This was one of a series of letters published in "The Civil War Letters of Private David McLain, Co. C, 8^th Wisconsin Volunteer Army" and transcribed by Malcolm Michael McLain (my 2^nd cousin).  I believe the original letters may have been donated to the Madison Veterans Museum.  This "Book of Letters" may be available by the WI inter-library loan.  David was my Great-Grandfather and Samuel was his brother and a Methodist Minister Circuit Rider. I did learn that he was also the first paid minister ($500/year) of the Loyal United Methodist Church (1871), but they have no documents (pictures, writings, etc.) other than that fact.

 

The letter references a Brother Bushnell (presumably another Methodist Minister Circuit Rider) and S. E. Honeywell of Neillsville (his spelling). If any of your readers know the Bushnell’s or Honeywell’s and have access to their records during this time-period I would be anxious to learn anything about the Rev. Samuel E. (Edward) McLain. Sammy (b: 1849, New Brunswick), as he was called by his friends, died in 1890 of TB complicated by the Russian Influenza and is buried in the Forest Hill Cemetery in Chippewa Falls. Florence and Sammy had two sons, Edwin and Earl F (might actually have been Francis Earl). Florence (b; 1853, d: 1932) remarried in 1893 to James Vrooman (b: 1836, d: 1895) and relocated to Lakeville, Dakota, MN where she is buried with James. I have traced her parents to Pepin County.

Samuel died January 4, 1890 (Death certificate) of  consumption following an acute attack of Pleursy-pneumonia in Chippewa Falls, Chippewa Co., Wisconsin.  Consumption was the old for TB (tuberculosis).  I’ve learned that the Russian (Asiatic) Influenza hit the Wisconsin area late 1889-early 1890, moving from the east. Pleura-pneumonia was one of the complications. I suspect that Sammy contracted TB during his visit to the logging camps, and that the Flu complicated his deteriorating condition. Incidentally, the death certificate lists his occupation as Dealer in Musical Instruments.

 

Memory of Reverend S. E. McLain

 

Samuel E. Mclain was born in the Province of New Brunswick, April 4th, 1849. His parents, who are still living, are of Irish birth and Scottish descent, and are living in the hope of soon seeing their son who is not lost, but gone before. In 1850 they moved to Genesee, Waukesha County, Wisconsin where they stayed until 1856, when they went to Dunn, in Dunn County.

 

Sammy (for that was the name he was best known by) spent his boyhood days at Louisville, near Menominee, and by his splendid traits of character won friends that continue true till death. He worked in his father's farm for some time, until in July, 1868 the Methodist's held their camp meeting at Louisville, where Sammy was soundly converted. I have heard his brother ministers and friends speak of his conversion. It was a long struggle for light, continued till midnight, succeeded by a brilliant victory over sin and Satan. Everybody said "God bless Sammy McLain". He soon manifested a remarkable talent for public speaking, and the Methodism, true to her instincts, soon found employment for the young Christian.

 

In 1869, being 20 years of age, he received his first license to preach, and after preaching at various points, when called upon, he was appointed to Loyola, in Clark County, in 1871, under the presiding elder, Brother Reynolds. Just before his appointment to Loyola he was married, July 1871, to Florence A. Conway, who continued to be his faithful [aide] in the glorious work of preaching the Gospel. After one year's service at Loyola having been admitted into the West Wisconsin conference, he was appointed to Fairchild, in 1871 (then known as the Osseo circuit), where he labored until the next conference, when he was sent to Wheaton, on the Eau Claire circuit. Here he labored with marked success for the full term of 3 years, when he was sent to Edison, at the conference of 1876. He was ordained Deacon by the Bishop Ames in 1874, Elder by Bishop Bowman in 1876. After his appointment to Edison, his health failed with bleeding at the lungs, and in the year 1877 he was located. The rest of the year seemed to do him good, and he was made effective at the conference of 1878, and was sent back to his old field of labor at Wheaton, on the Eau Claire circuit, where he was warmly welcomed by his old friends. At the conference of 1879 he was obliged once more to locate, and did so for 3 years, but after conference was induced to supply two points on his old work at Wheaton, which he did successfully, but his throat gradually failing him, he was obliged to relinquish forever the work so dear to his heart. Since that time he was a resident of Chippewa FaIls until the time of his decease.

