REV. DANIEL WILSON (b. 1813): AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
(The spelling and punctuation, or lack of
it, are strictly Rev. Wilson’s.)
The following is a transcript of a letter written by
Daniel Wilson in the late 1800 most likely while living in Bourbon Co. KS. The original transcript was provided by
Mrs. Virgil L. Williams, the wife of Daniel Wilson’s great-great-great-grandson
through Daniel’s daughter, Sarah Emeline Wilson. Sarah Emeline married Robert Arnold in 1867 in Miami Co. IN The letter is in very poor condition and
has several tears and stains. A transcript
of the letter was sent to bjhbeach who uploated it to this web site. Mrs. Williams submitted a copy of this
letter to the Journal of North Carolina Genealogy in which it appeared in the
Fall 1995 edition.
A sketch of Biography of my Pilgrimage and Travel
through life.
(I?)
was born in North Carolina Guilford county near Greensborough the county Seat
on the 28th day of October 1813
My Fathers name was John Wilson my Mothers name was Elizabeth Linthicum
before she was Married to my Father
They had Thirteen children Born to them one died an Infant the other
twelve were all Raised to Man and Woman hood I was the Eleventh child born to
them I became Religiously Enclined In
Early life as my parents were Both Religious My Father adheared to the society
of Friends my Mother was a true and zelous Methodist of the old Wesley
Stamp I Embrace Religion on the 10th
day of September 1831 at a Camp Meeting held In the Town of Greensboro under
the supurintendency of the Elder Moses Brock
In a few days after I returned home from the camp Meeting I Joined the
Methodist Ep - - - -(?)
church at Muiers Chapel where I remained a member until I moved near a church
In the same county call Rehoboth to which I removed my name and Soon after
Married a Girl the name of Nancy Leonard having a clear sence of a call to the
Ministry I applied for a licence to Exhort and was Licensed by the members of
the Rehoboth church in the Spring of 1833, Exercised my gifts of Exhorten of
Three years then applied for a License to Preach which was Granted by the
quarterly conference held at Harmonlyhill Guilford county N.C. of 19th
day of November 1836 I remained to
occupy a local Position oa Minister In the M E Church up to the time of the
Division of the ME Church in 1844 & 45 when the Southern wing of the Church
was Struck off and Formed the M E Church South which was accomplished by
Southern Slave Holders the result was that several of the Members of the
Guildford Circuit with drew from the M E C South and formed our selves Into
clases and held our meetings as best we could as were locked out of the M E
Church the way soon opened up so that
we become united with the Wesleyan Methodist church the only Preachers we had
for a time was myself John W Linthicum and Hugh Baker communication was soon
had with the Ohio Wesleyan conference and they sent us a young Man the name of
Adam Crooks who Preached a year for us with good Success when he returned to
the Ohio conference and then returned again with Two other Preacher Jesse McBride
and J C Bacon Great Success was given to their labors and our little church
Prospered greatly until So that other churches became alarmed for fear that we
Would out Strip any of the older churches I the south So like the Jews of old
they Stired up Persercution raised mobs drove the Ohio Preachers of threatning
their lives I f they did not leave So they all Three left the field &
another Preacher from the Protestant Methodist had Joined the name of Wm
Anderson the classes now met In quarterly conference to devise some way to keep
the worke going and after consultation assigned me to the worke which Impbrace
a Portion of 3 counties to with Guilford Davidson and Montgomery in the State
of North Carolina which I traveled and had to charge of from 1849 to 1859 and
the worked Prospered till the getting up the sivil War after being moved
Several times and opposed as St Paul called It by false Brethern and In many
ways Exposed and Threatned I gathered my Family and what little affects I could
move In a One Horse veicle and Started for more congenial climes So we
Journeyed for Indiana where we had Relatives and Friends and the Lord was with
us and Prospered our way until we reached Henry county Indiana to our Brother
John Wilsons and his sons where we found a welcome and Staid In that county for
about Eighteen Months amongst our friends and Relations then we left Henry
county and traveled Northwest across several countys to miamia county where we
located for seven years and were Providentially favoured So that we concluded
to look for a home in Kansa and commenced our Travel In the fall of 78 (corrected
to 68 – family was listed in 1870 Bourbor Co KS census) and landed In
Bourbon county Kansas on the 1st day December 1878 (actually
1868) and we Bought a Claim of Elisha Hu(- - -torn) on the waters of Pawnee
creek In which Neighbourhood we have lived Ever Since afer we came here we
connected of selves with the Church here and traveled In different circuits In
the Kansas conference till 1876 when I was Elected Presiednt of the Kansas
Conference and Traveled In that Relation that year Since which I have Travedled
Serveral (?) (- - -torn) different charges but have now Retired.
Footnote: The year 1878 has been corrected by Sarah
Wilson Arnold, his daughter, to read 1868 which is correct, as they are listed
on the 1870 Census of Bourbon Co. KS
Story
Title:
Rev. Daniel Wilson's Autobiography
Date:
Late 1800
Location:
NC-IN-Bourbon Co. KS
Submitted By:
bjhbeach_1
Extracted
from an Ancestry.com family tree by Terry L. Linthicum