Chapter III: Part 3

We embarked on the transport Alabama, for New Orleans. Our voyage on the gulf was a rough one on account of a heavy storm. We were forced to cast anchor. We passed Galveston and were much pleased with the place. We found the citizens much more sociable than we had expected, for we knew that they were Secessionists and Rebels and that they had about as much use for Negro soldiers as the Devil has for Holy Water. Nevertheless, we went through the town and made the acquaintance of some of our brethren. We met an old lady who had been a slave. When she saw us and realized that the victorious end had come, she cried at the top of her voice. “The Lord, the Mighty One has conquered and we are all free! Glory to God!” We took on wood and I regulated my rations for we were four hundred and fifty miles from New Orleans. We were again on board the transport for New Orleans, but we were unable to leave the harbor on account of a fearful gale that swept the gulf. We made an attempt, but were forced back again into the harbor. The soldiers became quite unruly owing to their impatience and also, I suppose the feeling that they could do as they pleased. After a hard voyage we landed safely in New Orleans. We found an open lot in the south side of the city and put up our tents and made ready for a good night’s sleep. We felt that we could sleep now. That we had taken part in a mighty conflict and had shared in the victories of the war, it was now our right to rest. It was the sleep of the just man.

We had a quiet Sunday in New Orleans. Our chaplain preached for us. Great crowds came out to visit us and to give us their most hearty congratulations. They gave us coffee, sandwiches, fruits, etc., in token of the appreciation of our services in their behalf. We saw strange things in New Orleans. We found the mixture of French and Negro, called the Creole, speaking a dialect of the French. We found the Octoroon and that some of these unions had from one to seven children. We found that marriage among them was rather an uncommon thing and that a man could establish almost any relationship that pleased him and enter into the Creole life and be received and welcomed as one of them. We found that they drank more claret, champagne, whisky, beer, etc., than they did water. They of course had no sense of their obligation to God and I suppose that many of them really had no conception of the Real and True God. Their lives gave no evidence of such a knowledge.

The first annual conference of the A. M. E. Church was being held by Bishop J. P. Campbell. We enjoyed the services very much being in the spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ. We were in New Orleans two weeks. At the end of this time one of the men was shot. This created quite an excitement among us. We broke camp soon and marched through the streets to the wharf where we took ship. We were enthusiastically greeted on every hand, receiving god-speeds and congratulations and blessings. I shall never forget the musical voices of the people as they sang. The music sounded like a thousand silver harps, so soft and delicate and stirring it was! We went on board the steamer Champion. We said goodbye to the old city of New Orleans and to many of the new friends which we had made. We had a heavy sea. The storms were terrific. Our clothes were almost continuously wet owing to the rocking of the vessel, for days it was impossible to find a place to sleep. The voyage was quite rough all the way to New York. At last we arrived at New York City. It was morning. We remained on board until about two p. m., when we left the boat and marched through the principal streets, receiving cheers and salutes. We had not forgotten our former experiences here however. And we were inwardly revolving the thought that as Black men we had done our part in bringing about a change of sentiment that would make a new city out of New York and every other city in the Union. And we felt that it was but just that we should receive some of the plaudits of praise and reward. When we passed down Broadway in front of the St. Nicholas Hotel, the flags of the Nation and of the state were suddenly hoisted by a Colored man and we gave three lusty cheers for the flag and country and home. At last the orders came to fall into line for our final trip. We marched to pier twenty eight East River where the steamer, Granite State, was waiting to carry us to Hartford, Conn. The distance was about one hundred and fifty miles. We were cheered by every town and village that we passed. We arrived at Hartford and were escorted to the camp grounds and tendered a fine reception by the citizens, a most pleasing welcome.

At eight o’clock one morning we were paid off, all but one hundred dollars bounty which was to be paid at some future date. Some went to their homes, others remained in Hartford, until they had spent all their money and were locked up in the prisons by the police officers. After having cleared up my commissary department and turning over my books and papers to the proper custodian, and having said farewell to my comrades, I took a midnight train for my home in New Haven.

The occasion of my sudden departure from Hartford is very interesting. One of our soldiers was passing a Jew store. He was begged to go in and buy a suit. He got the suit of clothes and walked out without paying for it. The soldier came into camp and soon the Jew followed. I would not allow him to enter camp and arrest the soldier. Not long afterward, I went down town and the Jew had me arrested and locked up. I was in jail until about midnight when some of my friends liberated me. Immediately I made my way to the station and left Hartford. I do not know that the Jew got his money and I was not much concerned.

