Chapter I: Front Matter

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BIOGRAPHY
OF
REV. HENRY WARD BEECHER.

A BIOGRAPHY
OF
REV. HENRY WARD BEECHER.

BY
WM. C. BEECHER AND REV. SAMUEL SCOVILLE,

ASSISTED BY
MRS. HENRY WARD BEECHER.

--------------

NEW YORK:
CHARLES L. WEBSTER & COMPANY.

---

1888.

COPYRIGHTED BY
CHARLES L. WEBSTER & COMPANY,

1888
(_All rights reserved._)

JENKINS & McCOWAN, PRINTERS,
224, 226 and 228 Centre St, N. Y.

=To Our Mother=,

WHOSE FAITHFUL LOVE AND PATIENT SELF-DEVOTION COMFORTED

AND STRENGTHENED OUR BELOVED FATHER

DURING TROUBLES, BLESSED AND ENCOURAGED

HIM IN PROSPERITY,

A TRUE COMPANION AND DEVOTED HELPMEET,

WE DEDICATE THIS STORY OF HIS LIFE.

CONTENTS.

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CHAPTER I.

PAGE

Ancestry—Beecher—Ward—Foote—The Anvil—The 17-29
Oak—Courtship and Marriage of Lyman Beecher and
Roxana Foote—Home at East Hampton, Long
Island—Removal to Litchfield, Connecticut

CHAPTER II.

Litchfield—Situation—Natural Features—Early 30-45
Settlers—Social and Moral
Advantages—Patriotism—North Street described—The
Beecher Home—Birth of Henry Ward—The Times at Home
and Abroad—His Birth-Mark

CHAPTER III.

Early Glimpses—Recollections of the Mother—Going to 46-71
School at Ma’am Kilbourne’s—His First
Letter—District School—The Coming of the New
Mother—His First Ride on Horseback—A Merry
Household—Fishing Excursions—Minister’s
Wood-Spell—Saturday Night—Going to Meeting—The
Puritan Sabbath—The Cold of Litchfield
Hill—Rats—Work—The Catechism—Formative
Influences—Summing Up

CHAPTER IV.

Boyhood—Sent to School at Bethlehem—The Widow 72-81
Ingersoll’s—Failure—A Champion—Sent to Catharine
Beecher’s School in Hartford—Humorous
Incidents—Religious Experience

CHAPTER V.

Boston—Home Atmosphere—Various Experiences—Ethics 82-92
rubbed in by a Six-pound Shot—Discontent—Makes up
his Mind to go to Sea—To Study Navigation—Picture of
his Life in Boston

CHAPTER VI.

School-Life at Mount 93-108
Pleasant—Mathematics—Elocution—Testimony of
Classmates—Religious Experiences—Troubles—A Romantic
Friendship—Another Kind—Letter of Reminiscence—A
Royal School-Boy

CHAPTER VII.

Amherst College—Private Journal—Testimony of 109-135
Classmates—Tutor’s Delight—Begins his Anti-Slavery
Career—Spiritual Darkness—Engagement—Letters of his
Mother—Experiences in Teaching School—First
Sermons—Lecturing—His Reading—The Record

CHAPTER VIII.

Lane Seminary—Dr. Beecher Called—Home at Walnut 136-156
Hills—Amusing Incidents—Family Meeting—Death of Mrs.
Beecher—Extracts from Journal—First Mention of
Preaching in the West—Experience in Ecclesiastical
Matters—Despondency—Meeting of Synod—Influences of
the Times—Revulsion—A Rift along the Horizon—“Full
iolly Knight”

CHAPTER IX.

Call to Preach—License—Examination by Miami 157-180
Presbytery—Refusal to Subscribe to Old
School—Ordination by Oxford Presbytery—Visit
East—Marriage—Housekeeping

CHAPTER X.

The New Field—Growth of Influence—Social Life—The 181-209
Secret of Effective Preaching—Editorial
Labors—Lectures to Young Men—Call to
Brooklyn—Departure

CHAPTER XI.

Invitation to come East—Call to Plymouth 210-224
Church—Friendly Misgivings—Plainly Outlining his
Views—Early Success—Plymouth Burned—Preaching in the
Tabernacle

CHAPTER XII.

Plymouth Church—The New Building—Sabbath 225-232
Service—Prayer-Meeting—Weekly Lecture—Socials—Church
Polity—The Pastor’s Policy

CHAPTER XIII.

Beginning of the Great Battle—Five Great 233-270
Eras—Compromise Measures of 1850—“Shall We
Compromise”—The Fugitive Slave Law denounced—Right
of Free Speech defended—Commercial Liberty—Fighting
Caste—Liberty of the Pulpit defended—Quickness of
Retort—Sentiment of the Times—Reaction—Visit of
Kossuth—Election of 1852—The Parker
Controversy—Degraded into Liberty—John
Mitchel—Garrison—Close of this Era

CHAPTER XIV.

The Battle renewed—Repeal of the Missouri Compromise 271-291
proposed—The Struggle in Congress—Mr. Beecher’s
Appeals—The Battle lost in Congress is transferred
to the Territories—Forces engaged—Kansas War—Dred
Scott Decision—Mr. Beecher’s Defence of
Kansas—“Beecher’s Bibles”—Charles Sumner attacked in
the Senate—The Fremont Campaign—The Dog Noble

CHAPTER XV.

