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men in South Carolina. When the inquiry was made who should be selected as captain, they declared with one voice for Parson Hall. He accepted the appointment without a moment's hesitation and with. his sword buckled to his side and the Bible in his pocket put himself at their head. He had, however, no intention of sinking his profession in his military command-he believed he was equally doing God's service whether fighting or praying, and he therefore installed himself their chaplain, and fulfilled the duties of this office as faithfully as those of captain. On their way to South Carolina he prayed with them regularly, and on the Sabbath preached to them. In fact they were a part of his usual audience at home, for they were almost to a man members of one of his congregations. It reminded one of the times of Cromwell to see this man of God assemble his company of irregular cavalry, and with head uncovered solemnly commend them and their cause to God, and then ride to their head and give the order to march. To these simple minded, brave men there was nothing incongruous in this. They had received their lessons in patriotism from their pastor-been taught by him to regard resistance to the tyrannical oppressions of the mother country obedience to God, and urged by him to the present undertaking, and it seemed peculiarly fit that he should be both their leader and spiritual teacher.

He was absent in this expedition for several months, sharing the hardships and privations of his soldiers throughout, and ever retaining their confidence and love by his cool courage, Christian forbearance, and

faithfulness. Subsequently, an army was sent against the Cherokees, in Georgia, and he accompanied it as chaplain. In the long and tedious march through the wilderness, which occupied two months, he found but one opportunity to preach to the troops. The sermon he delivered on this occasion, being the first ever preached in the Indian territory, the adjacent county, in honor of the event, was named after him, Hall county. His influence and abilities were so well known that after the death of Gen. Davidson, in the skirmish of Cowansford, on the Catawba, Gen. Greene, then commanding in the Carolinas, selected him to fill his place, and the commission of Brigadier-General was offered him. He declined the appointment, however, saying, that there were others who could fill that post quite as well as himself, while he preached the gospel. Leading his little flock, whom he had urged to take up arms to assist their neighbors in driving back the enemy, who were wasting them with fire and sword, he regarded a very different thing from changing his profession, and devoting himself to a military life. The former was a duty forced on him by circumstances, the latter was not, and appeared to him more a matter of choice as to what profession he should follow.

At the close of the war he found religion in his vicinity in a low condition, and with his accustomed zeal commenced to "repair the waste places of Zion." A powerful revival followed his exertions, and many were gathered into the Church. He gave himself no rest in the work so dear to his heart, and his health at

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length broke down under his severe labors. Unable to rally, he was after much persuasion, induced to try the effects of a sea voyage to restore it, and embarked at Charleston for Philadelphia. In 1793 he undertook a missionary tour along the western frontier under a commission of Synod, which involved great hardships. In 1800, with two others, he commenced a mission at Natchez, the first missionary effort made in the lower valley of the Mississippi. His labors in the cause of education were of incalculable benefit to the South, and many distinguished statesmen and divines were indebted to him for their literary training. He died on the 25th of July, 1826, in the eightieth year of his age.

11*

CHAPTER XXV.

JOHN GANO.

THE BAPTISTS OF VIRGINIA.-GANO'S EARLY LIFE.-VISITS THE SOUTH AND PREACHES.-ARRAIGNED FOR IT, BUT IS ACQUITTED AND LICENSED.-ANECDOTES OF HIS COOLNESS AND COURAGE.-SETTLED IN NORTH CAROLINA.-OFFERED A CAPTAIN'S COMMISSION IN THE ARMY AGAINST THE CHEROKEES.-DECLINES.RETURNS NORTH.-FINALLY SETTLES IN NEW YORK.-HIS CONGREGATION BROKEN UP.-JOINS THE ARMY AS CHAPLAIN.-UNDER FIRE AT WHITE PLAINS.AT TRENTON.-CHAPLAIN UNDER CLINTON AT FORT MONTGOMERY.-HIS DESCRIPTION OF THE TAKING OF THE FORT.-WITH CLINTON'S BRIGADE AT ALBANY. -ITS CHAPLAIN IN THE EXPEDITION AGAINST THE INDIANS.-ANECDOTES OF HIM IN THIS CAMPAIGN.-SERMON ON THE FOURTH OF JULY.-HIS FAITHFULNESS. -GOES SOUTH WITH THE ARMY ADVANCING AGAINST CORNWALLIS.-RETURNS TO HIS CHURCH At the Close of THE WAR.-REMOVES TO KENTUCKY.-HIS Death.

THE Baptists, though not so imposing a denomination in numbers at the time of the revolution as now, nevertheless threw the weight of their influence, whatever it might be, on the side of the colonies. Thus, in 1775, we find them in Virginia, presenting as a body, an address to the convention, in which they say, "that however distinguished from the body of their countrymen by appellation, and sentiments of a religious nature, they, nevertheless, consider themselves as members of the same community in respect to matters of a civil nature, and embarked in the same common cause; that, alarmed at the oppression which hangs over America, they had considered what part it would be proper to take in the unhappy contest, and had determined that they ought to make a military resistance against Great Britain in her unjust invasion,

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tyrannical oppression, and repeated hostilities," and left their church members to enlist, and asked that four of their ministers, whom they had selected, might be allowed to preach to the troops during the campaign with the same freedom as chaplains of the established Church.

The most distinguished clergyman of this denomination who served during the revolutionary war, was Rev. John Gano, a native of Hopewell, New Jersey. Becoming religious in his early youth, he felt it at times to be his duty to study for the ministry, but so many obstacles stood in the way that he endeavored to drive the subject from his mind. But being unable to do so, he finally yielded to what he felt to be the Divine promptings, and entered on his studies. These, however, were somewhat desultory, and at the end of two or three years he took a journey to Virginia with two distinguished clergymen, who had been appointed by the Philadelphia Association to settle some difficulties existing in some feeble churches there. Traveling through a sparsely settled country, and where the gospel was seldom heard, he found himself so pressed to preach that he finally consented. For this irregular conduct he was called to account when he returned to Hopewell by the Baptist church there, of which he was a member. He however, expressed no regrets for his course, declaring "that he had no disposition to repent having sounded the gospel to perishing sinners in Virginia, whose importunities to hear it he could not resist." It ended in the Church setting him apart to preach.