I arrived at home at seven o’clock in the morning and found my wife and children, my father and mother, ready to give me the most hearty welcome and greeting which I received with a glad heart. I was not seen out of my house for about three weeks. I simply wanted to rest and to drink in the joys that were awaiting me. Then I went to Brooklyn, my wife’s home, and registered as a citizen of the United States. I again thanked God that the war was over and that slavery was dead. “Now unto Him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in His blood, to Him be glory and dominion and power, now and forevermore. Amen!”

A Young Pastor]

My Ministerial Life and Labors

After I had returned from the war, I took the needed rest, enjoyed the company of my family and got myself together for a new life. I had the consciousness of having done my duty to my country, of having contributed something to the liberation of my people from the galling yoke of slavery, and now the time had come in my life for me to determine upon what course I could enter that would contribute most to the working out of the salvation of my people upon lines of peace and prosperity. This was no little task. I decided that the best way to find out what God wanted me to do, was to follow the leading of His Providence in my life. I knew of no other way by which a man can ascertain the will of God. God is in the life of every individual as fully and really as He is in the life of a race or a nation. So I surrendered myself to His leading, determined that I would follow Him whatever might be the cost. I felt a double assurance now that He had delivered me from death in many bloody struggles, that He had something of importance for me to do. I was not content to take up the old life that I had lived before the war, to remain in the fields of manual labor, not that I considered myself above such a life, but I felt that there was a course that would be vastly more valuable to my brethren, to my race. And I did not consider it egotism to honestly conclude that God had given me talents that warranted me in seeking such a course. “To every man according to his ability,” is the law of service. A man must find out what his ability is, God already knows what talents He has already alloted to this or that man according to his ability. In this way and this way only, can God and man be brought together, in the work of life.

Who gave me my first appointment]

On the evening of May sixth, I was received on probation, into the Fleet Street A. M. E. Church, of which Elder Gould was then pastor. I served as assistant superintendent and Secretary, Elder Cope being superintendent of the Sunday School; Robert Turpin, one of the preachers, was a close friend. I was engaged while in this church together with others in a Social Betterment work. This work was conducted in a house to house canvass, or visit. Great work was done during this year at the Bridge Street A. M. E. Church the Rev. Wm. Winder being pastor. There were about one hundred and fifty young people added to the church on profession of their faith in Christ. The Revs. Williams, Boyer, and Turpin, were the ministers who assisted in this revival.

I preached my trial sermon at the Fleet Street Church on the evening of September the 18th, 1871, and received Exhorters’ license from Elder Theodore Gould. On the following Sunday, I went with Rev. Matthews and others to Paterson, N. J., where we organized the A. M. E. Church. The people of Paterson seemed to have been greatly lifted up and great good was done in their city for the A. M. E. Church. Later on Bishop J. P. Campbell told Elder Gould that he wanted a young man to take charge of a church where a school was located. Brother Gould was kind enough to tell him of my desire for work and doubtless recommended me. Bishop Campbell took hold of me and gave me my first appointment at Pennington, N. J., where I took charge of the church and attended the school, Pennington Seminary. The leaders of the new church, Brothers Allen, Ely and Amanias Johnson looked at the new preacher very inquiringly and doubtless were laughing up their sleeves for I had not gotten the flimsy, panhandle, look off me as yet, and they were a little slow in taking hold of me and I did not know how to take hold of them. However, I managed to get on the good side of Bro. Allen. I told him the troubles of my heart and got his sympathy. One of these troubles was that I did not know much. He said that he would help me all he could and that I must stay close to the cross of Christ. So with the assistance of God’s grace and the help of Brother Allen, I was able to surmount all obstacles. I organized a church in the house of Lewis Schenks, at Lawrenceville.

I organized the church at Birmingham, having been assisted by Brothers Jos. Long and Maxwell Frost of Trenton. This church was afterwards reorganized and moved to Langhorne by Dr. John W. Stevenson. I attended the Pennington Seminary under the presidency of Dr. Hanlon. Rev. Mr. Marshall and the sister of Dr. Hanlon were of great service to me in my preparatory course. One day I was walking through the campass when I met Dr. Hanlon. He stopped and fixing his eyes on me said: “Young man you should walk upright before God and remember that all your strength comes from Him.” I shall never forget the deep impression that his advice made on me. It deepened my conviction of the Divine life in man and of the necessity of living that life daily. I felt no doubt like Naaman that I had need to go to the Jordan, the river of Israel and be washed from my leprosy of sin. This was the first time that I had charge of a church and I felt the keen responsibility. And I do not doubt that those who heard me preach had the feeling that instead of my having charge of them that they should have charge of me. But such things are of the ordering of the Lord who chooses babes to confound the wise and the weak things of the world to confound the mighty. There is a time when a man feels that the best thing that he can do is to get out of self into Christ. Self is one of the greatest blessings if Christ is its center, but if man himself constitutes the center of life it is the stronghold of every sin.

