Israel. Why
was it so? Certainly because they trusted in
themselves and not in the Lord. We may
have been too confident in regard to our
numbers and strength ; besides, too many of
our people in the free states have taken sides
with the oppressor against the poor, down-
trodden slave. We have lived in ease and
splendor on the products of his unrequited
toil. The God of heaven is about to vindi-
cate the claims of his eternal justice before
this nation.

Dearly beloved brethren and friends, let
us be careful to stand in our lot. Let us ren-
der to Csesar the things that are C8esar's,and
to God the things that are God's. As Chris-
tians let us watch and pray and strive to
keep ourselves in the love of God. Let us
not be weary in well-doing, for in due sea-
son we shall reap if we faint not. Oh! let
us mingle with our prayers daily at a throne

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 73

of grace, for ourselves, for our children, for
the advancement of our Savior's kingdom,
and for our beloved country, that our heav-
enly Father in his great mercy may be
pleased to dispel the dreadful war cloud that
hangs frightfully over our heads and let the
glorious sun of righteousness and peace
shine once more upon our land and cheer our
poor, desponding hearts. When that bane
of moral purity, that bone of contention be-
tween the North and South, that outrage on
the natural rights of a fellow-man, shall be
done away with, then will the North and
South be at peace and join in the work of
colonizing and Christianizing the African
race in this and other lands. For such a
glorious consummation as the result of the
great affliction we are now suffering, let us
all devoutly pray.

BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

CHAPTER XII.

SERMON ON PRAYER.

Jesus spake a parable unto them to this end, that
men ought always to pray and not to faint. — Luke
xviii : 1.

Prayer is the desire of the soul, either ex-
pressed or mentally employed. There is but
one prerequisite to prayer, and that is un-
feigned faith in the Son of God as our Savior.
The question has been debated slightly,
whether a penitent sinner ought to be en-
couraged to pray before he was baptized.
Paul the Apostle did pray, and was encour-
aged to go on to obedience, calling on the
name of the Lord. Paul in his letter to the
Romans (tenth chapter), after quoting the
language of the prophet Joel, says, " But how
shall they call on him in whom they have
not believed ? " as much as to say, prayer is
admissible in all cases where there is faith.

I think the reason why any one ever
doubted on this plain matter was, that we
had become sensible of the error in our for-

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 75

mer teaching, which was that the sinner
must continue praying and wait for the evi-
dence of his pardon before he was a fit sub-
ject for baptism. How common it is in try-
ing to avoid one extreme to get into another.
Xow, we think the awakened convicted soul
would breath out prayer to God if his tongue
was taken out. Let the sinner get the eyes
of his understanding opened so that he can
see his condition by the light of divine truth,
and he will pray like the publican, "God be
merciful to me a sinner." While he is pray-
ing let him go on to obedience and his sal-
vation is sure, though men and devils should
oppose.

Prayer in the closet. ' ' When thou prayest,
enter into thy closet, and when thou hast
shut the door, pray to thy Father who seeth
in secret, and He shall reward thee openly."
Here is a privilege for the Christian, more
blessed than the common walks of life, and
yet we fear many are living continually in
neglect of this plain duty.

The pride of the heart in man has caused
him to try to counterfeit almost every com-
mand of God; but here is one that seems to
preclude all attempts at hypocrisy. The
Pharisees prayed to be seen of men, per-

76 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

haps some poor hypocrite may practice the
same nowadays; but to enter into the secret
chamber or the lonely grave, where no eye
but the eye of God is upon us, there to
meet our Father and hold sweet communion
with him, to pour out our sorrows and make
known our desires, with the blessed assur-
ance that his eyes are over the righteous, and
his ears are open to their prayers.

In the closet of prayer we are shut out
from the world. We are in company that
belongs not to earth. Oh, what a blessed
privilege for poor, tempted, downcast souls.
How many heavy hearts have been comforted,
and their burdened souls relieved in the
closet of prayer. Oh children, lovers of God,
and lovers of the brethren, don't neglect your
closet of prayer. Let every eartiily enjoy-
ment give place to this high calling of God
in Christ Jesus. Prayer in the family. I
want to encourage my children and my
brethren in this important duty. A family
of jDrofessing Christians without an altar of
prayer, is like a field of grain without a fence.
The little foxes that spoil the tender vine are
likely to get in, and do Satan's work in that
family .

How can parents bring up their children

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 77

in the nurture and admonition of the Lord
without an altar of prayer? How can the
young mind be early impressed with the
great truths of the Gospel, if the parents
treat so lightly this great Bible command,
and their voices are never heard in prayer or
thanksgiving to God. I believe it is seldom,
if ever, the case, that great men in the church
descend from professors that never kept an
altar of prayer in their house. The dying
words of that great and good man, B. W.
Stone, addressing his wife and others, were:
''Tell my brethren, their religion will avail
nothing unless it brings them on their knees
before God at the mercy-seat."

Study what you need and what God has
taught you to ask for. Come in faith ; come
with the simplicity of a little child. Don't
think you must have much fluency, but with
all humility let your requests be made known
to the Lord. Jesus prayed the same prayer
over and over again when the great scene of
his suffering for a lost world was near at
hand. Prayer has been authorized in the
public worship ever since God has had a peo-
ple on the earth. Under every dispensa-
tion, patriarchal, Jewish and Christian,
the divine service has been connected with

78 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

supplication, intercession and thanksgiving.
All the members should try to qualify them-
selves to lead in the prayers of the church.

We will now sum up some of the prom-
ises and works of our heavenly Father in
order to encourage us to pray. First, the
promises : " Ask and you shall receive, for
every one that asketh receiveth, and he
that seeketh findeth, and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened." " How much
more shall your heavenly Father give the
Holy Spirit to them that ask Him." ''And
will not God avenge his own elect that cry
unto him day and night." These and many
other promises has the Lord made to encour-
age his people to pray. Now let us look at
some of the wonderful works that God has
done in answer to prayer. While Moses
prays the army of Israel prevails over their
enemies on the field of battle. While Joshua
prays the sun stands still in Gibeon and the
moon in the valley of Ajalon. Hannah
prays and Samuel is born. Daniel prays and
the commandment comes to restore a cap-
tured nation to their long lost liberty. Elijah
prays and the heavens give rain and the
earth is again fruitful after a drought of
three vears and six months. Paul and Silas

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 79

pray and the prison doors fly open and their
feet are loosened from the stocks. The breth-
ren pray and Peter is taken out of prison by
an angel of God. All this and much more
has the Lord done to encourage us always to
pray and not to faint.

"Restraining prayer we cease to fight,

Prayer makes the Christian armor bright,
And Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees."

80 BRIEF ARTICLES A^'D SERMONS OF

CHAPTER XIII.

LETTER TO CHURCH MEMBERS.

Dear Brethren — You have been called
from darkness to light. If true to your high
and holy profession, you have been trans-
lated into the kingdom of God's dear Son, and
the good Shepherd claims you for his sheep.
He says, ''My sheep hear my voice and fol-
low me. They know not the voice of stran-
gers but will flee from them." I once read
a fable like this: A crafty old wolf had
long watched an opportunity to make a break
on a certain flock of sheep, but the faithful
shepherd had always defeated his plans. At
last the wolf hit upon the scheme to counter-
feit the person and voice of the shepherd.
So he clothed himself in the shepherd's attire
and took the crook, that the shepherd used, in
his paws, and raised himself on his hind feet
and approached the flock. The sheep were
completely deceived, and came running and
bleating with much delight. The wolf elated
with his success, concluded to make an effort

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 81

to imitate the voice of the shepherd, so he
could induce the flock to follow him and
make them an easy pray; but when he raised
his voice, behold, it was the hideous voice of
a wolf. The sheep took fright and run in
every direction to make their escape. The
application of this fable is to show that
Christ's people can never be deceived while
they are used to listening to the good Shep-
herd's voice. The great Father above said,
"This is my beloved Son, hear him." Oh,
Christian brethren, listen daily to the voice
of the good Shepherd. He is able to lead
3^ou through green pastures and beside the still
waters. Let your delight be in the law of
the Lord, and in his law meditate day and
night.

Very many who profess to be Christ's
sheep are feasting their minds on vapid liter-
ature, instead of looking to the great Shep-
herd for their daily food. Our renewed na-
ture must be called into exercise or we will
loathe the heavenly manna. We ma}^ refuse
the food that the good Shepherd offers, until
our lean souls become like the barren desert
waste. ''If a man abide not in Me he is
cast forth as a branch and is withered."
6

82 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

CHAPTER XIV.

OBJECT AND FORM OF LOCAL CHURCHES.

All who have been born of God according
to His word are in the kingdom or body of
Christ. Yet the law requires a local organi-
zation or church in the less or particular
sense, uniting believers in one family in
order to fulfill the great mission intended, to-
wit : building up believers, converting and
saving the lost, and at all times giving light
to the world. "Church of Christ" should
be ' their family name, and ''Christian"
should be their individual name, and the
Holy Scriptures should be the guide of their
daily walk and conduct. The officers of said
church, as designated by divine authority' ,
are elders and deacons. The elder is some-
times called overseer or bishop. The elders
and deacons are to be chosen by the congre-
gation if they have in their number men of
such qualifications as the law of God re-
quires. If all are lacking in those gifts re-
quired, let them wait. I have known great

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 83

harm arising from men serving as elders who
had no ability either as teachers or rulers.
When suitable men are found and the church
has agreed that they shall be inaugurated,
let a day be set apart for their ordination.
Call one or two preachers and let all meet,
fasting, and join in prayer that God will
bless those persons in the discharge of all
their duties. Let some aged preacher, if
present, lay his hands on them as the Apostle
enjoins in the name of the Lord, giving them
such charge and instruction as the Word of
God will w^arrant. If the congregation is not
able to hire a pastor or evangelist, let them
appoint their social meetings and try to be in
their places for worship every Lord's day.
The church historian says the worship of the
early disciples, w^hen they met on the Lord's
day, consisted in reading the Scriptures,
prayers, songs, and commemorating the Sav-
ior's death in breaking bread. That church
that habitually fails to worship on the Lord's
day in the absence of a preacher is not apos-
tolic. They need more zeal and love for
Christ and his cause. If I am not very much
mistaken, after trying many years to serve
God and build up his cause on earth, there is
and ever has been more hindrance to the ad-

84 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

vancement of Christ's kingdom from the lack
of devotion and energy among our people
than from all the opposition that has been
brought to bear against us. Pray without
ceasing and in everything give thanks, is an
injunction that we overlook. We need to tr}^
to break the spell that binds us down to
earth, and rise in the might and power
that God has given us. Every member
should feel as though the prosperity of the
church and the conversion of the world de-
pended greatly on their acting well their part
in the house of God.

If all who profess Christ and have their
names enrolled upon the church book were
Avalking in the light, their lives pointing to
Christ, the great atoning sacrifice that takes
away the sin of the world, then the Gospel
would have power over the hearts of the chil-
dren of men.

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE.

CHAPTER XV.

ON EXHORTATION.

Exhortation, admonition and persuasion
are words of similar import. The work
pointed out by these differs from teaching.
Teaching requires a higher grade of qualifi-
cations than exhortation. To teach is to im-
part knowledge. To exhort is to induce a
person to obey the Lord or to practice what
they already know. The former is to en-
lighten the understanding, the latter is to
move the affections, to awaken the powers of
the soul. Exhortation is a work of the high-
est importance to the church. It is the work
of every member, from the highest to the
lowest. It gives scope to the most exalted
flights of the greatest orator, while it finds
work for the weakest saints. One reason
why the work of exhortation is so much neg-
lected is because the pride of the human
heart has prompted many to desire to
be teachers and engage in the work who
are not qualified and of course not profitable,

86 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

while the work of exhortation is greatl}^ neg-
lected, even in our public worship. This ac-
counts for the lack of many useful gifts that
might be cultivated if our churches set a
higher value on the work of exhortation.
The Apostle, in writing to the Hebrew breth-
ren, commanded them to exhort one another
daily while it is called to-day, lest any of
them should be hardened through the deceit-
fulness of sin. From this language we un-
derstand that exnortation is not confined to
the worshiping assembly, but is a daily duty
that devolves upon Christians. If we know
that any of our associates have gone astray,
we ought to persuade them daily and never
rest until they reform. Let parents exhort
their children. Christian mothers, I ask
you, do you plead with your children, be-
seeching them to turn away from evil ways
and obey the Lord? Finally, my brethren,
fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters, all
that love God and keep his commandments,
remember you are the light of the world,
the salt of the earth. Oh! let an old,
worn and feeble servant, now in the eve-
ning of his days, admonish you to more en-
ergetic work in the cause of our Great Re-
deemer.

