Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-09-18
(From the New York Observerl
The Blind Preacher Of the Wilderness
Firginia's Greatest Orator.
BY CHARLES Fl. wooDMAN.


Firginia's Greatest Orator.
BY CHARLES H. WOODMAN.
AT the period of the revolution tht
wild and lovely valley of the Shenan
doah was notyet captive to the white
mans axe and rifle. For over half {
century. since Col Spotswood, with {
troop of horse, after fearful struggles
reached the hitherto unconquered crest
of the Blue Ridge, and looked over the
majestic land beyond, bold hearts and
strong feet had pushed their way into
this wilderness and made it their abode
Yet there were few in all, and the In
dian's skiff still held the river, while
his arrows flew freely on the mountain
These hardy pioneers were Scotch
Irish Presbyterians. With a rugged
and dauntless courage which was the
natural outgrowth Of their blood and
faith they went forth into an unknown
country, full of savage terrors. Once
having planted their feet in the valley,
they stayed. All efforts to dislodge
them were in vain. They built affairs
to God as soon as they had made shell
ter for their families; the first fruits OF
the axe and rifle were consecrated to
Him. For having reared Him an hum
BILE sheep-fold, they sought at once some
man of God to shepherd their little
fiocks among the mountains. No mere
itinerant preacher-and none such
could be found in the Presbyteries-nor
any man with zeal but lacking knowl-
edge, could I'LL the desires of these stur-
dy souls. For generations back they
had been bred and trained in Bible lore
and in a sublime faith. They were the
remnants of the ancient COvenanters,
and what the hearts of kings refused
them they had come to wrest from the
grasp of savage nature. They were
men and women of vigorous minds, and
though they had not much of worldly
learning, yet any child among them
could have put to shame many of the
mighty of our day in knowledge of the
Holy Book and the ways of God. 1t SO
came, then, that these mountain soli-
tudes held pastors of culture, Of high
power, and of eloquence.
In the opening of 1881 the valley was
aroused by the sound of a trumpet. Far
up in the Rockfish Gap its notes were
first heard. piercing the keen air, echo
ing along the slope, then floating over
the frozen Shenandoh and dying against
the forests of the great North Mountains.
From hamlet to hamlet rode the trum-
peter at furious speed. There had been
a great victory at the Cowpens, but
Greene had been driven into Virginia
Gen. Stevens, just over the Ridge in
Charlottesville, was raising recruits
against CORVALLIS; every man must
join, and speedily. When hesummons
reached the little village of Thinking
Spring, it met an enthusiastic reception.
Short space was taken for farewells.-
Clad in skins which their own hands
had stripped from the wild beasts, Ia
den with powder horn and pouch, with
their trusty rifles on their shoulders
and their brave wives by their sides,
the stern-faced patriots focked to the
small log church. The pastor rose in
the sacred desk,-a tall spare form,
wasted by disease. There was q solem-
nifty in his face that fell like quiet ben
ediction on the waiting hearts. Yet the
fire of a burning soul glowed in his
eyes, and when he began to speak, his
deep. rich voice was tremulous with
emotion. He reviewed the great princi-
pies for which the armies were contend
ing; he showed from the Holy Book
how God prepares a people whom He
would lead into the promised land; he
recOunted the battles of the war, his
voice now rising to awful power and
pathos; and, as he pictured
the recent fields in the South, still wet
with the blood of their countrymen, the
little church seemed to tremble with
the roar of cannon, the charge of innu-
merable steeds,-to resound with the
groans of the dying, the wailing of the
widowed and fatherless. Every log in
the building cried, ITO arms !"-the
walls rang with shouts of vengeance
The PASTORS head bowed; the voice fell
to a low, sweet tone of prayer which
was like the sound of an evening breeze
after day of battle. AS he ceased his
plea and called down on every conse-
Grated head and rifle benediction from
the God of battles, it seemed to every
patriot that a flaming sword had been
placed in his grasp by an invisible
hand.
The men set out on their march thro'
winter solitudes, through terrible suf-
fering,to death. They made all haste to
the Dan, crossed the river with Greene,
formed one company of Stevens bril-
gade at Guilford, and left many of their
number dead on that awful field. They
were strong souls, inspired with high
courage. But they owed their inspira-
ton to their glorious faith, their noble
wives-and to James Waddell.
The pastor of Thinking Spring congre
cation was man marvelously endowed
For John the Baptist could not have
cried in the wilderness, "Repent! re
pent!' more eloquently than did James
Waddell in the forests and waste places
of Virginia. He was Irish born, but
came in infancy to America. Like
nearly all men who have been powerful
for good, he owed everythingi to his
mother. She brought hither her Scotch
Presbyterianism--a grand faith for stur
dy souls-and taught her son in child
hood to walk in the ways of the Cove
nanters. At the age of thirteen he was
placed under the famous DR.. Finley, in
the academy at Nottingham, Pennsyl
vania, and was so proficient in his stu
dies that he soon became valued assis
tant to his preceptor. His warm nature
and strong imagination were much en-
ployed in searching the mysteries Q
God +; and when an old man he related
that during these school years he hat
two such seasons of glory as he neve
afterward experienced. Intending t.
pass his life in teaching, he starte,
Southwark, with the design of opening
q school at Charleston. He reached
Hanover county, in Virginia. Their
he met the father of Patrick Henry
and heard Samuel Davies, the wonder
full pulpit orator. This was the turning
point in his life. He was chained to th
spot by Davies eloquence. This cler
gyman discerned the latent power il
the young man. In his resistless man
ner he forbade the traveller to go farther
and told him he must give himself
Gods ministry. Waddell obeyed, an(
after studying theology, was license
in 1851 by the Presbytery of Hanovel
Five calls were at once placed in hi
hands, but he rejected them all an
returned to Pennsylvania, wishing
labor in that colony, He soon cam
back to Hanover and asked for a dis
missal, but such urgent prayers ft