Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1872-10-17
The Late Rev. Peter Cartwright.


One of the oldest and most widely
known Methodist preachers in America
died recently, at his home, near Pleasant
Pialns, Sangamon county, Ill. Peter
cartwright was eighty-seven years old.
lie was native of Amherst COUNTY. Va.
and was born in 1885, two years after
the close of the Revolutionary war.
While he was still child his parents re-
moved with him to Kentucky. His
early years were spent in that wild from
tier land, where the war-whoop of the
savage often aroused his father and his
nelghbors to the defense of their lives
and homes. Peter was scarcely s;xtaan
years Old when he was converted by an
ltlnerant preacher, and became a mem.
Der OF the Methodist Episcopal Church.
The event determined the career of his
whole life. He conceived the idea that
he had been called to preach the gospel
IN the wilderness, and almost immedi.
ately he entered upon that duty. In
his autobiography, published about fif-
teen years ago, he related many inter
estlng and often amusing incidents of
his early labors in the backwoods. Like
many OF the men of his time and sec.
ton, he had an iron constitution and
strongly marked individuality, and was
bold, courageous, and jealous worker.
lie feared neither man nor the devil,
and Tor his cause was ready at any time
to fight both if they stood in his wav.
His speech was homeiy, but it was ear
nest, and went straight to the hearts of
his rough audiences. He was heard to
say few years ago that he had received
into the Church no fewer than II 600
persons, and that in his long career he
had preached $4,000 sermons.
In the early pioneer days he naturally
met some hard characters, nho, insti-
gated by the adversary, would endeavor
to bring disgrace upon him. He tells in
his autobiography that once brutal fell
low threatened to whip him. Peter
said, Well, sir, l never like to live in
dread. If you really intend to whip me,
come and do it now" TIE man con.
tinued to buster, whereupon the fight
ing preacher, dismounting from his
horse, walked up to him and said, "Now,
sir, you have to whip me, as you threat
ened, or stop cursing me, or will put
you in the river and baptize you in the
name of the devil, for surely you belong
to him." This cowed the bully. An
anecdote is also related which illustrates
his singular boldness and independence.
He was preaching before the Nashville
Conference, when the time-serving
clergyman whose pulpit he occupied,
seeing Gen. Jackson standing in the
aisle, leaned over and said in loud
whisper, " Gen. Jackson has come in,
Gen. Jackson has come I'M " Who is
Gen. Jackson?n cried Cartwright in
voice Of thunder, IF he don't get his
soul converted God will damn him as
quick as he would Guinea negro"
This did not convert Old Hickory at the
time, but it commanded his respect for
his monitor, and he treated him with
the greatest consideration ever after.
wards.
Mr.. Cartwright was first appointed
presiding elder in 1912. He spent eight
years in the Old Western Conference,
four years in the Kentucky Conference,
eight years in the Tennessee Conference.
and over forty-fye years in the Illinois
Conference. He held at different times
many of the most important offices in
the church, and was delegate to General
Conference thirteen times. In 1888 and
1888, in the absence Of the bishop, he
was President of the Conference. 1t is
recorded of him that in all the years of
his ministry he was never discontinued.
located, or superanuated, ard was never
dismissed for a time for misdemeanors
of any kind. In 1856 he published the
story of his life in a volume entitled
" Autobiography OF Peter Cartwright,
the Backwoods Preacher The book
had wide circulation and made the old
man better known in the East, where
he seldom had visited. During the last
few years the feebleness of advanced
years Frustrated him, and it was only
few months ago that his death was pre-
announced.-NewY York World.