Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-08-27

DIR. JoHN: Having been informed by m,
| friends that wrong impression concerning
that disgraceful riot in Sugarloaf township
is going abroad, deem it not only due my.
self but also the public, to make a plain
statements OF the facts, that the people may
Judge between me and those rebels who
were the cause of that infamous affair.
Being the Junior minister on Otangevile
circuit, went to my appointment as usual,
ano commenced the worship of Almighty
God amid large congregation. AT the con
cluslon OF my opening prayer | prayed for
the country, the President of the United
States and all its constitutional. advisers,
Tor the Commander-in- Chief of our armies
and his subordinate officers the soldiery
both 10y sea and 10y land, also prayed for
an honorable peace, and satisfactory adjust
ment of our difficulties asking God to open
the eyes of our enemies, cause them to lay
down their arms and return to their allie
glance to the Government, that peace may
again return to our bleeding nation.
l then commenced preaching, and when
two thirds through with my sermon, Esq.
Cole drove up to the door with his drunken
gang, some eight or ten in number, who
believe, were hired and made drunk for the
express purpose of breaking up the meeting
and injuring me. Two of their rumber,
George Poust and John Brink, son Of Ben.
Brink, came to the door raving like savages,
one of whom called out, after uttering the
iercest oathes l ever heard, IL learn that
you are an abolition preacher, and if you
are we will take you out and hang you on
this hickory tree but if you are democrat
preacher you can preach on" l requested
pim to be quiet until was done preaching,
/ FOIL tp n
he cursed and swore at me most furiously,
adding, II will not he quiet until l know
whether you are an abolition preacher or
not" l replied that l was no abolition
minister, but preached the gospel. Mark,
he did not ask whether preached abolition
ism, and if so, they would hang me, bnt in
reality he asserted that if | was Union
man, QOr abolitionists and Union men are
called by that clique, abOlitionist,) and stood
up for the government, and went for the
putting down of this cursed rebellion, they
would hang me; but ifa democrat, in the
sense that that word is understood in this
county, which is, a man who rcsists the
draft, does all in his power against the adj
mInlstration, whose principel, If principle it
may be called, is, party first, country after
ward :" it a democrat in this sense | could
preach on. \ drunken man is generally
said to be generally honest with himself,
that is, he speaks ont. regardless of policy
or consequences, just what he thinks and
wishes. Hence what this rebel said may be
taken as the principal or desire which gives
tone and character to a large class in this
country
They continued their anthemas and ours
cs until ceased preaching, which did short
ly after they came; when they again came
into the house and recommended their
elusive language, declaring that if / want
ted to preach nigger, should 60 south and
preach to tine niggers therefore they would
have none Of it here. Mean wretchcs
doubt whether they had ever heard me
preach but, nevertheless were ready, like
the most IF their party, to condemn Il man
unhcard. For, when some who were ut
church whose loyalty would not like to
assert, went out and treid to qucll the riot,
declaring that what they had said of me
was false, it only excited them the more and
while raving like the savagrS of the forest,
cried ont to those of their party in the house
to bring the cut and they would make short
work of it by putting me out G. 'hc way
Two of their number took hold Of thy arm
and attempted to take me out, when
wrenched loose from their grasp. Two gen
tlemen then came forward and intertercd
when l stepped back, and while they were
parlcying believing them to be well armed,
rs | afterwards learned was the case. and
knowing that had no mercy to expect at
their hands if they got possession Of my
person, for neither | nor my friends had
weapons. | retrGated TO the back window
and made my escape through the darkness
of the night. Those who knew the parties
told me afterwards that mad they succeeded
in getting me out Of the house. they would
have executed their threat, for they were
perfectly wild with rage and bad whiskey,
unless | had been rescued by my friends,
which they could not have done, for we had
no arms, while they were prepared for any
emergency. 1t is just, however to add that
the persons in the immediate ncighborhood
!. I. EYER.
Dlocmsburg Aug IS, 1864.