“‘Special Orders No. 252.]
“‘Special Orders No. 252.]
“‘Special Orders No. 252.]
“‘Special Orders No. 252.]
“‘I. Dr. H. W. Pitman, David Nowlin and B. H.Spencer, citizens of Montgomery county, Missouri, heretofore banished to Indiana, to remain there during the war, are permitted to remain in any part of the United States, outside of the limits of this Department. They will report their places of residence the first of each month during the war to the Provost-Marshal General of this Department.
“‘By command of Major-General Schofield.
“‘Wm. W. Eno, Ass’t Adj’t-Gen’l.
“‘B. H. Spencer, per Maj. Dunn.’
“The foregoing facts and documents are a mere tithing of what might be given to the same effect, and go to show most clearly that I was persecuted in various ways, and banished from my helpless family for ten long months, for no higher andno other crimethan that I was aSouthern Methodist preacher!
“The following is a mere sample of numerous other indictments against me for preaching without taking the Missouritest oath:
“‘Know all men, by these presents, that we, B. H. Spencer, as principal, and Thomas Kemble and A. Bigelow, as securities, are held and firmly bound unto the State of Missouri in the sum of one thousand dollars, the payment whereof, well and truly to be made, we bind ourselves, our heirs, administrators and executors, firmly by these presents. The conditions of the above bond are, that whereas B. H. Spencer has been indicted by the Grand Jury of Montgomery county for preaching without taking the oath; Now, if the said B. H. Spencer shall personally appear before the Judge of our CircuitCourt on the first day of the next term of said Court, said term of said Court to be held at the court house in the town of Danville, in and for said county, on the fourth Monday of next May, and answer to said indictment, and not depart therefrom without the leave of said Court, then said bond to be void, otherwise to remain in full force and effect. Witness our signatures this the 18th day of May, A. D. 1866.
“‘B. H. Spencer,“‘Thomas Kemble,“‘Abner Bigelow.’
“‘B. H. Spencer,“‘Thomas Kemble,“‘Abner Bigelow.’
“‘B. H. Spencer,“‘Thomas Kemble,“‘Abner Bigelow.’
“‘B. H. Spencer,
“‘Thomas Kemble,
“‘Abner Bigelow.’
“My refusing to take this oath was not the result of an unwillingness to obey the constitution and laws of the State of Missouri, for I had already taken the ‘Convention oath,’ the ‘Halleck oath’ and the ‘Rosecrans oath,’ and had sworn fealty to the State as often, and in as many ways asreason,conscienceandloyaltywould allow. And hence, when civil authority came between me and my Divine Master, and virtually said,I will allow you to obey your Master if you will swear fealty to me first, I believed it to bewickedthus to surrender the claims of Christ to the demands of Cæsar, and resolved, at the hazard of fines and imprisonments, yea, even of life itself, that I would refuse compliance with this unrighteous requirement. I believed they had as much right to saywhat should be preachedas to saywho should preach it! Hence I refused, and numerous indictments were the result.
“Having scarcely commenced the recital of my persecutions as a Southern Methodist preacher, I find this article already too long, and therefore close, with the kindest wishes for all my persecutors, and an earnest prayer for their salvation.
“I am, truly and fraternally,“B. H. Spencer.”
“I am, truly and fraternally,“B. H. Spencer.”
“I am, truly and fraternally,“B. H. Spencer.”
“I am, truly and fraternally,
“B. H. Spencer.”