Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-12-18

at length triumphcd over his
prosecutors, was instrumental in
founding several church-origin of
the Methodist religion in our
Valley.
About the year 1775 (a) two
travelling strangers called at the
residence of the late Maj. Lewis
stephens, the proprietor and found
er Of the town, now distinguished
in the mail establishment as "New-
town Stephensburg," and enquired
If they could obtain quarters for
the night Maj. Stephens happen
ed to be absent but Mrs. Ste
phens, who was remarkable for
hospitality and religious impress
ions, informs them they could be
accommodated. One of them OBJ
served to her, "We are preachers
and the next day being Sabbath,
we will have to remain with you
until Monday morning, as We do
not travel on the Sabbath" To
which the old lady replied, "if you
are preachers, you are the more
welcome"
John Hagerty and Richard
Owens were the names Of the
preachers. The next morning no.
tice was sent through the town, and
the strangers delivered sermons.
This was doubtless the first Metho.
dist preaching ever heard in our
Valley. 1t is said they travelled
East of the Blue Ridge, before
they reached Stephensburg,) on a
preaching tour, and probably cross
ed the Ridge at some place south
of Stephensburg.
A number of the people were
much pleased with them, and they
soon got up small church at this
place. The late John Hite, Jr., his
sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Hughes,
(then a widow John Taylor and
wife, Lewis Stephens, ST., and wife,
and several others joined the
church, and in a few years it be-
gan to flourish. The rapid spread
of this sect throughout our cOun-
try, needs no remarks from the
author.
The first Camp Meeting in our
Valley, within the authors recol-
lection, took place at what is call
ed Chrisman's Spring, about two
miles south of Stephensburg, on
the great highway from Winches-
ter to Staunton. This was proba-
bly, in the month of August, 1906.
It has been stated to the author,
that the practice of Camp Meet
ings originated with a Baptist
preacher somewhere about James
River. 1t is said he was a man of
great abilities and transcendant
elocution; he however became too
much of an Armenian in his doc
trine to please the generality of
his brethren, and they excOmmuni-
Gated him from their church, and
attempted to silence him, but he
would not consent to be sllenced
by them, and they refused him
permission to preach IN their meet
ing houses, and he adopted the
plan of appointing meetings in the
forest, where vast crowds of peo.
ple attended his preaching, and
they soon got up the practice of
forming encampments. The author
cannot vouch for the truth Of this
statement, but recOllects it was
communicated to him by a highly
respectable member of the Baptist
church.
In the year 1886, the author
travelled through the Southwest
counties on a tour of observation
he frequently passed places where
Camp Meetings had been held;
they are sometimes seen in dense
forests, and some of them had the
appearance of having been aban-
doned or disused for consider
able time. The author, however,
passed one in Giles county which
was the best fixed for the purpose
he has ever seen. There is large
framed building erected probably
spacious enough to shelter 2OOO
people or upwards, with a strong
shingled roof, and some twelve or
fifteen log houses, covered also
with shingles, for the accommoda-
ton of visitors. A meeting had
Just been held at this place some
two or three days before he passed
it, at which he was informed,
several thousand people had at
tended. 1t is situated very con-
venient to a most charming spring
of delightful water, and stands on
high ground. Its location is GER
tainly very judicially selected for
the purpose.
CHAPTER VI.
BREAKING OUT OF THE INDIAN
WAR.
1t has been noticed in a preced-