THE ARMENIANS.
1861-1863.
Dr. Dwight having completed his eastern tour, visited the United
States, where he arrived in November, 1861. It was arranged, that he
should prepare and publish the results of his extended missionary
observations. But the Head of the Church had ordered otherwise. On
Saturday, January 25, 1862, while passing in the cars through
Shaftsbury, Vermont, on his way to spend a Sabbath at Middlebury
College, "the stormy wind, fulfilling His word," lifted the car from
off the rails, and tossed it down a steep embankment; and one of the
heavy trucks, following and dashing through it, at once set free the
sanctified spirit of our brother, and gave him a sort of translation
to the regions of the blessed. It was a sudden and unexpected close
of a most useful life.
Dr. Dwight was born at Conway, Massachusetts, on the 22d of
November, 1803. His family removed to Utica, New York, and there, at
the age of fifteen, he was hopefully converted during a revival of
religion, and united with a Presbyterian church. He graduated at
Hamilton College in 1825, and, while in the Theological Seminary at
Andover, became deeply interested in the missionary work, and took
great pains, along with some fellow-students, to illustrate the
beginning of foreign missions from the United States. In his last
year at the Seminary he offered himself to the American Board, and
was appointed one of its missionaries. After completing his studies,
he entered upon an agency for the Board, which continued until 1829.
From this time, through more than thirty years, the events of his
life form an important part of the history of the mission to the
Armenians. That mission grew, in his time, from a single station at
Constantinople to twenty-three stations, and eighty-one
out-stations, extending over the greater part of Western Asia; and
whereas, at the commencement of his labors, he did not know of a
single convert in the whole country, at their close, there were
forty-two churches, with sixteen hundred members, twelve ordained
native pastors, forty-three licensed native preachers, thirty-four
catechists, fifty-five teachers, and thirty-nine other helpers.
He was made to be a leader in the Lord's host. There was in him a
rare combination of sound common sense, piety, resolution, firmness,
candor, and courtesy, and withal an honest simplicity, a godly
sincerity, and a practical tact, that seldom failed to secure for
him a commanding influence; and the mission, of which he was so long
a member, was sufficiently eventful to give full exercise to all his
powers.
It affords much pleasure to the writer, that he is unable to recall
an instance, in all the thirty years, where Dr. Dwight's opinions
were seriously at variance with those of the Committee and
Secretaries of the Board. It may be that, under the influence of a
more extended correspondence, there was sometimes greater progress
in their opinions on questions of missionary experience, than in
his; but there was never any collision of thought; and it was most
gratifying, on his arrival in this country, after his instructive
and interesting tour of observation among the missions and mission
churches, to find this eminent servant of Christ in full accord with
his Committee on all the great points of missionary practice. The
prominent trait, however, in his character was spirituality. This
was in him an ever-growing quality. From day to day, from month to
month, from the commencement of his missionary life until his death,
he was wholly devoted to the kingdom and glory of his Redeemer. He
walked with God, and was not, for God took him.
It will be appropriate, at this stage of the history, to quote some
of the views of Dr. Dwight on missionary policy in Turkey, as they
were embodied in a circular letter to the brethren of his own
mission, and substantially communicated to the Secretaries in their
personal intercourse with him just before his lamented death. Coming
from such a man, after so long and varied an experience, they
deserve thoughtful attention. He speaks first of the education of a
native ministry.
"I am inclined to think that we have made our education at the Bebek
Seminary too comprehensive, considering the actual circumstances and
wants of the people. True, our course of study is nothing compared
with that of American colleges; but it is much, compared with the
amount of education existing in this country; and it seems to me we
are in danger from two sources; namely, first, that our native
preachers will be educated too far above their people; and,
secondly, that they will require much more for their support, in
consequence of their education, than their people can give. The plan
of removing the Bebek Seminary to the interior, strikes me very
favorably."
