Volume v,
Number 51.
THE METHODIST PREACHER
STATESVILLE, N. C., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1862.
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The Revelation of Death.
BY
“Light! give me light!” the expiring poet cried,
Closing his languid eyelids on the day—
And with that solemn cry he passed away;
And happly doubt was solved, and error died,
And glimmering trust was grandly glorified
Outburst from darkness to a broad noontide;
Freed by the Angel Death—the chain sublime,
Gleam from the duskiest depths of doubtful time,
“Which justifies the ways of God to man.”
Reuben P. Campbell.
The Southern character never appeared
| with more true Lustre than in him, and tho’
North Carolinians have been negligent ofhis
glory, and choose to rest the fame ofSouth-
| era chivalry, on their Virginians, their South
Carolinians, their Bee’s, their Jackson’s, their
Bill’s. We may search their history in vain
fora parellel to that beautiful union of the
intrepid soldier, with the modest and accom
plished gentlemen found in him, so different
from the excessive assumption and want of
modesty exhibited by many officers of great
distinction in this war.
Cadet Campbell entered the U. S. Military
Academy in July, 1836, having been appoint
ed under the administration of Gen. Jackson.
Naturally possessed of a lion-like courage,
and being descended of an ancestry renowned
for its military genius, it was not long before
fie attracted the attention of all by his sol
dierly bearing and aptness for martial exer
cises. He graduated with distinction in June,
1840, in thesame form with Gen. Ewell, who
with Campbell, entered the Dragoon service,
which they were afterward so much to ad* ra.
jEwell was assigned to the 1st Dragoons,
Campbell to the 2nd ; the latter commanded
by Gen. Twiggs, and officered by the very
choicest members of other regiments, formed
the most splendid corps in the army.
In this school Lieut. Campbell received his
practical training as a soldier, and in the nu
merous conflicts which occurred between the
troops and the able warriors of Osceola and
Coacoochee, he was always distinguished.
After the peace made by Gen. Worth with
the Seminoles, Lieut. Campbell’s corps was
'ordered to Fort Jesup on the Louisiana fron
tier, where a large force under Gen. Z. Tay
lor was concentrated. Socially, this was a
delightful spot, and in this brilliant coterie of
beauty and fashion the brave Lieutenant
$yas recognized as a leading star.
But. soon the Mexican difficulties ensued
and the forces under Gen. Taylor moved to
Corpus Christi, Lieut. Campbell with them,
and the next Spring moving on to the Rio
Grande, the splendid battles of Palo Alto and
Resaca de la Palma were fought. In each of
Giese conflicts Lieut. Campbell was particu
larly distinguished, and for his gallantry and
good conduct on the latter field, he was re
commended to the notice ot the Government
by his immediate commander, Col. May, and
fully endorsed by Gen. Taylor :—but as mili
tary advancement, when fully merited, was
only made in those days when pressed by
political influence, and as the public men of
^orth Carolina actuated by aspirit ofselfish-
j._ ness never have, and do not to this day press
the just claims of meritorious sons of the good
old State upon the General Government, no
thing was ever done for him.
Ever in advance of the army with the gal-
ant May, Lieut. Campbell participated in the
storming ofMonterey and was afterwards
signally successful in extricating a portion of
Go.. May’s command from the clutches of
enemy, by whom they had been cut off
through the negligence of Lieut, now Gen.
: Sturgis for whom he ever after retained a
marked contempt.