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 87

CHAPTER XVI.

PAKABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS.

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto
ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth
to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were wise and
five were foolish. They that were foolish took their
lamps but took no oil with them ; but the wise took oil in
their vessels with their lamps. AYhile the bridegroom
tarried they all slumbered and slept. And at mid-
night there was a cry made, ''Behold the bridegroom
Cometh. Go ye out to meet him." Then all those
virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the
foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oil for
our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered,
not so, lest there be not enough for us and you, but go
rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
While they went to buy, the bridegroom came and
they that were ready went in with him to the marriage?
and the door was shut. — Mat. xxv.

This parable is taken from the eastern
mode of celebrating marriages. Ten virgins
were selected to introduce the bridegroom in-
to the bride chamber. These virgins were
all dressed in uniform, representing purity
and innocence. They were to repair to the
house of the bride in the evening with their

88 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

lamps burning, each one having a vessel
of oil to supply her lamp. Here they were
to await the approach of the bridegroom,
which was sometimes quite late in the night.
While they were waiting for a groomsman to
announce the near approach of the bride-
groom, they all became drowsy and went to
sleep.

The kingdom of heaven in this parable
means the kingdom that Christ was about to
establish on earth. The ten virgins represent
the subjects of this kingdom from its in-
cipiency until the Lord comes. The bride's
house means the eternal mansions above.
The lamp is the outward profession, the oil
in the vessels is the Christian graces or the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit. While the
bridegroom tarries they all slumber and sleep,
they are not watching and are taken by sur-
prise. The wise had not attended to their
lamps until they were almost gone out. The
foolish let their lamps go out and no oil to
renew them.

We will now try to examine the subject ac-
cording to the above statement. Those vir-
gins must all have on the right garment.
They must all have a lamp. They must all
have access to vessels of oil, to keep up the

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 89'

light. All these things are necessary for a
proper church relation. Now, we suppose
there are but few persons who come to the
church who are not honest in making the
good confession. There may be a few who
never were moved by the Spirit of Truth.
They were hypocrites from the beginning,
and soon fall off and show their true charac-
ter. They never had the robe and the burn-
ing lamp in reality. But we think the fool-
ish virgins denote those who honestly made
a profession and perhaps ran well for a time,
but they didn't strive against forbidden
things. Riches, honors and the pleasures of
the world and all its allurements crowded into
their hearts, causing them to forget the mercy-
seat, and the girdle of truth was cast aside,
and the waning lamp could not be renewed
because the vessels of oil were empty. We
fear there are many professors in this day
who hold church membership whose lamps
are gone out. They have failed to form a
Christian character and are not giving light
to the world. One Christian can not supply
another with heavenly graces. Such blessed
attainments are not transferable. We must
go to the great Giver of all good, who has an

90 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

inexhaustible store of blessings for his faith-
ful children.

The foolish virgins were too stupid to con-
sider their sad case. Their lamps gone out,
no oil to renew them, and in this condition
they went to sleep. Just so we find it is with
poor backsliders. The hardest of all is to
get them awake. They seem to be dreaming
that all is well. No exhortation, reproof or
admonition will avail anything while they
remain in this spiritual slumber. But we
must not cease the work of trying to reclaim
and save them. Try to awaken them to a
sense of their danger, and a need of oil in
their lamps to prepare to meet the bride-
groom. We now come to consider the fact
that the wise virgins while waiting for the
call to go out and meet the bridegroom be-
came drowsy and went to sleep. They also
seemed to be in danger of letting their lamps
go out. It has long been a point unsettled
among divines, whether the church will be in
-a flourishing or declining state when the
Lord comes. This parable seems to favor the
latter opinion. Paul, Peter and Jude all
speak of a decline in spiritual things in the
latter or last days. Our Savior's parables,
many of them, hold forth the idea that the

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. 91

greater part of professors of religion will be
taken by surprise and not be found watch-
ing when the Lord comes. When we look at
the present state of the professing Christian
world, and then look in the Bible and exa-
mine closely the character there laid down
for Christians to fill, there seems to be an awful
failure. Some contending for creeds and
parties, and some that have taken the Bible
alone for their creed and ought to be pat-
terns of piety and holiness are not giving
light to the world. So it is, and perhaps it
will be until the Lord comes. At all events,
we may safely conclude that the parable un-
der consideration was intended as a warning
to all Christians not to go to sleep and let
their lamps go out.

I believe in a millenium, but whether it
will take place before or after the resurrection
of the Lord's people is not so plain. My
strongest impression is that the church will
be cold and the world will be wicked when
Jesus comes and that the millenium will be
after the first resurrection. Yet I am happy
to think it will be right as the Lord is pleased
to have it, and so let it rest. Now. we come
to the closing scene of the parable. They
that were ready went in with him to the

, 92 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

marriage, and the door was shut. How in-
describably grand and glorious will be the
coming of the Lord. The prophet Daniel,
says, ''I beheld till the thrones were cast
down and the ancient of days did sit whose
garments were white as snow, and the hair
of his head like the pure wool. His throne
was like the fiery-flame, his wheels as burn-
ing fire. A fiery stream issued and came
forth before him. Thousands of thousands
ministered unto him, and ten thousand
times ten thousand stood before him. The
judgment was set and the books were
opened."

Paul in his letters to Thessalonians says,
''The Lord Jesus will be revealed from
heaven with his mighty angels in flaming
fire, taking vengeance on them that know not
God and obey not the Gospel." Again, "the
Lord himself shall descend from heaven with
a shout, with the voice of the archangel and
the trump of God. The righteous all safe in
the everlasting mansions, and the door shut."
The awful sentence comes to those who fail
to enter "Depart from me all you that work
iniquity." Among all that will be con-
demned when the Lord comes, none will be
so sadly disappointed as the careless, prayer-

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 93

less professors, represented by the foolish
virgins. Dear brethren, let us take warning
from the Savior's own lips. Let us have our
lamps trimmed and burning, and be ready to
meet the bridegroom when he comes. Then
we will not be alarmed when we hear the
voice of the archangel, and the trumpet that
shall awake the sleeping dead. Then we
shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the
air, and so forever be with the Lord. This
is the embodiment of the Christian's hope.
It holds the vessel while the waves run high.
Though the storm may be raging, all is safe
while the anchor hope enters to that within
the vale whither the forerunner is for us
entered, even Jesus, our great high priest.

. "A hope so great and so divine,
May trials well endure,
And purify our souls from sin,
As Christ himself is pure."

94 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

CHAPTER XYII.

RELIGION AND POLITICS.

Some professors of religion are very sensi-
tive about politics in the pulpit. I always
think a man must have something bad in
his politics when he is so easily offended in
this matter. Two objects should be kept in
view in the administration of civil laws ; one
is the purity of the body politic and the other
is to look after the temporal demands of the
people. Now all that part of politics that is
connected with justice and righteousness has
to do with the morals of the people, and is
justly a pulpit theme." The Apostles lived
under a monarchial form of government and
they commanded prayers to be offered for
kings and for those in authority, that right-
eous laws might be enacted. In our govern-
ment. Christians have the power to help
mould the laws, and they are responsible
to God for all their influence in this
direction. How can we expect the govern-
ment to be for the punishment of evil doers

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 95

and for the praise of them that do well if the
church withholds its influence. No great
political reform can be brought about while
the pulpit maintains silence on the question,
unless it should come in the form of a great
and bloody re\^olution. During the long
years of oppression to the colored people, the
preachers were forbidden to cry out against
the sin even in the North. If some ignorant
preacher would stand in the pulpit and tell
the people that slavery was a divine institu-
tion and tolerated by the Bible and even at-
tempt to put a holy stamp and seal upon the
auction block, he was looked upon as being a
Bible preacher. But let the true man of God
come to the front bearing a message of love
to God and love to our fellow-men, let him
point out the slave dealer and say, " Woe
unto him that buildeth his house by unright-
eousness and his chambers by w^rongs ; that
useth his neighbor's service without wages
and giveth him naught for his w^ork." This
would have been classed political preaching and
would have called down never-ending curses
upon the head of the poor defenseless preacher
who was bold enough to publicly utter such
words. Well, we have had our school of
bloodshed, and as its dark chapters were un-

96 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

folded, they seemed to all point toward
breaking the chains and letting the oppressed
go free. Yes, that was to be the sequel — the
closing scene of the great drama. Now it is
ended, can the preacher be permitted to talk
about dealing justly and loving mercy? No,
not if he means dealing justly with the col-
ored people ; that would be bringing politics
into the pulpit.

I knew a case where a church became
horrified at their pastor for saying a few
words in a discourse to the effect that slavery
had drawn down awful judgments on our
country, and he feared that we as a nation
had not repented as much as we should.
Those who attempt to guard the pulpit are
generally a class who need the very preach-
ing they are trying to shut off. PauL
preached against political sins and every
other kind, and Martin Luther, when he set
himself like steel against the Roman Catholic
Church, had to meet both church and state
combined. When the nation endorses a
great sin, that sin has become popularized,
and needs the church to rally its forces in
every way possible to try to counteract the
evil. No true man of God will help politic-
-ally to make strong the nation's wrongs. If

i

P:LDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 97

he must stand alone, let him free himself
from complicity in what he knows to be
wrong. The angel above records our deeds
and our influence is lasting as eternity.

98 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMOXS OF

CHAPTER XVIII.

WHERE IS THE TRUE CHURCH OF CHRIST?

There is one body and one Spirit, even as you are
called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith,
one baptism, one God and Father of all who is above
all and through all and in you all.— E ph. iv : 4, 5, 6 v.

Here are seven units. The first tliree rep-
resents tlie churcli in its embodied or united
form. One body, one spirit and one hope.
The second three are to represent the cliurcli
as individuals. So Paul sa^^s, "Now ye are
the body of Christ and member in particu-
lar." So then each member comes into the
body by one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
and have received one spirit and one hope.
God the Father of all dwells in them. Oh,
what wonders of love and mercy to be de-
livered from the kingdom of darkness and
translated into the kingdom of God's dear
Son. We find the church of Christ made up
of sinners, saved by grace, saved by the
blood of Christ, saved by faith, saved by re-
pentance, saved by baptism, saved by hope.

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 99

All these are spoken of by the Apostles as
having saving power.

We have shown that there is one true
church, and all who are in this one body
have one Lord, one faith and one baptism.
Some religious people will say, yes, that is
Bible doctrine, but it does't mean water, it
means baptism of the Holy Spirit. Jesus
said, ''Except ye be born of water and of the
Spirit, ye can not enter into the kingdom of
God;" and the Apostles were commanded
•'To teach all nations, baj)tizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Ghost;" and Paul says in his Collossian
letter "having been buried with him in bap-
tism." Peter says, ''the like figure wherein
baptism doth now save us. " We will have to
concede that the one baptism is of water, or we
will have to trample on some of the plainest
Scripture recorded in the word of divine
truth. Yet we are not so sanguine as to be-
lieve that all who come to the ordinance of
baptism are true disciples of the blessed Mas-
ter. The kingdom of heaven is like a net
cast into the sea, it gathers of every kind.
"The seed sow^n sometimes falls into stony
ground, or among thorns, or by the wayside,
l)ut when it falls into good and honest hearts,

100 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMON'S OF

it brings forth some thirty, some sixty, some
an hundred fold.

The artful destroyer of souls is gaining a
great victory now in the world on account of
divisions, sects and party strife. The salva-
tion of a lost and ruined world is being
greatly prevented, and the object of our
Savior's death is being defeatedby the jarring
creeds of the religious world. Now if the
above thought is true, how careful should
every church member be to know that he is
contending earnestly for the faith once de-
livered to the saints.

