The Life of Henry Bidleman Bascom

, 6 Jfavrkirur .JJa<?uctrr .fewset, rf/# f ('in. ? THE L I F li or HENRY BIDLEMAN BASCOM, D.D., ILD., LATE BISHOP OP THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, SOUTH. BY REV M. M. HENKLE, D.D. LOUISVILLE : PUBLISHED BY MORTON & GRISWOLD, AND SOLD BY THE SOUTHERN METHODIST BOOK CONCERN, E. STEVENSON, ASS't. AGENT. 1854. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854, by M. M. HENKLE, In the Clerk's Office, for the Middle District of Tennessee. REV BISHOPS SOULE, ANDREW, AND PAINE: Rev. and Honored Brethren: Since through your influence, in a great measure, I was induced to resume the difficult task of writing the life of your late distinguished episcopal colleague, after I had abandoned the undertaking, it seems most proper that I should commend to your patronage and indulgence the work which has come into existence through the influence of your counsel. This is done as a tribute of respect personally and officially, and espe- cially for the confidence indicated by your willingness to intrust so important and difficult a work to my hands ; and with the earnest hope that you may neither find your confidence mis- placed, nor the glory of your eminent colleague's well-earned fame tarnished or compromitted by the imperfect performance of the work assigned to Your unworthy brother, M. M. IIENKLE. PREFACE. Had Dr. Bascom left a record of the principal incidents of his eventful life, the task of his biographer had been comparatively easy, and his posthumous fame might have been well guarded ; but as he kept no diary, — except during two or three brief periods, — no copies of the numerous letters written by himself, and acted as if he intended to prevent his biography from being written, rather than to aiford any facilities for the compilation of his personal history, his biographer has been left to gather up material for the work, from miscellaneous sources, and by piece-meal ; but chiefly he has been compelled to depend on his own personal knoAvledge and recollection of the events of Dr. Bascom's life. This state of things has rendered the execution of the work difficult, and the work itself, doubtless, in some degree, imperfect. There were in the life of Bascom, numerous incidents of deeply interesting character, which would have greatly enriched his biography ; but as the knowledge of them was scattered throughout the country, and in the keeping of persons who did not choose to furnish them at the call of his widow and his biographer, the work had to proceed with such material as could be rendered available. But even under these circumstances of disadvantage, there has been collected such a fund of valuable matter respecting the life and character of this great man, as ought not to be lost. Dr. Bascom was a character, — original, distinct, sui generis, — exhibiting points of imperfection, of course, but at the same time, possessing many and extraordinary excellencies; — a man whose biography ought to be given to the world, for the gratification of his numerous friends, and the profiting all who read. In the wonderful PREFACE. v\ great intellect, he is an object of powers and achievements of his his untiring industry and admiration and astonishment; and in his burning perseverance in the pursuit of knowledge, — in zeal and devotion to the cause of God, — in his active benevolence, his filial affection, and his pious and confiding trust in the providence of God, he presents an example worthy of universal imitation. If he had faults, obstinate persistence in the wrong was not one of them, for though he was a giant in intellect, he was a child in docility and readiness to receive correction from his friends. That the portrait herein given of this prince in Israel is imperfect, is readily admitted, not only from the paucity of material, but the lack of ability on the part of the biographer, — for only a mind like Bascom's could accurately take the measure of his greatness : and yet, we have good hope that this volume may prove both interesting and useful to the reader. And that it may, is the earnest wish and fervent prayer of THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS. CHAPTEH I. — Embracing the period from his Birth to his Conversion. Birth and Parentage — Paternal Ancestry — His Mother and her Ancestors — Brothers and Sisters — His own Account of his Early Years — Goes to School — Takes his Relative's name, and is sent by him to School away from home — Returns home and goes to his last School — His Parents remove to the Frontier in Western New York — His Conversion, and the question of its date settled, 11 CHAPTER II.— From his Conversion to his Settlement in Ohio. Wild State of the country, and want of Advantages — Enters into an Arrange- ment with Mr. Gilmore to Work and Study with him — Their Journey over the Mountains. Incidents and Sufferings — Holds Religious Meetings — Henry begins to Speak in Public, and astonishes the people — Difficulties and Opposi- tion — Rapid Improvement — Separates from Mr. Gilmore and returns home — Diligence in cultivating his Mind — Removal to Kentucky, and then to Ohio — Labors on the Farm, and for means of entering the Ministry, 21 CHAPTER III.