. batlle ° f Buena Vista he received
brevet of Captain for gallantry and good
conduct in tliat engagement. Subsequent to
us great battle Capt. Campbell fought the
ost desperate combat on record during the
, eturnin g from Chinahe had reached
gua bria on the main road from Mieo to
lim n ( te > 1! ’ V a ' Krat $ a ’ In - Emerging into a
a Eavanna fie was beset by 500 guerib
1 7 Commaild of a noted partida, who
ch n 8 T °" C arm "’ as finown as "El Man-
buto- Cam pbell, whose force consisted of
la = 00ns > 5 Texan Rangers and him-
thro al Once Cbarged th 601 an ^ Gut his way
wa/ 8 ?’ ^ secon ^ party beyond the first,
80 c ^ ar & e l and dispersed. Here he
Eto 'II 1 ? tl ‘ at s0me nf fi' s men fi ad fallen
16 lands of the enemy, wounded and
dismounted ; he wheeled his men around, re-
charged the Mexicans and recovered the men
before they had murdered them. He then
dismounted his men, placed the horses in a
deep arroyo or gully and continued the com
bat, which did not terminate until half-past
10 o’clock, a. m., when the Mexicans fled,
leaving their commander dead on the field,
slain as the men said, by Campbell’s own
hand. Nearly every man in Capt. Campbell’s
party‘received some injury and eight were
After his fierce combat at Agua Fria he
was again recommended to the War Depart
ment for’promotion, but not advanced, the
Senators and Representatives of North Caro
lina failing again to press his claims.
At the close of the war, Maj. Graham and
Capt. Campbell, from the immense military
supplies at Saltillo equipped an expedition
intended for the occupation of the newly ac
quired territory of California. They passed
up through the State of Cohuila and passed
ing with great suffering the arid plains of
Sonora, bei-ng as many as three days without
water, finally entered the State at Los Ange
los and proceeded from thence to the coast,
where he remained during the “days of the
Empire,” as the Military government of Cal
ifornia was then facetiously styled in the ar
my. Capt. Campbell returned to the United
States at that time in the full prime and vigor
of hisUife. We next find him sojourning in
New Mexico and was for a considerable time,
commandant of the post at Socorro.
After much arduous 'service in that region
he was stricken with inflammatory rheumat
ism, and after a severe illness of several
months recovered bis health sufficiently to
return to his home, where he remained for
several years in ill health. He next appear
ed in service as commander of one of the col
umns of the Utah Expedition, under that
greatest of Southern Military leadeis, Gen.
Albert Sidney Johnson.
When in Utah, Capt. Campbell conducted
an expedition to Santa Clara where he res
cued the children left from the Mountain
Meadow massacre.
In 1859 Capt. Campbell returned to the U.
S., spending much of his time in Washington - ;
He quit the service of the U. S. when that
grand cob-house fell, and on the secession of
North Carolina tendered bis services to the
Governor of that State, having previously
tendered them to the Confederate States by
letter, directed to that industrious old curmud
geon, Gen. Cooper. He entered the field at
the head of the 7th N. C. State Troops, and
on the fields of Newbern, Hanover Court-
House, Mechanicsville and Gaines Mills that
portion of the regiment led by him covered
itself with glory. Campbell’s high military
spirit and unwavering courage restored the
esprit de corps of Branch’s Brigade, which
from its lame beginning at Newbern after
carrying victory on its bayonets at Gaines
Mill, Frazier’s Farm, Manassas and Harper’s
Ferry, appeared on the field of Sharpsburg at
the head of A. P. Hill’s conquering Division,
driving their old opponents at Newbern, Burn
side’s Division, in disgraceful rout before a
third of their numbers.’ Although the Brig
ade lost its noble commander, the heroic and
chivalrous Branch, the renown alike ofCamp-
bell, the Brigadeof Branch, Lee, Meares, and
the other brave officers who have fallen is
imperishable, their memories are embalmed
in the hearts of their countrymen.
I would here caution every patriotic son of
North Carolina to spurn from his library that
base Volume, “The History of the 1st and 2nd
years of the War,” which is a libel on every
State in the Confederacy except Virginia and
libellous to many of her bravest sons.
When the Federal army of the Potomac
stood at bay with all its outposts driven in,
with 300 pieces of artillery and 60,000 Infan
try massed at Cold Harbor—the Confederate
army moved forward to the attack. The ad
vance was led by Col. Reuben P. Campbell,
who drove in the enemy’s skirmishers and
engaged the main body and covered the ad
vance of our troops. Overwhelming Dur.
yea’s New York Fire Zouaves, with his mus
ketry he was about to advance on the artil
lery which they covered, when he received a
supplication from a Georgia Regiment far to
his right to come to its assistance, being al
most overpowered by the U. S. Regulars and
unable to advance. He reluctantly consented
to do so, being about to move to the front,
and making a flank movement under a storm
of fire through the woods where Wheat and
Pitman fell, be arrived at the position sought.