 

On September 19th, 1888 he was received in probation in this church by Brother W. R. Irish (he having previously withdrawn from the church at his own request and surrendered his parchments to the annual conference) and on May 12th, of the last year (1889) was received into full membership by Brother H. E. Beeks, and at the conference of the last year held in Sparta, presiding Elder Bradford moved that the parchments be restored, which was promptly seconded--one good brother shouting "God bless you Brother McLain," and by the unanimous vote of the conference those pieces of sheepskin so dear to Brother Mclain were forwarded to him. They were framed and placed in his bedroom and oh how many times he has called my attention to them, his eyes filling with tears as he exclaimed, "I always knew that the Methodist Church was not a slaughterhouse, but a hospital."

 

His work as a minister was most successful, and many have been led to a newer better life through his instrumentality. For more than 3 months the writer has been a constant visitor at the home of Brother McLain, most of the time going once every day and during that time he learned to love his brother and was blessed at his spiritual life by contact with him. At first the writer made an effort to remember all the good things he would say for Brother Mclain had a wonderful original mind, but they came so fast that he gave up.

Some of his thoughts as he gave expression to them in the full light of an anticipated departure, are worthy of enumeration: "Oh, Brother Wright, if it should please the Lord to spare me wouldn't I like to help you: be a steward or class leader? All of the Methodist preachers will tell you that I never stood in their way," and now we knew this to be true a steward declaring that he never saw his equals. He would impress all who gave anything for the support of the Gospel with the idea that the church was not an objective of charity but it was a duty and a pleasure to give. At another time "Oh, when I get to heaven won't it do me good to see some of those grand old men who fought the good fight! How I shall like to take the hand of John Wesley and Phillip Doddridge and Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley in Woodfield and good old Martin Luther who endured so much for the master," and the evening after Brother McLain died our imagination pictured the whole scene of greeting those old heroes and scores of others whose memories he had learned to revere when on this earth. He was a great admirer of Phillip Doddridge, and he delighted in quoting his hymn (Number 1, 034 in the Methodist Hymnal), "Ye golden lamps of heaven farewell". One time he said to me, "did you ever notice the difference between Watt and Wesley's religious experience?  Watt saying 'could I but stand where Moses stood, and view the landscape oh, oh! err, etc. aspiring to Mt. Pisgah, but not having reached it, while Wesley triumphantly exclaimed: 'the Promised Land from Pisgah's top I now exalt the sea, my hope is full, oh glorious hope of mortality."

 

We visited him one afternoon shortly before his death and found him a little low spirited.

 

The devil had been doing his best, throwing up everything to discourage him. I read a selection from "Daniel Quorum and His Religious Notations," commenting on John the Baptist in his message to Jesus from prison "art thou he that should come or look we for another?" This was the greatest temptation to John, but he took his doubts to Jesus, and so Brother McLain was invited to do the same and he did. The result was, he found Christ willing to bear his burden of doubt as well as of sin. We reminded him that he had done some good in his day and God would not forget that. "Oh, well," he said, "I haven't done much" just at that time a young man was brought into his room and after exchanging a few words sat down. The tears begin to flow freely and he wondered what the young man meant by such a demonstration. We, however, continued the conversation and told Brother McLain not to get blue, as God had most certainly used him, and we knew it. He was just commencing to say something depreciatory of self, when the young man burst out crying and turning to the writer said, "'yes, he was the means of my conversion." The help came opportunately, and Brother McLain exclaimed "it does me good to hear that brother." For a week before he died there ministered to him one who had been converted under his ministry, and she can never forget the example of his holy life." The judgment day alone will reveal the results of Brother McLain's life work in winning souls, "and they that shall be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever."  In his work at Kaddot, a gracious revival broke out and so great was the influence that the place where the saloons and dancing parties were once the rage, became the useless appendages to the society, and the remark was made by one of Satan's emissaries "We have nothing to do here, since they sent that Methodist preacher McLain among us."

 

We can not tell all we know of his hopes, or space for bids, but we know enough to be assured that he is better off. He passed to his reward in the full assurances of his faith on Saturday, January 4th, 1890 leaving this testimony that he pleased God.

 

Farewell, brother, till we meet again.

 

This writing was presumably prepared by Rev. Wright¹ (based on cites text quotation, 5^th paragraph) in January 1890 shortly after the Rev. S. E. McLain’s death. It was found in a family member’s scrapbook (Grogan family, Wheeler, WI) and originally dictated and typed by Malcolm Michael McLain ca. 1970’s. It is retyped here by Daniel Edward McLain. The Rev. Samuel Edward McLain was a Great-Grand-Uncle of both Michael and Daniel Edward McLain, who are 2^nd cousins, sharing the same great-grandfather (David McLain).