Paul warns the churches against divisions,
and exhorts the disciples all to speak the
same things. In the divided state of the
Christian world, two extremes have become
apparent. One is to depend entirely on the
work of the Holy Spirit and ignore God's
positive commands. The other is to depend
too much on the positive commands and
neglect that part that tends to building the
moral and spiritual interests of the church.
Some of God's commands are right of them-
selves, such as, ''husbands love your wives,"
''children obey your parents," but the com-
mand to a penitent sinner to be baptized is
positive law, and is right because it is com-

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. IQl

manded. Our first parents fell by dis-
obedience to positive law. Circumcision was
a positive law. To look on the brazen ser-
pent, the healing of the Assyrian officer.
The sounding of the Ram's Horn at the siege
of Jericho and many such things were of the
order of positive law. When we read of the
fall of Adam, the fall of the Israelites in the
wilderness, and all the judgments that have
been melted out to defaulters of positive law,
should we not tremble at the thought of dis-
obedience? When we hear infidels scoff at
the divine commandments, we are not sur-
prised, but it is sad to hear professors of re-
ligion making light of these things, calling
them outward forms, only the shell. It has
no validity in the work of grace. It is a
mere ceremony, etc.

But some one says, don't you see how easy
it is for a person to be baptized and join the
church, attend to the Lord's Supper and still
be a hypocrite? Yes, I see all that, and
lament that some fail to show the fruits of a
godly life. But on the other hand, don't
you see how easy it is for a person to make
great pretentions to spiritual enjoyments and
talk of heart-felt religion, and still be a hypo-
crite? The good, old prophet Samuel, told

102 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

Saul once, that '' obedience was better than
sacrifice, and hearken was better than the
fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of
witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity
and idolatry." Now, I do most confidently
believe in the gift of the Spirit as promised
to the Christians in the Gospel age, but we
are taught that the world can not receive this
heavenly visitor. The temple of the heart
must be cleansed before it can receive this
holy guest. Hence, all this praying for the
Holy Spirit to come down and convert sinners
is unscriptural. ' 'Let the sinner listen to the
truths of the Gospel, and try to exercise faith
in Christ, repent of his sins and be baptized,
calling upon the name of the Lord, then
arise to walk in newness of life, and they have
the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit as
an abiding comforter." Then let them add
to their faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance,
patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and
above all charity, that covereth a multitude
of sins. Oh, how I would rejoice to see the
church arise from its stupor, put on its
beautiful garments and come forth bright as
the sun, fair as the moon and terrible as an
army with banners. Lord increase the faith-
ful band who are working for the purity of
the church.

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. IQ-

CHAPTER XIX.

LETTER TO MY BROTHER JOHN.

(Written, May 23, 1865.)

Dear Brothi:r — This day, four years ago,
we, with some others, made a visit to our
dear mother's grave. While we stood around
that spot made sacred to us by the loved form
that was here interred twenty-two years and
seventeen days before, how natural it was
for our minds to travel back to our infantile
and youthful days. Here mouldering back
to dust are those kind hands that ministered
to my wants when I lay helpless on her lap.

I was her first born, and so I was cared
for with more than usual interest. How
many painful hours she spent in watching
and caring for me and for you, m}^ brother,
and for all her children. Tender and affec-
tionate, always ready to face danger, priva-
tion and toil to make us safe and comforta-
ble. But more than ever}^ natural tie, our
mother was one that possessed, in a large de-
gree, the religion of Jesus Christ. Her faith

104 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMOXS OF

and her earnest prayers were a great means
under God of bringing you and me into the
blessed Savior's fold. Our father was a kind
parent, and became religious when I was
ver}^ young. I well remember when he was
baptized in a branch of the Little Miami,
Warren county, Ohio, b}' a minister whose
name was Joshua Carmin. Father and
mother were then both religious, both mem-
bers of the Baptist Church. Mother joined
the Baptist when she was quite young, in
South Carolina. Now they could be helpers
and co-workers in bringing up their children
in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Had we not been restrained in our days of
youthful folly by the pious lives and godly
admonitions of our dear parents, you and I
my dear brother, might have been undone
forever. Oh, how thankful we should ever
be to God our Heavenly Father for giving us
religious parents. You know, when I was
married, like most others in those days, I
had to begin in the woods to make a farm.
Mother would often walk that pathway, some
half a mile between her house and ours. I
remember one beautiful morning, in the
spring of 1816, I was busy chopping in my
clearing the logs and brush heaps thick. I

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. 105

looked up and saw mother coming toward me.
She had concluded to give me an exhortation
before she went to the house. I suppose, I
was apprised of her business, for she often
labored with me in those days. When slie
was near enough to speak conveniently she
sat down on a log and said, come here my
son and be seated by me, I want to talk some
to you about your soul. There was so much
heart-felt tenderness manifested in the voice,
in the looks and in the language, that I felt
a dart of conviction the moment she spoke
these words. I dropped my ax, walked for-
ward and took a seat as she requested. I
wish I had her arguments and appeals, but
they are gone from my memory, though I
still retain in my mind vividly the deep and
lasting influence of her faithful and oft-re-
peated warnings and kind admonitions. I often
think, dear brother, of what you told me
about mother's great anxiety to see me before
she left this world. She had been encour-
aged to look for a visit from me, but I failed
to get ready to make the journe}^ (a distance
of two hundred miles), until I heard she was
gone. All that comforts me now is the re-
flection that I was so engaged in the work of
the ministrv that I found no time to make the

106 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

long journey. I was doing a good work, still
it would have been a great comfort to me
had it been so that I could have seen her
once more. But there is a meeting now not
far ahead, where I hope to be permitted to
see all the Lord's people. There, my dear
brother, we will meet, there we will see our
dear parents, there we will call to mind many
things in which the Lord has been gracious,
many mysterious providences then will be
plain in the light of eternity.

In conclusion, dear brother, let me encour-
age you with myself to be faithful in the
work of winning souls to God. Though we go
weeping, bearing precious seed, we will come
at the great harvest bringing in our sheaves.

ELDP:R ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 107

CHAPTER XX.

EXTRACT FROM SPEECH DELIVERED AT AX OLD
settlers' meeting at new CASTLE, IND.,
AUG. 10, 1871.

In the spring of 1832, I moved to Henry
county. But before I moved, I had to build
a cabin. So I got some friends to help me
cut and haul some round logs to a suitable
site. I was told the common custom was to
have whisky at house raisings. I told
Robert Boyd, who had been in the countv
some time, I could not conform to the liquor
custom. Now, had I better tell them as I
went round asking my hands that I was a
teetotaler, or ask my hands and say nothing
about it? He advised the latter. I took his
advice, but repented it afterward. The hands
turned out well and went to work in good
style, but pretty soon the flouts and jeers be-
gan to fly thick and fast. One hallooed,
"cold water and good wishes, boys." I called
attention till I would make a short speech.
When all was still I said, "I am partially a

108 BRIEF AETICLES AND SERMONS OF

stranger among you, I want to conform to
your rules of neighborship as far as I can
conscientiously." I then stated the advice I
had accepted from friend Boyd. Now if
they thought I had deceived them, just quit
and go home, I would not say hard things of
any of them, but would try to get my house
raised as best I could. Some one hallooed
out, ''put up the man's house and say no more
about the bottle." But a few could not bear
to miss a dram, so they made up a purse and
sent a boy for a jug of whisk}^ When it
came there were but a few who would drink,
seeing it was an insult to me and other tem-
perate men present. Some of them got
drunk and let a log fall, that came near kill-
ing Peter Labortaux. From that ver}^ day
the practice of using strong drink at gather-
ings has been on the wane. Men would be
ashamed to-day to bring out the bottle on
such occasions. Much has been done since
I was a boy to stop the ravages of intem-
perance, yet much more must yet be done be-
fore our fellow-men will be saved from falling
into a drunkard's grave.

In conclusion, permit me to say a few
words to the old settlers of this meeting. In
the gracious providence of God, we have been

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 109

spared these many years on the earth. We
have come down from a former generation.
Few of our youthful associates are now living.
We have been permitted to see great changes
in our country. Once we had to drag through
mud to do all our marketing and visiting.
Cincinnati was our depot, and bad roads at
that. We have seen the wild forests changed
into beautiful fields of waving grain. The
roads graveled, the iron horse snorting and
hissing, ready to convey us and our produce
from the Atlantic to the Pacific shores. We
have seen news carried with the speed of
lightning, but more than all that we have
lived to see the prison doors open and the
oppressed go free, and beside all this we
have lived to see the Bible, that way-bill to
heaven, sent to almost every nation on the
earth, aiid published in their own native
tongue. Once a Bible would cost more than
a common laborer could pay. Now fifty
cents will buy the whole volume of God's rev-
elation to man. Ten cents for a new testa-
ment. May God hasten the happy day when
our Savior will set judgment in the earth, and
the isles shall wait for his law.

no BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

CHAPTER XXI.

(Sermon delivered at the Christian Chapel, New (Jastle, April 13,
1873.)

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be soher
and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought
unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. — Peter i :
1-13

It seems that the brethren addressed by the
Apostle in the text were in heaviness
through many fokl temptations. He warns
them to be well armed for the conflict^ lest
their faith should be shaken and their hope
should be lost. He exhorts them to gird up the
loins of their mind, using a figure of speech.
The loins being the foundation of bodily
strength; there was an ancient custom of
wearing a girdle to assist in giving power to
perform great and protracted exertion of the
body. Hence, it is used in Scripture as a
means of giAdng strength in the great con-
flicts the Christian is called to meet. Paul
exhorts the Ephesian brethren to stand
having their loins girt about with truth.
Truth then is the girdle to be Avorn, by

ELDER ELIJAH MARTIXDALE. m

which we are to successfully combat all the
powers of the world, the flesh and the devil.
This truth is composed of all the facts, com-
mands, promises and warnings of the Gospel
of Christ. How many professing to be
soldiers of the cross have been captured by
the enemy for the want of this girdle. Fin-
ally, let us hear the words of the blessed
Master on this subject. '^Let your loins be
girded about, your lamps burning and ye
yourselves like unto men that wait for their
Lord when he will return from the wedding,
that when he cometh and knocketh they may
open unto Him immediately." ''Blessed are
those servants, whom the Lord when He
cometh shall find watching."

We now pass to the second injunction, be
sober. These words stand in the form of a
command, prohibiting excessive mirthfulness,
jesting and joking which are not convenient,
but rather giving of thanks. Gravity is the
proper element for the Christian, and especi-
ally when they meet in the Lord's house for
worship. In order that the great truths of
the Gospel may find their way to the hearts
of unbelievers, it is required of the Lord's
people to be sober-minded, and show a de-
votional spirit when they assemble for wor-

112 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

ship. Especially should the preacher in
view of his great calling exercise sobriety
and gravity. I have often been pained to see
and hear otherwise good and profitable min-
isters of the Gospel, when out of the pul-
pit, destroy much of their power and influence
by vain and giddy conversation. The plain
word teaches that w^e shall be brought into
judgment for our idle words; and the Savior
said, "By thy words thou shalt be justified,
and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
Christ wept over the erring, he wept with the
sorrowing, but no giddy, foolish words ever
escaped his lips. Oh, let us have more of
the spirit of the meek and lowly Jesus.
Let all w^ho name the name of Christ try to
imitate his example in sobriety, in purity, in
long suffering, endeavoring to keep the
unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.
• We come now to the concluding member of
the text. ''Hope to the end for the grace that
is to be brought at the revelation of Jesus
Christ." God has formed our minds so that
w^e may enjoy this blessed solace, this happy-
fying, soul-enlivening influence called hope.
It is composed of confident expectation
coupled with strong desire. It is compared
to an anchor of a ship wdiich holds it steady

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 113

amid storms and tempests. Yes, hope is an
anchor to the soul both sure and steadfast,
and entering to that within the vale where
Jesus has entered, and we look for the glori-
ous appearing of the great God, and our
Savior, Jesus Christ.

I was taught in my youthful days that
hope looked to the pardon of our past sins.
This would be doubting the truth of God's
word. Nothing will satisfy the truly awak-
ened and deeply penitent sinner short of a
knowledge of his sins forgiven. How can
we rejoice evermore looking forward to the
prize that lies at the end of the race unless
we have the blessed knowledge or assurance
that our sins are all forgiven? We are not
to hope for the pardon of our past sins, but
we are to hope for the grace that is to be
brought unto us at the revelation of Jesus
Christ.

