The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 17, July 1913 - April, 1914 Page: 292
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The Southwestern Historical Quarterly
skinned and stewed; and, then, another night ,and beans again
for breakfast, and then a silver dollar to pay for my entertainment,
and, then, I got away.
Rockville, Ind., July 2nd, 1878.
The Church in Houston.18-I commenced my ministry in Hous-
ton, in March, 1838. There was then no church organization in
the place, although they counted the population at two thousand.
Congress met in April, in adjourned session. Rev. W. W. Hall, the
Chaplain of the Senate, had left the Republic and returned to
Kentucky. I was chosen in his place. Rev. Littleton Fowler,
Chaplain of the Lower House, was in attendance, but was sick most
of the time, so that I had to do most of the praying for both
Houses, and nearly all of the preaching. After Congress ad-
journed in May, Mr. Fowler returned to the Red Lands, and I was
the only minister within a hundred miles of the coast, until No-
vember following. Then, I was Chaplain again to the Lower
House, and Rev. John McCullough, in the Senate, of the Second
[Third] Congress. After Congress adjourned, in the spring of
1839, Mr. McCullough went to Galveston, and I remained in
Houston. After laboring about a year in Houston, I organized the
Presbyterian church of Houston, consisting of ten members. James
Burke was chosen ruling elder and installed. He had been an
elder in Mississippi. We had a communion, in which about fifteen
persons participated-one or two Baptists, one or two Methodists
and at least one Episcopalian, Mrs. Fairfax Gray, an excellent
Christian woman. To me. it was a most interesting occasion. It
was the first communion I ever conducted. It was a "day of small
things" for the Church in Houston. It was the third Presbyterian
church organized in the Republic. The little band soon set about
the building of a house of worship.. The work went on until Jan-
uary, 1841, when, to secure aid to finish the building, I went to
Kentucky, and during the following spring and summer I raised
about six hundred dollars, which enabled the brethren to complete
the house, which I dedicated the following winter, the last of my
four years work in Texas. During which time, I had spent about
$500.00 which I had taken with me. I had no salary except as
Chaplain to Congress. When I left to beg money for the church,'"Texas Presbyterian, III, No. 21. July 19, 1878.
292
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 17, July 1913 - April, 1914, periodical, 1914; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101061/m1/296/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.