The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-04-29
South CarOlinian's Noble Work


We copy tho following extract r.om
the Lruisri2le Courier journal. Tn.
parties mentioned therein will he re-
memb"rcd by some Of the citizens Of
Abbcvillc. The Rev. DR.. Witl;erspoon
is the brother Of Mrs. Warllaw, reject
Of Dr., Joseph j.. Wardlrw, formerly of
this place. General Alpheus Baker
will also be remembered as an old citi-
zen Of this place.
The Pow. DR.. Andrew Jackson With
.rSpoon. of New Orleans. * in the CITY.
Yesterday la gave II E'0Uricr-./ournnL
reporter II very interesting account Of
tho celebrated 'Seumen's Bethel" Of
which he liz in charge in tho Crescent
City.
He studied for the ministry under
DR.. Thornwrll, Of the Presbyterian
Church, and was licensed to preach 10
1851. At the beginning of his ministry
he wax an invalid, and for several years
his health waS prrcarious. After re-
manning ut his fits charge, the tiiehr-
street Presbyterian church, in Charlcs-
ton, for one year, he WAS 40 broken in
health that, hoping for rrcHpcralion, he
removed to Narcn.o county, Alabama,
where he lived until the beginning of the
the Southern army ~ a private, and
t"rved four ponths, when he was made
chaplain Of the Twcnty-tirst Alabama
regiment. At the battle of Shiloh he
was taken prisoner and sent to Camp
Chase. 1t was not customary to send
chaplains to the regular prisons, but to
allow them to return to the work of the
ministry amongst the soldiers but at
shiloh, which Was near the beginning Of
the war, many Of the Confcdcrntes, not
having been before under fire, wavcrea.
and their officers were unable to reform
the lines, and appealed to DR.. Wither-
spoonsfor assistance. WI ile engaged ia
rallyiny the men. he Was captured viii
a number of others, and General Buell.;
while treating him conrtcously, fc!t com.
PEELED to send HIM to prison, az the
Doctor could not affirm that lie was a
batant." ,.
On his way to the Northern pr snn, h.
was accidentally met by Mr.. Edward
Wilder and Capt. Zach. Shcrlcy, Of this
city. who gave him money and offered
to Ito everything in their power to See
cure. his release. After remaining al
Camp Chase a short time, he was re.
moved tn JohnSon's Island, where he
was J ept four months before being re-
leased. Some of his fellow. prisoners
were Co. Overt"n Johnson, of Buck
n IRIS staff; DIR. Steele. n son-in-law of
Rev. DR.. II. j. breckenridge ; Gem Al
,heus Baker, Of this city, and others.
The Doctor lauShingly sail that it was
a standing joke in prison that DR.. Brock;
nridse, who was an ardent Union man.
had caused his .son-in-law II, Ire in,-
p%rixoned. "'%F <f'fS ~@' %S%ESss
He relates an amusing ancc,lore O:
Gen. Alpheus Baker. 1t seems that n
the expiration Of about four months,
the Federal Government issued a grner.
al order directing that NIL surge ms ant.
chaplains be released from prison and
sent back to their commands. The or
der was promulgated at Johnson'x
Island, and Sunday was set apart ny tn,
lay on which the release wac to h..
made. DIR. Withrrsp""n informed the
officers that h- preferred to preach I.
he prisoners on Sunday and lrav" OF
Monday, if permitted to do 81. TIL.
permission WAX readily granted, and a
he appointed hour he began service
About this time tn" .anrgeonx and cha.
.ains We're drawn up in line, and prepa-
rati"nS made Tor their dismissal. Gen.
Baker, knowing that Dr.. Witherspooa
was conducting religious worship in an
other part Of tho prison, concluded To-
pers'nate him, and thereby escape iu-
::arcerrtion. The General made up AZ
'n"ci like Q clergyman M possible, a
portion Of his tniEt consisting of we'll
.forn brnadclnth coat, u atovepipe hat
and n white checker. He took his place
IN line. and when the name, "a. j.
"itherslmon.' was called, Gen. Baker
responded, and marched off with th,
others. lie passed tho guards w.,houi
detection, and might have made his es-
cape, but accidentally caught sight %
General PURGE. the commandant Q, tn.
outside of the prison. Fearing tet.c.
zion. and that 1t would involvc Dr.
Witherspoon in trouble with The prisuo,r.,
-nthoriti"s, who wpulL perhaps charg,
.rolluSinn. Gen. Baker returned to his
old qIaiters.' }sGi
VIZ Mohua thQ tlOctOr was released.
went South and Immediately rejoined
the regiment. just outside the prison
he was handed n neat sum Of money
which had been forwarded TO him BY
Rev. Dr. Thomas =. Hoyt, th:n TIL
If the First Presbyterian. chnrcl.
~ this city and q, warm symp ,thizc, |
" it~flthrs,c:fhsc Of the. COME derac,;..
The chaplain Immediately begun /
'mpr"v" in health, nn,l under thu rousl,
tosHbish he MAS psuhi .c;rL.in III. |
,rmy haSii"eaIhr strong aitsi zsssfaisi, and
snselisiil docking speciJren nf mnn-
nod I. ,tayaa. u Iis ppinim; al,es cati9gI
b. bareback, drinking creek wafer, ami
ona plank or rail, ar the bare
:ronpd, Restored his yignr.
Tie %reina,ntd with the ar.ny until the
Ut the war. II" then wlnt To Mo.
bile, and here did his first work AZ an
evangelist. He began preaching to The
poor. ON the streets. or anywhere else
could get alisteper. His, work grew
md after isboring 10 mouths he est.b.
ished the South Franklin Presbyterian
- = ~ - Ek~LNfA 80 II