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Author: mwrankins2006
Surnames: Roach
Classification: queries
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http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.indiana.counties...
Message Board Post:
The following is taken from pages 279 & 280 of Goodspeed brothers 1884 "History
of Greene & Sullivan Counties..."
" THE-OLD-TIME PREACHERS.
John O'Neal was a Quaker, and preached many of the early sermons in the township, He
was a man of strong personal magnetism, and possessed a rude eloquence which found its way
to the hearts of hundreds of his neighbors. The Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith, the founder
of a religion which has become strong in the land in more meanings than one, and which is
yet destined to cause serious trouble in the affairs of the nation, was one of the early
preachers of Cass Township. He endeavored to secure proselytes to his faith, but so far as
known did not succeed in Cass Township. One wife was enough. The people, though rude,
ignorant
and impulsive, could not accept Joseph Smith as the Prophet of God or his Bible as the
work of divine inspiration. So the famous or infamous Joe sought other and greener
pastures. He is said to have been a speaker of unusual power and persuasion. Joe Wilson
was another early minister; so was William Plusky, and Ephraim Hall, and John Lynn, and
John Wilson, and William Roach, the latter being a resident
of Daviess County and a man of gigantic stature and stentorian voice. He was well
advanced in years, and is said to have been six feet and seven inches high, and big and
heavy in proportion. His voice was like a deep-toned steamboat whistle, and could often be
heard at camp meetings
two miles away. He wore number fourteen boots, which were prepared expressly for him, at
Louisville, KY., but these were really too small for him, and he was forced to wear
moccasins made, it is said, by himself. The extraordinary size of his feet, however, did
not affect the vigor or
pathos of his sermons."
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