Again, as to the support of the native ministry: "I think it very
evident, that the past system is fraught with too many evils to be
continued. I would not favor any sudden change, but it seems to me,
that the experience we have gained, by the working of the past,
would lead us to begin immediately on a new plan; and the providence
of God, in restricting our means, is giving us an admirable
opportunity for so doing. We may urge with great weight upon the
churches the support of their own pastors, and leave the
responsibility there, even when the treasury of the Board shall be
relieved. I begin to question, whether we ought even to give regular
aid from our funds, for the support of settled pastors, or even
stated supplies of churches fully organized. Would it not simplify
our relations to those churches, as well as call forth much more
efficient effort from themselves, if we were to leave them, as the
Apostles did their native churches, to take care of their own
pastors, after such have been ordained? The native churches should
be expected and encouraged to take, as fast as possible, the work of
evangelizing surrounding districts upon themselves; and it will be
better to leave them to choose and support wholly their own
laborers. The plan of having such men supported partly by the
mission and partly by the native churches, does not work well. If it
is necessary for the mission to assist the churches in this work, I
would do it irregularly, and without any pledges as to the amount or
frequency of such aid."
These views had been already exemplified, substantially, in the
Central mission; and they have since had a more full practical
development in the Eastern mission; as will appear in the progress
of the history.
It was not found easy to determine the number of stations or of
missionaries desirable in Eastern or Western Turkey. The early
theories in relation to this matter have been considerably modified
by experience. It was natural to suppose, that many missionaries
could labor among the million of people in Constantinople, without
interfering with each other, or standing in the way of a native
ministry. And so they might, could they at once have access to a
considerable part of the population. But this was not true in fact,
either as to missionaries, or the native ministry. It has been
found, that it results in loss to place more preachers on the
ground, than can find full scope for their ministry. Even should the
overcrowded ministry be of the same denomination, it works badly,
but far worse if made up of rival sects. For a time at least, all
must operate upon nearly the same persons. In the rural districts,
the missionaries reside in the centres of population, and generally
where two families can dwell together, and where each missionary can
have a distinct field of labor. But even there it is deemed
expedient for the churches to have native pastors; nor there alone.
The aim is to have constellations of churches with native
office-bearers, around every missionary station. Not otherwise can
the whole country be permeated by evangelical influences.
It is plain that in a work so unlike anything at home, missionaries
ought to have large discretion as to the time and manner of
organizing native churches. Nor, since these infant communities are
only partially enlightened and sanctified, is there reason for
discouragement should they sometimes be not perfectly harmonious
with their missionary fathers. It was so for a time with one of the
first churches formed at the metropolis. The missionaries had of
course the sole responsibility of determining what use should be
made of the funds remitted by the Board. But the pastor and a
portion of the church thought they ought to have a voice in their
disposal. As this could not be, dissatisfaction arose, and
complaints were publicly made against their American brethren. But
these misunderstandings have in good measure passed away.[1]
[1] See _Missionary Herald_, 1862, p. 300, 1863, p. 268; and Report
of the Board for 1871, p. 23.
The Western Turkey Mission resolved, in 1862, to suspend the Bebek
Seminary, with the expectation of reviving it at Marsovan. This
institution was commenced by Dr. Hamlin, in November, 1840. It was a
boarding-school, with a course of study believed to be adapted to
the great ends of the mission, and soon became a very efficient
means of gaining access to the people. Its third year, ending
November, 1843, was called the "year of a thousand visits," because
so many came desirous to learn the religious belief of the
missionaries. The Principal was obliged to stop their coming, in
order to save the school; but the work among the Armenians then
received an impulse which it never lost. Dr. Hamlin continued in
charge of the Seminary till the year 1857; aided, at different
times, by most of his brethren. Messrs. Clark, Bliss, and Pettibone,
had charge of it afterward. The building at Bebek, which had been
some time occupied on a lease, became the property of the Board in
1849. In 1853, the number of students was fifty, of whom fifteen
were Greeks, under the instruction mainly of Dr. Riggs; and there
was then a theological class of eleven Armenians. The Greek
department was suspended in 1855. The students were very useful as
evangelical laborers within and around Constantinople; and not a few
of the graduates occupy, and have occupied, important posts of
usefulness in different parts of the empire. It is recorded that, in
1857, sixty applicants were rejected for want of means to support
them; and it was believed that, with adequate pecuniary means, one
hundred could have received instruction as easily as fifty.
The metropolis was not found the best place to train men for the
seclusion and small salaries of interior pastorates; but the school
was nevertheless a most important instrument for good, and quite
essential in the early progress of the mission. Of the forty-five
students in the five years from 1857 to 1861, for which the Seminary
was fairly held responsible, seven were preachers at the opening of
1862, and thirteen were members of the theological class.
The expediency of continuing the Seminary at the metropolis, had
been discussed in the mission for several years. The other missions
preferred training their native ministry within their own bounds;
and the interior stations of the Western mission had strong
objections to sending their pupils to be educated where expensive
habits were almost necessarily acquired.
