August 16, 1804 — to Zachariah Myles

Here is another letter to Zachary Myles. Again Asbury is

concerned with British affairs. He is concerned with incorrect reports of his activities during the period of the Revolution when he was in Delaware and confined to that state.

[PERRY HALL, MARYLAND]¹

August 16, 1804

[TO ZACHARIAH MYLES]²

My dear Brother:

May grace and peace attend thee and thine. I present you our minutes for the present year; as you are pleased to accommodate me with British papers. God has done great, very great things for us this year; we are able to extend our ministry to the very utmost bounds of the empire of the United States; and the Canadian provinces. 9000 net increase, besides the filling up all the deficiency of deaths, expulsions, removals, by emigrations from east to west. By our people going into remote, and solitary places, where the settlements are very small; we may upon a consideration, of the mortality of this year, I judge, have added not far if any short of 20,000. At our New England Conference held far east in the District of Maine, we had near 50 souls professed converting grace and many quickened and awakened. We are boring forward. Camp meetings in the State of Jersey and New York to commence next month, we hope hundreds will be converted at quarter meetings and thousands this year.

I have observed an error in Mr. Atmore’s³ performance of my concealment in the State of Delaware, that was at Judge White’s, whose son is now Senator in Congress. It is a mistake. I had access to the house of Governors Rodney, and Bassett, and Dr. Magaws. I went where I thought fit in every part of the state, frequently lodged in the houses of very reputable people of the world and we had a great work. I think near 1800 were added in that state during my stay, about 20 months. I suppose Dr. Coke received some misinformation as he was hasty, notwithstanding I took no state oath first, or last, no man molested me.

I have taken the number of local preachers all but the Western Conference. I suppose this number and names will be about 2000 and 1000 exhorters. These will supply the travelling connection, not merely with boys but good and able experienced men. We have, you will see, near 400 travellers.⁴ I have sent two copies, one for your brother⁵ and another for yourself. I am late returned from a visit through Delaware, Pennsylvania, [New] Jersey, New York, and all the Eastern States; Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, the District of Maine, and Vermont. It has cost me the —— of 1350 miles from and back to Baltimore. I am now faring for about 800 miles to the Conference in Kentucky, as you will see next October; at Mount Gerezim. Kentucky, which was a few years a dangerous frontier, is the centre of the western front of our empire where we behold a second part of the new world. I am affectionately yours as formerly,

F. ASBURY

Drew University Library