The enemy were posted in rifle pits on the
brow of a steep acclivity. Col. Campbell im
mediately stormed and just as ho carried it,
the Color-bearer was shot. Seeing the line
somewhat broken by the advance through
the woo^s, be took the colors and waved
them to and fro, to indicate the line of battle.
He was just at this moment shot through the
breast and brain, and fell dead. Thus died
this brave soldier of the Confederacy admit
ted to be the bravest of the apny of General
Tavlor in Mexico. Prudent, modest cool
and devoid of fear, he was generous, chival
rous and accomplished, a knight ci
sans reproche, ARGYLL.
BY PROF. ALLEN M. SCOTT.
The history of few countries possess
more interest than that of the storied
West. Equal in extent to some of the
most populous empires of the Old World
varied in scenery, soil and climate, no
wonder that its transition from a wil
derness state, as it was a half century
ago, to its present condition as to pop
ulation, wealth and refinement, should
be attended with many strange and
startling events.
.The narrative which the writer is a-
bout to give, is no fictitious statement.
One of the principal actors, who has
now gone into that unexplored world,
whence “no traveler returns,” from
his own lips, related the facts helein
set forth, in my Hearing. Though a
mere stripling at the time, the narra
tive made such an impression on my
mind, that the lapse of many slowly-
rolling years has, by no means, effec
ted it. Thinking that it may serve to
interest the readers of the Southern
Monthly, I have committed it to pa
per.
In 1801 Tennessee was an untrod
den waste. It is true that, prior to
that date, a few settlements had been
made in Powell’s Valley, in East Ten
nessee, and, perhaps, a village had
been commenced at the French Lick,
now Nashville, and a few settlements
had been started elsewhere by hardy
far between.” The valLeyAf thebeau-
tiful Cumberland, and all that part of
the State, known as Middle Tennes
see, to say noting of our Western Dis
trict, were the abodes of savages, and
but little known to civilized men.
In the early part of that year two
or three Methodist preachers, young
men from Virginia, burning with zeal
to bear the tidings of salvation to the
new settlers in the West, loft -their
homes and friends, and came to Ten
nessee. Here they parted the wild
cane, and told the stirring story of the
Cross to the early pioneers.
Among them was a young preacher
named John Cragg. He was about
twenty-four years of age, heavy built,
athletic and daring. He seemed to be
peculiarly fitted, in many respects, for
the task he had undertaken. Fear
less of man and beast, content to un
dergo hardships, willing to lie down
upon a hard bed, in an open cabin, to
sit down to scanty fare, to swim the
unbridged streams, to climb moun
tains, and to wander along the pathless
woods, if he could but be the humble
instrument in the hands'of Providence,
in establishing the Redeemer’s king
dom in these new lands.
Not far from the spot where stands
the beautiful little town of Sparta, Mr.
Cragg was wending his way alohg a
blind trace, seeking a distant settle
ment, when suddenly a tall, young
man sprang from a cover behind a
huge rock, and presenting his rifle,
demanded his money. Mr. Cragg
reined up his horse and stood still, re
garding the assailant with a piercing
look, the rifle, the meanwhile, being
presented at the distance of only a
few feet.
“Give me your .money,” demanded
the young man, “or I’ll blow’ you
through.”
“Young man,” said the preacher,
“what has brought you to that? You
cannot pull that trigger. You have
never robbed any one. This is your
first attempt. When a child, you
were taught better things. Your
mother”—
Here, the young man instantly low
ered the muzzle of his gun, hesitated,
threw it on the ground and burst into
tears.
“It is my first attempt,” said he.
“I was indeed taught batter things.”
