Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Letter
Camp near Harrison Landing
July 26th, 1862
My dear darling Wife
I continue to write once a week, for we are where I can, but I have written you three letters counting this, since I have had any from you. I think you must have written to me, but that the letters are delayed, & will probably arrive after awhile. I feel anxious about it for fear that you are sick or something has happened. I wrote you a letter about a week ago mentioning some things that I would like to have you send me, but I have been thinking of it since and fear that it will occasion you too much trouble to get the things & get it packed if so you may give it up, & not send it my dear. I can get along some way, I know.
Through the blessing of God, my health is pretty good now, though there are a good many sick, & the weather is very hot. If you have received my letters you will notice by the date that we have had no marching lately. We are camped near a crick that runs up the river, which is near, & the snakes are plenty. They are poisonous too, deadly. One or two men have been bitten lately & they die in about twenty-four hours after. We bathe in the creek, the snakes frequent these places near night after sun-down,though they are sometimes seen through the day, but the most dangerous serpent that visits camp, & is least dreaded is spoken of in Rev. 12th Chap. 9 Verse. He is around at all hours, “Seeking whom he may devour”, 1st Peter 5-8. I have read the New Testament through & part of the old since I came back. This morning one of the men in our company said he had heard of people becoming crazy reading the Bible, & he thought I was in danger. I received a copy of the “American Union” a few days ago, but there was not a piece marked in it & I could not tell who sent it, did you, my dear? Uncle Sam has sent me another knapsack & blanket, & tent so I shall be more comfortable now, but O how I long for the society of those who have “washed their robes” Rev. 7:14. We can hardly tell now what the future will develop, but we hope that the final stroke will be made this fall. I wish you could see this army & get some idea of camp life; see the long trains of covered wagons, the wide plains covered with troops, here & there a long line of canon & cavalry then at night the country dotted over with lights as far as you can see. When it comes near breakfast, dinner or supper time see the squads of men around the fire with a piece of meat on a sharp stick roasting in the fire, or some more fortunate one, that had found a pan or bason to fry his. Another may have found a handful of onions & is boiling them in his pint drinking cup. Then at night he crawls under his blanket; which is spread on some poles, if he has no tent, lays down with another around him, and goes to sleep. But my dear I must close. You need not put yourself to any trouble to send that box, but if you do please put in a little two-quart pail with a good cover, I can cook in it, but you need not send the box remember unless convenient which I am afraid is not the case. God bless you & the children, & may we meet soon is the prayer of your affectionate husband.
J. C. Sunderlin
Give my love to all our folks your mother & the rest.
Tell Joseph to pray as before & be a good boy.
July 26th, 1862
My dear darling Wife
I continue to write once a week, for we are where I can, but I have written you three letters counting this, since I have had any from you. I think you must have written to me, but that the letters are delayed, & will probably arrive after awhile. I feel anxious about it for fear that you are sick or something has happened. I wrote you a letter about a week ago mentioning some things that I would like to have you send me, but I have been thinking of it since and fear that it will occasion you too much trouble to get the things & get it packed if so you may give it up, & not send it my dear. I can get along some way, I know.
