4519 Jewell Ave.
Louisville 12, Ky.

April 13, 1962

Dear Paul,

Just when and where the "Restoration Movement" first entered the state of Louisiana, I am not informed. The first congregation in New Orleans began in 1845. It has been stated in my hearing more than once that Alexander Campbell once preached at Cheneyville. That is something like midway between Baton Rouge and Alexandria. That could have been earlier than 1845. I do not know who was responsible for the N.O. start. For a few years - Civil War times - the records were not kept, or if kept, not preserved. I take it that the congregation may have failed to keep up its meetings. Records begin again in 1867, and the meetings were kept up from that time on. Old time members - now all gone - told me that Knowles Shaw was engaged for a series of meetings in 1878, and that when he came, he brought a little organ, but was not allowed to use it, held his meetings without its use. Some members took to the notion of instrumental music, however, and by 1880 the numbers grew and the rest were prevailed on to acquiesce, and the church got an organ. Its use continued twenty-five years. It also came under the Society regime.

About 1905 Amos C. Harris, Montgomery, Ala., became their preacher. He advocated starting a day school, and soon, in order to have room for school, a building program was inaugurated, in a new location, 7th and Camp St. School (Christian High School) was opened in a large residence on Baronne St., where, also, the church began to meet, having sold its old property, putting the money for it into the new building. The new building was entered in July, 1907, and the school began its fall session in the new building.

The school was losing one of its faculty of four teachers, and John E. Dunn wrote an article for the Gospel Advocate telling about the school and the church conducting it; made mention of the fact that whereas the congregation had been affiliated with the Society, it was now independent of it, and whereas it had practised using the instrument, that the organ had never been brought into the services since it vacated the old building. The purpose of the article was to locate a much needed teacher. I saw that article of real news.

I had already resigned as teacher in the public schools, Sullivan Co., Ind., and was making preparations to get to Fla., where I had a cousin, expecting to do evangelistic work, using a tent for services and for living quarters. I was tired of public school teaching, chiefly from the fact that I could not be teaching the Bible, which I felt strongly the importance of, had so felt ever since attending the Nashv. Bible School (now David Lipscomb). The Dunn article appealed to me enough that I wrote for further information. After some correspondence, I decided in favor of my former plan. But here came a strong, urgent letter picturing the great need of a teacher for the school which the city and the whole Gulf region needed - as a missionary enterprise. I wrote that I would come by and see the work, that I did appreciate their engaging in such an endeavor.

The day I landed there, the school was losing another teacher. Whereas I dropped in to visit the school, there was a class with no teacher the whole day! Would I take care of it for the recitation waited for? How could I refuse? So. "I'll come back in the morning and visit the school as I intended." Next morning the situation was unimproved, of course, and I was prevailed on to continue with them - and never got to Fla., till 1923, 16 years later.

The dire need of that vast mission field! Not a simple N.T. type of church in a hundred miles! A Dr. D.L. Watson was a prime mover there. He, I found, was hot for starting a paper as a missionary enterprise, and so in March, 1908 The Christian Word and Work came forth in its first issue. Sample copies went to every one of the mailing list that we were able to make up, which list grew, and thereby we learned of members of a disbanded congregation 90 miles to our north. I got up there the Christmas vacation time, found some members, and we scared up a crowd for a service in a home for that night (1/1/1909), picked up some names for W & W, made arrangements for future services. A man was needed in that field, Tangipaho Parish (County), Amite, the parish seat. W. J. Johnson of Tenn. was available; next his support? A sister, Jenny Spikes in Texas, and a few others would help. W.J. came, married a girl there, which helped to make him a fixture. I went up there as I could, was able to hold summer tent meetings, in school house, in grove, etc., and, though for some years it was indeed uphill pulling, the work did grow, and took deeper root.