The preacher dismounted from his
horse, and bade the young man to sit
down by him on the fragment of a rock.
Here, with no little difficulty, he in
duced the young robber to give him
an outline of his history. It may be
comprised in a few words. Ile was a
Virginian, of wealthy, religious and
highly respectable parents. Two years
previously he had married a young
lady, whose parents’ condition were
not below that of.his own. For some
reason the parents on both sides op
posed the match, and the young peo
ple eloped, careing little whither they
went, so they were together. They
received nothing from their parents;
in fact, the latter knew not whither’
they had gone!
They had ventured out to this wild
country, and had managed to live, up
to this time, though with no little dif
ficulty. Both had recently been sick.
Tney had no neighbors, no friends,
nope to whom in an evil hour they
could appeal for aid. Reduced to the
very point of starvation, the tempter
had;suggested that he should make
jiisi ' c little rnhLery: nnljr ■> f^w rUl
lai'S would do, until he could make oth
er arrangements. For three days he
had been watching this trace, and Mr.
Closely did the young preacher ob
serve every motion, tone of voice, and
lineament in the countenance of the
young man. Mis manner was so true
to nature, and his penitence seemed so
deep and thorough, that Mr. Cragg
believed the narrative without scruple.
“You have erred most sadly,” said
he. “There is One wjio was both will
ing and able to aid you in your time
of need, who is present in the wilder
ness as well as in the city, and who
never turns away empty those who call
upon him. You have yielded to the
tempter, and have been by himbrought
well-nigh to the brink' of destruction.
'That kind Providence that never for
sakes the fallen until they are lost,
lost forever,', has doubtless thrown you
into my hands. ’ I trust that you can
still be rescued- from ruin and infamy.
I, too, am poor—that horse, saddle,
and saddle-bags,, a few clothes, a few
books, and a few dollars, constitute all
my earthly possessions. I own no foot
of land—no cottage in the wilderness.
But I have nDependent family, and
you need my money more than I.”
He arose, took down his saddle-bags
and drew out an old woolen sock, and
counted out thirty-one silver dollars,
from which he took one dollar, and
putting it into his pocket, he said:
“Promise me, in the presence of the
Judge of all the earth, that, hereafter,
you will seek to do right, and, under
no circumstances, attempt to roo any
one again.”
The'young man gave the promise,
and the two knelt, and the preacher
invoked the blessings of Heaven upon
the young man and his wife, and upon
the money, and asked for grace to en
able him to follow in the paths ofhon-
esty and right. He gave him the thir
ty dollars, and the two parted, without
disclosing either of their names. * *
' Thirty years have elapsed since the
two parted. It is now 1831. Ten
nessee is no longer a wilderness. The
Red Man has gone far away to the
great West—the pale face has come.
The forest has been felled, cities have
been founded, colleges, schools, and
churches, everywhere greet the vision.
The Indian hunting-grounds are-check
ered off into a thousand furrowed fields.
The land of Jackson, Carroll and Polk,
is now the home of many busy and
happy thousands.
Mr. Cragg still lives; but he is an
old man. His locks are white, and
his whole person shows the influence
of time. Ile has a large and depen
dent family living upon their little
home, somewhere in Middle Tennes
see. He has devoted his manhood’s
prime to the high calling of the gos
pel, and, though neither learned nor
eloquent, he was deemed faithful and
pious, and few men have been more
successful in persuading men to be re
ligious.
In the fall of 1831 a camp-meeting
was held at “ IUD?row’s,” in Ruther
ford county. Mr. Cragg was in at
tendance, and preached one Sabbath
evening. The meeting closed on Tues
day, and Mr. Cragg rode away the
same evening, thirty miles, to his home
and loved ones.
On the Thursday following, just as
it was growing dark, and Mr, Cragg
was seated in his porch, much wearied
with the labor of ploughing in wheat,
at which he had been engaged all the
day, a stranger, seated upon an iron-
gray horse, well-dressed in gray cloth,
and wearing a white hat, rode up to
the gate, and asked for quarters dur
ing the night. He was kindly receiv
ed and duly cared for.
