John Wesley
Caughlan was raised and educated in
At that time he was appointed a circuit rider. His circuit included Bowing
Green and nearby cities in
Nancy Jane Miller,
wife of John Wesley Caughlan
Chronology of John Wesley Caughlan’s
life
John Wesley was born was born on 3
Aug 1832 in Cabell County Virginia to John O. Caughlan and his wife Sarah
Murray Byrd Childers. According to his Civil War Pension file he moved to
When John was just 15 years old
John’s father, John O. Caughlan died on 14 Dec. 1847. We don’t know where his
father is buried but believe it was in either the St. Louis Missouri Area or in
On 20 March 1850 we find John working for David’s father-in-law, Edmond Beall, as a clerk in Alton Illinois.
Later in 1850 John, at the age of 18,
John traveled to the gold fields in California via New York and the Isthmus of
Panama. From Fred Waller Caughlan’s book and letters we know that while in San
Francisco he worked for a few weeks at odd jobs to meet some of his expenses.
He spent about 18 months there and in 1851 returned traveling on a sailing ship
around South America to
On February 7, 1856 John obtained a Preachers License at the Annual Missouri Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church held Hannibal Missouri. He was appointed, along with another preacher “to be supplied” to the “African Chapel” located in the St. Louis District in the City of St. Louis. Record show this church contains 246 white members, 40 white probationers, and no coloreds and 3 local preachers.
John becomes a “Circuit Rider”. In
1857, the Rev. James Witten was placed over the district. During this year,
At the Missouri Conference, held
in
While a circuit rider John met
Nancy Jane Miller in
On July 3 1860 his first son Charles Wesley is born in Fillmore, Andrew County, Missouri. The 1860 Federal Census finds John living with his father-in-law, Abraham Miller, and mother-in-law, Mary (Thompson), in Fillmore, Andrew County, Missouri.
In March 1860 the Missouri Conference is held at Hudson City from March 22 to the 26th. John becomes the Secretary at the Conference. He was elected and ordained Elder and was assigned to Savannah in the St. Joseph District.
During the late Summer of 1860,
John Wesley, wife Nancy and newborn Charles Wesley Caughlan departed from
Savannah, Missouri by wagon south to Westport, Kansas (now Kansas City, Kansas)
and headed westward on the Santa Fe Trail, perhaps stopping at Baldwin City for
a short visit with Werter Davis. They would have traveled the Santa Fe Trail
until Bent's Fort (near La Junta, Colorado). Along the way they encountered
some friendly Indians who enjoyed eating all of Nancy's biscuits. Fred Caughlan
writes in “History of the Caughlan Family” about this encounter: “On their way across the plains in western
From there they would have taken
the Cherokee Trail (AKA the Divide Trail) West to Old Pueblo (now Pueblo,
Colorado) and then North through what is now Colorado Springs and on to Golden
City (now Golden Colorado). They might have camped at or near Palmer Lake and
formed a Methodist "class" among the locals. It is hard to imagine
the adventures and hardships the little family would have experienced on this
trek. Some idea can be had by reading the accounts of travelers on the Cherokee
Trail as found at http://www.geocities.com/peaker59/. A map of the
The website “History of Golden Colorado
First Methodist Church, found at www.goldenfirstumc.org/history/pastors/pastors.htm.
shows John as their pastor from "1861 - 1862".
In
March 1862 John is found at the Kansas Conference that was held in Wyandott,
Kansas. The Stewards Report showed that John W. had served at Golden
City (now Golden, Jefferson County, Colorado) and Golden Dirt (probably Gold Dirt
in nearby Gilpin County). He had been pledged an "allowance" of $900,
but only received $600. He became the second minister at the First Methodist
Church of Golden. John W. Caughlan was listed as serving on the following
committees at the Conference: Conference Stewards, Missions (with Werter
Davis), and Slavery. The eight-member Committee on Slavery submitted the
following report: "Whereas, American
Slavery is the main spring of the existing rebellion and has been retained in
the Nation, at the sacrifice of moral principle and civil liberty, and it is at
the present time drinking the best blood of the Nation, Therefore, Resolved,
That we are in favor of the vigerous (sic) prosecution of the present war,
until the irrepressible convict between Liberty and Slavery is finally settled
in the complete overthrow of rebellion, in the entire destruction of treason,
with its twin monster Secession. And that we will as ever pray for the utter
abolition of American Slavery. L. D. Price, J. Green, W. Knipe, G. Weidman, J.
Parker, T. M. Willet, J. W. Caughlan, P. Hehner."
This strong felling was backed up by action on John's part. At this conference he asked to "be located" (leave the ministry) so he could enlist in the Union Army, which he did on 17 April 1862 at St Louis, Missouri.
On April 29, 1862 John was appointed First Lieutenant in the Missouri Militia.
On July 5, 1862, son Nathaniel Lyon Caughlan is born.
