Terrebonne County Louisiana Archives News.....Fifty Years Ago No. 16 May 30, 1891
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The Thibodaux Sentinel May 30, 1891
In 1840 3 some people in the Northern and Western States made up their minds to 
go direct to Heaven without the trouble of calling in the aid of Physicians to 
open the gates that led down into the valley of shadow of Death.

Whether that idea prevailed to any extent in the Southern States, I do not know 
but such heresies and foolishness never did flourish in that section of country.

Our Miller who lived, I believe, in Massachusetts, made a calculation from 
various dates in the old Testament, that this world must come to an end sometime 
in May 1843. The question was discussed freely for several years. The advocates 
of the Millerite theory, who were known at that date under the title of 
Millerites, used the pulpit of many churches for the advocacy of their theories.

I remember one preacher who had a large drawing of a tree, with many branches, 
that he used to illustrate his theory with, and prove his expertness in the 
solution of abstruse Mathematical problems.

On the trunk of this tree were the figures 1843. Each branch, extending upward, 
had the name of some important fact, date or prophecy concerning things that 
happened three or four thousand years ago.

The speaker with his gold headed walking cane would point out these dates, and 
commencing his calculation would come down one branch, and then another and 
another, illustrating and strengthening his argument by quotations from the Old 
Testament, and show how time was coming to an end, until they would all center 
down into A.D. 1843 with an exactness that would make the hair of an innocent 
youth stand on end, or astonish the genius of a modern politician tooting up 
election returns.

The skill in these calculations consisted in making “days” in certain places 
mean “years”: in causing “weeks” to become simply “days” and so on. And when 
there appeared any difficulty to make the length of time dovetail together 
nicely, they would quote Daniel’s “Time and Times and the dividing of Time” 
which Time they would, by an easy process of Mathematical expertness make just 
large enough to occupy the distance require to make a nice fit with the other 
calculations and bring every prophecy down to May, 1843, with that simplicity 
peculiar to figures, and demonstrating beyond all shadow of doubt that oft 
repeated quotations that “figures do not lie.” 

This doctrine had many adherents, and constant agitation had created an idea 
that it might be a true one, among many people who did not put much faith in the 
theory.

But there were others who were firmly convinced that the world would be 
destroyed on a certain fixed day in May (the tenth, I believe) 1843 and proved 
by their actions the sincerity of their belief.

I knew an old neighbor, a soldier of the Indian wars, who ceased to do any 
Agricultural work after January 1, 1843, and who actually cut down and used for 
firewood during the winter, a fine orchard of apple and peach trees. 

And there were others in the same county who declined to plow their land or make 
any preparations for the planting of their usual crops. Many of them prepared 
white robes for that day so as not to be taken unawares and thrown among the 
Angels in dark gowns; there was an instance, I heard of within a few miles from 
my home, of three women who were clothed in their white robes, and seated on 
their door steps, by sunrise, awaiting their translation to another home, which 
they expected to reach in time for breakfast, whether that repast was to be hot 
or cold, I have forgotten.

The Millerite orators, finding their Mathematics at fault, tried to make it 
appear, and again by figures proved, that they committed a slight error, but the 
faith of their followers was staggered, and could not be maintained by any new 
calculations. Yet, in 1875, I heard a preacher, in that same church, arguing 
incidentally that this world could not exist more than eight years at the most, 
and I could not help but wonder whether the foolkiller ever would pass that way 
and do his duty. 

After I had written the above, an article explaining the doctrines and ideas of 
Miller, together with a sketch of his labors in the propagation of his faith, 
appeared in the papers, which can be found on another page of the Sentinel. 
Whilst it is difficult for one, at this day, to believe that such things could 
have prevailed at any time, there is no fancy coloring to the sketch. The facts 
and histories fully sustain everything contained in that article.

The Millerites were not extremely illiterate or ignorant, but there were able 
speakers who advocated that dogma in their pulpit, men who were however led 
astray by the delusive coloring given to some of the prophecies and the 
Revelations of St. John.


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