After supper, he asked Mr. Cragg
to see him in a private room. When
alone, he said: “Mr. Cragg, you do
•dur. vrugg, jou ..... Englishmen are in great trouble at
“I do not," said the the illegality and unconstitutionahty
old preacher. “We once before had a of the acts of President Lincoln. They
private meeting,” returned his friend, have a great tenderness for die Con-
“Thirtv years ago, the eleventh of last stitution and the laws, and feel very
May’'continued he, “as you were pur- badly that the Northern people, while
suing your way, near the spot where conquering the South, should lose heir
Spam now stands, a wicked young own liberties. They tell us that the
man attempted to rob you. You gave President cannot do this and that-
not know me
him thirty dollars, prayed with him,
and left him.” Mr. Cragg replied
that he had not forgotten that event.
“I am that young man,” said the oth
er. “I took the money home to my
young wife, and told her how strange
ly I had obtained it, for it did seem
that God had sent it to me when I least
deserved it. It proved a timely relief.
My father, about this time, having
returned to V irginia, ar.cl a reconcilia
tion took place on all sides, and we re
ceived from our parents a fine start in
the world.
“Soon thereafter we removed to
Middle Tennessee, and here we have
lived ever since. Prosperity attended
us. We added acre to acre, servant
to servant, this species of property to
that, until we have long been consid
ered rich. Twenty-five ye^rs ago we
both obtained hope in Christ, and be
came members ofhis church, which re
lation we now bear.
“Often have I wondered who my
benefactor was, and longed to meet
him and make him some return for his
kindness; but as you had not given me
your name, I knew not how to inquire.
“I had a tent at the late camp-meet
ing. My children and grandchildren
crowded around that altar. One Sab
bath morning, an old man, with white
locks, arose to preach. It at once oc
curred to me that I had seen him some
where in life. When he knelt to pray,
and his voice went up, like holy in
cense to the skies, I recognized that
voice as the same that arose to heaven
for me in the wilderness thirty years
ago. There I learned your name, and
history, and residence, and the meet
ing being over, I have hastened to pay
you this visit. lam told that you are
poor, and that you often labor with
your own hands, through winter’s bit
ing cold and summer’s schorchingheat,
to procure the necessities of life for
those dependentuponyou. Mr. Cragg,
it cannot be so anotkov — y--
viiuu ivsuueti me from infamy, and
heaven has preserved me to rock the
cradle of your old age. Here is my
check on my banker at Knoxville, for
one thousand dollars.”
“I have visited him several times
since that date,” said Mr. Cragg, when
I heard him relate this stirring narra
tive. “I have shared his magnificent
hospitality, and passed many happy
days in the society of his refined and
elegant family, but I have not men
tioned the name in connection with
this narrative, even to my own wife,
nor will I ever. It shall die with me;
but,” he added, “one of the sons occu
pies a high place in Church, and an
other as high a place in State.”
The Military Dictatorship.
That Lincoln is to bo the Military
Dictator of the United States, and
that very soon, seems to be conceded
bv the press of that country. The plan
is" clearly developed in the following
extract from a letter honored with a
conspicuous place in the Times of Sun
day :
With European recognition, and
constant offers, open or secret, to aid
the South, the Government at Wash
ington will need all the unity and effi
ciency contemplated in recent procla
mations. It will require millions of
men and proportional supplies.. Mar
tial law over the entire North is a na
tional necessity. If the Governors of
the Northern States manifest a fac
tious spirit, the Provost Marshals, it
is presumed, will have the power to
keep them in order. If State Legis
latures should undertake to interfere
with the action of the General Govern
ment, necessary to the prosecution of
the war, they will.come under the ac
tion ofnartial law, and if the action
of any political party shall threaten to
change or paralize the movements of
the Government, it will doubtless be
competent for the Provost Marshal in
any State to suspend political meet
ings and postpone elections. If .the
Constitution of the United States is to
be construed according to the necessi
ties of a civil war of vast proportions,
the Constitutions of individual States
cannot be allowed to stand in the way
of its vigorous prosecution.
