Minister to the Cherokees

Barbara Cloud is Associate Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is the author of The Business of Newspapers on the Western Frontier and has been the editor of Journalism History since 1992.

• Contents: Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1 James Anderson Slover--His Parentage--Birth--Events and incidents of the first ten years of his eventful life. Chapter 2 Death of Grandfather Slover--Birth of his youngest brother--At the old Mill again with his brother Isaac--Marriage of his sister Katherine--A cousin from Illinois visits his father's family--Harvesting wheat--Mowing hay and taking care of it--His Mother makes nurse of him--His Father's family moves three times in three years--Marriage of his sister Sallie--He is hired out to work--His school facilities during his boyhood. Chapter 3 His religious experience--Conversion--He unites with Dumplin Creek Baptist Church--Has a narrow escape for his life January twelfth 1843--His brother Abraham gets married--The winter fever or Typhoid Pneumonia--His first trip down the Tennessee River on a flat boat--Incidents of his return trip--His brother John gets married--Visits his people in Jefferson County with his sister Elizabeth--Is employed by Randals brothers for six months--Mexican War and why he did not volunteer--In school again. Chapter 4 His call to the Ministry--Enters Black Oak Grove Seminary near Mossy Creek in Jefferson County, East Tennessee, early in March 1847--Is captured by a young lady, a farmer's daughter--Courtship by letter after leaving the Seminary--His prospects frustrated by the young lady's father--Seeks the heart and hand of another and is married January the seventeenth 1850--Teaches school--Is present at execution of a Negro man in Dandridge--Concludes to go West to Arkansas with his friend Samuel Cook--The building of a flat boat for emigration--Some of the incidents while making the long trip by water--Detained at Van Buren on account of sickness--Reaches Washington County in October--Again in the school room with the "Toothpickers" so-called--Is ordained to the field work of the Gospel Ministry in June 1853--Revivals of that year--Is called to the Pastorate of Missionary Chapel Church--Again in the school room--Teaches his last school in 1856. Chapter 5 His first school in Arkansas--The character of this school--School closes with little credit to teacher and less to the Patrons--A new field sought--Teaches a summer term of five months and cultivates a small farm--The new location--Finds a Baptist church--His wife is baptized--Buys a young black mare as a saddle animal for his wife--The mare threw her Mistress--Also her sister--Smart "Ellicks" and Wise-acres--Locates near Elm Spring on forty acres of Government land--Enters the same under the graduation law--Again in the school room--His first child is born--Changes his church relationship--Is ordained to the full work of the Ministry--A protracted meeting is held--Good results--Is met, at Mount Zion Association, by a delegation from Missionary Chapel Church--Becomes its pastor--Compelled to teach school again--Secures a good school near Evansville--His second child is born there--Returns to his little farm in January 1856--Teaches his last school in that year--Incidents at Latties schoolhouse. Chapter 6 He accepts an appointment from the Southern Baptist Convention through the Domestic and Indian Mission Board located at Marion, Alabama, to preach to the Cherokee Indians--His visit to the Chief for an interview in regard to locating in the nation--Moves to Tahlequah--Begins operations as a Missionary--Cold snap in April--Russel Holman, Corresponding Secretary, visits the field--The Missionary is interrogated as to his plan of operations, touching the vexed question of Slavery--His answer is well received--A girl baby comes to his home to stay--His first year's labor closes--Indians give him a name--Incredulity of the Natives. Chapter 7 Encouraging prospects--Travels and preaches--Makes a trip to Fayetteville, Arks.--Takes sick--Narrow escape from drowning--Dwelling house built--A Cherokee Lawyer interprets His sermons--Family increased by one--Churches organized--Association formed--A Judge interprets for him--Incidents--The Civil War begins--Actual hostilities or first gun is fired April the tenth 1861--He is employed as Chaplain for the first Cherokee Regiment under Col. Stand Watie, Confederate Mounted Volunteers, serves eight months--Cherokee Nation secedes in the fall of 1861--Terms etc etc--He concludes to abandon the field. Chapter 8 The Union Troops under Gen. Blunt on Cherokee Territory--Stand Watie's headquarters burned and his staff made prisoners--Gen. Blunt's letter to Chief Ross--Ross's ingenious answer--Mutiny of the Treaty Regiment--In company with his brother preacher E. L. Compere, the Missionary visits Chief Ross for information--Temporarily abandons his field--Three hundred Union soldiers make a raid on Tahlequah wanting the Missionary and seventeen other men--He stops outside of Indian Territory with Deacon J. W. Greer's family--His anxiety and mental trouble--His hazardous trip to Tahlequah and final abandonment of the Mission. Chapter 9 Another Skedaddling necessary--Preparations for a move to Texas--Has charge of an old preacher