The Oxford intelligencer. (Oxford, Miss.) 1860-18??, 1861-01-09
@ From the Holly Springs Herald.
Tho Last Days Of the New. DR..
Ingraham.

WELL may my feeble pen tremble and the
heart faiter as it endeavors to sketch the
history ofthings so beautifully sublime, so
touching, SO edifying,, SO glorious in their
nature, as the last days ofso good and great
a man as our beloved and lamcnted Pastor,
the Rev. ]. II. Ingrahsm.l For the last three
years he had lived and labored among this
people, gradually drawing all hearts toward
him. The great and the lcwIy in him all
found friend; q benefactor Here he wrote
\ his last two works--the Pillar Of Fire" and
"Thronc of David" But the book Of his
life was one, the leaves Of which turned each
day, and the characters Inscribed thereon
were so legible that "Hc that runs might
read" and to much profit and edification |;
for his life illustrated all his teachings, and
the fear Of God was ever before his eyes, and
thrice blessed was Holly Springs in having
such servant of Christ to minister in its
sanctuary. ,tf' r'
On the 5th of December he returned home
after an absence of five or six weeks in visit
ing the Northern cities, for the purpose Of
negotiating for the publication Of a new work
to be entitled "St. Paul, the Roman Citizen"
and which we have no doubt would have
proved his most interesting work. Looking
improved in health and spirits; animated
from travel and freedom, from his sefim-
posed, arduous labors-for he was ever an
incessant worker, finding ever something for
both mind and hand to do-hc passed the
entire week in visiting his parishioners, re-
ceivine their warm greetings and cordial
welcome back again to his adopted home in
the beautiful "City of Flowers" and to the
care of his little flock, who began to feel the
time long he was away. All looked forward
to the coming Sabbath with pleasure and de-
light, when seated together again in their ac-
customed places, like children of one house
hold gathering after a painful separation
from its revered head, and listening again to
his words Of instruction, rendered precious to
their hearts, by their faithfulncss and truth,
for no minister, we believe, ever endcavored
to follow more closely the light, so far as hu-
man heart could feel or know, than our be-
loved and amented Mr.. Ingraham. Yet,
who may tell what day may bring forth
Our joy was soon tnrncd into mourning and
sorrow, for following close upon the cheerful
greeting and the pleasing announcement,
" Mr.. Ingraham has come homc," was the
blanchcd face, and quivering lip, aud the
words scarcely uttered, "Mr. Ingraham has
accidentally shot himself" and when theSab
bath dawned, he lay upon bed of intense
anguish and suffering. We have never, at
any time, seen our community so deeply
moved, and their prayers seemed to ascend
to heaven, as from one man, that God in His
goodness and mercy would spare to us his
valuable life. ...
On Saturday evening, the 9Th ult, he
went, as was his custom, to the Church, ac-
companicd by his daughter to arrange the
books and any other matters that happened
to be out Of place in the Church, preparatory
to services the following day. for his pre-.
yaiing trait ofcharacter was order, in Church,
aud out of it. Knowing the excitement that
existed everywherc, and leas ming from his
family that some one had been prowling
about his premises, he went by the gun
smiths, and desired him to load and prepare
him pistol left there sometime last fall, by
his son, who was then in Mobile. The gun
smith gave him the pistol, wrapped up in
paper, and arriving at the Vestry-room of the
Church, he placed it upon table until he
should leave for home. After making the
desired arrangements IN the Church, he was
preparing to leave, and his daughter was
standing upon the steps Of ths Vcstry-d
waiting for him, when he reached out his
hand to get the pistol, and getting hold of
the paper, and not the pistol, it slipped
through and fell upon the floor, shooting him
and wounding him fatally. Like lamb of
oeNihhSts hio otOCu hONCu dOOub thC oitdt tOt
which he ever entertained such holy rever-
encc; and there could be no doubt he was
an acceptable sacrifice, and he was a most
willing one, gIorying in his sufferings, ifthere-
by the cause cf Christ, the lamb once offered
in attonement for the world, could be ad-
vanced. .
A few DAYS before the accident, he hand
ed to his beloved daughter Josephine, a little
book bearing the title, "Beneft of Christ's
Death" saying he wished her to read it, as
it was very beautiful; and strange to say,
only few pages from the beginning, he had
marked with double lines the following re-
markable passage, which he almost literally
fulfilled in his death, for he often remarked,
he felt as If he was lying upon bed of
Goals:
al do not think Christian ought to die
in his bed. To be accused, to be dragged
to prison, to be scourged, to be exposed to
wild beasts, is little. Let me be roasted
alive, provided the truth be brought to light
by such death"
IT