Who gave me my first license to preach.]

While engaged in this work I frequently had to walk ten miles to Sorel Mountain, one of my appointments, which was a part of this circuit. My salary was indeed very small, but they fed me and cared for me the best they could, and God did the rest. I closed my work here with twenty-three converts added to the church. As I write these lines, I look back to see the ravages of time and what they have wrought. Those who were received into the church by me at that time, with very few exceptions, have finished their battle of life and completed their labors, long since, and have gone home to render a better service than they could have rendered here.

I made improvements on the Church buildings of the circuit and was able to make a good report to the Conference which met at Philadelphia. At this conference I was received into membership by Bishop Paul Quinn. It was here that I made for the first time, my acquaintance with Dr. B. T. Tanner, Rev. T. G. Stewart, Rev. Frisby Cooper and others. Rev. Joshua Woodland was my presiding elder. I was permitted to attend the Lincoln University, in Chester County, Pennsylvania. I was supported by Mr. Amos Clark Junion of Elizabeth, N. J., and preached on Sundays in the Siloam Presbyterian church. Here I made the acquaintance of a local preacher, Rev. David Croshon, of the A. M. E. Church and Brother Scisco from whom I learned a great deal about church work. Being wholly inexperienced and poorly educated, I felt the curse of the regime of slavery, although I had never been a slave. I longed for the equipment that comes from a thorough education and realized that if in some way I did not educate myself, I could never amount to much. So it is hard for me at my time of life although a closer student than ever, to understand or to be in sympathy with any preacher who in his ignorance, is satisfied to remain so. There is something sadly lacking in such a man and I greatly fear those qualities without which no man is either acceptable to God or to the church, as a minister of the Gospel.

Who received me into the Conference]

I realized also that in addition to my own weakness that this world was no friend to grace to help me on to God. I had many foes within and without me to overcome.

In June, 1870, I was requested by Bishop J. P. Campbell to report at the Philadelphia Conference, he having, in the interval, taken me up and sent me to the Pennington circuit. I reported at the conference and was transferred to the South under the care of Bishop John M. Brown. I was sent to Pulaski, Tenn. This was about the time that the Ku Klux Klan was having its sway in the south. These men were engaged in every kind of intimidation and cruelty in order to keep the Negroes from voting the Republican ticket. They would kill, torture, or do anything that came into mind in order that their purpose might be realized. At this time there were many Colored people holding office in the South. The unrest and the mental suffering of these times were as severe a strain almost as the period of the war itself. When I arrived at Pulaski, Tenn. I was introduced to what I might expect in the South. I presented my check to the baggage master for my trunk. He refused to take the trunk off the car, but threw it upon the platform in the roughest manner. A White man standing near, saw that I was very much surprised at such treatment and approaching me, asked if I did not like that kind of treatment and that if I did not he would proceed to give me some more of it. I told him that I had made no complaints at all. He asked me where I was going and what I was doing, and I was glad to slip away and find the steward of the church. I related these things to him and he told me that I had acted wisely in being calm and making no fuss over the matter. He told me that the White folks were Ku Kluxing the Colored people without mercy and going out of their way to find provocations for such devilish work. The steward told me that I would have to be very careful as a minister in and out of the pulpit, that the Klu Klux Klan was especially after the preachers to force them to use their influence to make the Negroes vote the Democratic ticket in elections.

They found me a boarding place with a Mrs. Batts. I found that the Colored men of this community were doing good business. One was a cotton merchant, a Mr. Harris, I remember. I was greatly assisted in this charge by my local preachers. They were more experienced than I in the work of the pastorate and I felt them to be my superiors in everything. The meetings were good. Souls were converted and many were added to the church. There was not much money in circulation and the salary was small. They used cards to trade with, postage stamps, and whatever of value would be accepted or exchanged for what you wanted. I remember one night the Klu Klux Klan came to the house of one of my members, a Mr. Pleasant Rector, called him to the door and shot him down as if he had been a dog. His wife and children were frightened almost to death. One of his daughters asked me what she must do. I could tell her that nothing would help such dreadful matters, so we all went to the church and prayed over the matter, and I consoled them as best I could. These were dreadful times. The hatred and the revenge of the Southern White man who had been whipped by his Northern White Brother, were now visited upon the still helpless race. We had to receive the very wounds which the Southerners would loved to have visited upon his White brothers, and which they tried to visit upon them in war, but failed. We did a good work here along temperance and missionary lines.