Remarkable Experiences—The Edmonson Sisters—Pinky and 292-308
her Freedom-Ring—Slave Auction in Plymouth
Church—John Brown—The Wrong and Right Way—Election
of Abraham Lincoln—Secession—Buchanan’s Fast

CHAPTER XVI.

War Begun—Firing upon Fort Sumter—“The American Eagle 309-338
as you want it”—Death of Col. Ellsworth—Equips his
Sons—Personal Feeling yields to Patriotism—His House
a Store-house of Military Supplies—Sends a Regiment
as his Substitute—Our National Flag—The Camp, its
Dangers and Duties—Bull Run—Becomes Editor of the
_Independent_—Salutatory—The _Trent_ Affair—Fight,
Tax—Soldiers or Ferrets—Characteristics as an
Editor—One Nation, one Constitution, one Starry
Banner—McClellan Safe, and Richmond too—Mildly
carrying on War—The Root of the Matter—The only
Ground—A Queer Pulpit—President’s Proclamation of
Emancipation—Let come what will—Close of the Third
Era

CHAPTER XVII.

First Voyage to England—Extracts from Diary—Warwick 339-349
Castle—Stratford-on-Avon—The Skylark—Oxford—Bodleian
Library—London—Old-time Sadness—Paris—Catch-Words
from Diary—Effect of Picture-Gallery—The Louvre—His
Return

CHAPTER XVIII.

Church and Steamboat—Jenny Lind—Hospitality—Colonel 350-395
Pertzel—The Family—Twins—Medicine—Giving Counsel—For
the Sailor—An Absurd Story
contradicted—Salisbury—Trouting—Death of Alfred and
Arthur—Letters to his Daughter at
School—Lenox—Equivocal Honors declined—The
Pulpit—“Plymouth Collection”—“Shining Shore“—A
Church Liturgy—Courting with his Father’s old
Love-letters—1857 a Year of Trial—Matteawan—Visit to
Litchfield—1858 a Year of Harvest—Revival
Meetings—Hospitality of Plymouth Church—Courtesy to
Errorists—New Organ—Peekskill—Letters to his
Daughter abroad—Marriage of his
Daughter—Lecturing—Title of D. D. declined—Flowers
in Church—Christian Liberty in the use of the
Beautiful—His two Lines of Labor

CHAPTER XIX.

Visit to England in 1863—The Need of Rest—Condition of 396-407
Affairs at Home—Arrival at Liverpool—Refusal to
Speak—Visit to the Continent—Reception by the King
of Belgium—Civil War discussed—News of
Victories—Return to England

CHAPTER XX.

Facing the Mob in Manchester—Glasgow—Edinburgh—Desperate
Attempts to break Mr. Beecher down at 408-442
Liverpool—Victory in London

CHAPTER XXI.

Close of the War—Distrust of the 443-456
Administration—Kindlier Feelings after Mr. Beecher’s
Return from England—Growing Confidence—Intimacy with
Secretary Stanton—Fort Sumter—Lee’s
Surrender—Lincoln’s Death

CHAPTER XXII.

Reconstruction—Mr. Beecher favors speedy 457-478
Readmission—Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Convention at
Cleveland—The “Cleveland Letters” cause great
Excitement

CHAPTER XXIII.

The “Silver Wedding” of Plymouth Church—Children’s 479-487
Day—Services in the Church—Reunion of old
Members—Historical Reminiscences—Dr. Storrs’s
Tribute

CHAPTER XXIV.

The Conspiracy—Relations with Mr. Bowen—Disputes and 488-522
Arbitration—Theodore Tilton’s Early Promise and
Intimacy with Mr. Beecher—Bowen’s Ill-Will and
Tilton’s Malice—Tilton discharged from _Independent_
and Brooklyn _Union_—Tripartite Agreement—Moulton
and Tilton Conspire to Blackmail Mr. Beecher—Tilton
consults Dr. Storrs

CHAPTER XXV.

After-Effects—Charges against Tilton—Advisory 523-536
Council—Investigating Committee called by Mr.
Beecher—Its Report—Dropping Mr. Moulton—Council
called by Plymouth Church

CHAPTER XXVI.

After-Effects of the Conspiracy—Calling Council of 537-563
1876—Principle of Selection—Mr. Beecher cautions his
Church—Bowen Reappears; Proposes a Secret
Tribunal—Mr. Beecher’s Reply—Bowen Dropped by
Plymouth Church—Deliverance of Council sustaining
Plymouth—Mr. Beecher’s Persecutors Denounced—Special
Tribunal

CHAPTER XXVII.

Rest and renewed Activity—Lecturing Tours—Resignation 564-570
from the Congregational Association—Boston
Criticisms

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Attacking Corrupt Judges—Interest in Political 571-587
Questions—Advocating Arthur’s Renomination—Opposing
Blaine—Supporting Cleveland—Campaign of 1884—After
the Battle

CHAPTER XXIX.

A Preacher—His Place—His Training—His Estimate of the 588-613
Work—Defects—Effectual Call—Upon Drawing an
Audience—His Theory—Preparation—Results—A
Theologian—His
Orthodoxy—Evolution—Ordinances—Christian
Unity—Sectarianism—Peacemaker

CHAPTER XXX.

Love of the Country—Communion with Nature—Farming at 614-638
Salisbury—Lenox—Matteawan—The Peekskill Farm

CHAPTER XXXI.

Home Life—Love of Children—His Method of Training and 639-664
Education—Formation of Library and Art
Collection—Personal Traits