Many trials and much opposition the
Christian is called to meet. He often feels
like David under the persecutions of King
Saul: ''Surely one day I shall fall by the
hand of my enemies; " but hope comes to his
relief and he can sing, " Oh, my soul hope
thou in God, for I shall yet praise thee."
8

114 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

Tribulation worketli patience, patience expe-
rience, and experience hope.

Hope maketh not ashamed because the
love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by
the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Oh
let us hope to the end for the grace that is to
be brought at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Then thq saints will be clothed with immor-
tality.

That great city, New Jerusalem, will come
down from God out of Heaven prepared as a
bride adorned for her husband. Blessed are
they who are called unto the marriage sup-
per of the Lamb. Jesus, with all his people,
shall enter the palace royal to go no more out
forever. Behold, the tabernacle of God is
with men and he will dwell with them and
they shall be his people. And there shall
be no night there; and they need no candle,
neither light of the sun, for the Lord God
giveth them light and they shall reign for-
ever and ever. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 115

SONG

I USED TO HEAR MY FATHER SING.

(In which the Christian Journey is Compared to a Voyage on the
Sea.)

Through tribulation deep,

The way to glory is ;
This stormy course I keep

O'er these tempestuous seas,
By winds and weaves I'm tossed and driven,
Freighted with grace and bound for heaven.

The Bible is my chart,

By it the seas I know,
I can not with it part,

It rocks and sands doth show ;
It is a chart and compass, too,
Whose needle points forever true.

AVhen a dead calm ensues.

And heaven no breezes give,
The oar of prayer I use ;

I labor, toil and strive
Through storms and calms for many a day,
I make but very little way.

But when a heavenly breeze

Springs up and fills my sails.
My vessel goes with ease

Before the pleasant gales,
And runs as much an hour or more
As in a month or two before.

116 BRIEF ARTICLES AND SERMONS OF

As at the time of noon,

My quadrant faith I take
To view the Christ my sun,

In hopes the clouds to break ;
I'm happy when his face I see,
I know then whereabouts I be.

When storms and tempests come,

My anchor hope I cast ;
Faith is my cable strong,

It holds my vessel fast.
She safely then at anchor rides
Midst stormy waves and swelling tides.

My vessel would be lost

In spite of all my care.
But that the Holy One

Vouchsafes himself to steer ;
Both day and night his watchful care
My vessel keeps from every snare.

E'er I can reach heaven's coast,

I must a gulf pass through ;
My vessel though not lost

Must fail to mortal view ;
My ransomed spirit then set free.
No more to pass this dangerous sea.

Though rough, it is but short ;

The pilot angels bring
And lead me into port

Redeeming love to sing;
And, when I land on that blest shore,
I shall be safe forevermore.

Elder Elijah Martindale, departed this life
July 21st, 1874.

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 117

HISTORY OF THE MARTINDALE FAMILY
IN AMERICA.

BY ELIJAH MARTINDALE.

My greatgrandfather, William Martindale, was born
in Philadelphia, where his father settled when he came
from England. He had five sons, James, John, Joseph,
William and Thomas. Two of his daughters married
Youngs, and one married Norman. William, the
fourth son, was my grandfather, and was born March
8, 1753, and died Jan. 24, 1854, aged 100 years, ten
months and sixteen days. His sons were John, Moses
and James. His daughters were Sarah, married to
James Odle ; Polly, married Henry Garret ; Nancy,
married Doan Bright; Rachel, married Thomas Clark;
Patsy, married William Jones; Ruth, married Jesse
Young first, he dying, she married William Boyd. My
grandfather had three half brothers, Martin, Miles
and David.

My father, John Martindale, was born Oct. 12, 1772,
and died July 22, 1852. He had four sons, Elijah, Will-
iam, John and Robert. My sisters were, Rachel, mar-
ried Jesse Platts; Polly, married William Roe; Peggy
married Eli Roe ; Sarah, married Boston Overrocker ;
Lavina, married Silas Crocker. My brother John has for
many years been a faithful and successful preacher in
the church of Christ. His labors have been chiefly in

118 MARTINDALE HISTORY BY

Iowa, where he has resided for a number of years. My
grandmothers were Martha Bishop, on father's side, and
Margaret Pierson on mother's side. My grandfather,
Robert Burns, was the son of Tarens Burns of Ireland.
Several of my mother's uncle Burns' were preachers.
My mother, Polly Burns (before she was married),
had four brothers, Jeremiah, Thomas, James and
Robert. Her sisters were, Tabitha, married Jesse
Jones ; Rachel, married Jonathan Campbell ; Margaret,
married John Pierson. Uncle Jeremiah Burns was an
eminent preacher of the Baptist order. Uncle Robert
was no less so among the Methodist.

My father's brother, James Martindale, settled on a
farm in Wayne county, near Washington, where he
lived until his death. He had two sons, John and
William. John lived on a farm near his father. He
died many years ago. His children remain in the
same locality, near Washington, Wayne county,
Indiana. William, the other son, married Mahala
Stiggleman, whom he deserted and went to the Mor-
mans, and became a great apostle in expounding that
faith. He left one daughter in Indiana when he went
to the Mormans.

My father's brother, Moses Martindale, moved to
Eel River at an early day. His sons were Jesse, Will-
iam, Charles, Moses, David and Thomas. One son,
James, died unmarried. His daughters were Rachel,
married to David Ward; Martha, married Benjamin
Griffith ; Mary, died single, aged 20 ; Hannah, married
Amos Murphy; Margaret, married John Long; Sarah,

married Brown; Elizabeth, married Tolman

Smith. Children of Jesse Martindale: George B.,
Jessie, Chinweth, Benjamin, Ann, Hannah. Children
of William Martindale: Hannah Abbott, Jahu, Charles,
Martha McCarty, John, Angeline, William and Albert,
deceased. Children of Charles Martindale: Martha

ELDER ELIJAH MARTINDALE. 119

Bunch, then Barrett, Mary Boggus, Amanda Stock-
berger, Adaline Howell, then Zeihner, Charles, Sarah
Armentrout, Catharine, Rosa Feister, William. Chil-
dren of Moses Martindale : Rev. William J., Anna
Horton (deceased), George A., and Warren B., an at-
torney of Rochester, Ind. Children of David Martin-
dale : Nancy J. Cole, Joseph, Elizabeth Trent, Samuel,
Nora (deceased). Children of Thomas Martindale:
Eliza J. Walker and Moses. Children of Benjamin
and Martha Grifhth : Hazel, William, Moses, Har-
rison, Martha (all deceased), Samuel, and Sarah Guy
(living). Children of Daniel and Rachel Ward:
Moses, William, Levi, David, Sarah Hix, Ann Brown.
Children of Amos and Hannah Murphy : John, Will-
iam, George, Moses, Mary J. Bahr (living), Milton,
Charles, Luther, Wesley (deceased). Children of John
and Margaret Long : Ann AVooley, Charles, Nancy
Norris, Amos, Margaret Norris, John W., and William
(deceased). Children of Tolman and Elizabeth Smith :
Martha Voorhies, Louis and James, William (died
young).

Gen. John H. Martindale, a prominent lawyer, of
Rochester, N. Y., was a distant relative of Elijah Mar-
tindale, the author of this history. He was appointed
Brigadier-General in the army, and commanded a
brigade in the Virginia Peninsular campaign in 1862.
He was Military-Governor of the District of Columbia
from 1862 to 1864. Then he joined the Eighteenth
Corps of the Army of the James, which was united with
the army of the Potomac. He fought the battles of
Cold Harbor and Petersburg. He was elected Attorney-
General of New York in 1866. He died abroad, in
Dec. 13,1881. Edward Martindale, a prominent lawyer
in New York City, was a brother of Gen. J. H. Martin-
dale.

120 PIONEER HISTORY OF

PIONEER HISTORY CONNECTED WITH
THE BOYD FAMILY.

CHAPTER I.

How I Obtained My History— Elizabeth Martindale —
She Sends Out a Missionary— Sufferings of the Boyd
Family in the Revolutionary War— Linn Boyd the
Statesman— Samuel Boyd, His Marriage and Emi-
gration.

The author of the history I am about to
sketch was Elizabeth Martindale, wife of
Elijah Martindale, the pioneer preacher,
whose biograph}^ is given in this book. She
was born in Madi&on count}^, Kentucky,
1792. It was owing to her great physicial
strength and wonderful industry that a large
family of fourteen children were kept above
want, and educated according to those early
times, while her husband went forth as a
herald of the cross. She was nearly one
year his senior, 3^et owing to the constitution
she inherited from her sturdy ancestors, she
outlived him nearly ten years. During the

n

.JJ^^JIl"'^^^

ELIZABETH BOYD MARTINDALE.

THE BOYD FAMILY. 121

last seventeen years of her life she was a
cripple from a rheumatic affection, and was
compelled to walk on crutches. Although
she was afflicted and bowed down with the
weight of so many years, she could call up
the incidents of her early life and relate them
with a precision that seemed wonderful.
She departed this life in New Castle, Ind.,
June 3d, 1884. She was the daughter of
Samuel and Isabella Boyd, the former of
Scotch-English, and the latter of Irish de-
scent.

James Boyd, the father of Samuel Boyd,
was a Virginian by birth, and moved to South
Carolina, where he took an active part in the
struggle of the colonies to gain their indepen-
dence. He was unyielding in the support of
the war of the revolution, and he and his
family suffered severely for their well tried
patriotism. Twice their habitation was
burned to the ground by the Tories, and they
were left without shelter. Before the dread-
ful conflict ceased, he was slain in battle.
Three of his sons fought by his side, John,
Samuel and Abraham. While Samuel was
engaged in a skirmish the company was cap-
tured, and he was left for dead, a ball having
passed through his temple taking out his

122 PIONEER HISTORY OF

right e^^e. When he had hiin sometime, an
old colored woman came along, and when
she saw his condition she concealed him
under some buslies near by, then brought
him some food and took care of him until he
was able to get away. Abraham, the young-
est son, who enlisted in the army, was then
only sixteen years of age. He afterward be-
came the father of Linn Boyd, the great Ken-
tucky statesman, who was elected to the legis-
ture of his State a few terms, then he was a
member of Congress for eighteen years, and
for four years was Speaker of the House. He
was a farmer, and perhaps the secret of his
popularity was that he kept himself on a
level with the common people. He was a
Democrat, and, like Andrew Jackson, he stood
firmly against United States banks. He was
in Congress when Henry Clay brought forth
his memorable compromise bill, and through
Col. Boyd's influence it was passed. He died
Dec. 17, 1859.

The mother of Samuel and Abraham Boyd,
whose maiden name was Burns, was related
by birth to the great bard of Scotland.
Samuel Boyd was born in Virginia, May 20,
1763. In his early life, he with his father
moved to South Carolina, where they enlisted

THE BOYD FAMILY. 123

in the army of the revolution. Having to
carry through all his subsequent life such
marks of the long and terrible struggle for
independence would instill patriotism in the
minds of his children, hence, they imbibed
in early childhood a deep and abiding hatred
to the name Tory, as the royalists was called.
Isabella, wife of Samuel Boyd, was born in
South Carolina, Feb. 13, 1764. Her father.
John Higgins, was a native of Ireland. Her
mother's name was Elizabeth Campbell.
She also was of Irish descent. Samuel Boyd
and Isabella Higgins were married in 1785.
She was named in honor of the queen of
Spain, and also, had the honor of being es-
corted by Andrew Jackson in her youthful
days. Her love settled upon the one-eyed
soldier of the revolution, who was an honest
farmer, and afterward became a faithful
pioneer preacher. They first became mem-
bers of the Presbyterian Church and after-
ward joined the Newlights. It was favor-
able for their vast progeny that they were
inclined to go westward and seek more pro-
ductive soil. -Soon after their marriage,
they moved to Tennessee and settled in a
cabin home. While living here, a great
shadow fell across their pathway.

124 PIONEER HISTORY OF

One of Isabella's cousins in Carolina mar-
ried a somewhat wealthy man and they ar-
ranged to visit their cousin in her new home
in Tennessee. The road they were to travel
was hilly, or rather mountainous, and unfre-
quented. At that time the only mode of trav-
eling was on horseback. They made their
visit, but soon after they set out on their re-
turn voyage, they were murdered and their
bodies left lying in the forest. Their saddles
were left lying beside them, but they had been
robbed and their horses were taken. This
left a sad memory on the minds of the youth-
ful pioneers. They moved from Tennessee
and settled in Madison county, Kentucky.

