The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-08-30


Run, near BethalfY--The Crowd in
A1tentianee---The SerTiees--.Preacll.
ers-Seenes, incidents, etc.
spseiol Report IN ne Inteatgeierr.
Verify, the people have .canse for
Thanksgiving. As people they have
passed through fiery trial which has
liked the seal of the Almighty upon
their nationality; they have, through
the shedding of blood, expinted the sin
of the nation and vindicated their right
TO be caIleda people blessed fthe Lord
sstor whom He. 1oTeth He cllastenetlI .
The proud spirit OF tne people mus teen
nize the hand of the Almighty in the
government and control of the destiny
of peoples than Mt any time in our his
tory. Now. that God in His mercy has
stopped this vial of Bis wrath, and, is
turning His face to us again in lbEe,
everywhere upon the mountains and in
the valleys the people are assembling
in the places where prayer and praise
We're wont 10 he made, Cbut which,
through this deSOlating war, have
been voiceless ;is the gravel TO
utter as we'll they may new
praises, TO sing a new Song of
deliVerance. We have for several days
been attending one of those reunions at
the old and we'll known camping
ground of the Methodist fraternity, OH
Castleman's Run. This spot, sitnated
about mile above the place where the
Branch debonchesint Bnffalo creall,
and about two miles from the yillagelof
Bethany, is the, oldest and perhaps the
most fayorite resort among the many
belonging to the Methodist Church III
this section OF country. In past fines
the brotherhood were wont to assemble
in mnltitudes before railroads had an
initiated space, from the extreme west
ern borders Of this State and Ohio, and
from Kentucky. II was the Christ
ian Mecca of this section, TO
which, at no small trouble and
expense, they made their annual
pilgrimage. Hs0uF fathers woTShipped
in this mountain" !" they may truly say;
and here We're born spiritually, many
of those who afterwards became lights
and pillars in the church These old
I hills, nom year to year, have echoed
I hack the sounds of prayer and praise
from voices long since stilled IN death
the ground IS halloWed for them by the
prayers and tears and rejoicings of their
fathers, until they have come to feel
that 1Surely tho Lord Is in this place %
Nature seems to have set apart this
spot IN q peculiar manner from the
busy highways OF the world, and to
have secured 1t etiectually from those
changes which Will invade even pilgrim
shrines.i The circular grove seai1is to
have been scooped out OF the solid, per-
pendiculAr mass of rock and forest
which surrounds ono half OF the circle
like u rampant md towers so far above
that the eve welries before reaching the
| tppmost foliage, which almost 1shuts
ont the sky. The effect upon the scene
beneath Is more strangely solemn and
imposing than that qpdim religious
| lighti' whieh struggl through s.painted
windows richly dight. p At the base of
this stretch OF oyefhanging hill and
wood, runs stream which conpiefely
encircles the grove, giving it the APP
pearanca of a little wooded island and
upon the banks of this ttbranCh" the
tents are pitched, forming this year, a
circle of some forty, or fifty in. number.
Through the centre, great oaks and
sugar trees are disposed at conyen-
I lent distances for purposes of shades
by day and candelalMas by night;
4 also lending their stout trunks as rest
4 ing places for Wearied shoulders dur
4 ing services, in the absence OF regular
I benches, a singular feature Of the
spot Is that while several roadls lead
} directly to It, none seem to lead be
yond it-theFe they seem 10 termt-
| nate in the grove as supqlYsas the paths
leading to the church pOFdcO, so secar-
ed and enclosed is Il gY iils. suEFouHd-
such . spot as the old seoYenautars
! might have chosen when driven oui
1 nom the open day and the free plains
4 into the Eiefis and fstnes g OF the
< mountains. And here for fitty years the
Il Methodtsf fraternity have pitched then
4 tents, and raised their aItlEs, and light
: ed their fires, until only q few of tbs
I first early Jg6fshippefS are LETT to fecite
I the experiences " Fifnessed on fhis catnI
Y ground. The interest in these meet.
4 ings. and the attendance hhs, Of course
y IN that time, huctuated, especially since
! the outbreak of the war. This IS the
first camp meeting held upon ths