Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/267

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 207 dree presided. The appointments made in 1819 were John McFarland to the Saline cir- cuit; Joseph Spiggott to the Bellevue circuit (which had, in the meantime, been organ- ized) ; Philip Davis to the St. Francois cir- cuit; Samuel Glaize to the Cape Girardeau circuit, and William Townsend to the New Aladrid circuit. When the conference met in 1820 it was decided to create a new district. Tiiis was called the Cape Girardeau district and Thomas Wright was appointed as presiding elder. The preachers for the year were : Bellevue circuit, John Harris ; Saline and St. Francois circuits, Samuel Bassett ; Spring River, which was a new circuit, Isaac Brook- field ; White River, another new circuit, W. W. Redman ; Cape Girardeau circuit, Philip Davis ; and New Madrid circuit, Jesse Haile. When Missouri was admitted to the Union in 1821, Thomas Wright was continued as presiding elder, Thomas Davis was sent to the Cape Girardeau circuit, Philip Davis to the Saline circuit, John Cord to the St. Francois circuit, Abram Epler to Spring River, and Washington Orr to the New Mad- rid circuit. The Presbyterians did not begin their work in Southeast Missouri quite so early as the Baptists and IMethodists. The beginning of their interest in Missouri probably dates from the year 1812. In that year the Missionary Society of New England appointed two men, the Rev. John T. Schermerhorn and the Rev. Samuel J. Mills, as agents to ascertain the religious conditions of the western country and the places most in need of religious in- struction, and to formulate some plan for the preaching of the gospel in the destitute places. These two men seem to have intended to visit St. Louis, and perhaps other parts of the territory, but, for some reason, they abandoned their visit and contented them- selves with writing a letter of inquiry to Stephen Hempstead, of St. Louis. In the letter they asked concerning the condition of religion in Upper Louisiana, the number of clergymen and the places where they were settled, whether there was much infidelity ex- isting, whether the Sabbath was observed, and whether it was thought best to attempt to foimd a Bible society. They offered to send two or tliree hundred Biljles and some tracts for distribution among the poor, provided it was thought best to do so. Mr. Hempstead replied to these inquiries, and gave a picture of the religious conditions existing in the ter- ritory. He says that "the Catholic church has services; that there are some Methodists in the territory; that .some of the Presby- terians, in the absence of their own preachers, have joined the Methodists, and that the Bap- tists have ten churches and two himdred and seventy-six members." And finally .says that he "knows of no place in the United States that needs a Presbyterian missionary more than Missouri." He further requests that the Bibles and ti-acts be sent, which was done. The first church in Southeast Missouri of the Presbyterian faith was organized in the Bellevue settlement in Washington county August 2, 1816. The Presbytery of Missouri was formed by the Sj'nod of Tennessee and held its first meeting in St. Louis, December ]8, 1817. Its territory was all of the United States west of the Cumberland river. The Presbytery of Missouri had, as its ministers, Solomon Giddings, Timothy Flint, Thomas Donnell and John Matthews. The only churches represented were those at Bellevue, Bonhomme, in St. Louis coimty, and St. Louis. In 1819 he number of ministers was increased by the addition of Rev. C. S. Robinson and