The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1904-11-19
NORTH MISSISSIPPI METHODlsM.


| leans CnlrSUlan Advocate we copy Uiie
following interesting account OF Meth
odiSm ia this section during the for
ties," from the pen of Rev. T. l..
Boswell. The events here related
will no doubt bring to the memory of
our older citizens the stirring scenes
and trials Of those times, and also
recall this good man and minister of
God, who served his people so well
and faithfully. Below will be found
the sketch referred to:
Some account of the work OF God in the
| bounds OF the Grenada and Aberdeen dis
| trcts Memphis Conference, M. E. Church,
| South, during the years l846, AZ. '48)
The Memphis Conference, when
first organized, embraced West Ken
lucky, West Tennessee, and North
Mississippi and the Grenada district,
in 1S46, embraced Charleston, Grena-
da, Coffeeville, Pontotoc, Houston
and Aberdeen, and the counties in
which they were located, extending
from the Mississippi river to the Ala
| Dama state line.
The Memphis Conference met in
annual session in November, 1845, in
the beautiful town Of Grenada. The
weather was delightful most Of the
time and we had dn interesting SeS-'
session. We had no Bishop, for some
cause, and Moses Brock was elected
, president. He was grave and dig
nitied man IN the chair, and very
competent to preside and transact the
! business, and, suppose, also to make
the appointments, as l heard OF no
complaints, so far as l now remem-
her. / had been about six years in
the regular work, one year in station,
and five years on circuits; but, at this
Conference. President Brock elevated
me to the presiding elderShip, and
placed me on Grenada district. The
Conference adjourned, | think, on
Thursday night, and the weather
turned suddenly cold, and it resulted
in one of the deepest SHOWS l ever
saw. But we had to face it-some of
us to Kentucky. We had no palace
cars to ride in then, but, through the
good providence of God we made it.
found my family well at Denmark,
Tenn, and, before the snow was gone,
wife and / were making arrangements
for our long move. We packed up
what, we could in our wagon, and /
packed wife and children-four child
ren-in big old barouche, and hitch
ed up an old broken-down horse, and
started through the worst roads that
ever came after big snow; and there
being no room for me in the carriage,
| rode on mule without, and my wife
drove every step Of the way from Den
mark to Grenada without accident or
injury of and kind, in consequence of
1.-THE good hand OF our God upon us
for good" We reached our destina
tiOn in good time, and were we'll re-
ceived and kindly treated by our good
Christian friends. We were soon set
up in our own hired house, and | was
ready for my work. The old horse
mended every day on the way, and
was in better condition when | got to
Grenada than when | left Denmark.
The Lord was gracious to us in his
providence, and has been all the time
blessed be His holy name.
After a lapse of fifty years it is i'm
possible for me to recall places, times,
dates, ETC., in chronological order, and
the best | can do will be to deal in
general statements and incidents in
regard to the work of God over which
| was called to preside. AS soon as l
could get my appointments published,
| set out on my work. | found a
noble set Of preachers stationed in
the district. They were conSecrated
men, faithful in their work, and gave
me all the assistance they could, and,
with the blessing of God on our labOrs
we had good times, and gracious revi-
walls and ingatheringS TO the church
At Grenada we spent three pleasant
and profitable years. Brother j. II.
Brooks was our stationed preacher in
! 1S46 He was a good preacher and
! pastor, a nice Christian gentleman,
and everybody loved him, and we had
a good time in the church, and, to
make matters better during the year,
he married a good wife.
The most remarkable incident OF
this year was the cyclone that passed
over part of the town in the month
of May. 1t swept every thing away
in it's track, and killed and crippled a
great many people. Nineteen per-
sons were taken dead from the ruins,
and some died afterwards. 1t was an
awful visitation and manifestation of
the power Of God. ] was from home,
on my work, stopping at Col. Cor
! don's, in the neighro .il'- od OF Fon.U-
toc. The storm came on Thursday,
but | did not hear of it until Monday
night following. On Friday | rode
to Houston, and Saturday and Sunday
held my quarterly meeting. Monday
/ started homeward, and spent the
night with Brother Tarver, about for
ty miles east of Grenada. Here |
heard that the town was destroyed,
and not living folks enough to bury
the dead. Next day | set out for
home. About twelve miles above
Grenada, in creek bottom, | met the
eI~a h0 hrir ~