Memoirs of John Adams Dix; comp. by his son, Morgan Dix.

310

MEMOIRS OF JOHN ADAMS DIX.

The year 1857 was one of varied interest in the present history. I shall first mention the attack on Trinity Church during the session of the Legislature in the beginning of that year,
in connection with a statement of the service rendered to the
Corporation by my father at that time. But here it may be
proper to state the leading facts in his history as a member
of the Episcopal Church. Born of a Puritan stock, and
brought up under Congregational influences, he has given
us in his autobiography the story of his early sentiments on
the subject of religion. The questions of man's relation to
Almighty God, and the duties consequent upon it, were ever
regarded by my father as of the utmost importance. That
this was his habit of mind is evident from the fact that, at
an age when the thoughts are little inclined to turn seriously to the subject of religion, he asked to be baptized into the
Church. He was about twenty years of age, and stationed at
Fort Constitution, Portsmouth, N. H., when he received the
first of those great sacraments ordained by our Lord Jesus
Christ for the salvation of the souls of men. The record is
in the register of baptisms in St. John's Church, Portsmouth,
of which the Rev. Charles Burroughs was Rector:
"John Adams Dix, an adult, aged 20. Samuel Larkin, Esq., Timothy
Upham, Esq., and Mr. Samuel E. Watson were his chosen witnesses."
The date was July 19, 1818.
From that day my father remained a staunch and exemplary member of the Church to whose fold he was then admitted. He was prominent in the congregation of St. Peter's, Albany, as I have already related. He received his
first communion in the English Chapel, outside the Porta
del Popolo, at Rome, during our residence in that city in
the winter of 1843-'44, and he was always a regular and
frequent partaker of that holy sacrament to the very end
of his life on earth.
On the 12th of November, 1849, General Dix was elected a member of the Vestry of the parish of Trinity Church,