The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-11-11

what the MeihOdists Gained by It
Curfous story Of Tecumsei.

thS Xs1AooA,oAPPAs oAOhO hatUOolS lOOSt
from their moorings, and opened large
cracks, or fissures, in the earth. This
earthquake struck terror to thousands
Of people, and under the mighty panic
hundreds and thousands crowded to
and Joined the different churches
There were many very interesting in
cidents connected with shaking of the
earth at the time. Two l will name.
had preached in Nashville the night
before the second dreadful shock came,
TO a large congregation. Early The
next morning / arose and walked out
ON the hill near the house where L had
preached, when 1 saw a negro woman
coming down the hill to the spring,
with an empty pail on her head. ~ is
very common for negroes 10 carry wa
ter this way without touching the pan
with either hand. When she got
within a few rods of where L stood, the
Garth began to tremble and jar; CHM
news were thrown down, scaffolding
around many new buildings fell with a
loud crash, hundreds of the citizens
suddenly awoke, and sprang to the
streets loud screaming followed, for
many thought the day Of judgment had
come. The young mistresses of the
above named negro woman came rum
ming after her, and begging her to pray
for them. She raised the shout and
said to them, My Jesus is coming in
the clouds of heaven, and can't wait to
pray for you now; must go and meet
him. j told you so, that he would
come, and you would not believe me.
Farewell. Hallelujah! Jesus is COM
ing, and 1 am ready. Hallelujah.
Amcn.n And ON she went, shouting
and clapping her hands, with the emp.
ty pail on her head.
Near Russellyille, Logan county, Ky,
lived old Brother Valentine Cook, of
very precious memory, with his wife
Tabitha. Brother Cook was a gradu-
ate of Cokesbury College, at an early
day i'm the history of Methodism i'm the
United States. He was very pious,
successful pioneer preacher, but, for the
want of sufficient support for his ris-
ing and rapidly increasing family, he
had located, and was teaching school at
the time of the above named earth
quake. He and his wife were in bed
VIXEN the earth began to shake and
tremble. He sprang out of bed, threw
open the door, and began to shout, and
started with nothing but his night |
clothes. He steered his course East, |
shouting every step, saying, "My Je- |
sus is comingm His wife took after |
him, and at the top of her voice cried |
out, 40, Mr.. Cook, don't leave me-"
80, Tabby," said he, "my Jesus is
coming, and | cannot wait for yOu,"
and OH he went, shouting at every
jump, my Jesus is coming; / can't |
wait for you, Tabby."
The years of excitement by these
carthqukes hundreds joined the Meth
odist Episcopal Church, and though
many were sincere and stood firm, yet I
there were hundreds that no doubt had
Joined them from mere fright.
The earthquake gave Tecumseh, the
Shawnee chieftain, the reputation of a
prophet among the Indians of Alaba-
ma. a few months previous to this
event, he was on his mission TO the
Southern Indians, to unite all the
tribes of the South with those OF the
North in his grand scheme of eXtcrmi-
mating the whole white race from the
wide extent of the Mississippi Valley,
from the Lakes of the North to the
Gulf of Mexico. Drake, in his memoir
of Tecumsh, gives this anecdote:
On his return from Florida, Tecum-
sch went among the Creeks i'll Alaba-
ma, urging them TO unite with the
Semiroles. Arriving at Tuckabatchee,
n Creek town on the TalapOOsa river,
he made his way to the lodge of the
chief, called the Big Warrior. He ex-
planned his object, delivered his war
talk, presented bundle of sticks, gave
a piece of wampum and hatchet; all
Of which the Big Warrior took. When
Tecumseh, reading the spirit and in
tentions of the Big Warrior, looked
him in the eye, and pointing his finger
toward his face, said: Your blood is
white; YOU have taken my talk but
you do not mean to fight; know the
reason; you do not believe the Great
spirit has sent me, you shall know L
leave Tuckabatchee directly, and shall
90 straight to Detroit. When / arrive
there / will stamp on the ground with
my foot, and shake down every house
in Tuckhabatchee." So saying, he
turned and left the Big Warrior in ut
ter amazement at both his manner and
threat, and pursued his journey. The
Indians were struck no less with his
conduct than was the Big Warrior, and
began to dread the arrival of the day
when the threatened calamity would
befall them. They met often and talk
cd over the matter, and counted the
days carefully, to know the time when
Tecumseh would reach Detroit. The
they had fixed upon as the
period of his arrival at last came. a
mighty rumbling was heard-the In
dams all ran out of their houses, the
earth began to shake; when at last,
sure enough, every house in Tuckha-
batchee was shaken down! The ex-
clamation was in every mouth, "Te-
cumseh has got to Detroit!" The effect
was electrical. The message he had
delivered TO the Big Warrior was be-
lieved, and many of the indians took
their rifles and prepared for the war.
The reader will not be surprised to learn
that the earthquake had produced all
this; but he will be, doubtless, that 1t
should happen on the very day on
which TecImseh arrived at Detroit,
aud in exact fulfillment of his threat.
II was the famous earthquake of New
Madrid.