It was resolved, in the same year, to discontinue the
boarding-school for girls at Constantinople, with the expectation
of reviving it, also, at Marsovan. It was commenced in 1845. The
whole number of pupils had been one hundred and twenty-eight, of
whom one half became members of the church. Eighty-three were from
Constantinople and vicinity, and forty-five from the interior.
Thirty-seven completed the course of four years. Two of the older
graduates were teachers of self-supporting schools at Nicomedia;
another, whose parents lived at Trebizond, taught at Marsovan; a
fourth, since married to a graduate of the Bebek seminary, devoted
herself to teaching the girls in a day-school at Adabazar, in charge
of the native pastor; another was mistress of a school of forty
pupils at Baghchejuk; and still another had a school of forty-five
girls at Diarbekir, and was otherwise a shining light. Five were
wives of pastors,--at Constantinople, Broosa, Bilijik, Harpoot, and
Diarbekir; three of preachers,--at Nicomedia, Bandurma, and Aidin;
and several of helpers in different places. The school was located
successively at Pera, Bebek, and Hass-Keuy; and its teachers were
Miss Lovell, Mrs. Everett, and the two Misses West.
The summer heat at Adana was supposed to be too intense for the
health of a missionary family. Mr. Coffing was therefore
commissioned, by his brethren, to explore the Taurus Mountains, west
and north of Marash, for a suitable summer residence. He performed
this service in the autumn of 1860, accompanied by Mrs. Coffing and
Deacon Sarkis. An interesting account of the tour may be found in
the "Missionary Herald," for 1861.[1] Mr. Coffing requested
permission, on his return, to occupy the new field, and left Aintab,
with his family, for this purpose, in July, 1861; intending to
reside at Hadjin, or Nigdeh in the mountains during the summer heat,
and in the winter at Adana. As they went forth from Aintab, nearly
the whole Protestant population, about fifteen hundred, stood on
both sides of the road to bid them farewell, and as they passed,
sang,--
"How sweet the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;"
and also an original hymn, expressive of their feelings on parting
with this mission family. More than a hundred persons accompanied
them during that afternoon, returning the next day; and many were
the prayers offered for them, and for the dark town in the mountains
whither they went. Their road through or rather upon the Taurus
Mountains, was difficult, and in some places dangerous; but without
serious accident they reached Hadjin on Saturday, July 14th. There
they were kindly welcomed by the people, and commenced their labors
with pleasant prospects of success. But, after a few weeks, the
Moslem governor and the Armenian priests commenced a cruel
opposition, scarcely paralleled in the missionary experiences of
Turkey, and drove them from the place, with much loss and suffering.
Arriving at Adana, where the native brethren gave them a kind
reception, Mr. Coffing sought redress from the government, but in
vain, as the Pasha was unfriendly; and the native Protestants of
that city were subjected to many outrages during the winter.
[1] _Missionary Herald_, 1861, pp. 169, 170.
After six months, Mr. Coffing left Adana to attend the annual
meeting of his mission at Aleppo, going by way of Alexandretta. The
road being dangerous around the head of the gulf, he took a guard of
three soldiers; but in the latter part of the route, he dismissed
two of them, going on with the other, two muleteers, and a pious
Armenian servant. When three miles from Alexandretta, he was fired
upon by two men concealed in a thicket near the road. Two balls
struck his left arm above the elbow, shattering the bone and
severing an artery, and one entered the body. Though severely
wounded, he rode on two miles further; and then, from loss of blood,
sunk down upon the beach, not far from Alexandretta, and sent to
that place for help. It was promptly rendered by Mr. Levi, the
American Vice Consul, Arthur Roby, Esq., the English Vice Consul,
and other gentlemen, and the fainting missionary was taken to the
house of Mr. Levi, where he died the next morning, March 26th, 1862.
The Armenian servant died four days later from his wounds, and
another, who was wounded, recovered.
Mr. Johnson, United States Consul at Beirût, took energetic
measures, in connection with Mr. Morgan at Antioch, for apprehending
the murderers. They had the coöperation not only of the gentlemen
above mentioned, but also of Capt. Hobart of H. B. Majesty's Ship
_Foxhound_, Capt. Simon, of the French Frigate _Mogador_, and Col.