In September, 1873, the Conference convened at Memphis, Tenn. This was the annual conference of the A. M. E. Church and it convened at the St. Andrews Chapel of that city. Rev. B. L. Brooks, preached the opening sermon. The Bishop, John M. Brown, was belated, so the conference proceeded with business, having made Elder Page Tyler chairman, and Elder Brooks, secretary. The regular routine of business was purposed. Bishop Brown arrived on the fourth day, having gotten his dates mixed, then he was afraid that at that time it was unwise to hold any public meetings owing to the presence of yellow fever in the city. The Conference remained in session until it had completed its business. Yellow fever at this time was raging in Memphis. A friend told me that he stood at a street corner and counted seventy-four funerals as they passed. In the house where I was stopping, there was a yellow fever case in the room next to mine. The meeting of the Conference in Memphis was a very successful one considering the obstacles contended against.

The following Conference held a year later, was in Nashville, Tenn. This Conference was presided over by Bishop Brown. At this conference several were ordained as deacons, among them myself. While at Nashville, the Conference visited Fisk University and also the Tennessee college.

During this time I remained at Campbell Chapel, Pulaski, Tenn. We bought ground and made brick and quarried stone, for the basement of a church. There were about fifty members added to the church.

I cannot refrain from speaking frequently of the great injustice done the Colored man in the South at this time. Prejudice was rife. It showed its hydra-head in every possible way and was a serpent with a venomed sting. I remember an incident which illustrates how fearful this prejudice was. I saw a White man bring his horse up to a public watering place, and about the same time a Colored man drove his horse up to the same trough. He said to the Colored man, “A Nigger’s horse can’t drink with my horse,” and ordered him away. Immediately a mob gathered and beat the man to death for this “crime.” I preached the funeral of the poor fellow, but was not allowed to refer to the circumstances, or I suppose there would have been another funeral in a day or so. My report at the end of this year was a reasonably good one, the number who had joined the church was about one hundred and ten and for all purposes we raised about $2,518.00. I was indeed very well satisfied with the work of the year.

The next Conference met in Chattanooga. This conference was presided over by Bishop Brown, assisted by Bishop Ward. The various reports showed the church to be in a growing and prosperous condition. The Conference report showed 9527 members of the A. M. E. Church in this Conference, 1122 probationers, 210 local preachers, 120 exhorters, 114 churches, valued at $106,101.00. This was a good showing so soon after the war. At this Conference I was appointed to a charge in Chattanooga, Tenn., with Elder R. French Harley as my presiding elder. We had a fearful flood during this year in Chattanooga. There was great suffering and loss of property. I did not do well in this charge, however I completed, the church and added 86 to the membership of the Church. I found that it was necessary to turn two men out of the church, for their misconduct. They gained the confidence and bias of the presiding elder, and he moved me from this place. Thus it is that a man must suffer for the right that he does, while many go unpunished for the evil doings. But that should afford no reason for not always doing the right. We, as ministers of the Gospel, must take our stand for the uprightness of character and the righteousness of conduct, without any consideration of the price which this stand will cost us. Bishop Brown transferred me to the Arkansas Conference, which met at Pine Bluff, Arkansas. At this conference I was ordained Elder by Bishop Brown and sent to the Bethel A. M. E. Church at Little Rock, Arkansas.

I found in this city the prejudice against the Colored people rife and that they had to contend against very great odds on every hand. But in spite of this, many of the Colored people were in a flourishing condition. There were men prominent in the ministry who had gone out from this place, such as Revs. H. H. Pettigrew, Reuben Johnson, A. A. Williams, J. F. A. Sission, J. T. Jennifer, Andrew J. Chambers, and others. The Hon. Judge Gibbs, William Rector, and Elias Rector who was fulfilling a prominent place in the post office were leading business men. The church here was built by Brother J. T. Jennifer, D.D. My daughter Ada was with me at this time, my son William Alexander, having remained in Tennessee. There were many noble workers in this church, viz: Joseph Stone, Jerome Lewis, Nelson Warren, Sam White, Willie Oliver, and others whose names are too numerous to mention.

My wife, Olivia Newton having died in 1868, and being a widower, while here I became acquainted with a young lady, Miss Lulu L. Campbell, secretary of the Sunday School. I found her to be a noble Christian woman and felt that the Lord had brought us into contact for a great purpose. After having considered the matter and having consulted my daughter and finding that she approved, we were married June 1, 1876.

