Presbyterianism on the Frontiers [pp. 445-469]

450 Presbyterianism on the Frontiers. [July,
of the same kind in Western Pennsylvania, under the labors of
the Rev. Joseph Smith, the Rev. John McMillan, and others."
He adds a remark concerning the Scotch Presbyterians of the
Valley of the Virginia, which no doubt expressed a similar
feeling among the Scotch Presbyterians in "the Redstone
country." The remark was this, "the general impression was
that these religious commotions would pass away like the
morning cloud." The fear was proved to be groundless, as
applying to Western Pennsylvania. The religious history of
this region has been very remarkable. There is no part of the
history of Presbyterianism on the frontier more so. In November, I758, the Rev. Charles Beatty preached the first
Protestant sermon west of the Alleghenies within the walls of
Fort Pitt. The mission of Beatty and Brainard in I763 to the
"distressed frontier inhabitants" in that region, had been prevented by the renewal of savage hostilities on such a scale
that west of Shippensburg every building was burned, many
people were murdered, and many perished in the flight. Dr.
Wing speaks of the panic among the people as "one of extraordinary extent and intensity." The people "fled almost
in a body over the mountains toward Laincaster." (Wing's
Discourse on Presbyteries of Donegal and Carlisle I6, Cen.
Mem., West Penn., 209.) The author of "Old Redstone"
describes the pitiable condition of those who found refuge at
Shippensburg.
Although a Mr. Anderson, soon after Mr. Beatty's visitprobably in I767-was directed to preach to the people in this
region, and the Presbytery of Donegal was ordered by the
Synod "to supply the western frontier with ten Sabbaths of
ministerial labor," yet Dr. Eaton asserts that "the first of the
pioneer ministers who visited this region," to prepare the way
for a permanent settlement, " was the Rev. James Finley, in
177I. The Rev. James Powers made his first visit in 1774, and
in I776 removed his family. (Cen. Mem., West Penn., 209,
Sprague III, 327.)
In I775 the Rev. John McMillan, one of the most remarkable of our pioneer preachers, made his first visit to the Redstone country. In I 776 he was ordained at Chambersburg, but
on account of the hostility of the Indians did not remove his
family until 1778; but during the intervening period he him