— Licensed to Preach. First Meeting of the Ohio Conference — Makes fence rails to buy a horse — Goes to Maysville to meet the Preacher3 — Exhorts — Rev. W. McMahan's Account of his Interview with young Bascom — Goes to Conference at Chillicothe — la refused Entertainment, but provided for by Mr. McMahan — Enjoyments and Benefits of the Conference — Boundaries of Conferences, and State of the Work at that date — Continued Preparation for the Ministry — Is Licensed to Preach, February, 1813 — Is appointed to labor on Brush Creek circuit — His Account of the Work on this circuit, -- 33 CHAPTER IV. — Admission into the Itinerancy, and First Year of Travel. Is admitted into the Itinerancy, and appointed to Deer Creek circuit — Extent of his work — Studious Habits — Great Improvement — Advantages enjoyed about Chillicothe — Extract from his Diary — Reflections on his Habits and Character — Sickness — End of the Year, 42 CHAPTER V. — Second Year — Travel in the Mountains. Improvement during the Year — Faithful Service — Popular with the Public, but the Reverse with Old Members — Cause of the latter — Cold reception at Conference — Objections to and Predictions concerning him — Character Passed — Appointed to Guyandotte circuit in Western Virginia — Goes to his Work — Nature and Extent of it — Hair breadth Escape from a Panther — Gets lost — A Night in the Mountain — Illness — Perilous Adventure with a Bear — Chased by Wolves —Misunderstanding and Reconciliation, showing Bascom's truo character, ---------------- 62 CHAPTER VI.— Third Year, and Last Year in Ohio. Close of the Year — Account of his labors and compensation — His Resolution to go on in his work — Inducements to Desist — Goes to Conference — Refused admission into full connection — His feelings on the Occasion — Encouraged by his Old Friend — Is granted a Third Year of Probation, and agrees to take Work — Appointed to Mad River circuit — Death of his Mother — Character of his circuit — First Acquaintance of the Writer with him — First Sernjo-i heard — Preaches at Camp Meeting — The Writer Awakened — Thrilling Ad- venture with the Indians — Illness, and Dangerous Experiment — Pecuniary Embarrassments, ,>y — Vlll CONTENTS. CHAPTER Til. — Embracing his First Years in Tennessee Conference. iSnd of the Year — Increased Reputation, but complained of about Dress- Anecdote — The Hound Coat — Objected to before Conference — Case Debated Proposes withdrawing from Conference — Interposition of the Bishop — Transfer to Tennessee Conference — Stationed at Danville — Character of the Work — His Health fails — Attends Springs — Associations at Harrodsburg — Conference at Franklin, Tennessee — Appointed to Danville and Madison with Wm Adams — Character of country and people — Reproof to the Sleeper and Talkers — Reproof — Bascom waylaid by the Offended — His daring conduct on the occasion — First Acquaintance with Mr. Clay — Intimacy of their Friendship — Bascom's interposition in the Clay and Randolph Duel — Mr. Clay's denial of the Keport of his having educated Bascom — Attends Conference at Nashville — His Preaching — A Lady's Account of it, ----...-97 CHAPTER VIII. — Beginning of his Difficulties about Slavery. Continued Opposition to him in Conference — Strengthened by his Opposition to the Anti-Slavery Party — Timely Interposition of his old friend McMahan — Elected to Elder's orders — Stationed in Louisville, Ky. — Difficulties attending his Administration, 110 CHAPTER IX. — Difficulties with the. Slavery Law. Conference of 1819 at Nashville — Historical Sketch of Slavery Law — Resolves and Action of the Tennessee Conference — Case of Dr. Taylor — His Rejection — Protest of Minority, and Opposition of Majority — Bishops McKendree and George address the Conference in opposition to the Majority — Minority left out of Delegation to General Conference — They address the General Conference — Kepeal by General Conference of Rule of 1812 — Similarity of this Contro- versy to that of 1844 — Bascom returned to Louisville — Serious Difficulties in the Society, Trials, Expulsions, &c. — Charged with Mai-Administration, but Presiding Elder declined taking it up — Both he and Presiding Elder charged at next Annual Conference — The latter censured — Testimonial of citizens in Bascom's favor — Conference of 1820 at Hopkinsville — Amusing Anecdote of Bascom, . m CHAPTER X. Kentucky Conference formed, and Bascom falls into it — Sent to Madison circuit — Supposed Object — His quiet Submission — A Turkey shot during Preaching — Storm on the Mountain — Shamed by the daring of the Mountain t»irls — His Sister dies and bequeaths him the care cf her Infant Daughters — Next Year labors on Hinkston circuit-— Resolves to leave the Conference —Visits Ohio and preaches — Transferred, and appointed to Brush Creek, ... 126 CHAPTER XI. — Church Reform, Etc. First conversation on that Subject — History of the '' Suspended Resolutions" — Bascom's views and feelings — Sent to Steubenville station — Elected Chap- lain to Congress, --.-..-......

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