and family--Rainy weather--A breakdown in the mountains--Missionary fills the old preacher's wagon wheel at night--Stops at Richmond near Red River--Learns of the death of two brothers in Cherokee County, Texas--The Civil War closes--Is made acquainted with Mrs. Josephine M. Rodgers, a Rebel soldier's widow--Whom he afterward marries. Chapter 10 The Missionary and widow's courtship and engagement--His visit with the Domestic and Indian Mission Board--Southern Baptist Convention in Alabama--His sickness in Marion, Alabama--Returns by Crystal Springs, Mississippi--Archibald Fitzgerald and what his brother Aaron said of his copper--Sees the Rev. E. L. Compere and wife--Chances for courtship while making this visit--Is appointed Domestic Missionary by the Board--And finally reaches home in November and finds his affianced suffering from a fall from a horse--They get married in February 1866. Chapter 11 His labor as Missionary of the Southern Baptist Convention ceases--Is appointed to the Office of County Clerk of Little River County--Elected Justice of the Peace in 1868 in Little River County--A serious time in Rocky Comfort on the day he finishes his duties as Clerk--Little River County under martial law--Loses his horse and saddle--Militia soldiers in Richmond--Makes a trip to Washington County preparatory to crossing the Plains to California--Emigrates to California--A whole year on the road--One summer near Visalia--Locates on Tule River in Tulare County. Chapter 12 The Preacher locates a Preemption on the Tule River--Joins the Baptist church in Visalia--Is appointed by the American Baptist Home Mission Society to preach in Visalia and vicinity--His first attempt at farming in California--Dry season--Irrigating wheat--Crop short--Stage stand and Post Office at his residence--Another new comer in his family--His daughter Fannie narrowly escapes being burned to death--He is elected School Trustee and clerk of the Board--Is elected to the Office of Justice of the Peace--Another severe attack of erysipelas--The Doctor's bill--His daughter Rachel Jane marries Hugh W. Riggs--The last babe is born and dies--Borrows money at two per cent per month to pay for land--Gets United States Patent for the Preemption--Attends a South Methodist protracted meeting for six weeks--The Grange--Mutual Aid Society of Los Angeles, California. Chapter 13 With his farming in Tulare County, California, a failure--Two years in three total failures--Mortgage increases--The fifth crop is very cheap--No fence law passed for Tulare--His last year in California--Makes a desperate effort to make a good crop--Contemplates a move to Jackson County, Oregon--Mortgage foreclosed on his farm--Land redeemed by his two sons and son-in-law--He moves to Oregon in September 1881--Incidents of his trip. Chapter 14 He emigrates to Oregon--Preparations for the trip--The move and incidents of travel--Is unloaded at the residence of his friend, G. F. Pennebaker--Soon locates in a rented house belonging to Wm. Erbe of Ashland, Jackson County, Oregon--The terms rather hard--Makes the best crop perhaps ever made on the farm--Gains the confidence of the Oregonians around him--Nine months on the Erbe farm--Buys hotel property in Jacksonville, Oregon--Moves and takes charge of the hotel--Changes places in the same town--Daughter marries A. F. Eddy--His son James A. goes into the employ of Dr. Roberson to learn the drug business--Has a cash sale--Moves to Roseburg--Nine months in the Hotel business there--The business there--The business closes on him--Attempts another cash sale--Emigrates south of Grants Pass. Chapter 15 Homestead--His first improvised cabin--Builds a house ten by twelve feet as a homestead residence--Erects a good dwelling house, wood and poultry house--Clears and fences several acres of land--Plants an orchard--Miners desire to prospect for gold quartz--Harbin's placer--The Miners' contest--Homesteader loses forty acres of his Homestead--He submits his final proof--Riley Morrison enters a protest--He conceives a plan to build a house for New Hope Baptist church--Building erected under the supervision of a building committee--Dedication of the new church house--Incidents. Chapter 16 His move from his Homestead--Works on Deacon Glass' house--Is sick with pneumonia--Telephones to Ashland for medicine--All winter in Ashland--Holds a protracted meeting with New Hope church in May 1899--Again prostrated with pneumonia--Daughter Mrs. Eddy goes to San Francisco to attend the Baptist anniversaries--Three years labor on his son-in-law's Ashland farm--Homestead trouble renewed--Surveying had to be done before Patent could issue--Personal interview with the Commissioner, Binger Herman, at Medford--Homestead trouble ended after the lapse of 14 years. Chapter 17 A long desire gratified--Visits relatives and preaches in Tulare County, California--Receives fifty dollars from his (New Hope) church--Notifies his daughter at Ashland, Ore., to go east to the Southern Baptist Convention--Preparations for the long journey--Sends letter to Manly J. Breaker, d.d., to meet him at train in St. Louis--Visits old-time friend at Farmington, San Joaquin County, California--four weeks in Stockton--Boards the train the second day of May at eleven p.m. for St. Louis--Reaches the city one day behind time--All night in City--Boards the train at eight a.m. Wednesday the 7th for Asheville, n.c.