Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1918-07-05

interesting INCIDENT IN lHc HIS
:ory of the times, frou1 letter
written by the Rev. Peter Null !,
enbnrg to his brother in Trappe,
Pa, dated Jan. II, ITS, which !
IS still preserved as valuable
revolutionary relic in the Muh-
lenbnrg family. He saws The
times are getting troublesome
with us, and begin to wear a
hostile appearance. Independent
companies are forming in every
county. and politics engross all
conversation. / had thrown up
my commission as chairman OF
the committee on correspondence,
and of magistrate likewise, but
last week we had a general cleo
ton in the county for a great
committee. according to the re-
solves of Congress, and I am
again chosen chairman, so that,
whether I choose or not. am TO
be politician
The Rev. Peter Muhlenburg
was chosen a member OF the house
of burgesses in ITS, and soon
after with Patrick Henry, who
was the leader of the war party ;
and when it was determined to
raise six regiments from Vir-
ginia, lie returned home with the
purpose to doff his gown and
grid on the regimentals and
sword. At the earnest solicita-
ton of George Washington and
Patrick Henry the house of dele
gates elected him colonel of the
eighth Virginia regiment.
Upon his return home, he
gave notice to his scattered par.
ishoners that he would deliver
to them on the following Sab
bath his farewell sermon. The
rude country church was filled
to overlooking with the hardy
mountaineers of the frontier
counties ofthe Valley. So great
was the assemblage, that the
quiet burial-place was filled with
crowds of stern, excited men.
who gathered together, believ-
ing that something they knew
mot what would be done in be-
half of their suffering country.
They waited patiently the ap-
Ipearance of their pastor. He
came, assembled the pulpit, his
tall form arrayed in full uniform,
II
over which his gown, the symbol
of his divine calling was thrown.
He preached to them of a God,
a Saviour, and a country, with
all the zeal and eloquence of a
Paul. and they hung upon his
fiery words with all the intensity
of their souls. His conclusion
turned their thou ghts upon their
sufferings and wrongs ; and he
said he had unslleathed the
sword. and that, in the langua ge
|of Holy Writ. there was a time
for all thiugs-a time to preach
and a time to pray, but those
times had passed away > and in
a voice that echoed through the
church like trumpet blast, that
there was a time to fight, and
that time had now come
After the benediction, his gown
was Embossed, and falling to the
floor, he stood before his congre-
cation girded warrior, and de-
scending from the pulpit. order
ed the drums at the door to beat
for recruits. Then followed a
bright example of patriotic de-
votion. His audience, excited in
the highest degree by the i'm
|passioned words which fell from
his lips, focked around him,
eager to be ranked among his
followers. Old men were seen
bringing forward their children,
wives their husbands, and wild.
owed mothers their sons to fight
the battles OF their country.
Nearly three hundred men that
day enlisted under his banner.
What a noble sight A cause
thus supported could not fail
DR.. Charles F. Hines of Dick
enson College writes
"When George Washington was
in Carlisle during the whisky |
rebellion he, with Alexander
Hamilton, worshiped in the ''Old
Presbyterian Meeting House" on
the public square in Carlisle,
and it was in this identical meet
Ing house, on July II, 1774, al
year before the Mecklenburg
declaration, a public meeting of
patriotic citizens gathered from
the town and surroundings conn.