LICKING COUNTY OHIO - Recollections of a 19th Century Preacher
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
Joe Bradley
InstrMechE@aol.com
Licking County Ohio USGenWeb Registry Page
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohlickin/index.html
March 14, 1997
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Recollections of a 19th Century Preacher

Contributed by Joe Bradley, the
g-g-granson of the author, on 14 March, 1997.
This was written by George Deuel Potter, and published in a book by him
in 1905. Mr. Potter was 80 years old when this was published; he died in
1908. The Bradley family knows of one copy of this book.

I was born December 28th, 1825, in the town of Hartford, Licking County,
Ohio. By my earliest recollections, we lived on a farm in the backwoods
and I remember seeing large flocks of wild turkeys crossing our field. Deer
frequently came in sight of our cabin, also, as I well remember. One day
a large grey wolf came into the dooryard, and was cracking some bones which
had been cleared from the table. I, thinking it a neighbor's dog, struck
it with a stick. It growled and snapped at me. I was frightened and yelled.
As my mother lay sick in bed, the hired girl came to the door, and she being
frightened, screamed. Father, alarmed, came running from his work in the
clearing, but on his approach the wolf ran away. I remember hearing him
say, "It is a wonder that it did not kill the child".

My parents were both of English extraction. My great grandfather, William
Potter, was born in England in 1730, came to America when a young man and
married a young woman name Nancy Davis. They both died of the plague in
Baltimore in 1780. My grandfather, William Potter, was 1767, and died in
Jackson County, Ia., June 14th, 1853.

My grandmother was born in Queenstown, Queen Anne County, Md., April
28th, 1777, and died in Jones County, Iowa, October 24th, 1865, Her maiden
name was Rachel Horner. My father, Nathan Potter, was born October 29th,
1795, in Baltimore, Md., and died in Jones County, Iowa, August 3rd, 1879.
He was a soldier in the war of 1812; served two terms, first by enlistment
and then as a substitute. He was a pensioner in his old age, at six dollars
a month. My mother, whose maiden name was Fanny Deuel, was born in Greenfield,
Saratoga County, New York State, October 5th, 1805, and died in Hartford,
Ohio, June 1st, 1832. Her ancestry extends back to the landing of the Mayflower
in 1620. My mother's death seemed a great calamity to me and I mourned her
loss for years. I was in my seventh year when she died.

My parents were both godly, taking turns in leading family worship, the
whole family kneeling in prayer and concluding by rising to sing. I was
the middle one of five children, two sisters older, and a brother and a
sister younger. I am the only surviving member of that little group that
gathered around our frugal board in that one-room home. It seems but yesterday
when looking back to the times when we joined in our innocent childish sports
and gleeful mirth. Blessed, happy, golden days, untarnished by guile of
riper years and unalloyed by worldly cares; days never to return; and so
my course is on and upward.

  Shall we meet beyond the river
  Where the surges cease to roll,
  Where in all the bright forever
  Sorrow ne'er shall press the soul?
  Faith answer, yes, 
  and Hope responds, we surely shall.
  
I have five half brothers and three half sisters yet living whom I love
dearly. After my mother's death I was taken to grandfather's, which was
my home for over three years. At that time my father married and I was taken
home again to live. My grandparents were kind to me, but firm in their discipline,
making no false promises nor threatenings either. Our parents had taught
us to be obedient, truthful and mannerly. And so now it was easy for me
to obey orders and I seldom incurred their displeasure. They were pious
and attended to family worship regularly. In their devotions they sang as
well as prayed. On the first evening when they sang I wept, and when they
asked why I cried I answered, "Because mamma is dead and I can never
hear her sing again." Grandfather said, "She sings a new song
now." I did not understand his meaning at the time, and so afterward
I went to the cemetery, which was near by, expecting to hear her sing, but
was disappointed. Then they told me she was up in heaven where we would
go when we died, if we were good. I then said "I don't never want to
die." I was then told that we must all die; which made me feel sad.
One day, while lying on the lawn viewing slowly moving clouds, I fancied
that I saw her in the clouds in her blue dress, and went and told grandmother.
She then said my mamma was dressed in white and lived in God's house, bade
me to be a good boy and I would go to her some time. I then resolved to
be good, which I supposed consisted in obedience, good manners and truthfulness.

One day I said to a playmate, "I would not tell a lie for a hundred
dollars, would you?" She replied that she would for that amount, saying
that God could forgive her for one lie. That was a novel thought to me and
I remember pondering and querying over it. I was not at the time a conscious
sinner and did not know the penalty of sin nor the condition of pardon at
the time.