After paying off a little more of the debt on the church and adding about ninety souls to the membership of the church, I finished my first year’s work. The Conference met the following year at the Bethel Church, Little Rock. At this Conference I was transferred by Bishop Ward to the Louisiana Conference and was to have been stationed at the St. James Church, New Orleans, but owing to some miscarriage in the appointments, I was given the station at Algiers, La. There as in other places, I was not long in arranging and drilling my forces for active work. We succeeded in repairing the church, but were greatly hindered by the ragings of smallpox and yellow fever in this section. I remember a fearful example of the work of the K. K. K. in this section. A woman had been taken by this devilish clan and they had cut off her breasts. She showed her bosom to a few and they had done their work well, for her bosom was as flat as a man’s. These were some of the outrages that were continually committed on the Colored people. It is sometimes wondered at, that the Colored people are so slow to place confidence in the White Race, that they too, have a deep seated prejudice which now and then crops out in some vile offense against the White Race, if our White friends only understood that these fearful atrocities committed then and even now, against my people, are not easily forgotten, they would the better understand. Human nature is the same and it will require a great deal of the grace of God to smother out all the horrible memories that have passed from individual hearts into the heart of the Race to which I belong. But the time will doubtless come and then we will see a different state of affairs.

I remember another incident at this place. As I have said, the smallpox was raging. I was invited to conduct the funeral of a small boy who had died of this disease. When I went to the house and was seen by the mother, she rushed to me and threw her arms about me and wept. Of course she had been nursing the child. I was greatly annoyed by this foolish act which threatened the health of my own family, but as the good Lord willed, nothing came of it. After doing my best here, I decided that I would not stay longer. I consulted Bishop Ward and others. They told me that I was making a very unwise step, but I got a transfer and went to Bishop Brown in the North Carolina Conference. The Conference met November 14th. at the Gaston Chapel, Morgantown, N. C., presided over by Bishop Brown. The regular routine of business was taken up and the reports showed a growing condition of the church. Dr. H. M. Turner, manager of the Publication Department and J. H. W. Burley, financial secretary, appeared and made their reports. The number of members in the Conference as reported were, 5131; probationers 877; churches 58; support of pastors $4749.51. I was received into this Conference and appointed to the station, Raleigh, N. C.

I had instructions to go to Mr. Norfleet Dunson, but he was away and I was sent to Mr. Stewart Ellisons.

When I went to Raleigh, I had a very discouraging experience. I drove up to a Brother Ellisons’, rapped on the door. A lady came to the door. I told her that I was the preacher who had been sent to the St. Paul’s A. M. E. Church. She informed me that all her family had gone to the funeral, so I had my trunk brought upon the porch and sat down upon it. She had evidently expected me to come in when the trunk was safely on the porch. But I remained in the porch, being worn out and out of patience.

Presently she came out and invited me in. I told her that no one was at home but herself and that I would remain outside until the folks came home. She said, “Now I don’t want any foolishness around here, if you have been sent here to be pastor of our church, you come right in.” Well, that was hearty enough a reception, a positive command, of course I obeyed orders, I had learned this in the army. Soon the family returned. They were delighted to see me, built a fine fire, made ready a fine supper, and after a social time I was sent to a good bed. After I retired I felt very much ashamed of myself for the ugly feeling I had harbored and repented of my sins. It never pays to allow one’s bad feelings to get the better of their good feelings, for they always pay a big price for the victory. My official board was made up of John O’Kelley, Stewart Ellison, Norfleet Dunson, Seth Nowell, and Henry Hunter. They were a very fine set of men. We went to work in earnest, bought a lot and paid off a great many debts. There were over 230 accessions to the church, of whom I baptized about 150 by immersion. I received a salary of $1000.00 which was very large at that time in our Connection. They gave me $75.00 that I might bring my wife and daughter from Algiers, La. The Colored people at this place were very successful in business and of good reputation and character. The White people, that is those especially interested in us, were very kind indeed. A Mrs. Dorr, (white) was principal of the school for Colored children. She did a great deal for the uplifting of the Race. Mr. Tupper, (white) was the president of Shaw University, a Baptist school of the Colored people. My daughter, Ada, taught rhetoric, in the Shaw University.

I concluded my work at this place and was able to carry to the Conference fine reports. This was largely due to the fact that the church was very spiritual. It was on the Lord’s side on all those questions which affect the religion of a community. Sometimes a minister is looked upon as the cause of the failures of a church, in its work, as a rule he is blamed, but this is a mistake. The general cause is to be found in the church. A good church with a poor pastor will succeed, but a bad church with a good pastor is liable to fail. Christ could do no mighty works in a certain place because of their unbelief. There are many good preachers who are unable to do good work because of the unbelief of the people and the consequence of this unbelief. It acts as a kind of paralysis, and indeed it is, a paralysis of the church.