Samuel Boyd was a large and somewhat
corpulent man with ruddy face and dark haij
before it was silvered with age. The loss of
his eye was a great deformity to his person as
he never tried to conceal the blemish by
shades or any kind of glasses. I can't say
they were not in use for I think it was just
about this time, or earlier, that Goldsmith rep-
resents the hopeful son of the vicar of Wakefield
as making sale of the family nag and buying
a whole gross of green spectacles. Anyway
my grandfather chose to wear a patch of black
silk over the empty socket and the last time

THP: BOYD FAMILY. 125

I sat on his knee and was bearded by his
kisses I thought he was awful sweet, but
still I didn't like the looks of that eye.

Oh, I wish we had a cycloraraic view of
those wounded, starving, bleeding-feeted
soldiers marching over the frozen ground
bowed down with disaster and defeat, yet
willing to die in the last ditch to purchase a
land of freedom.

In view of all this, will we surrender our
rights as citizens of this great commonwealth
and allow our country so dearly bought to be
ruled by monopolists and millionaires? Will
we allow corruption, fraud, sham and boodle
to take the place of an honest election? What
worse chains could England have forged for
us?

126 PIONEER HISTORY OF

CHAPTER 11.

HISTORY OF SAMUEL BOYD AND FAMILY. *

The author of my history says that when
she was seven years old her parents moved
from Madison county, Kentucky, to a place
on the Cumberland river called ' ' Horseshoe
Bend." Here they were surrounded by hills
and ravines and what was worse, the country
school-house w^as on the other side of the
river and several families living in the
Bend must ply a canoe to gain access to the
school. After remaining therg awhile they
moved to Adair county, which was then a
wilderness part of Kentucky; though many
fields had been prepared for cultivation and
the owners finding their titles were not good
had abandoned them and they were all grown
up in underbrush. Some orchards, too, had
been planted and produced seedling fruit.
About this time the great Kentucky revival
reached this part of the state, and Samuel
Boyd's house was one great center for the
meetings.

THE BOYD FAMILY. 127

B. W. Stone, Wm. Kincade, the Dooly '?>
and Purviance all came frequently to hold
meetings. Samuel Boyd commenced the
work of exhortation and soon became an
earnest minister of the Gospel, and what is
most worth recording, he made his life corre-
spond to his profession, striving to do unto
others as he would have them do unto him.

Many incidents transpired here worthy of
record. One was the death of a faithful old
negro slave who had fallen to Samuel Boyd
from his ancestors. He tenderly cared for
her in her old age, and when the icy hand of
death was laid upon her, they sadly mourned
as though she had been one of the dearest in-
mates of the home. During her life no
greater grief could come to her than to hear a
word said about setting her free. She was
not really a slave; she was simply a part of
the family circle. Indeed, slavery had no
horrid features in Kentucky at tliat time.
The people were partly of the old New En-
gland stock who repelled the institution; yet
the leprous germ was there; the buds were
being nurtured that would produce the great
Upas tree with all its bitter fruits.

In the year 1811, Samuel Boyd learned
that valuable land had come into market in

128 PIONEER HISTORY OF

the territory of Indiana. Although there
were no speculative agents to give a glowing
description of the country, yet it became a
well known fact that Indiana possessed broad
acres of well timbered land, the most fertile
to be found. Samuel Boyd by this time, like
Abraham of old, was blest with flocks and
herds, and was able to live comfortably, yet
his acres were not sufficient for his large
family. Having disposed of land and stock
partly, with a family of nine children, several
of them making the journey in equestrian
style, they took up the march for Indiana.
After the monotony of nearl}^ one week's
travel, being hindered by the driving of some"
stock, and making a short stay in Cincinnati,
they arrived near where the town of Eaton
now stands. Two families, the Taylors and
Irwins, had emigrated from Kentucky a short
time before, and were located at this point.
Mr. Boyd, made selection of land near where
Jacksonburg now stands, and proceeded to
build a cabin, but before it was finished the
Indians had become so exasperated that they
began making attacks on the defenseless
settlers along the frontier.

The origin of the Indian troubles dated
back more than a year, when Gov. Harrison

THE BOYD FAMILY. 129

had made a treaty with several tribes by which
they had ceded to him a hirge body of land
along the Wabash river. Tecumseli, chief
of the Shawnee tribe, took advantage of the
case, showing how they had forfeited their
rich hunting grounds, and thus excited them
to a feeling of revenge. He tried to form an
alliance of all the w^estern tribes against the
whites. Governor Harrison, after trying in
vain to treat w^ith Tecumseh, met him in
hostile array and a decisive battle was fought
at Tippecanoe, Oct. 7, 1811 . The Indians
were repulsed and defeated, but Tecumseh
escaped and joined the British forces in the
war of 1812, and was promoted to brigadier-
general, leading the Indian troops.

Dangers to the frontier settlers were great-
ly increased by the inauguration of a second
war with Great Britian. The Indians hav-
ing a grievance, on account of being dispos-
sessed of their lands, could easily be enlisted
to commit depredations against white settlers.
So there was no security of safety to the
emigrants who attempted to make a home in
the dense forest that comprised the vast ter-
ritory of the Wabash valley.

The Boyd family had been living a kind
of a camp life until their cabin would be
9

130 PI(3NEER HISTORY OF

ready to move into, and now the alarm was
given that the Indians had become furious
and were constantly on the war-path, ready
for depredations. They were far out on the
frontier, only two or three settlers near them.
Those few met together and agreed to build a
fort by which their families might be pro-
tected until the Indians should become peace-
able.

They cut down small trees and split them
in tw^o parts and planted them in the ground
until they inclosed half an acre. AVithin
this inclosure some rude shanties were built,
the fort wall forming one side of the shanty
though some had tents. The worst feature
was there were no guards sufficient to defend
the fort against an attack of the Indians, as
they generally went in gangs.

The inmates of the fort were sometimes
aroused from their slumbers, perhaps by cat-
tle beating against the wall, and they felt
sure the Indians had come. The only hope
was in making a pretense of numbers, so
one assumed command as general, and or-
dered forty on one side and forty on another^
when perhaps there was not more than a
half dozen men in the fort.

The families feeling that there was no

THE BOYD FAMILY. 131

safety there, left the fort one by one and
went back near where Richmond now stands,
where there were more white settlers and
they would not be so liable to an attack of
the Indians. The Boyd family stayed at the
fort the longest, but they finally gave it up
and went back to the settlement. Indeed
they moved back and forth a number of
times before they could feel that they were
safe so far out on the frontier.

Elizabeth remembered one day, when the
men were all gone from the fort, she was sit-
ting spinning, and as she happened to look at
an aperture in the outer wall, she saw the
glaring eyes of an Indian who looked to be
furiously bent on knowing just what was in
the fort. Her heart beat to a palpitation.
She spun awhile longer, then remembering
the guns were lying there loaded, she said to
another young woman who was in the fort,
"Let us take a gun apiece and go out."
They were in such suspense they wanted to
know whether the Indians were preparing to
massacre the few helpless inmates, or whether
they were gone. They saw no trace of the
Indians, but horses were stolen in the settle-
ment near Richmond that night.

The face of the red man even in time of

132 PIONEER HISTORY OF

peace would send a thrill of terror to the
heart of those unaccustomed to the sight;
hut when their savage nature was aroused,
and every other feeling had given way to re-
venge; when they were daily in search of
some poor white emigrant that might fall a
victim to their scalping knife, then the sight
was terrible indeed.

One prominent trait in the character of the
Boyd family was industry. Among all the
fearful dangers to which they were exposed,
they proceeded to cut away the forest and
prepare for planting a field. The work of
the household, including spinning and weav-
ing, was carried on with a bravery that now
seems incredible. There was no cabin or
shelter in the fort large enough to contain the
loom, so it was taken to the new cabin that
had been abandoned to seek shelter in the
fort. Elizabeth and a younger sister, Polly,
went daily through the woods about a mile
away to weave. She made a very romantic
journey in trying to prepare the web for the
loom. She had no warping mills or bars, so
she and another young woman living in the
family went to the nearest neighbor, about
seven miles away, to warp; and when they
arrived the bars were in use and they had to

THE BOYD FAMILY. 13;^

wait. When they finished their web and
were ready to start home it was some time in
the night. If they were to stay all night
their parents would think the Indians had
captured them, so they mounted their fast
horses and with a full determination to out-
run the Indians if any came in their way,
they set out for home. Elizabeth could look
back through the subsequent years of her
life and see that she was guarded by a Provi-
dential care through all these dangers to which
she was daily exposed.

A few months after the circumstances I
have just related, there was a murder com-
mitted that sent grief and terror to the hearts
of all the settlers on the frontier. John
Shortridge, a very respectable and industrious
young man, residing in Drury's fort, a few
miles south of where the Boyd family was
stationed, was shot while out on horseback
looking after some cattle. It was said that
he wore an overcoat resembling one worn by
a certain George Ish against whom the In-
dians held a deadly spite and that they took
aim at him by mistake, but the facts in the
case were not known. John Shortridge was
a brother of Elisha Shortridge who be<?ame a
minister and resided manv vears in Dudlv

134 PIONEER HISTORY OF

township, Henry county. After the fear and
terror occasioned by the murder of Shortridge
had subsided there was an interval of peace
and several families had settled on lands and
begun to think they were safe in their cabin
homes; but the Indians were still lurking
about and if their savage nature was once
aroused against an individual they never
failed to seek revenge.

There was one Charles Morgan^ living on
the Walnut Level frontier, who was always
on bad terms with the Indians. He had been
so long accustomed to seeing them that he
didn't seem to realize how much he was at
their mercy, and that in provoking them he
jeopardized not only his own life, but also
the lives of others. After times were thought
to be better, he and his two half brothers, the
Beesley boys, were tending their sugar camp
at night and were surprised by a gang of
Indians, who could see by the firelight how to
take a deadly aim. The Beesle}^ boys were
standing near the kettles when they fell, and
one falling into the fire was partly consumed.
Morgan was lying down asleep, so the}^ dis-
patched him with their tomahawks.

Jonathan Shaw, long a resident of Wayne
county, was then on the wild frontier, and

THE BOYD FAMILY. 135

was tending a sugar camp close by. He was
sitting by his kettles making a split-broom
when he heard the firing of the guns, and
looking at the Morgan camp he saw the
Indians doing their bloody work. He con-
cealed himself a moment behind a tree, then
remembering his helpless family in the cabin,
he started with lightning speed to see if they
were safe. He collected another family living
near and his own in one cabin, barred the
doors and with loaded guns kept watch until
morning light. But the Indians fled after
committing the murder at the Morgan camp.
This terrible tragedy happened about eighty
rods north of Walnut Station. The beam
and trammels where the kettles hung re-
mained for a number of years, no one having
occasion to remove them. They seemed to
be a sad memorial of by-gone days.

136 PIONEER HISTORY OF

CHAPTER III.

Peace Established— The Indians Driven AVest — No
Missionaries— Pioneer Preachers Go Among Them —
A Great Tragedy in an Indian Hut— The Preach-
ers Blown up by Gunpowder — Death of Samuel
Boyd.

The second war with Great Britain was now
brought to a close; the clash of arms ceased
to resound; the Indians after awhile forgot
their grievances and peace like a gentle dove
seemed to brood over our land spreading its
halcyon wings from the Atlantic to the Pa-
cific shores. The tide of emigration rapidly
increased and soon the white man was sole
possessor of the forest homes that had so long
been made to resound to the echoing call of
the Indian hunter. Offerings of gratitude
went up from many hearts for the blessings
of peace, but while the Indians were reced-
ing to the homes appointed for them farther
west, it seemed apparent to every Christian
mind that we had neglected to teach them or
help them in any way to become a civilized
or enlightened race.

THE BOYD FAMILY. 137

Up to this time there never had a mission-
ary set foot on the soil of Indiana, except
some Jesuit priests at a very early day, and they
reported most of the tribes very teachable.
The Miamis were the most warlike at that
time and it would have been hard to make
any impression on their minds. After the
western tribes had become peaceable and were
located in villages to themselves and had be-
come acquainted with our language, many of
the early pioneer preachers of Indiana went
and labored among them and were successful
in implanting Bible truths in their minds
and hearts.