--Two and a half days at Convention--Left Asheville for East Tennessee--A week with friends at Mossy Creek--Reaches his sister's at Sandy Ridge on May 19th--Many places of his boyhood days visited in Jefferson and Sevier counties--On the 8th day of August leaves his sister Katherine via Mossy Creek, Cleveland, Chattanooga, Tenn., and Bridgeport, Ala., for Elmyra, Mo., arriving on the 12th of Sept.--On the 15th celebrates his 78th birthday there--Visits relatives in St. Joseph, Clinton and other places in Missouri--On the 23rd of October boards the Santa Fe train for his brother, Thomas Slover's, at Henderson, Okla.--Spends four months with relatives in Oklahoma and Indian Territory--March the 12th boarded the Santa Fe train at Purcell, Indian Territory, for Visalia, Calif.--Incidents of the journey--Visits in Visalia, Calif.--March the 27th boards the Southern Pacific train for home in Ashland, Ore. Chapter 18 He takes charge of rented garden--A trip to Grants Pass and his (New Hope) Church in Sam's Valley--A cart for conveyance--The cart and horse for sale--A sudden attack of cholera morbus while en route for home--The kindness of a good brother and wife--Reaches home safely--Has grippe--Weeds grow all the same--Berries to take to packing house--He is notified that a purchaser for his Homestead is ready to conclude the deal--They meet at the Real Estate office of Dan Richards in Gold Hill--Visit to Homestead--A deed is made and four hundred dollars received as the consideration--Then the Preacher boarded the train for Grants Pass to meet with the Rogue River Association--Returns to Ashland--Places his money in First National Bank of Ashland, Ore.--Stores wood for the winter--The family moves to another house--Pleasant winter passes--Three hundred dollars invested in the Story Cotton Company of Philadelphia, Pa. Chapter 19 He leaves Ashland, Ore., for San Francisco, Calif.--Work for Book and Bible House--Also for Royal Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich.--In April 1905, he goes to Tulare County to spend the summer with daughter and granddaughter--He preaches to Woodville church and baptizes two--Then accompanies his daughter to Sanger, the town of her residence and church membership under Pastor Williams--A move to Rosedale, Kern County--Attends Baptist Association at Orosa--Death of daughter and funeral services conducted by her Pastor, Rev. Williams--Interment in Tulare Cemetery--He with granddaughter returns to her home at Woodville--The Preacher sorely afflicted with an ingrown toenail and boils--Two weeks rusticating at the Deer Creek Hot Springs--His return to Porterville--Thence to Woodville--In the latter part of October he makes his way to Dinuba and Fresno to visit grandchildren and acquaintances--And thence to San Francisco, his home. Chapter 20 Change of houses--The new residence--The Preacher again killing time with Brazil silverware--Granddaughter Edna Riggs' letter relative to her marriage--The great Earthquake and fire of San Francisco, April 18th, 1906--Works six days for Uncle Sam on refugee camps--Another visit with grandchildren--Visits one week in Visalia--The marriage of granddaughter Edna and Elbert S. Hicks at San Diego--He remains there until the third day of September--Meets his niece in Los Angeles, whom he never had seen--Arrives in Tulare City at ten a.m. Sept. 4th and is taken to his granddaughter's, Mrs. J. W. LaMarsna, at Woodville--A carpenter's job--Death of Carrie Jenks at San Diego--In March 1907 begins canvassing for Royal Manufacturing Co.--His equipage and success--Changed localities--At Dinuba with his granddaughter, Edna Hicks--Begins canvassing July 6th--Edna Hicks' first child--Starts for San Francisco about the 20th of November--Parlier and Fresno City and whom he meets at those places--Leaves Fresno City in the night of 29th of November for San Francisco--Arrives there in forenoon of 30th. Notes Selected Bibliography Index

"An interesting and useful primary source, particularly for its account of his work among the Cherokees and homesteading life in the West."—Choice "Through his many and varied travels, this 'ordinary' man provides the discerning reader with insights into the fascinating world . . . of the nineteenth century."—North Carolina Historical Review "A fascinating recollection of the life and times of a man who, among many other activities, served as a Baptist minister to the Cherokees during the American Civil War. . . . A wonderful narrative of life in nineteenth-century America, which students of history in and out of scholarly circles will find intriguing."—James Klein, The Chronicles of Oklahoma "This autobiography of a Southern Baptist minister provides an interesting glimpse of the lives of ordinary people in the antebellum South and in Indian Territory during the Civil War. . . . It reveals on a personal level that history is not necessarily composed only of earth-shattering events but of the humble activities of men and women who encounter failure as often (or perhaps more often) than success but remain undaunted."—Clara Sue Kidwell, Journal of Southern History "An excellent book. . . . Readable and informative."—Daniel Johnson, Journal of the West