Grandfather's house was a stopping place for the preacher, where the
weary itinerent always found a hearty welcome. When I was in my eighth year
I was sent to open the gate for the departing itinerant, who was on horseback,
when he put his hand on my head, uttering some words of prayer for me. I
never shall forget the indescribable feelings of my heart, which was filled
with emotions of tenderness and love. And my heart clave unto him as David's
did to that of Jonathan. No other's hands were ever laid on my head, although
I have been doing evangelistic work for over fifty years as a layman.

In my boyhood days I was powerfully wrought upon by the Holy Spirit under
the preaching of God's word. In social meetings I was often so blessed with
feelings of love that I could hardly keep still and often wished the class-leader
would call on me to testify, which I now think would have proved a great
blessing to my soul. And here let me say that I never doubted the reality
of religion or the truth and inspiration of the Bible in my life, not even
before my conversion and regeneration by the Holy Ghost, and I attribute
my early convictions to the consistency and uprightness of life in our home.

But coming West at the age of sixteen, with an uncle who was not a professor
of religion at that time, and there being no religious meetings for a time,
I fell in with worldly associates, which was cause for remorse and repentance.
But after a time the itinerant came and held meetings, which I attended
and sought God in the pardon of my sins and was restored to God's favor.
I there renounced my worldliness and Christ came into my heart by His Holy
Spirit and became exceedingly precious to my soul, which filled me with
love to everybody and gave me a longing desire for the salvation of precious
blood-bought souls. I saw the way of salvation through the atoning merit
of Christ. I longed to tell it to all mankind but was hindered by the lack
of a collegiate course of training, which I deeply felt the need of and
I thirsted greatly for it. But not seeing my way clear in that direction,
I betook me to the reading of God's word and was soon convinced of the need
of a deeper work of grace. And nothing can exceed the longing of my soul
I had for entire heart purity. Some seemingly good people opposed me. But
the truth had found a place in my heart. And I desired it more than life
itself. When God gave me this grreat blessing of perfect love I found it
was what I needed to give me potency in the work (the enduement of power
from on high). But let me here say the idols of my heart were willingly
torn away (habits and everything) and that forever. I now found my usefulness
greatly increased and was enabled to go on with greater freedom and power
and it became more than my meat to go from place to place to declare the
glad tidings of salvation through Christ Jesus.

The Lord has gone with me and has blest and crowned my labors with success
where others had failed, even though they possessed advantages which were
denied me. Besides doing evangelistic work I have preached as a supply quite
frequently, and always with more or less success, because I leanded hard
on God. I am or ought to be pretty well suited to pioneer life. I was born
in the backwoods of Ohio in 1825. I came to the then new territory of Iowa
in 1842, where I lived with an uncle in those wilds until I was twentyone.
I then married and settled down until 1854. We then moved to the frontier
to Blackhawk county, where we lived one year and where we had sickness.
There death entered our home and took our darling Alvina, a bright little
girl, aged two and a half years. This was a hard stroke. We then, in 1855,
came to the territory of Minnesota, settling on the outskirts of civilization,
in Rice county. Here we found a niche into which I seemed to fit. Traveled
and preached three times each Sunday, with appointments from six to fifteen
miles apart. I also attended many camp meetings where I was blest and was
made a lessing to many; for God sent a revival with me everywhere I went.
Here I labored till after the Indian outbreak, at which time we moved to
Waseca county, where I served as a supply under Elder A. G. Perkins. We
removed from there in 1864 to McLeod county. Here a vast field opened up
to me and I labored exceedingly until 1871, at which time I moved to Renville
county. Here, as in all other places we found a large field for usefulness.
In a short time six preaching places were established and, with the assistance
of Brother Alva Kennedy, of blessed memory, as many classes were organized
in as many communities. As the country was settled our field of labor expanded,
so that I had to preach from three to four times on Sunday, and often on
week day evenings also, in order the feed the little flocks gathered into
the Saviour's fold. Let no one think that this work was irksome to me. Far
from being a task or burden, it was my delight and glory even more than
my meat and drink, to cheer and encourage the disciples and call sinners
to repentance. I am now in my eightieth year and infirmities are weighing
upon me. But stil life seems to short for the work which I love and to be
laid on the shelf is the hardest thing I have known.

Hope you find this interesting. I would appreciate
any information on the Potters or Deuel's that is available.

Joe Bradley