A. S. Frazer, H. B. M. Commissioner to Syria. The Turkish
authorities acted with commendable decision, and two young Moslem
robbers of the mountains, to whom the crime was traced, were finally
captured; though one of them afterwards escaped, and was protected
by the Pasha of the district. The other was executed in September,
1862, and the offending Pasha was removed from office. Robbery was
evidently no object with the assassins, and it was believed, that
they were instigated by others. The hostile Armenians of Hadjin and
Adana were, for a time, under great apprehension, and were so much
impressed by the forbearance of Mr. Johnson and Mr. Morgan, that
they assured the latter of their readiness to receive any preacher
he might choose to send among them. The sorely afflicted widow
resolved to remain in the mission, where she is still very usefully
employed among her own sex. It should be added, that this is the
only instance in the history of the Board, in which a missionary has
suffered a violent death, inflicted because he was a missionary,
from the hands of the people among whom he labored.
Dr. Goodell attended the annual meeting of the Central mission in
1862; and so strong were his impressions that the appropriate work
of the missionary was nearly accomplished at some of the stations,
that he apprehended there might be more danger of the missionary's
staying too long, than that he would go too soon.
At Aintab, for example, he found the church supporting its own
pastors and common schools, and taking upon itself the supply of
nearly all its out-stations. No appropriations were asked of the
Board, except for the theological class, the female boarding-school,
and one out-station; for all the rest the church provided. For these
objects, for their own poor, and for their taxes to government, the
sum total raised by the Protestants, in the then closing year, had
been two thousand five hundred and fifty-six dollars, averaging one
dollar and a quarter for every man, woman, and child in the
community. The congregation being too large for one pastor,
arrangements had been made to form a second church, and thus to have
two churches instead of one. The theological school was on the point
of being removed to Marash, and it was his opinion that, were it not
for the female boarding-school, which would probably remain, the
missionaries at Aintab should be preparing to withdraw from that
place, and go to "regions beyond." While he deprecated too sudden
changes, he thought the great question for the brethren at that
station was: "How can we, in the most graceful manner, set up in
life this first born child of ours, now come of age, and ready to
act for itself?"
Dr. Goodell speaks of Oorfu, along with Aintab and Marash, as
advanced in Christian knowledge. About the year 1851, a native
helper from Aintab spent three years in Oorfa, working at his trade
as a weaver, but receiving a partial support from the mission, and
reading and explaining the Scriptures to all that came. Mr.
Schneider visited this place in 1854; a church was organized by Dr.
Pratt in December, 1855, and Mr. Nutting commenced his residence
there in 1857. Mr. White was also there a year or more, till 1859.
The church was then small, and very partially sanctified. The number
of church-members, in 1861, was fifteen, and nearly all the members
were active, working Christians; and the real progress had been
greater than the statistics indicated. Protestantism had become
known, and was exerting a good influence. The congregation supported
three schools, containing ninety-four pupils, of whom thirty-one
were from non-protestant and non-paying parents, and thirty were
girls. The Oorfa church regarded the evangelization of Germish, a
neighboring Armenian village of a thousand souls, as their
appropriate work.
The report of the Harpoot station for 1862 states, that there was
an increasing number in the city, and at nearly all the fifteen
out-stations, who gave serious attention to the truth; and that
there was a growing agitation among those who kept aloof from the
preaching. A reform party among the old Armenians was rapidly
acquiring influence; and to satisfy their demands, mid-day Sabbath
services, for expounding the Scriptures in the modern tongue, were
held in the churches of several villages. In the city, the party had
formed a society for mutual improvement, and one of its rules was,
that the Bible should be read in all their meetings. The sale of
Bibles, or portions of it, in two years, exceeded two thousand, and
the same was true of other volumes. The Theological school contained
thirty-nine pupils,--twenty-one in the first class, and eighteen in
the second. It occupied the upper story of a substantial building,
erected chiefly by the aid of friends in America; while the lower
story furnished a neat and well lighted place of worship. Mr.
Wheeler writes: "Supplied as it is, without expense to the Board,
with solar reflectors and two neat pulpit lamps, it is exerting an
influence for good in the villages. Already the people of three
villages have covered the black mud walls of their chapels with a
neat white plaster, and four villages have each purchased one of the
'wonderful lamps, by the light of which a man can read on the
opposite side of the room.' At their own expense they are also
furnishing their places of worship with clocks, and are beginning to
learn that (to an oriental) very difficult lesson, to be prompt, and
to value time." A girls' boarding-school was opened in 1862.