2 r h 5 v a U ear to have Vel 7 li «le
A 1 W lat the ^““der-in.Cbief
the Army and Navy of the United .
States can do. A man of firm and res?
olute will, with a million of men in
arms to support him, can do pretty
much what he pleases. They have to:
learn that paper Constitutions, how-
oTUT enient they ma ^ be ’ can be
Or U1G asute aiiogctTi‘er’,’-aiiU that it is
no longer a question in America what
this or that Constitution authorizes,
but what is necessary to be done to
make of thirty-four States and a vast
territory one nation.
To Maj. Gen. Braxton Bragg.
Sir: The ladieshave heard of some
censures of you for declaring, or es
tablishing Martial law in different
parts of the South, and they have al
so read your published letter in expla
nation of the course you adopted, and
our hearts responded to every word of
that letter. We did not know what
Martial law was until we lived under
it awhile; and if it would do no other
good than, by the least influence, pre
venting our “husbands, brothers and
sweethearts,” from becoming drunk
ards and gamblers, it is enough to
make us thank you, and bless your
name for having enforced this law;
and you were right in believing that,
whatever others may say, the women
of the South would thank you for-re
turning our “loved ones “uncorrupt
ed.”
We have tried to do our part and
fufil our “mission” in the present
struggle—to assist, comfort and en
courage our protectors—but independ
ence will not be worth much to us if it
is to be purchased at the price of our
defenders’ moral integrity. Men who
sympathise with us the most can bare
ly know what a loathing, horror and
sickening dread we feel when thinking
of onr .husbands fathprs find brothers
becoming drunkards and gamblers—
and as far as closing drinking and
gambling places is concerned, we
would have Martial law as fixed as the
Medes and Persians. In one city
where you have declared this law, we
could tell of one individual case where
a gifted brother and son has been sav
ed, no doubt, permanently from moral
degradation, and if you, dear sir,could
now see the happiness of only that one
family—of the young, bright eyed sis
ters and the old father, who had wept
much over his wayward son—it would
make your warrior’s heart glad, and
enable you to endure, like a brave,
veteran soldier, any censure with which
you may be unjustly assailed.
Again we thank you a thousand
times for any good you may do our
loved ones in the army or at home and
we will pray that your army may be
invincible, that your men may be brave
cyid noble as their commander, and
all return to their homes “uncorrupt-
ed.” SOUTHERN WOMEN.
Texas Army.
The Houston News says: We have
now about 50,000 troops in the field
west of the Mississippi river, all pre
pared and eager for active service. A
portion of these troops are at Fort
Smith, part of them at Austin, twen
ty-five miles east of Little Rock, at the
Arkansas Post. Gen. Parsons of Mis
souri, commands the Missourians, and
is encamped above Little Rock, be
tween White and Arkansas rivers.—
Col. Wm. H. Parsons, of Texas, com
mands several Texas regiments east of
White river. Gen. Henry E. McCul
loch commands n^ost of the Texas bri
gades, and some of the Arkansas troops,
Gen. Holmes’ headquarters are at Lit
tle Rock. Col. Stockdale says he is
remarkably popular with the army.—
He is plain and unostentatious in his
manners, attentive to the wants of the
troops, with whom he often mingles
familiarly.
Promotions in X. C. Troops.
Second Regiment.—Lieut Col W
P Bynum promoted to Colonel, vice
Col C C Tew deceased. Maj W R
Cox, to be Lieut Colonel, vice Bynum
promoted. The death of Capt John
Howard leaves the position of Major
vacant, and Makes Lieut Jno C Ger
man Captain.
Eeiglitli Regiment.—Lt Col Price
has resigned. Maj Geo Williamson,
promoted to Lieut Colonelcy, vice
Price. Capt J W Hinton to be Major,
vice Williamson promoted. Captain
Jones, Co F, resigned, which makes
Lieut W H Bagley Captain.