One of the most faithful and active in this
work was Samuel Boyd. He had a number
of preaching places among the Indians. One
point where he went repeatedly was an In-
dian village called Strawtown and was near
about where the town of Alexandria now
stands. The Indians greeted him with warm
hearts and listened while he tried to expound

to them the wav of life. One of his visits ta

*

this point was attended by a scene somewhat
tragical in its results and left a sad remi-
niscence on the minds of all who escaped.
He and another preacher named Logan had
ridden many miles to reach this point and

138 PIONEER HISTORY OF

were resting in one of the Indian huts until
dinner was prepared for them. The Indian
children were playing near where a keg of
powder was sitting. One of them unnoticed
touched a stick to the fire and then to the
powder. A terrific explosion followed; the
hut was partly demolished and the children
were all killed. The ministers escaped being
killed, no one hardly knew how. Boyd had
Iain down on a cot and it whirled upside
down and was set on fire. He was too much
stunned to extricate himself, and before any
one could help him he was badly burned, es-
pecially his feet.

To many it might seem a vain delusion to
undertake the work of teaching those rude
savages, who seem happier in roaming the
wild forests than they would to dwell in mar-
ble halls or kingly palaces, yet their natures
could have been changed by cultivation, and
if there had been more sacrifice made at that
^arly day to christianize them, and especially
to teach them the arts of civilization, it woukl
have saved our country from the swarms of
Indians, who are living in idleness to-day
and making constant draughts on the public
treasury.

Samuel Bovd had a heart that went out in

THE BOYD FAMILY. 139

love for all mankind. He was willing to go
wherever duty called him. No work seemed
too humble for his hands to do. Seemingly
in the midst of his useful labors he was called
away from the shores of time. Being ex-
posed to a shower of rain, he took a severe
cold, which settled in asthma, and he died
sitting in his chair Nov. 27, 1835, at the age
of seventy-two years. He was not permitted
to see any great results of his labors, yet no
doubt it was as bread cast upon the waters,
w^hich shall be gathered up many days hence.

His work was of a humble nature, trying
to lift up fallen humanity and bring the
wandering ones to the great Shepherd's fold,
and to such the prophet has said, "They that
turn many to righteousness shall shine as the
stars forever and ever."

When Samuel Boyd moved to Indiana, he
he had five sons. Robert, the youngest, was
thirteen years old. James, John, William
and Samuel were stalwart young men, with
the exception of a rheumatic affection which
seemed to be a family disease. He also had
four daughters. All of them settled on farms
in Wayne and Henry counties, and all ex-
cept Isabel, the youngest daughter, lived and
died in those counties, and most of them

140 PIONEER HISTORY OF

were buried at the old Jacksonburg cemetery.
When Mrs. Edna Swiggett, of Indianapolis,
daughter of John and Caroline Smith, and
granddaughter of Abiram Boyd, visits that
old burying ground, she can stand by the
headstones of three generations of grand-
fathers.

It was the custom of Samuel Boyd, the old
patriarch, for some years before his death, to
make an annual feast, usually in the month
of August, and call together all his children
and grandchildren. The number at the last
gathering was about eighty, but at this time
his posterity would be almost like the sand
on the sea shore, innumberable. The Boyd
family have held some reunions more recent-
ly, but they are too much scattered ever to
make Wayne county a place of rendezvous
again. They would have to come from the
east and from the west, from the north and
from the south; then it would merely be a
gathering of strange faces.

THE MARTINDALE FAMILY. 141

CHAPTER IV.

THP: MARTINDALE FAMILY.

Elizabeth Boyd became the wife of Elijah
Martindale, October 12, 1815. They resided
on a little farm they had purchased on
the Walnut Level, until the spring of 1832,
at which time they moved to Henry county,
bringing with them eleven children. They
settled on Flatrock, having purchased the
land now owned by J. C. Peed. When they
landed they moved into a little hut on the
bank of the creek until the new double cabin
would be finished. There was a field of six
acres almost ready for the plow which w^as
planted that year and produced a good crop
of corn and other vegetables. That summer
will long be remembered on account of chol-
era, which swept over the land taking away so
many good citizens of Henry county. Other
diseases seemed to follow, especially fevers
were prevalent later in the season.

Among the most prominent of our neigh-
bors at that early day was Josiah Clawson,

142 PIONEER HISTORY OF

the father of Mrs. Fidelia Wayman and
Thomas N. Clawson, of New Castle, and
James Clawson of Springport. He pur-
chased the home in the woods west of the
Martindale place, where Jesse Nichelson now
lives. We verily thought Aunt Phebe Claw-
son was indispensable when sickness visited
us. Indeed those early pioneers knew how
to lend each other a helping hand, not only
when the logs were to be rolled, or the cabin
raised, but in other times of need, they re-
sponded with substantial aid.

True friendship seemed to exist in those
early times, partly from the fact that they
were dependent upon each other, but more
especially on account that they were all shar-
ing the privations and hardships incident to
a new country.

A number of families moved into the
neighborhood and took homes in the woods
about this time, so it became an imperative
duty to build a school-house. Enos Bond,
who had moved from Wayne county, and
settled on land centerable, donated a lot.
The neighbors met and prepared the logs
and constructed a cabin with a huge
fire-place. Oh, that old log school-house!
there was a grandeur about it left in my

THE MARTINDALE FAMILY. 14,^

memory I never can describe. All the ten-
der buds of hope belonging to that wild re-
gion met there. They knew nothing of the
world beyond this center. To gain the head
of the spelling-class was to them the cardinal
point of human happiness. Fragrant in my
memory to-day are those scenes long van-
ished. Time has rolled on like a ceaseless
river, and borne away with its mighty cur-
rent most of that band who met there so full
of joy and hope.

The first teacher that was hired, when the
house was completed, was Elder Elijah Mar-
tindale, the only applicant. He was paid the
sum of $32 for the entire term. It was the
only school he ever taught, and I believe he
accepted that winter in a case of emergency,
as teachers were hard to get at that time.

This same log school-house was used for
the meetings of the Christian church Avhich
was organized at a very early da3^ The fam-
ilies of Corwine, Clift and Thornton moved to
this neighborhood from Kentucky, having
seceded from the Baptists and joined the
Christian or Disciples' church. Martindale
and Corwine exercised their talent in the
ministry, the former being wonderfully gifted
in exhortation, and his Christian zeal was

144 PIONEER HISTORY OF

made manifest in all his deliverances, both to
try to enlighten the understanding and to ex-
hort men to flee from the wrath to come.

During the fall of 1833 Elijah Martindale
was attacked with a very severe form of bil-
ious fever. He grew worse until all hopes of
his recovery were given up. While he was lying
unconscious, seeming evidently approaching
the hour of dissolution, two devoted Christian
ministers named Wilson were sent for. When
they came they annointed him with oil in the
name of the Lord and offered fervent prayer
at his bedside, after which they united their
melodious voices in singing a rapturous strain
describing the music of the angels when they
announced to the shepherds the birth of
Christ. While they were singing he became
conscious. The crisis in the disease dated
from that hour, and he began to recover and
in time was restored to health. I am not
calling loudly upon a skeptical world to 'be-
lieve in miracles. All I can say is that this
happened just as I have related it. It seemed
to be an example of what the Apostle James
meant when he said the prayer of faith shall
save the sick and the Lord shall raise him
up; yet I don't know that the Apostle intend-
ed anv miracle.

THE MARTINDALE FAMILY. 145

It would seem to persons who share the
luxuries of more modern times that such a
family, located almost in the woods, was des-
tined to suffer want. Yet such was not the
case. There never was a family of bees put
into a hive that was more active and indus-
trious than the older children of the Martin-
dale family. Nearly all the work of clearing
the woods and cultivating the fields devolved
upon three boys not near grown. J. N.
Martindale, now living in Hancock county,
took the lead in that work. He has ever
since followed the avocation of farming, and
has amassed considerable wealth, chiefly by
the sweat of his brow. S. P. Martindale
lives in Tipton, where he has followed mer-
cantile business for some years past. B. F.
Martindale, the youngest of the three, had
been farming lands in Missouri for some
time before his death, which occurred October
22, 1876. He was gifted with powers by
which he could have became efficient in the
Christian ministry, a calling to which he de-
voted himself for a time, but abandoned it
for the reason it didn't meet the demands
of his helpless family. To the eleven
children born in Wayne county, three
more were added, Robert A., now living in
10

146 PIONEER HISTORY OF

Hartford City; Lizzie, who married Luther
Hennigh and died in the year 1882, and
James B., the youngest, who now lives in
Chicago, and is publishing a law directory.
Of the group of five younger boys, Elijah

B. was the oldest, and became superintendent
of the farm work after the first trio that I
have mentioned were married and gone.
He had an extraordinary business talent
which seemed to develop itself very early in
life. He is now a resident of Indianapolis,
where he has dealt largely in real estate, be-
ing at one time proprietor of the Indianapolis
Journal, and owning some of the finest resi-
dences in the city. He is now National
Commissioner of the World's Fair. Simeon

C, the next in years, is an attorney in An-
derson, where he stands uppermost in the
scale of moral honesty. William S., the next,
was the baby when the family moved to Henry
county. Jle married Ruth Shawhan, who
died of consumption in the year 1865, leav-
ing one daughter, Emma, who married
Howard Higdon, with whom he now makes
his home.

There was one great oversight or neglect
in the work of preparing that large family of
eight boys to go forth into the world and be

THE MARTINDALE FAMILY. 147

able to assume all the duties and responsibili-
ties of married life. Several of them should
have learned good trades. E. B. Martindale
saw the importance of that before he left the
farm, and went and apprenticed himself to
John Taylor, now his father-in-law, and be-
came a good saddle and harness maker. In
that he mistook his calling, as he had a
quality of brain that made him able to com-
pete with the world a thousand times better
in some avocation that called his mental powers
into action.

"Man know thyself" is an injunction that
has become proverbial, and applies with
equal force to parents in regard to their
children, that is, know what their talent is
and which way it should be directed. It is
far better to be a good carpenter or a good
blacksmith than to be a failure in some lofty
profession.

Nearly all the clothing worn in the Mar-
tindale family at that early day was manu-
factured at home. Usually in the spring,
the flax stalks in the mow contained in em-
bryo the summer clothing to be worn. It
had been spread out and watered so as to sep-
arate the lint from the stalk. Then muscu-
lar power was applied to a flax-break, a ma-

148 PIONEER HISTORY OF

chine resting upon legs with an upper part
hinged on and made so as to crush the flax
and break the stalks between the two pieces.
Next came the beating out the shives, a pro-
cess with which I was quite familiar at that
time but hard now to describe. It was done
by putting a handful of flax across the top of
a board one end of which was sharpened
and driven into the ground, then a smooth
paddle was used to beat out the shives.
Then the flax was hackled, or drawn through
an instrument with iron teeth, until it was
nice and smooth, then wound on the distaff
and spun. It was often made into fine beau-
tiful linen. This manner of manufacturing
home spun clothing was not peculiar to any
section of our country. It was a process com-
mon to all the States.

It seems strange to-day how such large
families as most of them were in those days
could be kept clothed on such little outlay,
yet the secret was plenty of industry ap-
plied to the raw material. The wool on the
sheep's back was an unfailing source for
winter clothing. The contents of the pocket
book only had to meet the carding bill and
the dyes for coloring.

In the Martindale family sometimes three

THE MARTINDALE FAMILY. 149

wheels and often two looms were kept going
a good part of the year. Linens were ex-
changed for Sunday clothing.

In this chapter I have mentioned every one
of that band of fourteen children except five
girls. Matilda, the first born, married Al-
fred Rulon, and they have both passed away
leaving three daughters, all of whom are now
in the west. Margaret, married Eli Millikan,
who died Aug. 23, 1885, and she now lives
with her sons at Indianapolis. Martha, mar-
ried Julius Benlow, and they now reside in
New Castle. She has two sons in Chicago
and two in Kalamazoo. Isabel, the writer,
married Philip Stanford, who died in 1853,
about five years after their marriage, and she
has ever since remained a widow. Mary,
married Charles Roe, who died in the year
1876, and she and her daughter Alice now
live in Englewood, 111. One of her daughters
married J. H. Wright, a Christian minister,
and Elza Roe, her son, lives on the farm.

