THE CHRONICLE
Journal of the Historical Society
of the
Susquehanna Conference
of the
United
Milton W. Loyer
editor
Volume XXIII spring 2012
__________________________________________________________________________
Editor's Preface .........................................................................................2
Methodist Episcopal pastor at Gettysburg
during the Battle
John
Brown
..6
American Abolitionist
Charles
Buhrman
...
11
Methodist layman
Methodist layman
United Brethren soldiers wife
Jacob Hoke
.35
United Brethren layman
Abraham
Lincoln
...
46
President of the United States
Carrie
L. McMillan
...
.
49
Methodist Episcopal youth (and missionary)
Abraham
Rudisill
...
53
United Brethren soldier (and preacher)
William
Van Orsdel
...
83
Methodist Episcopal youth (and preacher)
Jesse
Bowman Young
..
101
Methodist
Episcopal youth (and preacher)
EDITOR'S PREFACE
On behalf of the Historical Society of the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church, I present volume XXIII of The Chronicle. For over twenty years, the society has produced a mix of scholarly, entertaining, informative and inspiring stories of United Methodism all united by a common theme. This volume continues that tradition.
This years unifying theme "The Battle of Gettysburg was chosen to coincide with the Susquehanna Conferences May 2012 joint hosting of the annual meetings of the Historical Society of the United Methodist Church and the Commission on Archives and History of the Northeastern Jurisdiction in Gettysburg PA. A copy of this journal is being presented to each participant.
Featured in this volume are the stories of local persons within United Methodism who had significant contact with the Battle of Gettysburg and/or the events associated with that monumental conflict. The presentations and tours of the joint meetings will highlight the persons and places appearing in this issue of The Chronicle. The persons are presented in alphabetical order. Except as noted, the articles were assembled by the editor from materials in the conference archives.
While each article stands alone, at least three of the featured persons were active in the Gettysburg circuit of the Methodist Episcopal Church and are connected via the that circuits Quarterly Conference Minutes. 1815 When the Gettysburg class was formed, it was led by local preacher Hezekiah Van Orsdel, uncle of William Van Orsdel, who came from Hunterstown once a week. This arrangement continued until 1822, during which time the area was part of the very large Carlisle circuit. The Gettysburg circuit was formed in 1827 and existed until Gettysburg became a station in 1876. February 9, 1839 David McMillan, father of Carrie L. McMillan, was granted an exhorters license. May 27, 1843 Exhorter Abraham Rudisill of the Hanover class applied for and was granted a license to preach.
Two of these individuals witnessed the Battle of Gettysburg first hand as teenage civilians and went on to contribute in major fashion to the global advancement of Methodism and the gospel of Christ and they are the ones featured on the cover of this volume. William Van Orsdel became the patriarch of Montana Methodism known as Brother Van, and Carrie L. McMillan became the Mother of Methodism in India and labored beside her noted husband Philo Melvin Buck to establish Methodism on that sub-continent. Each of them is named in the 1974 definitive two-volume Encyclopedia of World Methodism.
May the stories of the persons in this Battle of Gettysburg volume of The Chronicle encourage us all to be brave soldiers for Christ in the battles of life.