Hadji Hagop, an old and valued helper at this station, went one
Sabbath to Hulakegh, an out-station, to preach. On leaving the
Protestant chapel, he met the teacher of the Armenian school with a
Bible under his arm, going to the church, where they were to have a
"preaching meeting,"--as was the case in several villages where the
mission had congregations, partly in imitation of the mission, and
partly to counteract its influence,--and he asked Hagop to go with
him. He went, and the leading men urged him to preach, which he
consented to do. The news spread through the village, and the
congregation almost immediately swelled to two hundred and fifty. He
preached Christ and Him crucified for about an hour, securing most
fixed attention, and it is said the women were nearly all moved to
tears.
Mr. Walker, the resident missionary at Diarbekir, visited Mosul in
1861, and found the congregation in that city about as it was when
the missionaries left. Subsequently, when visited by Mr. Williams,
the Mosul church sent an earnest plea for a missionary to the
Prudential Committee. Mr. Williams was with them three months,
married three couples, baptized several children, and admitted one
to the church.
Mr. Walker's tour was extended more than a thousand miles, and he
found much that was very painful, and yet much that was encouraging,
among the Arabic-speaking people in Eastern Turkey.
The church in Diarbekir numbered eighty-four members in 1862, and
the pupils in the Sabbath-school were two hundred and eighty-four.
At Cutterbul a house had been built, to be occupied as a place of
worship on the Sabbath, and for a school-house during the week, and
there were hopeful indications in places near. At the annual meeting
of the mission, in the following year, Baron Tomas Boyajian[1] was
ordained as pastor of the first evangelical church in Diarbekir. His
examination was well sustained. The ordaining services were
necessarily in the open air, and were conducted in Armenian,
Turkish, and Arabic. More than a thousand, adults were present,
besides hundreds of children, and the interest was sustained to the
end. The members of the church pledged themselves to furnish nearly
half the salary. Thirteen members, heretofore connected with that
church, were formed into a separate organization at Cutterbul.
[1] Known to the reader as _Tomas_. _Baron_ is equivalent to _Mr_.
These services were like our own; and how much more rational and
appropriate must they have appeared to the people, than the
ordination services prescribed in the Liturgy of the Armenian
Church, as described by Mr. Goss. "In the first place, the exercises
are all performed in an unknown tongue, the old Armenian. The bishop
sits at one end of the church, the candidate enters at the other,
walking on his knees, and thus proceeds to the altar. The skirt of
the bishop is thrown over his head, and the bishop asks a few
general questions, which are answered by a third person, either
priest or deacon. They are such as these: 'Does this man understand
the Scriptures'? 'Is he the child of a lawful marriage'? etc. An
affirmative reply is given, when perhaps the man cannot read. He is
then asked, if he is a disciple, not of Christ, but of certain
church fathers. Also, if he will pronounce 'Anathema maranatha' upon
all heretics. Then Arians, Nestorians, and other heretical sects are
mentioned, and the sweeping question is put,--'Will you pronounce
all accursed who do not acknowledge Mary to be the mother of God?'
The candidate repeats the names of these sects, and curses them all.
Then follows the re-baptism, with the sacred oil, according to the
Armenian custom with infants. The hands of the new priest are then
bound together and oiled, and he is made to stand outside of the
church, when the congregation come, and, kissing his hands, put
their paras[1] on a plate, which is near by to receive them. The
priest is then imprisoned forty days in the church, with the cuffs
of his sleeves and his trousers sewed close to his limbs. In this
condition, he is not allowed to brush off an insect, or to relieve
his body from any unpleasant sensation whatever. He cannot change
his clothes during the whole time, and his food is of the coarsest
quality. His wife passes through a similar ordeal at home."
[1] About a mill of our money.
Considerable annoyance was felt, about this time, growing out of the
efforts of an Armenian, named Garabed, to form a church at
Diarbekir, which should admit persons to the sacrament of the Lord's
Supper without requiring evidence of piety, and baptize the children
of any who might desire it. He made similar efforts at Aleppo,
Aintab, and Marash. He visited Jerusalem, and so far gained the
confidence of English missionaries residing there, that the
excellent Bishop Gobat was induced to give him ordination. But he
failed to secure the confidence of the missionaries and native
pastors in Central and Eastern Turkey, where he was better known;
and the evidence at hand constrains me to add, that the missionaries
at all the stations anticipated nothing but evil from such
intrusions, at this stage of the missionary enterprise in Turkey.[1]
[1] "We desire to call your attention to the efforts of our English
(Church) brethren to obtain a foothold in Aintab. It seems that
large sums of money have been appropriated under the direction of
Bishop Gobat, of Jerusalem, for this purpose; and a large and costly
church building is being begun under the superintendence of the
English Consul at Aleppo. We are surprised and grieved at this
breach of courtesy on the part of these English friends, especially
so soon after the earnest protests of the officers of our Board
against such interference by other missionary societies."--_Letter
written in_ 1872.