Elder Elijah Martindale had taken some
lessons in shoe-making in his early life, and
it was a means of saving him from bank-
ruptcy no doubt. He generally purchased
his leather from John Powell, who often made
a reduction on the bill at the time of settle-

150 PIONEER HISTORY OF

ment. He was sometimes called away from
the bench to preach a funeral or attend to
other duties, disappointing the little urchin
that was sitting by waiting for the new shoes
to be completed.

In the year 1839, a kiln of brick was manu-
factured preparatory to building a new house
next season. Nearly all the work was com-
pleted by members of the family. A molder
was hired and one boy to help E. B., then
eleven years old, in bearing off the brick.

S. C. Martindale, the next younger than E.
B., was afflicted with a white swelling in his
childhood, and was for many years a great
sufferer. Many pieces of bones exhuded from
his leg, some of them an inch in length. He
lay for many weeks so low and wornout with
suffering that no one could hope for his re-
covery. The Martindale family suffered
more or less from all the diseases incident to
a new country, yet one thing seems remark-
able to record; there was a space of forty years
during which the angel of death never tipped
his icy wing or perched near to select a victim
from that large family circle of parents and
fourteen children. Miles, their first born
son, died in 1824, aged seven. The next was
Matilda E. Rulon, who died in the year 1864.

THE MARTINDALE FAMILY. 151

During this long period all the children
were married except Lizzie, who afterwards
became the wife of Luther Hennigh. Two of
those adopted by marriage were called away
by the hand of death during this time. The
first was Amelia, formerly Mansfield, the
first wife of E. B. Martindale, a woman of
more than ordinary intellect. The other was
Philip Stanford, husband to the writer, a
very amiable citizen, noted for his honesty
and industry. Also the aged grandmother,
widow of Samuel Boyd, was during this forty
years called away from the Martindale family
circle where she had found a welcome home
during most of the seventeen years she sur-
vived her husband. She died October 31, 1852.
Since then the homes of nearly all the chil-
dren have been darkened by the shadow of
death. Elder Elijah Martindale and Eliza-
beth, his wife, and two more of that band of
fourteen have been called away. The golden
sunlight has faded forever from the home of
J. B. Martindale in the death of his wife,
Anna Liz, and three sweet little girls, Julia,
Bettie .and Lottie. Ruth, wife of W. S.
Martindale, was taken away and Mary, the
youngest daughter living, has been bereaved
of her affectionate husband, Charles Roe.

152 THE MARTINDALE FAMILY.

Alfred Rulon, who was left to fight the battles
of life alone, has crossed the dark river. Eli
Millikan has since passed over and many of
the grandchildren have faded away in the
dew of youth, while life's glad morning was
full of hope. The last one of that large family
circle that fell by the keen sickle was Lizzie
Hennigh, the youngest daughter, and none
can tell whom the reaper will call for next.

" Leaves have their thiie to fall

And flowers to wither at the North wind's breath,
And stars to set ; but all,
Thou hast all seasons for thine own, Oh death."

THE BOYD FAMILY. 1."

CHAPTER V.

THE BOYD FAMILY.

James, the oldest son of Samuel Boyd, was
born in Tennessee, Dec. 5, 1786. He and
his brother John settled on adjoining farms
in Wayne county, Ind., about two miles
southwest of Washington. He was first mar-
ried to Margaret Mitchel. She was the
mother of the four oldest of his children.
He afterward married Hester Ruby. He left
his farm in his old age, and moved to Rich-
mond, w^here he departed this life Sept. 29,
1863. He had a large family of children.
Caroline, his oldest daughter, married James
O'Neal, he dying she married a Mr. Willetts,
by whom she had one son with whom she
now lives near Winchester. She had a num-
ber of O'Neal children, but I think they are
all dead.

Mitchel Boyd, the oldest son lived on a
farm in Wayne county until his death, which
transpired recently. Philander, the second
son lives in Greenfield. • He is a wealthy

154 THE BOYD FAMILY.

banker. Abiram, the third son, was also a
banker of Cambridge City, and possessed a
goodly fortune. He died Nov. 13, 1885.

Joseph Perry, the oldest son by the second
marriage, was a physician, and moved to Mis-
souri shortly after his marriage. He lived
there until his death. His family still reside
in that state. William Elza, the next in
order, is a farmer and lives near Greenfield,
Ind. Isabel Ann, married Lewis Lesh, a
merchant. They are both dead. Their
family lives in Illinois. Amanda Eveline,
married a Mr. Willetts, a farmer, and they
live in Illinois. James Ruby lives some-
where in the west. Alfred Dudley, the
youngest son, lives on a farm near Jackson-
burg. John, the second son of Samuel Boyd,
the old soldier of the revolution, was born in
Madison county, Ky., May 12, 1789. He
married Susan Scott. He was a farmer by
trade, although he was not able to pursue
that avocation on account of a rheumatic af-
fection that rendered him a cripple from his
youth. He was large and corpulent, and yet
dependent upon the use of two crutches for
his power of locomotion. He left his farm
in his old age and moved to Dublin, Ind.,
where he died Dec. 11, 1872. He had seven

THE BOYD FAMILY." 155

sons and five daughters . His oldest son was the
late Dr. Samuel Boyd, of Dublin, Ind. Nel-
son, his second son lives in Iowa. William,
the third son was major in the army, and fell
in the battle of Rocky Face in 1864. James,
his fourth son is a farmer, living in Wayne
county, Ind. John, the fifth son, lived on a
farm in Wayne county, where he died of a
disease contracted in the army. Joseph Lewis,
the sixth son, died at New Albany, having con-
tracted a fever at the battle of Pittsburg
Landing. Oliver, the youngest son lives in
Iowa.

Sarah Ann the oldest daughter married
Joel Hypes, who died in the army. He was
a member of the Eighth Indiana Regiment.
She married again to a Mr. Goolman. Her
home was at Kansas City, where she died.
Eliza Jane, the second daughter, married
John Commons. They now live in Chicago.
Mary and Martha, the next two, were twins.
Mary married John H. Witt, and she lives
in Columbus, Ohio. Martha married Leburn
Commons, and they now reside in Anderson,
Indiana. Susan, the youngest daughter,
married Charles Wilson, a dentist, and they
live in Richmond, Indiana.

William, the third son of Samuel Boyd,.

156 THP: BOYD FAMILY.

the old revolutionary soldier, was born in
Madison county, Kentucky, March 24, 1781.
He was twice married. First to Mary Owen;
she dying, he married Ruth Young, for-
merly, Martindale. He owned a large and
beautiful farm on the AValnut Level, where
he died September 22, 1846. He left three
sons and two daughters.

Samuel, his oldest son, lived in Hagers-
town, and was killed by a saw-log rolling
over his body. His death occurred Decem-
ber 23, 1889. John, the second son, lived on a
farm near New Lisbon. He died about two
years ago. William M., the third son, lives in
Indianapolis, where he has been engaged in
mercantile business.

The two daughters, Mary Ann and Nancy,
live in Dublin, where their mother, Ruth
Boyd, settled when she left the farm. They
tenderly cared for her in her declining years.
Her life only lacked six years of completing
a century.

She had one daughter by her first hus-
band. Patsy Young, who married Branson
Harris. They are the parents of A. C. Har-
ris, an attorney of Indianapolis, and Alonzo,
a farmer near Washington, Wayne county.

Samuel K., the fourth son of Samuel Boyd,

THE BOYD FAMILY. 157

the revolutionary so]dier, was born in Ken-
tucky, June 29, 1794. He was married first to
Martha Lewis and settled near Williamsburg.
He had by this wife one son, James, who
died in childhood, and five daughters, Pris-
cilla, who married James Clemens and set-
tled in Randolph county, and Narcissa, who
married John Chamness, of Williamsburg,
and is deceased; Sarah Ann, who married
Joseph Lomax, a lawyer of Kalamazoo, Mich.;
Evelina, who married William A. Peelle, now
living in Richmond; Martha, wife of Winston
W. Harris, who lives in Centreville. xVfter
the death of his first wife, Samuel K. Boyd
married Bethany Ladd, by whom he had nine
children, four sons and five daughters.
William, the oldest son, lives in Rich-
mond. Isabel, the oldest daughter, married
Thomas Fagan. Catharine, the second
daughter, married William Goodrich. Mary
married John Keever; she died leaving two
children. Bethany, the youngest daughter,
took care of her father until his death, which
transpired October 23, 1888; she afterwards
married John Lasley. John and Amanda
died quite young. Joseph S. died in 1865,
the day of his discharge from the United
States arni}^ in Texas. Robert, the youngest

158 THE BOYD FAMILY.

son of Samuel Boyd, the old soldier of the
revolution, was born October 24, 1798. He
married Narcissa Stinson. He was the father
of William and James Boyd of Henry county.
He also had three daughters, Louisa, the
wife of James C. Peed, and Martha Jane, his
former wife, and Mary Ann, wife of Henry
Bond, living in Wayne county. Robert
moved to Henry county at a very early day
and built a cabin in the woods where James'
residence now stands. He was a very worthy
citizen and greatly respected by all who knew
him, but he was cut down in the midst of his
years by a malignant fever that visited that
neighborhood in 1852 and '53. His death
-occurred February 24, 1853. The disease
w^as so fatal in its nature that it took away
more than fifty per cent, of those who were
attacked. Several homes were entirely broken
up when the disease subsided.

Samuel Boyd had three daughters younger
than Elizabeth. Martha,tbeoldestof the three,
was born November 27, 1800. She married
Joseph Lewis, who became one of Wayne
county's wealthiest citizens His home was
near Williamsburg, and now belongs to Will-
iam Hunt, who married Josephine Lewis.
Only two sons were born to them. Samuel,

THE BOYD FAMILY. 159

their first born son, died in childhood, "and
John Harvey Lewis lives in the West. They
had ten daughters, four of whom are living.
Two died in childhood, and four have been
taken awajMiiore recently, to wit: Louisa Cra-
ner, Minerva Swearingen, Adaline, unmar-
ried, and Larinda Clawson. Caroline Stiggle-
man, Clarissa Smith, Narcissa Jenkinson and
Josephine Hunt are all living in Wayne
county. Mr. Jenkinson, husband to Narcissa,
has long been editor of the Richmond Palla-
dium, and is also postmaster in that city.

Martha, wife of Joseph Lewis, died October
22, 1882. Her husband survived her only a
few months. He departed this life March
4, 1883.

Mary, the third daughter of Samuel Boyd,
was born in Kentucky, January 20, 1803.
She married Abner Bradbury, a man who
stood high in rank among his cotemporaries,
both in intellect and morals. He was ele :'ted
to the Indiana Legislature, once to the Lower
House and twice to the Senate. They had
seven sons, all well to do in life, and all liv-
ing until a few weeks ago, January 23, 1892.
Dr. Allison Bradbury, the youngest son, was
killed while driving across the railroad track,
coming in contact with the lightning express

160 THE BOYD FAMILY.

train. His wife, and son and daughter, both
grown, live in Muncie. William, the oldest
son of Abner and Mary Bradbury, lives in
Richmond, where he has long been a dealer
in real estate.

James, the second son, is a farmer, and
lives in Henry county, near New Castle.
Samuel, the third son, is in the mercantile
business, and lives in Ohio. D. M. Brad-
bury, the fourth son, is a lawyer and capital-
ist of Indianapolis. Burns, the fifth son,
lives in Muncie, Indiana. He has a farm
near by, that he oversees. Albert, the sixth
son, has long been a resident of Cambridge
City, Indiana; he follows mercantile pur-
suit. Walter, a little son, died August 16,
1848.

The daughters were: Isabel, who married
James Leeson. She died February 18, 1880.
Caroline married James Russell, a farmer,
and they live near Alexandria, Indiana.
Lizzie married Isaac Harned, who has been
dead a number of years. She lives in Cam-
bridge City, Indiana. Martha Jane married
Josephus Mundell. They live on a farm
near Hagerstown, Indiana. Mary died be-
fore she arrived to womanhood. Her death
occurred September 30, 1855.

THE BOYD FAMILY. 1(51

Emma, the youngest daughter, faithfully
took care of her aged parents in all the afflic-
tions that came to them before death released
them from tliis clayey tenement.

Abner M. Bradbury died September 18,
1885. Mary, wife of Abner M. Bradbury,
died February 16, 1890.

