A History Of The Rise Of Methodism In America - Media Sabda Org

Virginia. Benjamin Boydstone and his intelligent heavenly minded wife were the excellent of the
earth. Mr. Asbury says, "I once more had the happiness of seeing that tender woman, Sister
Boydstone, who careth for the preachers as for her own soul; oft has she refreshed their spirits; her
gestures, looks, and words, are all heavenly." Brother Boydstone suffered much persecution for
conscience sake, during the Revolutionary war but he outlived all his enemies, and became a local
preacher. They lived to a good old age. Mr. Aquila Brown, long known as a lawyer in Philadelphia,
and as a leading member of the Union Church, was from the region of Cressap's, near Cumberland,
and, as we opine, was related to Mr. Cressap. Another of this family, Sister McCoy, lives in Cecil
county. Col. Barratt lived at the eastern base of the Allegheny Mountain. Thus far had Methodism
toiled its way from the Atlantic up to 1781; and shortly afterwards some of the preachers crossed it
to seek the lost sheep in the wilderness. It was about this time that Mr. Asbury became acquainted
with the history of Richard Williams' sufferings among the Indians.
Mr. Richard Williams, on the North Branch of the Potomac, was taken prisoner by the Indians,
a few days before Braddock's defeat: nineteen of them surrounded the house, killed his father,
mother, and brother's son, carrying Williams and his child to Fort Pitt, now Pittsburgh, tying him to
a tree every night to secure him. He fed his child on wild berries on the way to Fort Pitt, where it [the
child] was taken from him; nor does it appear that he ever knew any more of it. On the day of
Braddock's defeat he was taken across the Ohio river and guarded to Detroit, where he found the
garrison reduced to the extremity of eating horseflesh. After staying some time at Detroit, he made
his escape, taking with him a Frenchman's gun and ammunition, and pushed for home, first in curve
line, and then in a more direct course. The Indians pursued and headed him, which obliged him to
alter his course. Wading through deep streams the water went over his head and wet his powder,
which made it useless. For three days he traveled without stopping to eat. By this time hunger
obliged him to seek food. His first shift was to dig sarsaparilla for sustenance. He went on, and by
good Providence found a fish, which a bird had dropped, and ate it. Coming to a large river, he saw
two canoes, loaded with Indians, pass. From these he hid himself. The Indians being out of sight, he
made a raft of two logs, and gained the opposite shore. After this, he traveled three days without
eating or drinking. In this suffering state he saw an Indian, and escaped him. Coming to a stream,
he drank, and then finding a plum tree, he ate, and took some of the fruit along with him. The
following day he found part of a fawn, which he roasted; picking the bone and the marrow for his
first meal, he carefully preserved the flesh for future need. After this venison was all eaten, for three
successive days he found a squirrel. Afterwards he caught and ate a polecat. At another time he saw
a hawk fly up -- on going to the spot he found a wild turkey. Traveling on he came to the Ohio, and
waded through it. Near this place an Indian threw his tomahawk at him. He tried to escape by
climbing up a tree, but found himself too weak, and fell into the hands of two Frenchmen and five
Indians, and was again in the hands of his enemies. With these he feigned derangement. They took
him to Fort Pitt. On the way, he tired, and they threatened to kill him. He told them he was willing
to die. At the Fort an Indian charged him with being a prisoner from Detroit. He was put under
guard, and a council held, to determine what to do with him. The sentence was that he should be
shot. Some of them objected to his being killed in the Fort, saying that "his spirit would haunt them
there," and advised that he should be taken to the island and buried in the sand. He was told that he
should eat no more meat there, but that the crickets should eat him. He let on that he knew nothing
that they said, though he understood the general purport of it. He related that one morning before
day, he fell into trance, and beheld spirits for his conductors, and, also, saw lightning. The guard