The congregations at Bitlis were composed mostly of young men,
apparently drawn together by love for the truth. About twenty were
known as Protestants, and five of them had gone through a fiery
trial of persecution. The Bible class, which had been broken up by
that means, was now regularly attended by about thirty young men,
some of whom developed rich natural endowments, and gave promise of
future usefulness. Sabbath-school instruction was found a valuable
auxiliary to the preaching of the missionaries, on account of the
opportunity it afforded for free and familiar illustration and
personal application of the truth. It also made the missionary
acquainted with the superstitions and errors of the Armenian
religion. The women's meeting, conducted by Mrs. Knapp and Mrs.
Burbank, was well attended and influential. A school for girls,
taught by the wife of the helper, was broken up by the violence of
Armenian ecclesiastics. The missionaries appealed to the Pasha, and
to Mr. Dalzell, the friendly British Consul at Erzroom. The result
was that the priests commenced a free school for boys and girls, and
also a preaching service, hoping thus to deter the people from
becoming Protestants. The Porte had given orders that the
Protestants in every city should have a suitable cemetery, but every
effort to secure one at Bitlis had been without success.
Dr. Dwight was much interested in this city. Its population was
thirty thousand, and one third were Armenians; the rest were Koords
and Turks, and there were hundreds of villages within the district.
The place was proverbial for salubrity, and he saw enough to
convince him that the leaven of the Gospel was working powerfully
among the people. Moosh, an out-station of Bitlis, was occupied by
the native pastor Simon. The truth had taken some hold there, but
the people were more degraded than at Bitlis.
Erzroom had several changes of missionaries in the six years
previous to 1862. Being near to Russia, it suffered greatly during
the Crimean war. The church was disbanded, but was reorganized by
Mr. Trowbridge. Mr. Pollard removed thither from Arabkir, and was
received with unexpected favor. The government now granted an
eligible cemetery; and the Armenian Bishop, having had the benefit
of a two years' residence in the United States, was friendly towards
the American missionary.
The removal of Mr. Pollard left Mr. Richardson alone at Arabkir. His
report for 1862, shows that there was much to encourage him. Turkish
women came to the female prayer-meetings; and the opening of
Protestant schools had led the Armenians to establish schools for
their own children, in some of which a large proportion of the
pupils were girls, though but a few years had passed since it was
considered a shame for females to learn to read. Eleven young men
from seven different cities and villages in this district, were
connected with the Harpoot Seminary, giving the prospect of an
improved class of helpers. Yet most of the former helpers had proved
themselves sincere and pious; and after having done what they could
to bring forward younger men of higher attainments, they were
themselves humbly and gracefully returning to their former trades
and callings, and laboring for the advancement of the good cause as
Sabbath-school teachers and private Christians.
At the close of 1862, Dr. Wood, the Corresponding Secretary of the
Board at New York, in consideration of his former experience and his
familiarity with the Armenian language, was requested by the
Prudential Committee to reside at Constantinople for a year or more,
laboring in connection with the mission to Western Turkey. This was
necessary in consequence of the sickness of several missionaries,
and the special demand, at that time, for labor at that important
post. He returned in the summer of 1864, after having rendered
important service to the mission.
The clerical accessions to the mission, in 1862 and 1863, were
Messrs. John Francis Smith, Moses P. Parmelee, and Giles F.
Montgomery, with their wives; and their respective assignments were
to the Western, Central, and Eastern missions. In addition to these,
Miss Arabella L. Babcock went to Harpoot, Miss Ann Eliza Fritcher to
Marsovan, and Miss Mary E. Reynolds to the Bulgarian Mission.
In May, 1863, native pastors were ordained at Antioch, Bitlis,
Adana, and Tarsus. In June, a fifth was ordained at Killis, the
officiating clergy in this last case, with a single exception, being
natives.