I left this church for the station of Newberne, N. C. This was my birthplace. I was really glad to get back to the place where I first saw the light. I had been absent for twenty years. I saw that great changes had taken place during this time. There were no slave gangs, no whipping posts, no slave pen, no auction block. One of the first things that I did was to go to see a tree opposite the house of Bob Walker, in an old field, the spot where Tom Lewis had been whipped nearly to death for attacking a White man. After they had nearly killed him they took him down to the boat and put him on it and told him that he was never to put the prints of his feet on that part of the country again.

I was received very cordially by the church members. Many of them I remembered as my friends twenty years ago and longer. I had charge of Rue’s Chapel. My first year was a very successful one. I was returned again the second year.

Newberne has quite a history. It is situated on the banks of two rivers, the Neuse and Trent rivers. The elm trees are magnificent. Here lived the Stevenses, Jenkinses, Bryans, Webbs, and others, all old slave owners. They were of course deeply interested in the traffic and did all in their power to keep the regime from passing away. There was a Colored man at this place that owned slaves also, a Mr. J. S. Stanley. Newberne was a great turpentine center. There were turpentine distilleries here and about here. But great changes had taken place. The magnificent dwelling house of the Stevens was now occupied by a Colored man and run as a hotel. A Mr. George H. White was the superintendent of the public schools, (Colored) at this place and had also a law office. He afterwards became solicitor of state and a member of the U. S. Congress. He is now the president of a Savings Bank, on Lombard Street, Philadelphia, Penna. Mr. Sylvester Mackey and Judge Mumford were merchants. Presiding Elder, Edward Hill, of the Zion A. M. E. Church, was a wealthy planter. Mrs. Edward R. Richardson was a clerk in the Post Office. Mr. John Willis was a deputy sheriff. These and other men and women had made good their opportunities. They had not only welcomed the change from slavery but they had taken their places as freedmen among the citizens of this country and had demonstrated that they had in them that out of which the best citizens are made. I forgot to mention that the Rev. J. C. Price, D.D., former president of Livingston College, Salisbury, N. C., was born at this town. Dr. Price was one of the most distinguished orators, educators and scholars of the country regardless of color.

After my second year at this place, I attended the General Conference of the A. M. E. Church which met in St. Louis, Mo. I took my wife and baby and we went up on boat. My daughter Ada returned to Shaw University, Raleigh, N. C. where she was an instructor. At St. Louis, I met a great many ministers whom I knew and many more with whom I got well acquainted. I was quite indisposed while there, but was able to attend the sessions of the Conference. It was at this Conference that Elder R. H. Cain, D.D., made his defense against the charge of maladministration in office. And I am sure that it was his noble defense that brought about his election to the office of Bishopric. While in St. Louis, I visited some of the places of interest. I called upon Mr. J. Milton Turner, editor of the Freeman’s Journal who afterward represented the U. S. as minister to Hayti.

I visited a large Catholic (Roman) school. This was my first visit to a Roman Catholic institution of any kind. I was deeply impressed with the services, with the use of crucifixes, and the place that images held in their service. It was very strange to me. I could not understand how their minds and hearts could be fixed on God while at the same time they were giving so much time to these genuflections, rituals, and ceremonies. I remembered the second commandment. I saw that this commandment was being broken. For there were the images and likenesses of things in Heaven and on the earth, if not under earth. And yet at the same time these people seemed to be in earnest, they did what they had before them with a devotion that attracted. But it was all wrong because the Word of God in one of the Ten Commandments condemned it. The Roman Catholic Church with all its pomp, pride and wealth, is wrong in its fundamental principals and is therefore guilty of idolatry--they are not worshipping God only, they are worshipping saints and other divinities.

On Thursday, May 20, 1880, Revs. H. M. Turner, R. H. Cain, W. F. Dickerson were elected bishops of the A. M. E. Church. Bishops Payne, Wayman, Campbell, Shorter, Ward and Brown, together with the required number of elders, officiated. I left St. Louis and on my way home, stopped over in Little Rock, Ark., spending Sunday there. It was my pleasure to preach in Bethel Church on Sunday afternoon, for the Rev. Dr. J. T. Jennifer, the pastor of the church. I enjoyed meeting my many old friends. I was soon back at my work in Newberne, N. C., and remained there until the end of the year. Quite a number of members united with the church and debts were paid off. My work at this place was reasonably successful.

I attended the Conference that met in Raleigh, N. C. On account of my mother’s health I requested a transfer from this section to the North, and at this Conference I was transferred to the Conference of New Jersey. I received appointment to the station of Morristown, N. J. I arrived at Morristown with my daughter, Ada. It was midnight and very cold. I was somewhat discouraged. My daughter said to me, father, it is very cold and the outlook is a gloomy one, but I am here to stay with you and help all that I can. (Poor child, long since she passed away to that country where the inhabitants are free from the tribulations of this world.) I was reminded of a couplet in one of the old hymns,

“Thy saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer though they die.”

