Thanks Clinton Trimmer

A couple of days ago I published the picture (left) and asked if anyone could shed any light on it. Rob Reardon put me in touch with the wonderful Clinto Trimmer who came up with the following:

According to the research I’ve done I believe it was taken in the summer of 1883 in Oakland California. When Major Wells (on one knee by the drum), first Salvation Army officer in the west, arrived in June of 1883 he met with the members of the Pacific Coast Holiness Association. The PCHA had come across a War Cry possibly as early as 1881 and decided to model their organization after The Salvation Army. They even went so far as to ask William Booth to send someone to the west to open the work in California. (California at this time wasn’t exactly tamed. Most images of the Wild West with stage coaches, saloons, cowboys and miners certainly apply to California at the time.)

The group in Oakland was called the #1 regiment because the PCHA was trying to keep the spirit of the military structure that was used in London. Oakland had the #1 regiment, San Francisco had the #2 regiment, and San Jose (a town on the southern end of the bay) had the #3 regiment. When Wells arrived he met with all these groups who were part of the PCHA and rolled them into The Salvation Army. Sadly by the time Henry Stillwell, Wells’ partner who had stayed in New York to handle some business matter before crossing the continent, arrived in October of 1883 most of the members of the PCHA had left the Army. One of the members, who stayed though, although not in the photograph, was John Milsaps who became the first American Salvation Army Officer in the American West.

This is possibly one of the first photos ever taken of Salvationists in the American West. This photo is definitely a treasure of the Army's past, especially the Western Territory's past.

Thank you Clinton

Love and prayers

A

California dreaming...

I love this photograph. According to the drum its the first California Corps (what fantastic faith - Corps were numbered even when they only had one!).

TSA arrived in LA in 1892, this pictue must have been taken prior to 1900. It's a real wild west picture. I wonder if anyone out there can spread any further light on the photo?

If you click on the image you can see the photo full size.

Love and prayers

A

A peculiar people!

A great blast from the past and as true today as it ever was...

"Salvationism is aclear and well-defined quality that represents distinctive features of doctrine and service which distinguish it from all other organizations and makes of it an entity entirely apart, incapable of being blended with any other people. Any attempt to harmonize it with methods employed by other religious bodies destroys its effectiveness and renders it incapable of achieving its purpose or continuing to develop its special characteristics." (Edward Higgins - When Chief of the Staff 1n 1928)

Love and prayers

A

Dartford for Christ - then the world!

So the Bale family are off to Dartford, a small town on the very outskirts of London. Step out of the hall and you step onto the town High Street - I can't think of a better placed bridgehead from which to mount all out war on the enemy. Lots of social need in the area and of course plenty of people hungry for the gospel.

The SA has a great history in the town...

One Sunday in September 1886, two Salvation Army lasses were brought to Dartford to begin a pioneering work in the town. The early days of the Salvation Army in Dartford were characterised by opposition and hard work. Despite initial opposition, the Salvation Army attracted a strong following in Dartford, local drunkards and criminals were converted to Christianity. A brass band was quickly formed to accompany worship and to attract people to open air meetings.

After holding open air meetings in Dartford for more than twenty years, a dispute arose with the local authorities regarding the Salvation Army's use of the Bull Centre (outside the Royal Victoria and Bull Hotel) for their street services. A general ban on outdoor meetings in Dartford was introduced and the police were ordered to ensure that the ban was enforced. The Salvationists ignored the new ruling and continued to hold their street meetings. A number of their members were summoned by the Dartford police for obstruction. Rather than pay the fine imposed by the local Courts, some of the Dartford Salvation Army Corps members elected to go to prison at Maidstone. This incident caused a public outcry.

The imprisoned Salvationists were given a hero's welcome when they were released from prison and returned to Dartford in triumph. Possibly the largest crowd ever to assemble in central Dartford greeted the Salvationists. The dispute was later settled at a formal meeting between the Salvation Army, the local council and the Kent Police.

A local newspaper report from the day reported the incident like this:

In defence of the Salvation Army - wild scenes on the streets of Dartford

There was a massive and fervent response to the arrest of Dartford's Salvationists. A defence committee was formed to co-ordinate the protest campaign. Public meetings of protest attracted large crowds; protest marches were held and banners, slogans and posters appeared all over the town.

Banners declared 'IMPRISONED FOR CONSCIENCE SAKE'; 'DEFEND RELIGIOUS AND PERSONAL LIBERTY' and 'WE DEMAND LIBERTY TO PREACH CHRIST'. 15,000 people gathered at Dartford Station to welcome home the prisoners when released from jail, two of them still wearing their prison uniforms bearing broad arrows.

During the course of the exuberant celebrations the Dartford police were stoned and pelted with rotten fish heads and bad eggs. Hooligans used the occasion to vent their spleen on the local constabulary. Dartford's Superintendent Poole was pelted for four hours. Policemen were stoned to the station. There were violent speeches at the Drill Hall - a torrent of rancorous abuse."

Sadly there is no band at the Corps now and some over-zealous Officer in the past decided to sell all the instruments! However the Corps does still sell 'War Crys' round the pubs and that is something I am looking forward to.

Read the following in my devotions this morning...

"The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."

God bless, redeem and sanctify the people of Dartford!

Yours set apart by Christ, for the lost, in the Army!