Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1866-05-02
Negro Baptisms.

THE Rev. J. P. Newman, now of New
Orleans, furnishes the Methodist with an
account Of his visit to the plantation OF
General Braxton Bragg, sixty miles
northwest Of the city. While there he
attended a negro meeting and Witnessed
the baptism Of 4 number of colored per-
sons. His description Of the scene will
be read with interest tits as follows :
"At the present time the Baptists haze
full sweep through all this section of
Louisiana. The freedmen are delighted
with the display incident to immersion,
and they look forward to a baptizing
time as to a festive day.
A SCENE.
The Sabbath 7 spent on the Bragg
plantation afforded me the opportunity to
witness such a scene. The previous
night, from nine in the evening till four
the next morning, had been spent in the
usual examination Each candidate was
required to travel, that is relate his ex-
perieuce up to the hour of his CONVEX
sion. which. if deemed satisfactory by
the deacons. the candidate was elected to
BAPTISM. This was a rich occasion-full
Of curious incidents and replete with
mirth-provoking remarks. The Sabbath
dawned clear and beautiful Rev Hark-
less 1Iiley, the 'Old Shepherd had
come from New Orleans to oficiate on
the occasion, and BY nine o'clock a. m.
nearly thousand freedmen, including
their wives and children, had assembled
under the large sugar-house shed on
Aliens plantation, The candidates for
baptism numbered forty-seven in all ;
and, as a moral wonder, there we're more
men than women. Each one was robed
in white-even to a white cloth about
the head and white gloves on the hands
leaving bare, only, the face, indicate per-
sonal complexion. When all was ready,
the procession was formed, and marched
to the pond. It was a curious sight
First came the Old Shepherd, surrounded
with his deacons and deaconesses, all in
white; then came the candidates, fol-
lowed by the congregation. As they
marched they sang and as they sang
the multitude became excited-some
shouted, some leaped for joy, others went
into ecstatio spasms, performing every
conceivable bodily motion, while not
few of the female candidates { got the
power and we're carried along by their
friends.
GOT THE POWER"
"This, the Old Shepherd assured
me. was the manifestation of the Spirit.
But the excitement eliminated at the
pond. The 'Old Shepherd, declaring
himself John the Baptist took his posi-
tion.in the water, and lines of deacons
and deaeonesses were formed, who passed
to him those who we're to be baptized
Supernaturally strong by the excitement
of the hour, some Of the female candi-
dates broke away from their conductors
and plunged headlong into the stream
This was the signal for a shout from the
multitude on the banks Of the pond,
while deacons and deaconesses, unmind-
full of danger, plunged into the water
after the sister who had momentarily
disappeared beneath the surface. In the
interval leg appeared above the water,
then an arm, when the rescuer and the
rescued again appeared, who we're greeted
with shouts by the people.
DANGER OF DROWNING.
"At times it was quite impossible to
get the subject beneath the water; and
more than once the baptizer and the
baptized went down together, which was
the signal for another plunge of deaoons
and deaconesses, to rescue the { Old Shep-
herd and the drowning lamb Thus
the scene went on for several hours, and
when over and the candidates properly
robed, the procession reformed, and
marching, amid singing and shouting, to