Who ordained me as an Elder.]

I was sent to the Morristown station to fill out the unexpired term of the Rev. Mr. Smith deceased. We spent the night at the parsonage, then Mr. Henry Ader, a prominent contractor and steward in the church, came to see us and took us to his house until the parsonage was put in shape for us. We were most pleasantly entertained by him. While in this field of labor I sought out a secret spot where I might meet with God and talk over with Him all the work that I was entering upon in this field. I realized that such an arrangement with God was best and one that every Christian who is doing business for the King, should have. So I regularly kept my engagements with God in this place. I put before Him all my plans and went over them, seeking His wisdom and help. It is wonderful how He brings to our assistance His strength and grace when we honor Him as we should in this way. The Saviour Himself taught that we should have our closet, that is, a secret place, where we talk with God about everything that interests us. That we should not do as the Pharisees and Scribes, who loved to talk with God on the street corners and public places that they might be seen of men. “When thou prayest enter into thy closet and thy Father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

Mr. Henry Ader, Lansing Furman, George Yates, Nicholas Miller, Henry Johnson, Robert Gale, Preston Garland, together with their wives, were the active members in this church and they were indeed a noble band of workers. There was harmony in the church between the members and a zeal marked with wisdom in their work. I was soon able to have my wife and children come on from Little Rock, Ark. This getting together again was a happy reunion of my home. I found the Y. M. C. A. in this place to be a noble band of workers and very much interested in the colored people. Such influences as this are very inspiring to my people. I met and had the pleasant acquaintance while here of the pastor of the Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Dr. Erdman (white). I found him to be a noble Christian man and very deeply interested in the uplifting of our people. He not only used his influence but contributed of his means for our welfare. I had the pleasure of preaching for him in his own pulpit. I might mention also a Dr. Owen, a physician (white), who did a great deal for our people and cause. He assisted us in paying off the mortgage on our Church and in getting the Church out of debt. In all these things I was able to see the gleams of the light of God’s love shining down upon us every day. For we must remember that the love and the friendship of our white friends are but the sunshine of God’s love falling upon us to bless us and to teach us that God has His own chosen ones in this world who are living on the table land of Christian thought and activity, far above the swamps of prejudice and racial animosity. We, too, should daily seek to live on these same highlands of God’s love and peace.

Treasurer of the New Jersey Conference.]

The Conference met at Princeton, N. J. I was received into the membership of this Conference and entered into the active duties thereof on committees on which I was assigned. I found the brethren very cordial in their welcome and pleasant as co-laborers in the Lord’s work. I met here for the first time, Elders J. W. Cooper, J. H. Bean, George A. Mills, J. H. Morgan, R. Faucett, J. T. Diggs, Winston Taylor, J. R. V. Pierce, Wilson Patterson, S. B. Williams and others. I was assigned to Morristown and was much pleased with the appointment. We had a very pleasant year as well as profitable. The Conference the following year was entertained by my Church. This meeting of the Conference was a very pleasant and profitable one. The reports showed that in every way the denomination in this part of the vineyard was doing its work reasonably well. The Conference had the pleasure while here of visiting Drew Seminary. Some of our Bishops and leaders made addresses, which were kindly received judging from the responses on the part of the Faculty of this noble institution. This is a theological school of the M. E. Church. After the adjournment of the Conference I slipped away for a much needed rest, not letting my congregation or even my wife know where I was going. I went to New York City for a few days. Sometimes it is necessary for a man to get away from every work that he may recuperate himself.

About this time I attended the funeral of my cousin, John Harris, living on Lombard street, Philadelphia. While here I met Bishops Wayman and Brown; Financial Secretary, B. W. Arnett, (since made Bishop, but now deceased), and Judge Allen (colored), of South Carolina. I visited the Philadelphia Conference which met at West Chester, Pa. This was a very delightful meeting of Conference.

I soon returned to my field of labor, at Morristown, very much refreshed and entered upon my labors with new zeal and, I trust, more wisdom. All through my ministry I have been deeply impressed with the fact that we must do all that we can for our young people. They are, in their own time and generation, to do all in their power to work out the salvation of their people. They must be trained to take up the labors of their fathers and mothers with more zeal and wisdom than their parents, so that the cause of the race may be greatly advanced by them in their day. When I think of the ten millions or more of my people in this country, and their destiny will be largely fixed by the coming generation of Afro-Americans; I almost tremble for the outcome, because I fear that the fathers and mothers of this day and generation have not done their work as well as they could have done it. There are great odds against us in this country, and it will require strong bodies, characters and minds, together with the power and wisdom of God, to bring my people to the place where they can become potent factors in this mighty civilization. At Morristown I furnished the parsonage, paid off all debts and added 40 members to the Church. I also organized the Church at Madison, N. J.

