St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-09-16
NEGRO CAMP MEETING.

Boston Journal, who writes over the
signature of "Burleigh," but who is
understood to be no other than the
once Rec. Matthew Hale Smith, thus
describes negro camp meeting:
One of the curiositics of this region
at the present time is a negro camp
meeting at Port Richmond, on Staten
Island: In company with friend, !
visited the cncampmcnt on Saturday
night. 1t is held in a grove about a
mile from the landing 1t is under
the charge Of a colored sister of about
sixty summers. She was once slave :
but she bought her time, and now
breaches as opportunity offers. She
is real specimen of a smart African
woman. She hires the grove on her
own account, builds the preaching
tent, the mourning seats and the seats
for the audience. She is the President
OF the mcctings-rcads the rules to
the white folks, leads the singing, and
makes herself generally useful. And
when no one else is ready to take the
stand, she arises, takes her text, nsu-
ally from Job, Daniel or Revelation.
and breaches to the crowd. She rents
out the grounds near the camp to the
occupants of booths and tents, and
keeps sharp lookout that the stray
pennies find their way into a plate
that is regularly passed round as often
as service is held.
She is attended by two sable broth
crs of the ages of II and 10, who with
her sit in the seat of distinction
Just in front of the preaching stand is
a small enclosure, not unlike medium
sized pig pen, into which about a do 2.
cn colorcd ladies are safely slowed
away, as if to keep them out of harms
way. All outside of this there is as
motley crew as the sun ever shone
upon--all of them white; but as coarse
and vulgar set as could be collected
in the region Of the dead rabbits
Germans soaked in lager bccr-lrish
Roman Catholics in great numbers
rowdy men and boys that crowd the
tents of merchandise with the females
that hang on their arm On Sunday
it was estimated that two thousand
persons were in the grove. Men, wo-
men and children, on horseback, on
foot, in carriages, in wagons and carts,
filed the grove, and pandcmonium
it was. Amid the song, the prayer,
and the most vehement calls to rcpen-
tance, was thus mingled the shouts
from tents that drove brisk trade,
the low laugh, the jest, the profane
OATH while the shake downs in some
of the tents could be distinctly heard
above the sound of service. The re-
ligious service was conducted by the
lady and her two assistants, during
all the Sabbath--ior several days be-
fore. The scene at night was quite
peculiar. Lamps hung from the trees,
and huge tubs Of resin on the outside
of the camp gave it the appearance of
arcgion that all should strive to avoid /;
while the sable assistants that from
time to time stirred up the waning
fires with a long pole, were quite sig
nificant illustrations of the race of be-
ings who are supposed to attend to
the affairs of the Prince of Darkness
in the world below.
could not learn that any had been
converted though the meeting had
been in progress all the week. Much
that was said was well said Plain
ness of speech was the marked char,
actcristic of the speakers. No soft,
cned terms, no circuitous mode Of ad,
dress was adopted. But men and sin,
ncrs were called to repentance in
terms sufficiently doric to be under
stood. New England musters mus,
have been more satisfactory than sucl
a religious gathering" as now may
be seen at Port Richmond.