Through the blessing of God, my health is pretty good now, though there are a good many sick, & the weather is very hot. If you have received my letters you will notice by the date that we have had no marching lately. We are camped near a crick that runs up the river, which is near, & the snakes are plenty. They are poisonous too, deadly. One or two men have been bitten lately & they die in about twenty-four hours after. We bathe in the creek, the snakes frequent these places near night after sun-down,though they are sometimes seen through the day, but the most dangerous serpent that visits camp, & is least dreaded is spoken of in Rev. 12th Chap. 9 Verse. He is around at all hours, “Seeking whom he may devour”, 1st Peter 5-8. I have read the New Testament through & part of the old since I came back. This morning one of the men in our company said he had heard of people becoming crazy reading the Bible, & he thought I was in danger. I received a copy of the “American Union” a few days ago, but there was not a piece marked in it & I could not tell who sent it, did you, my dear? Uncle Sam has sent me another knapsack & blanket, & tent so I shall be more comfortable now, but O how I long for the society of those who have “washed their robes” Rev. 7:14. We can hardly tell now what the future will develop, but we hope that the final stroke will be made this fall. I wish you could see this army & get some idea of camp life; see the long trains of covered wagons, the wide plains covered with troops, here & there a long line of canon & cavalry then at night the country dotted over with lights as far as you can see. When it comes near breakfast, dinner or supper time see the squads of men around the fire with a piece of meat on a sharp stick roasting in the fire, or some more fortunate one, that had found a pan or bason to fry his. Another may have found a handful of onions & is boiling them in his pint drinking cup. Then at night he crawls under his blanket; which is spread on some poles, if he has no tent, lays down with another around him, and goes to sleep. But my dear I must close. You need not put yourself to any trouble to send that box, but if you do please put in a little two-quart pail with a good cover, I can cook in it, but you need not send the box remember unless convenient which I am afraid is not the case. God bless you & the children, & may we meet soon is the prayer of your affectionate husband.
J. C. Sunderlin
Give my love to all our folks your mother & the rest.
Tell Joseph to pray as before & be a good boy.
Monday, July 20, 2009
J. T. Ongley
In the comments there is a question about J. T. Ongley. He's a mystery. Here'sall I have:
I don’t know much about J. T. Ongley. He was an associate of Wendell’s atleast to the degree that he and C. F. Sweet attended the Rochester “TimeConference,” a debate between Whitmore and Barker over the propriety of datesetting, in July 1872. This is noted in Jonas Wendell’s obituary writtenby Stetson and published in the September 10, 1873, issue of World’s Crisis.
In February 1875 he was in Buffalo, New York, preaching at The ChristianAdvent Church.
The 1861 Canadian Census lists a William Ongley as living in Ontario. Hisreligion is listed as Adventist. There may be a relationship.
At this point I believe he was John Thomas Ongley, born in New Yorkin 1840 and died in 1910. There is another John Thomas Ongley born in Englandand a resident of Pennyslvania. While the Pennsylvania residence draws oneto his name, the dates seem wrong. I’ve not been able to pin them down firmly,so this is not decisive.
Got it wrong. But such is the track of new research. Try this:
History of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, Published ByWarner, Beers& Co., Chicago 1885:
In the town of Little Cooley, Pennsylvania "The 'Church of God,' an Adventcongregation, was organized with three members in 1855, by Elder CharlesCrawford. John Root, Alva S. Gehr and Mr. Bush were early members. The societyhas no church edifice, but meets in a schoolhouse in the northwest part ofthe township in winter, and in the grove, " God's first temple," in summer.Elder John T. Ongley, of Bloomfield Township, is the present pastor."
He was born June 6, 1820 in Sussex, England and christened at the WesleyanMethodist, Hastings, Sussex, England. He was married in Cayuga, New York.Still alive in 1910 and living in Crawford County, Pennyslvania.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Dr. Charles C. Barker
Barker was a dentist from Meriden, Connecticut. He published The Watchman's Cry, the principal voice of the 1873 movement. He compiled Hymns of the Morning. An abreviated version of it, first published by Seargant, was republished by Barbaour and sold through the Herald of the Morning office.
Rough Draft
This page draws many visitors. Be aware that is out of date and that more complete information is found in Volume 1 of Separate Identity. Purchase it from lulu.com
People continue to build their research off the seriously out of date material once found here. Because this post was seriously dated research, I've deleted it. I do not want to mislead anyone. Current and best research is found in Separate Identity, Volume 1, which please see.
People continue to build their research off the seriously out of date material once found here. Because this post was seriously dated research, I've deleted it. I do not want to mislead anyone. Current and best research is found in Separate Identity, Volume 1, which please see.
