The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-05
AN ELOQUENT DISCOURSE.
THE FAREWELL SERMON OF THE REY.
E. T. WINKLER.

"a
THE FAREWELL SERMON OF THE REY.
e. 4. WINKLER.
An Impressive and Solemn Occasion.
The Citadel Square Baptist Church was yes
terdsy morning the scene Of the public leave
taking OF the Rev.E. T. Wnkler, D. D., from
a congregation OF which ne has had the pasto-
raj charge for many years, and who is about
10 leave for another field of lab or In the City of
Marion, Ala. The occasion was solemn, I'M
presslve and affective one, and the touching
and eloquent peroration of DR.. Wlnkler's dis
course drew tears from the eyes OF many of
his listeners, who recalled, In all the vivid col
ors added by the parting moment, the event
full scenes Of this able and devoted pastors
service in Charleston during the past twenty
years.
The Rev. DR.. Wlnkler was born in Georgia,
and entered the Baptist ministry in lS45. He
came to Charleston In 1852 from the COosa-
hatchie church In Columbus, Georgia, to take
charge of the offairs OF the Southern Baptist
Publication Society In the capacity of secre-
tary of that society and editor Of the Southern
Baptist. There were then two Baptist churches
in this.city, theFirst Baptist Church, ,on Church
street below Broad, and the Morris street
Church, which worshipped 10 the small edl1ce
In Morris street now occupied by colored con-
gregation. In 1854 the Citadel Square Church
was organized; the Rev. j. 3. Kendrck, then
pastor of the First Baptist Church, became Its
pastor, aud In accordance with the earnest
desire of the First Baptist Church, DR.. Wink.
Ter assumed the pastoral charge Of that
congregation. That charge he retained
uutil the war. During alargs portion of.the
war DR.. Winkler was the only Baptist clergy
man In the city, and during the furious bonn
the three churches were driven from point to
point by the shells, and worshlpped for some
time In the Wentworth street church. During
the whole continuance of those terrible times,
Dr.. Winkler was found constantly at his post
of duty and danger, and he has preached
many q sermon in the various churches Of
this city, with the terrible missiles from Gil
more's swamp angels hurtling through the air
In dangerous proximity 10 the devoted wor-
shippers, and dealing death and destruction
on every side. One Sunday morning DR..
Wnkler went to the Citadel Square
Church, at the usual hour for service,
service, and found the congregation gathered
outside ofthe church and gazing with dismay
upon freshly made breach In the church
tower, large enough to drive a team of horses
through. The Federals had Smounted new
gun on Morris Island, aud we're spending
Sunday morning In training 1t upon the prom
inent target afforded by the splre OF the Cita-
del Square Church, then the lofliest In the
city, and the accuracy of the shot proved the
perfection of The range. The congregation
entered the church, after about cart load OF
debris had been removed from the entrance,
and the service was performed precisely as
though nothing had happened, but during the
whole of that memorable sermon the voice OF
the preacher was frequently interrupt
gu Ny cCrUam VI Gne nuUrIs. a
few days after this occurrence, but
not during the hours of service, another shell
came crashing through the roof of the church
and dlslodged heavy pendant which hung
from the edge OF the recess In the end Of the
church and directly over the pulpit. This
pendant fell upon the very spot where the
preacher usually stood, and made complete
wreck Of the pulpit. Another shell afterward
pierced the wall of the lecture room. and a
flying fragment came very near the head of
the sexton, who was attending to bis duties
there. The church Itself was struck three
times, and 1t has been remarked as some
what singular coincidence that several of the
churches In the city were struck just three
times each. The lecture room OF the First
Baptist Church Jared much worse, how
ever. That building was repeatedly struck,
and became q mass or ruins. One singular
freak OF the shells that remains on record Is
that one dslodged and shattered the mural
tablet erected to the memory OF the Rev. DR..
Furman, and then, plunglng into The adjoining
graveyard, buried itself 10 his grave, crushing
Its way through the marble slab that formed
the cover of his tomb. During this portion of
DR.. Wlnklers ministerial career, he was ap-
pointed chaplain of the Confederate army
and given rowing commission to attend the
hospitals in this city and for some distance In
the surrounding country. In this field
of labor he was devoted and zeal
ous worker. He held Divine service every
Sunday in the different camps and hos
pitfalls, gathered supplies Of .delicacles
and reading matter, and distributed
them literally TO the sick and wounded
soldiers. Through his exertions, chickens,
jellies, fruit and vegetables were frequently
obtained from Nassau and other places out.
side of the blockade for the benefit of the pa
tients, and, many private libraries being sold
out at that time, he purchased large numbers
of books and formed hospital libraries there
from. DR.. Winkler also had many Federal
soldiers under his charge at Rikersvlle and
the Race Course, and, of course, made no dis
unctions In his spiritual mInstrations between
them and their fellow sufferers OF the oppos-
ing army, and he won their gratitude to such
an extent that, when they came to be ex.
changed, they were anxious to present him
with testimonial of their esteem. They decid.
ed that handsome Confederate uniform would