Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1872-10-10
The late Peter Cartwright.

SangamOn county, Illinois Last w edleS
nesday, ut the advanced age of eighty
seven years. For seventy wears he
has been a regular minister; never
having ceased from the active work
of his calling until death met him. He
has attained the oft expressed wish of
his life, and died in the harness"
Peter Cartwrig ght--he never cared
for D. D. which was struck unto him
against his wish-was the son Of a
revolutionary soldier. The spirit Of
war was his by Inheritance, and
throughout his life he snutfed the bat
tie afar off He was born in Amherst
county, Virginia, September 1st, 1885
EARLY LIFE.
His father removed to Kentucky |
when Peter was a mere hoy. and the |
early scenes. of his active life were |
laid in the regions of Kentucky, Ten
nessee, Ohio and Indiana. At that
time nearly all this scope of country
was a wild, unbroken Wilderness
Like Gideon, his family were poor
They were among the least, even in a
new country, where the best families
were scarcely less wild and uncultIva-
ted than the savages that roamed the
forests, conquering their dinner in
the shape of will beast, before eating
it; tearing their clothing from tue
back of the deer and bear, and fight
ing each other for pastime. From
ssch sturdy stock as this, and from
such surroundings, God called this
Peter the Cartwright, and breathed
into him the breath of power and
might, and showed the world a man
AS it was said of Themistocles, SO we
may say of this mamie escaped the
curse of mediocrity; and whatever he
| did he did with his whole soul.
CHARACTERISTIC INCIDENTS.
Cartwright has been called the apos-
| tie of muscular Christianity, and with
good reason. The following is taken
from his autobiography, published in
1856. At one time he had started a
camp meeting of his own, in a very
rough neighborhood. He says:
"Our last quarterly meeting was a
camp meeting. We had great many
tents and large turn out for a new
country, and, perhaps, there never
was a greater collection of rabble or
rowdies. They came in drunk, armed
with dirks, clubs, knives, and horse
whips, and swore they would break up
the meeting. After interrupting US
on Saturday night, they collected
early oD Sunday morning, determined
on general riot. At 8 O'Clock was ap-
pointed to preach. About the time
was half through ny discourse, two
fine dressed young men marched in
the congregation with loaded whips,
and hats on, and rose up and stood in
the midst of the ladies, and began to
laugh and talk They were near the,
and / demanded them to desist and
get of the seats; but they told me to
mind my own business, and said they
would not get down, l stopped try
ing to preach and called for a magis-
trate.
There were two at hand, out I saw
they were both afraid. l ordered them
to take these men into custody. They
said they could not do it. told them
: ass1 left the stand, to command me to
take them, and l would do it at the
risk Of my life. l advanced toward
them. They ordered me to stand off
but | advanced Oneaof them made
! pass db my DCdu Will VIII DOO
closed inrpith him and jerked him Ot
the seat. A regular scuffie ensued.-
The congregation by this time wer
e all in commotion. heard the magis
trate give general orders, command
e ing all friends of order to aid in sup
: pressing the riot. In the scuff1e
II threw my prisoner down, and hell
q him fast; he tried his best to get loose
told him to be quiet or L woult
; pound him. The mob rose, and rushe
on to the rescue of the two prisoners
u for they had taken the other youn
is man also. An old drunken magis
II trate came up to me and ordered m
'r to let my prisoner go. He swore if
y would not he would hit me. told hir
)! to crack away. Then one of m
II friends, at my request, took hold c
y my prisoner, and the drunken justic
u made pass at me but l parried th
9 stroke, and seized him by the coils
/ and the hair of the head, and fetchin
lie him with a sudden jerk forward
81 brought him to the ground and jumpe
on him. l told him to Re quiet, or
would pound him we'll. The mob the
j. rushed to the scene;' they knocke
$, down seven magistrates, and sever;
e. preachers and others. I gave up m
r drunken prisoner to another, an
IL threw myself in front of the friend
l. of order. Just at this moment th
E. ringleader of the mob and | met; h
is made three passes at me, intending c
ir knock me down. The last time. b
4 struck at me, by the force of his effoI
ID he threw the side of his face towar
Sc me. 1t seemed at that moment hs
at no power to resist temptation, and
tn struck him a sudden blow in the burr
n the ear, and dropped him to the eartl
he Just at that moment the friends ofO
= der rushed by hundreds on the mol
up knocking them down in every dire
: ton. In few minutes the place b,
i'll bame too strait for the mob, and the
m wheeled aud fled in every direction
al but we secured about thirty prisoner
ce marched them off to a vacant ten
he and put them under guard till Monds
a morning, when they were tried, an
.e every man was fined to the utmo
n. limits of the law"
e His account of his first visit to
to great city is peculiarly rich, and v
ly give our readers a specimen of ii
he numerous things which befel him
e. that time. 1t was when he went
New orll to attend the meeting of Il
Missionary Board.
ne After great deal of trouble al
a vexation of spirit, he at last drew L
O. in front of the Irving House on Broa'