The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 43, July 1939 - April, 1940 Page: 337
576 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Autobiography of Andrew Davis
versation about the frontier, my past life, and all the rough scenes
through which I had passed.
THE MYSTERY OF A TEXAS CAMP MEETING
When we were nearing our destination, Uncle Abb said to me,
"John and Matilda are not at home; they are at the camp meet-
ing. Some of the servants are at home. We will stay at home
tonight and go out to the camp ground in the morning." The
term "camp ground" I did not understand. I had known a great
deal about a common camp life, and also about military encamp-
ments, but had never heard the word used in that way. It was
impossible for me to eliminate from my mind the idea of mili-
tary. I had never been to any religious encampment; in fact, up
to that day I had never seen any kind of religious services, nor
had any person ever in a serious way talked to me on the sub-
ject of religion. You can, therefore, well imagine my bewilder-
ment over this word "camp-meeting."
Next morning we started for the camp ground (Uncle Abb said
12 or 15 miles from John's out there). We passed through Clarks-
ville-it had grown wonderfully in the past three or four years.
But on we went at slow pace until near 11 o'clock a. m. Uncle
Abb said we would soon be there. We were in a post oak timber.
I began to look out for camps. Sure enough, directly the camp
began to come in view. "Yes," said I to myself, "there is trouble
here." Here, there, and everywhere in all directions, covering a
large space of ground, were the white tents and covered wagons.
There were a large number of horses, mules and oxen tied about
all the tents. There were great numbers of people, men and
women, at the tents and moving about over the grounds.
Uncle Abb drove up among the tents and got out, and, after
hitching his horse, said, "That's John in the pulpit now." I don't
think that I had ever heard the word "pulpit" used before. And
the whole thing (to me) assuming the appearance of a military
gathering, or encampment, what kind of an addition a pulpit
could be was a great mystery to me.
Just as these reflections were passing through my mind, Uncle
Abb said, "Let us go on up to the stand." As he said that, he
started on, I moving in slow, reluctant manner. When we arrived
in about fifty yards of the stand (as Uncle Abb called it), I saw337
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 43, July 1939 - April, 1940, periodical, 1940; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101111/m1/361/: accessed May 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.