The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-10-18

From the " timtnKtoh o.. NJ ErcDing EoSt.
About mile above Brown Marsha sta.
tion on the Carolina Central railway about
80 miles from this city, and about 200 yards
TO the Lett Of the railroad track can be seen
the Sanctuary of Tcna." just here we
! think il would not be out Of place to give as
much of a description Of this strange beings
! history as oar inquiries could elicit :. Tena
] the '"God us 4 ncgrcsS, apparently about
fifty Years of age, with head of perfectly
white hair. There is nothing about her
person or features, with the exception of
her hair. That would particularly strike one,
aud she does not differ from most colored
persons in appearance. Tcna, we learn,
was originally from Wilmington, and
, member Of the Front-Strect Methodist
church, Of this city. while under the pas
! toral charge of the Rev. Mr.. Bobbitt. She
was very administrative and noisy during
the services in the church, and very often
would run out and climb up tree in front
OF the editce, and there make the most hor-
ribie noise imaginable. Finally, OH account
Of her noisy manner and repeatedly annoy
ing the congregation, she was eNcommuni-
| Gated: and this closed her Connection with
| the Acthodists. We failed to learn Of her
| whereabouts from that time until the fall
Of 1868, when She located at Brown Marsh,
| her arrival there she Immediately corr
menccd to establish a .church :" of her
own among the coored people, but did not
, succeed very well until the close of the war,
| when she pushed her work with renewed
| yigor, until she has now about sixty persons
, in her band. q
Thc"rrophctcss declares herself E<God,"
and asserts that she can foresee and foretel
any and everything that is to be, aud makes
the band worship and respect her as such.
The sanctuary" IS n rude log-cabin con.
tanning one room, built in the conmonest
WAY Imaginable, and in very many places
the CLAW which is used to stop the Snace be-
tween tie logs has fallen out. and by that
means only can 4 circulation of air be OBJ
, famed. Is there are no windows in the room.
Nearing tn" ">lnctuary i'll front, from the
: railroad track. the first thing that strikes the
eve Of an observer iSa couple of poles, about
, Cor!v feet HIGH and about eight feet apart,
! each with mans shirt hanging on it; the
! shirts arc made OF common unhlcached home
spun. On entering the enclosure one would
! be struck with the cleanliness of the
ward : not Il slick or even 4 pine
straw is allowed TO remain III the
yard. rs il would be considered an
i'll omen il pcrchancc il should remain III lhe
enclosure Il Mli-hour unobserred. lmmc-
C,iatciy in front Of the gate, and about hall
! WAY between the fence and the sanctuary
is 4 small pen about ten feet square, and. III
the middle OF the pen is Il block. the seat OF
the "G0d,' This pen is termed by them
the suging-houSc." Here they all huddle
up together and dance and sing something
| that would remind one OF m Indian war
song. Proceeding around the left corner
Of The "sanctuary." the next thing to OBJ
serve will he pcculiarly-shapcu clay-holc
about nineteen feet long and two and half
our searching inquiries failed to elicit the
technical name for the clay-hole. In
this clay-holc each one of the band
goes, makes clay bill about two inches
in diameter. and places it on the edge
of the bank to dry and become hard
| Following our guide around the house to
the back door. we noticed four poles placed
in the ground, forming square, about three
feet from the door. On each one Of these
poles there is Il covering for the head, two
bonncts and two hats. Around these poles
! the band dances on certain days supposed
TO he holy days of the band). Elena the
God" has two seats Of honor during
pruycr>-one in the fireplace and the other
in the bed. She invariably sits la I1rque
during the services. and her followers kneel
PROSTATE on the floor. They are known
throughout the country as the "Tena
Band" They have their day Of atonement,
and on this occasion the "Go1" offers up
herself is a sacrifice for the sins Of her fol-
lowers. During this portion OF the ccre-
monies for the day she sits in the fire.
place and throws ashes over herself;
then walks over, stepping on every one
of her followers, who are lying on the
ground, face down, to "mash out their
sins" The land obey her, and perform
every one of the dogmas Of Tena scru.
pulou>ly. us it is 4 part Of their religion and
faith. The band is sometimes seen on the
railroad. sweeping the track and ties, and OH
every Wednesday each and every one is re-
quircd to visit and carry the " G0d"a small
basket of provisions. ANY who fail to COM
ply with the requirements are punished
The "God" is very profane. and is held in
fear and trembling by the colored people of
the neighborhood, though, however, they do
not fear that she will hurt them by doing
them an injury by physical strength, but by
"conjuripS, putting mouth on them, or guf-
fcring them" The band has been in operation
for the past eight years, and by its earnings
succeeded in building she'd in which TO
worship" The authorities refused TO lei
them Use the shed for that purpose some
twelve or eighteen months ago on account
of the bad effect it had on the colored pco-
pie. who We're disposed 10 credit Tena's as
Sertion>.