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

his party. They settled for a short
time on Capon river, in the county
of Hampshire, but soon removed
to North Carolina. Mr.. SteaTns
and his followers manifested great
zeal and industry in the propaga-
ton of their doctrines and princi-
pies. Their religion soon took a
wide range in the Carolinas and
Virginia. They met with violent
opposition from the established
Episcopal clergy, and much perse-
cution followed. TO the credit Of
the people of our Valley, but few
if any acts Of violence were com
mitted on the persons Of tbepreach-
ers west of the Blue Ridge. This
is to be accounted for from the fact
that a great majority of the in-
habitants were dissenters from
the Episcopal church. East of the
Blue Ridge, however, the case
was widely different. 1t was quite
common to imprison the preachers,
insult the congregations, and treat
them with every possible indignity
and outrage. Every foul means
was resorted to, which malice and
hatred could devise, to suppress
their doctrines and religion. But
instead of success this persecution
produced directly the contrary
effect. "The first instance" says
Mr.. Semple, "of actual imprlson'
ment, we believe, that ever took
place in Virginia, was in the coun'
ty of Spottsylvania. On the 4th
June, 1868, John Waller, Lewis
Craig, James Cbilds, &c, were
seized by the sheriff, and hauled
before three magistrates, who stood
in the meeting. house yard, and
who bound them in the penalty of
81 900 to appear at court two days
after. At court they were arraign-
ed as disturbers of the peace, and
committed to close Jail" And in
December, 177O, Messrs. William
Webber and Joseph Anthony were
imprisoned in Chesterfield Jail.
The author deems it unnecessary
to detail all tho cases Of persecu-
tion and Imprisonment of the
Baptist preachers. He will there
fore conclude this narrative with
the account of the violent perse-
cution and cruel treatment of the
late Rev. James Ireland, distin-
guished Baptist preacher of our
Valley.
Mr.. Ireland was on one occasion
committed to the Jail OF Culpeper
county, (b) when several attempts
were made to destroy him. or
these attempts he gives the follow
ing narrative:
"a number Of my prosecutors
resOrted to the tavern OF Mr.. Stew
ard, at the courthouse, where they
plotted to blow me up with powder
that night, as | was informed but
all they could collect was half a
pound. They fixed it for explosion,
expecting | was sitting directly
over it, but in this they were mis-
taken. Fire was put to it, and it
went off with considerable noise,
forcing up a small plank, from
which received no damage. The
next scheme they devised was to
smoke me with birthstone and In
dian pepper. They had to wait
certain opportunities to accomplish
the same. The lower part of the
Jail door was few inches above its
sill. When the wind was favorable,
they would get pods of Indian
pepper, empty them of their con-
tents, and I'll them with birthstone,
and set them burning, so that the
who 10 Jail would be filled with the
killing smoke, and oblige me to go
to cracks, and put my mouth to
the m in order to prevent suffoca-
ton. At length a certain doctor
lntl the jailor formed a scheme to
poi son me, which they actually
eff 5cted.p
From this more than savage
cruelty Mr.. Ireland became ex-
iremely i'll, was attended by several
pl lysicians, and in some degree re-
s. ored to health and activity; but
h never entirely recovered from
the great injury which his consti'
utlOn received.
The author had the satisfaction
of IN intimate personal acquaint-
ance with Mr.. Ireland, and lived a
near neighbor to him for several
years before his death. He was a
native Scotsman; Of course his
was o little broac.-
He had a fine command ing voice,
easy delivery, with a beautiful
natural elocution in his sermoniz.
ing. His language, perh APPS, was
not as purely classical as some of
his cotempOraries; but such was
his powerful elocution, particular-
ly on the subject of the cruel
nxtiOn and suilerings of our Savior,
that he never failed to cause a food
of tears to flow from the eyes of
his audience, whenever he touched
that theme. In his younger years
ne was industrious, Jealous, spar
ng nc pains to propagate h is re-
igiorls opinions and principles, and