Isabel, the youngest daughter of Samuel
Boyd, was born April 26, 1805. She mar-
ried William Ladd. They lived on a farm
near Williamsburgh, Wayne county, Indi-
ana, where the}^ enjoyed a reasonable degree
of health, ])ut with a desire to increase his
possessions, he made a disastrous move to
Grant county. There was much sickness in
the locality where they settled and they soon
became the sad victims of disease. Catha-
rine, their oldest daughter, married Jonathan
Wright. She was taken away with fever.
Samuel and Cicero, the two next, died witli
consumption. They both left families. Abel,
the tliird son, died with fever peculiar to the
climate. Caroline, the youngest daughter,
died with some lingering mental malady.
Constantine was killed by the falling of a
tree. Only Boyd, the youngest son, is liv-
ing. The parents died, the mother with con-
sumption, September 14, 1864 ; the father,
with fever.
11

162 DR. BOYD AND BROTHERS

CHAPTER VI.

Anti-Slavery Principles— Doctor Boyd and His Broth-
ers in the Army —Death of Doctor Boyd— Luxury of
Officials.

The descendants of Samuel Boyd inherited
anti-slavery principles from childhood. The
idea seemed to be inherent with them that
God had given to the whole human family
certain inalienable rights and that among
these were life, liberty and the pursuit of
liappiness. During the long conflict in which
the talent of our great nation was exerting
master skill in trying to harmonize two con-
tending forces, slavery and freedom, there
was not in all that fraternity an apologist for
the horrid features of American slavery. De-
nunciations went up long and loud when
Henr}^ Clay presented his infamous bill called
the '^ Fugitive Slave Law."

Ah, why was slavery allowed to set its
cloven foot upon soil that had been conse-
crated to freedom by the blood of patriots, bv
the martyred hosts that had been sacrificed in
the name of libertv? It was a canker-worm

IN THE AR.AIY. 163

that had been left to prey upon the vitals of
our nation, sapping its life-blood and spread-
ing blight and mildew in its course through
a long vista of years, germinating strife and
internal discord until it at last culminated in
the great rebellion.

When the civil war broke out and the mar-
tial drums were beating and calling loudly
for volunteers, there was but one family of
the Boyds that gave a heavy response to the
call and that was the family of John Boyd,
then living in Dublin. Four sons and two
sons-in-law enlisted in the Union army, all of
them heads of families. Three of them never
saw home after the}- went into the service,
and one came home an invalid and died from
disease contracted in the army. The late Dr.
Samuel S. Boyd, of Dublin, was the oldest of
the four brothers who enlisted in the army.
He was surgeon of the Eighty-fourth Indi-
ana Regiment. I called on him for some
notes relative to their army life and he pre-
pared me a very affecting letter which I will
give entire.

" Joseph L. Boyd, the youngest of the four
brothers who went into the army, enlisted as
a private in the Fifty-seventh Regiment In-
diana Volunteers in the summer of 1861.

104 l^R- BOYD AND BROTHERS

After various hardships in Kentucky in the
winter of 1861 and 1862, he was engaged in
his first and h^ist battle at Pittsburg Landing,
April, 1862. From the terrible exposure
there in almost continuous rain for two weeks
without tents, he was attacked with typhoid
pneumonia, from which he died early in ^lay
at New Albany, Indiana, having been brought
there to a hospital in a boat. Seeing his
name among the sick arrivals at Louisville,
I took the next train for that place. After
hunting over the hospital for him I went over
to New Albany and found him there dying.
He seemed to know me and spoke of home,
of the war, of friends and his family in such
confusion that I could feel sure of nothing
more than that he had a vague belief that I
was his brother or some near friend. He died
about twelve hours after I arrived, talking
incoherently to the last. This being my first
great trial during the war it was the most
agonizing of all. I had gone to Pittsburg
Landing after the battle, at Governor Morton's
request. I left Lewis well, but I thought he
was so anxious to see his family, asking if I
thought the war would soon be over; then
to meet him so soon after on his wav home

IN THE ARMY. 165

which he only reached in his coffin, is the
saddest remembrance of my life.

"John, William and myself were all mem-
bers of the Eighty-fourth Regiment of
Indiana Volunteers. The regiment left Rich-
mond in August, 1862. We first went to
Kentucky to guard Cincinnati against Kirby
Smith, then to West Virginia. The spring
of 1863 found us in Tennessee. The first
battle in which the Eighty-fourth took part
was Chickamauga, in which we lost 123 men,
killed and wounded. When Sherman, in
the spring of 1864, moved toward Atlanta,
William A. Boyd, then major of the regiment,
was wounded in the first engagement at
Rocky Face, May 19. He was taken back to
Chattanooga, after having his right leg ampu-
tated at the thigh, w^here he died July 11th,
two months and one day after he was wound-
ed. His wife was with him about three
wrecks before he died. She brought him
home, and he was interred at Centerville.
No braver soldier ever laid down his life for
his country than Major Boyd. He Avas com-
missioned captain before leaving Wayne
county. He was afterward promoted to ma-
jor, and when he was wounded he had a
lieutenant-colonel's commission, but had

166 DR. BOYD A^'D BR0THP:RS

never been mustered in as such. John F.
Boyd was mustered into the Eighty-fourth as
private, afterward appointed orderly-sergeant,
then promoted to lieutenant. He was with
his regiment and went with Sherman to At-
lanta, then came back with General Thomas
to Nashville. He was in the battle at Frank-
lin and Nashville, and with the Eighty-fourth
was mustered out in June, 1865. He lived
ten years after the war, but never saw a well
day on account of disease contracted in the
army, chronic diarrhea ending in ulceration
of the stomach. Joel Hipes, my brother-
in-law, enlisted in the Eighth Indiana
Regiment, and died at St. Louis, Mis-
souri, early in 1862. John M. Commons
was quartermaster of the Fifty-seventh."

Dr. Samuel S. Boyd, the only surviving
one of the four brothers when this sketch
was written, has since been called away from
the shores of time. He departed this life
April 15, 1888. He was a man of good in-
tellect and a true philanthropist, willing to
espouse any cause, however unpopular, if it
seemed to forebode good to his fellow-men.
He was found at the front in nearly every
good work. He was a reformer in the true
sense of the word .

IX THE ARMY. 167

When I received his letter, telling the sad
tale of their army life, I attempted to read it
aloud to those present, and although the
cycles of time had measured twenty-five years
since that terrible battle at Pittsburg Landing,
my voice faltered and failed at the description
of the poor soldiers without tents in that
drenching rain, while they stood so long as
targets for rebel guns, and were falling by
scores every hour. We are too forgetful of
the sufferings endured by the private soldiers.
While there is a blaze of glory that encircles
the head of the commander who has led his
troops on to victory, yet the names of the pri-
vate soldiers who fought bra\^ely and fell in the
conflict are forever obliterated from the pages
of history, and from the memory of those
who live to enjoy the blessings for which they
fought. If all the money spent in extrav-
agance and debauchery by our ofiicials at
Washington City, and especially what has
been so disgracefully appropriated to funeral
processions, were given to the poor soldiers, it
would seem more like equality.

The people of this nation should wage a
constant warfare against those high circles in
which the rulers of our Nation desecrate their
office by luxury and self-indulgence. We

168 DR. BOYD AND BROTHERS.

need more of the spirit of Washington, who
declined to occupy a fine mansion, donated
him by wealthy citizens after he became presi-
dent. He said his old house was good
enough. We are drifting too far away from
the virtue of our noble ancestors.

PIONEER LIFE AT MT. VERNON. 169

CHAPTER VII.

PIONEER LIFE AT MT. VERNON.

While I am giving incidents relative to the
early settlers of this country, a good part of
which is family history, I feel that it would
be interesting to giv0 brief sketches from the
lives of others. I have before me a letter
written by a very aged man who in his child-
hood days was familiar at the Mt. A^ernon
homestead. He had accompanied his father
who was one of the guests that met to wel-
come the honored hero when he returned
home to domestic life at the termination of
his second presidential term. The occasion
was made one of general rejoicing. The
writer said: ''I have looked upon many
mighty men; I have seen the great Napoleon
in his full flush of pride and triumph; I have
seen George IV, the first gentleman of Eu-
rope; I have personally known Lord Byron,
Sir Walter Scott, Daniel O'Connell, Dan-
iel Webster and many others most famous in
the affairs of government, arms, literature,

170 PIONEER LIFE AT MT. VERNON.

statesmanship and oratory, but never have I
seen any other man who impressed me, child
though I was, with such massive presence as
did General Washington when he stood upon
the veranda at Mt. Vernon and in a few well
chosen words thanked us for our demonstra-
tion of welcome.

'' Down in the negro quarters numerous
pot-pies were cooking and many juicy oppos-
sums were roasting before the brightly burning-
wood fires. Then in the grand old banquet
hall at ^It. Vernon Washington and his
country neighbors sat down to one of the old-
fashioned rural Virginia suppers of that
period. Oh, those were halcyon days in 'Ole
Viginny,' when neighbors met together, ricli
and poor alike, to help each other at log-
rollings, barn raisings, harvestings, huskings
and to frolic merrily when the work was done.
Long after I was a married man great big
gals in old Virginny, with long waist ribbons
and dress sleeves puffed out like a balloon,
would carry their shoes under their arm until
they came close to the meeting-house, then
they would stop and put them on and they'd
holler for General Jackson if it killed them.

''Those who are familiar with the Mt.
Vernon of to-dav with its two hundred acres

PIONEER LIFE AT MT. YERXUX. 171

can scarcely realize that in Washington's
time it numbered several thousand. It was
originally known as the Hunting Creek es-
tate, but when Laurence Washington, George's
half brother, inherited it from their father,
he re-christened it Mt. Vernon in honor of
the British admiral under whom he had
served in the disastrous campaign against
Carthagenia in South America. At his death
it descended to his daughter Jennie and she
died soon after and the estate fell to George
Washington.

''No man was ever more thoroughly fa-
miliar with every detail of . his affairs or
gave closer supervision to his estate than did
George Washington. Those were the days
when the women pulled the flax while the men
broke, swingled and hackled it, then twisted it
into little cues for the women to spin and
weave. I have seen the immortal George
stoop down and pull flax to show some green
hand among the women how it should be
done. This flax raising was among the chief
industries at Mt. Vernon and even now I
seem to see there bleaching in the sun the
long strips, white as the driven snow, from
which sheets, pillow-cases, towels, table-
cloths, napkins, underclothing and even

172 PIONEER LIFE AT MT. VERNON.

pants for the great Washington himself were
made. In my mind's 63^6 I see again the fe-
male slaves carding wool with hand-cards
into rolls ready to spin on their big wheels.
I imagine I hear them singing their qnaint
old plantation hymns and songs of the South
as the wheels go merrily round, while mov-
ing ubiquitously oyer every part of the
estate I see once more the tall, erect figure of
the master."

This history seemed so wonderful to me
that I felt inclined to copy it, given so re-
cently by one whose memory reached back to
the year 1797, and was a frequent visitor at
the Mt. Vernon homestead during the nearly
three years it was occupied by the retired
president. The large estate at Mt. Vernon was
only visited once by George Washington dur-
ing the war which lasted nearly eight years.
He then remained at the homestead until he
was called to the presidential chair, his inaug-
uration taking place at New York, April 30,
1789. After serving the people faithfully
eight years in that capacity, he then retired to
Mt. Vernon at the age of sixty-five. France
now threatened hostilities and General Wash-
ington was again made commander-in-chief
of the American army. While on duty he

PI02sKER LIFE AT :\IT. VER^OX. 173

was exposed to a ride in a snow -storm whicli
brought on an attack of acute laryngitis which
hastily terminated his life. He owned one
hundred and twenty-four slaves at the time of
his death which had come to him with a large
estate when he married the beautiful young-
widow of Col. Daniel P. Curtis. George Wash-
ington provided in his will that all his slaves
should be set free at the death of his wife,
who survived him only three years. He was
a member of the Episcopal church until his
death, yet some history fell into my hands
lately stating that John Gano, a Baptist min-
ister who was chaplain in the Revolutionary
army, baptized George Washington in the Po-
tomac river. This history is attested to by
the Gano descendants.

I have given these brief incidents of fron-
tier life as they are connected with that great
man so loved and honored by the American
people.

. I

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