Camden, N. J.

Built by Rev. W. H. Yeocum, D.D., and Rev. A. H. Newton, D.D.]

On April 18, 1883, the New Jersey Conference met at Bridgeton, N. J., in the Mt. Zion A. M. E. Church. My report was as follows: Contingent, $1; salary, $580; traveling expenses, $12; P. E. support, $49; Dollar Money, $27; Missionary Fund, $12; Sunday School, $22; number of members, 61; probationers, 4; Sunday School scholars, 120. I was sent from this Conference to Trenton, N. J., where I spent two years in the pastoral work. I increased the membership of this Church from 62 to 180 during this time and paid off a great many debts and advanced the cause of Christ in many ways. After this pastorate, I served the Macedonia A. M. E. Church, Camden, N. J.

I attended the General Conference in Baltimore, which was a wideawake meeting. While living and working in Camden I bought my first house and became a property owner. I did this because the parsonage could not be vacated at the time I needed the house. I have never regretted this step. And I hope that many who read this volume will take a similar step. There is no comfort like living under your own “vine and fig tree.” My work in the Camden Church was very successful. I had associated with me Mr. C. W. Robinson, Taswell Green, W. Starr, James Hunt, James Martin, George Rice, Mary White, Lizzie Green, Mary Merril, Emma Pitts, Mary Stevenson and other helpers, whose loyalty and faithfulness were most praiseworthy.

We had the great pleasure of entertaining the Conference, which was a most profitable meeting. The Conference was opened by a sermon from Bishop Campbell and presided over by Bishop Wayman. I was complimented at this meeting by the brethren along the strain that God had special blessings prepared for me and that in a peculiar sense He had cared for me. I told them that I praised Him for all that I was, and had been able to do for Him; that they all knew that I had started without any education in the schools. I had been blessed with good health and ordinarily good sense; that my school was the school in which Jesus Christ is the Principal and the Holy Spirit the Teacher; that I had associated every day with my schoolmates, the sun, moon, stars, rivers, trees, grass, flowers and birds; that the world was my blackboard, and the mountains my college walls. Here is where I got my start. As I now look out on the young men who are entering the ministry and see the splendid opportunities they have of acquiring an education, I am really appalled that they do not improve these opportunities. It is a mystery to me. I hope that the Holy Spirit will awaken in the minds and hearts of the young men of my race who expect to preach the Gospel, the determination and effort to thoroughly prepare themselves to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I was left at the Macedonia Church for another year. We were able to complete the Church during this year, and it was dedicated on the 24th of October, 1886, by Bishop Wayman. The collection which we were able to raise at this dedicatory service was $900. The church building is a fine edifice, with stained glass windows and a fine pipe organ. We were very proud of our work. At this service I performed two marriages between Mr. Frank Miller and Miss Georgia Stratton, and Mr. Charles J. Cloud and Miss Sarah J. Beatty. I finished my work in Camden, paid $11,000 on indebtedness, was blessed with 200 conversions, of whom 160 united with the church and paid for my house at No. 332 Washington Street, Camden, N. J. I left an indebtedness of $5000 in the church.

The Conference of 1886 met at Trenton, N. J., and was presided over by Bishop Wayman. It was a very profitable meeting. The Conference appointed a committee to call on the Governor of the State. They arranged a time and had a most pleasant meeting with this official. Rev. W. A. S. Rice, D.D., was the spokesman of the committee, which consisted of Rev. J. P. Sampson, D.D., W. A. S. Rice, D.D., and Rev. A. H. Newton, D.D. The Governor afterwards sent for Dr. Rice and asked him what the Conference wanted in making a call upon him. Dr. Rice was not able to say anything definitely. Then he told Dr. Rice of a provision which the legislature had made for the founding and maintaining of a Colored Industrial School. The outcome of this conference of Dr. Rice with the Governor was that the Industrial School at Bordentown was established and that Dr. Rice became its honored founder.

I would like to say in this connection that the chairman of this committee, Rev. J. P. Sampson, D.D., my life long friend, has ever been prominent in the work of the church. He is a man of fine ability, of sound judgment, and of noble Christian character. He has been tested by me during a long life and I have ever found him to be tried and true. I always know where to find Dr. Sampson on any great and important question, he is on the right side.