Later we got A.K. Ramsey connected with the work in that field - brought him from the Glenmora - Forest Hill region. He moved to Amite, worked untiringly and enlarged the forces and started a number of congregations. A meeting was called for at Amite, Richard among others was baptized. He later became a great helper relieving his father as the latter weakened physically. The Ramseys are chiefly responsible for some twelve worshipping bands in the regions north of Lake Ponchartrain. Through W&W we got a call (1910) for some meetings at Gueydan, 150 miles west of N.O. Two lady school teachers from Tenn. were teaching there, could get the use of the M.E. house, could I come? I could get away at the Mardi Gras season. I went and found enough encouragement to return. A young editor (local paper) attended, invited by one of the young ladies (Effie and Mary Gillentine). He said that was the first time he ever heard a real Bible sermon, having been reared R.C. The young man was A.K. Ramsey. Later he came to N.O., on account of the same young lady, Effie, whom, with Mary we had brought to C. H.S. I baptized A.K., then married him and Effie, and thereby lost a teacher. They lived in Gueydan, and I went out there for more meetings. Through the Ramseys, a little congregation was started - in the R. home. Later the couple moved to N.O., she to teach again in C.H.S., he to help with W&W.

To the Gueydan first meeting came a brother Robertson from Iota, having heard of the meeting. Could I come to Iota? I had one night. He got back to Iota in time to get the M.E. and Bap. preachers to announce for me next night - at M.E. house. There had been a congregation some seven miles east at Ellis, but their chapel burned to the ground, and they became so discouraged that they gave up. At our well-attended meeting we arranged for a series of meetings at Ellis (at close of school), and in that meeting we baptized quite a few, revived many others, and started them to meeting in the Ellis schoolhouse. Growing out of that came the Iota church, and in a tent meeting there we broke into the ranks of the French Catholics. It was then that the French C. "lay-missionary," Evariste Hebert, was baptized, in the same meeting Ivy Istre confessed the Savior. Really great times those.

Came a letter (to N.O.) from Forest Hill, from station agent there, Claude C. McQuiddy from Tenn., "so hungry for some gospel preaching" - could I come? Growing out of that came the Forest Hill congregation, and where many were baptized. I agreed to hold meetings at Cyprus Creek and at other places. For health's sake A.K. and Effie had gone to Colo. Both had picked up. A.K. wrote that they were calling him a preacher out there -- "If I came back to La., could I find enough places to preach?" I wrote, "You know La., and there are more places needing the gospel than ten men could get to. But I couldn't promise a penny for support. However, if you came to La. to preach for the Lord, relying on His promise, I don't think you'll ever go hungry." They moved back to N.O. I got Cyprus to use A.K. in my stead. That was his first "meeting." He finished at Cyprus and got up to Forest Hill while I was in the middle of another meeting there. Just as he arrived, here came a telegram from N.O. calling me home for a funeral. I got F.H. to allow A.K. to finish my meeting; they liked him and arranged with him to locate at F.H. Growing out of the F.H. work came the Glenmora work, six miles east. I was called for a tent meeting there, the Ramseys driving down for all mid-week meetings, some thirty were baptized, among them Sidney Mayeux, preacher now at Denham Springs. A congregation was started; by the next Apr. they were in their new bldg., -- another tent meeting, and 65 responded, the majority for baptism and the situation demanding a man on the ground -- Ramsey would move to G., and still look after F.H. aided by others -- not a house to be found -- "We'll build him a house, our lot is plenty big." They did, Ramseys moved - and worked, built up, stayed 12 years. Today we have Turkey Creek, Pine Prairie, Bayou, Jaque, Alex., more recent developments, LeCompte, Palmetto. Oakdale should have been mentioned.

In the French fields, Jennings, Estherwood, Crowley, Abbev., Sulphur, some other preaching points. North of Sulphur the DeRidder field, work started by B. J. Elston, Forcade joining later, Ingall Park now nearby.

Below N.O., Boothville. Iota and Ellis and F.H. died out, giving up members to other points. W. J. Johnson, who baptized Hebert (who later defected to the Society kind), now at Alex, after some time at Glen. Cull from this bulk for your purpose.