(Continued from page 328.)
HISTORY
OF
WILFORD WOODRUFF.
-[FROM HIS OWN PEN.]-
March 1—As I met in the evening
with a large assembly in , the
Lord revealed unto me that it would
be the last meeting that I would hold
with the Saints in the for
many days. I told the people it was
the last meeting I should hold with
them for a season; it created much
excitement. I had appointments out
for a week, which I got brother to fill. I went before the Lord in
prayer, and asked him where I should
go; the Spirit said, "Go to the
south." According to the directions
of the Spirit, on the 3rd I went to
, and called upon , at . I found a
people prepared for the Gospel. I
preached twice at his house. On the
6th, I baptized six persons, including
John Benbow and . I here found
a society called ","
numbering about six hundred mem-
bers, and about fifty preachers; was the presiding elder.
They came from all quarters to hear
me preach, and believed my testimony,
and I preached and baptized daily.
The ministers of the sent three church clerks to see
what I was doing, and I baptized them.
One constable came to arrest me for
preaching, and I baptized him. In
about thirty days I baptized 160, forty-
eight of whom were preachers of the
"United Brethren," including their
presiding elder, Thomas Kington.
I established forty-two preaching
places, licensed according to law.
On the 9th April, I had an appoint-
ment at . As I was going
into the meeting, letters were put into
my hands from Elder
and others, informing me of his arri-
val with five of the Twelve, and re-
questing me to come to , and
attend a General Conference. A vast
assembly had gathered to attend my
meeting; the house, yard and street
were crowded; a mob had also gather-
ed. I preached to the people; five
came forward to be baptized. The
mob surrounded the pool, armed with
stones. I dismissed the meeting and
went away, but the congregation and
mob remained on the ground till mid-
night; and as there was no prospect
of their dispersing, and the candidates
were anxious to be baptized, I went
down into the water and baptized five,
in the midst of a shower of stones.
The water was all in a foam for a rod
around me. None that I baptized
were hit, and I was only hit twice,
once on my hip and once on my head;
the blow on my head raised a large
bump, which went away while I was
confirming. Subsequently I baptized
many of the mob.
I left next morning for Preston,
and attended the Conference with the
Twelve, and returned to Hereford-
shire, accompanied by Elder Brigham
Young, on the 22nd April, and was
soon joined by Elder . Elder Young remained twenty-
