Reminiscences of a Long Life By James M. Pendleton Chapter XIX       In May, 1888, I returned to Upland, but remained only a short time before going to the Anniversaries at Washington, held the latter part of the month. They were numerously attended and were full of interest. Many persons will go to the capital city when they would go nowhere else. This is not strange, for everybody wishes to see the head-quarters of the nation. Congress was in session…

Reminiscences of a Long Life By James M. Pendleton Chapter XVIII       The Winter of 1884-85 I spent in Austin, Texas, and while there wrote my book on "The Atonement of Christ." The time passed pleasantly, for I was in the family of my son-in-law, Prof. Leslie Waggener. He and his wife did everything necessary to the comfort of my wife and myself; and their seven children contributed not a little to our pleasure.       Austin, the capital of the…

Reminiscences of a Long Life By James M. Pendleton Chapter XVII       In August, 1882, Upland was made sad by the death of Mrs. John P. Crozer, who, as she was born in the year 1800, had reached her four score years. She was a remarkable woman, with sound judgment and a large measure of good sense. In all the relations of life she acted well her part. As a wife her devotion to her husband was beautiful, and he…

Reminiscences of a Long Life By James M. Pendleton Chapter XVI       When I went to Upland in 1865 the American Baptist Publication Society was not what it is now. Its headquarters were at 530 Arch Street, Philadelphia, and it was plain enough that there was not sufficient room for the convenient transaction of the business of the Society. No one was more fully convinced of this than Dr. Griffith, the Secretary of the Society. He therefore began to agitate…

Reminiscences of a Long Life By James M. Pendleton Chapter XV       As intimated in the preceding chapter, my desire and purpose to go West were not carried into effect. I therefore directed my attention to the East, hoping there to find a suitable field of labor. This led me to attend the Philadelphia Association, which met October, 1865, with the Fifth Church on Eighteenth and Spring Garden Streets.       At that time Rev. William Wilder had resigned the pastorate…

Reminiscences of a Long Life By James M. Pendleton Chapter XIV       I remained in Murfreesboro till General Bragg left Chattanooga on his Kentucky expedition, and General Buell moved his forces from near Huntsville, Alabama, to thwart General Bragg's plans. I concluded that by the time two such armies passed through Middle Tennessee it would be a desolation, and rapid preparation was made for our departure. Strange to say, United States' soldiers had something to do in making our departure…

Reminiscences of a Long Life By James M. Pendleton Chapter XIII       The election of Mr. Lincoln to the Presidency in 1860 was the occasion of the secession of most of the Southern States from the Union. They did not wait to see how he would fill his high office, but with impatient haste decided that he should not preside over them. The Southern Confederacy was organized at Montgomery, Alabama, in February, 1861, and adopted measures to maintain its separate…

Reminiscences of a Long Life By James M. Pendleton Chapter XII      On the first day of January, 1857, I left Bowling Green and removed to Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Nothing had been more unexpected by me. The explanation of the matter is this: The Trustees of Union University decided to establish a Theological Department in the Institution, and, to my amazement, they appointed me professor. When informed of the fact I promptly declined the appointment and told the Trustees that I…

Reminiscences of a Long Life By James M. Pendleton Chapter XI       My pastorate at Bowling Green ended for a time with the end of the year 1849. I had promised my friend Rev. Alfred Taylor to aid him, as soon as I could, in a meeting with his church at Green River, Ohio County. I therefore complied with my promise early in January, 1850. Brother Taylor and I had been for many years on terms of intimate friendship. I…

Reminiscences of a Long Life By James M. Pendleton Chapter X       The general impression had been that Mr. Clay would be elected President.  So confident was Judge Ewing that he thought it doubtful whether Mr. Polk would receive the electoral vote of a single State in the Union. He did not carry his own State of Tennessee, but he was elected, to the astonishment of the nation and of the civilized world. Mr. Clay had had Presidential aspirations from…