Abel Stevens and Nathan Bangs on the
first day of the camp-meeting
Stevens Life and Times of Nathan Bangs 151
Its announcement
[of the camp-meeting] beforehand excited great interest far and near. Whole
families prepared for a pilgrimage to the ground.
Processions of wagons and of foot passengers wended along
the highways. With two of his fellow-evangelists [Henry Ryan
and William Case], our itinerant [Nathan Bangs] had to take
his course from a remote appointment [Oswegatchie] through a
range of forest thirty miles in extent. They hastened
forward, conversing on religious themes, praying or singing,
and eager with expectation of the moral battle-scene about
to open. They arrived in time to commence the meeting on the
27th of September, though only about two hundred and fifty
people had yet reached the ground. "The exercises began with
singing, prayer, and a short sermon on the text 'Brethren,
pray.' Several exhortations followed, and after an
intermission of about twenty minutes another sermon was
delivered on 'Christ, our wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption.' Some lively exhortations
again followed, and the spirit of the Lord seemed to move
among the people. After an interruption of an hour and a
half a prayer-meeting was held, and towards its close the
power of God descended on the assembly, and songs of victory
and praise resounded through the forest. The battle thus
opened, the exercises continued with preaching, exhorting,
and singing, until midnight, when the people retired to
their booths. The night was clear and serene, and the scene
being new to us, a peculiar solemnity rested upon all minds.
The lights glowing among the trees and above the tents, and
the voice of prayer and praise mingling and ascending into
the star-lit night, altogether inspired the heart with
emotions better felt than described. During the day six
persons passed from death to life.