Fred W. Caughlan writes in his “History or the Caughlan
Family” “When the war broke out they returned
to St. Joseph and while there he joined the Army and was soon made a
Lieutenant, and afterwards a Provost Marshal. While serving as Marshal several
funny incidents occurred. One we quote: “He was sent to draft a young man. When
they went in the parents said he was not old enough, so father demanded a
family record and asked for the family Bible. After a lot of searching it was
produced and showed signs of having been altered. A closer look showed that he
and his younger brother were only two months apart in age. Father asked “bow
did this happen?” They said “they didn’t know, but it did.” They took the boy
along.”
On 22 June 1863 John is discharged from the Militia and he moved by to Savannah Missouri.
On 12 August he was appointed as Deputy Provost Marshall of the 7th congressional district of Missouri-
Another interesting story concerning life for ministers
after the Civil War comes for Fred Caughlan’s “History of the Caughlan
Family”. He writes: “After father’s discharge the Bushwhackers
mistreated all northern preachers they could catch, so when they questioned him
and asked who he was and where he came from, father answered he was just from
Virginia, so they let him pass. However, not all of them fared so well.”
March 2-7, 1864 John is found at the Missouri and Arkansas Conference held in Jefferson City, Missouri. John W, Caughlan was (re) admitted on trial and assigned to Macon City in the Hannibal District. His was a small church of 31 members, 3 probationers, one local preacher, and a meeting-house valued at $500.
On 14 June 1864 son Joseph Hopkins Caughlan is born, probably in Savannah Missouri. In 1865 son John Hopkins dies, probably in Hannibal Missouri.
In March 1-7, 1865 the Missouri and Arkansas Conference is held in St. Joseph Missouri. John is in attendance. John was appointed to the church in Hannibal, Missouri, Hannibal District. The Hannibal church was a larger church, with 110 members, 4 probationers, a meeting-house valued at $5,000 and a parsonage valued at $1.200.
On 29 Jan. 1867 daughter Mary Draper Caughlan is born probably in Hannibal Missouri.
In 1868 John moved to Mexico Missouri and has a church there. While preaching in Mexico, Missouri, son Fredrick Waller Caughlan is born on 18 December 1869. In 1870 the Federal Census finds John and his family still in Mexico Missouri. Interestingly we also find his brother, Daniel living with him also.
According to John’s pension record and his memoir from
1868 to 1878 he lived and preached at Ashley, Mexico, Trenton and Maryville
Missouri. In January 1874 his little daughter Bertha Irene died at
On 23 February 1875 son John William Caughlan is born,
probably in
In 1876 his pension record shows he moved to Maryville
Missouri. He moves again in 1878 to
In 1879, according to Conference records John is on two committees, Publications and Periodical & Book Accounts. At that conference he was appointed to three other special committees, Book Circulation, Fraternal Relations (with the M. E. Church - South), and the Conference Camp Meeting to be held at the LaClede Camp Ground. He had reached the rank of Elder. Conclusion: He had risen to a position of high esteem among his peers.
On March 1, 1879, while living in Savannah Missouri, John starts publishing a periodical “The Good Way”. In August of 1879 he and Mr. Park stated and the “Temperance Bugle”. On February 1, 1880 John moved is family and his publications to St. Joseph Missouri. Both these publications were short lived and by 1882 they were discontinued.
The 1880 Federal Census finds John living in St. Joseph Missouri and it lists his occupation as a preacher.
At the Missouri Conference held in Cameron, Missouri from 23-28 of March 1881 John is no listed on any committee. He was granted a “supernumerary relationship”, a term that equates to a leave of absence.
So what happened? We have two sources that give us clues to what happened. One is from what Fred said about this time in John Wesley’s life in the “History of the Caughlan Family” and the other source comes form Conference records.
According to Fred Waller’s “History of the Caughlan Family” while living in Maryville, there was some kind of “commotion of jealousy by some of the brethren” at the 1876 General Conference ….
“Then father was sent to
Savannah and at the end of two years one of his enemies he had made by his
beating him in the previous election to General Conference, preferred charges because
some women had gotten into a church squabble and asked father at a camp meeting
what she could do because she could not get along, and her preacher wouldn’t
help her. When the Bishop heard the charge, he reprimanded father before the
Conference. In his high temperament, father asked for his credentials and
joined the Holiness work and started a paper called the “Good Way” and
advocated the Holiness movement.
Some of the big men in the movement organized a corporation to take
over as soon as it began to look like a good enterprise, and they voted father out, which caused a break in his health. We
moved to Kansas City, and he did some evangelistic work. With we three boys
working, he got enough together to get a small print shop and tried to start a
temperance weekly which he did not get going. Charles used what was left of the
plant to get started in Plainville Observer, and from there on is part of
Charles’ and Fred’s family history.
Father later was induced to reenter the Conference, and did some good
work before he retired. He was a man of great faith and prayer, and spent many
hours on his knees, till God called him to his reward.
Conference Records:
Missouri Conference held at Chillicothe, Missouri, 22-27 March 1882.
On the third day, Friday 24 March, the
"case of J. W. Caughlan was referred to the committee on conference
relations". On the following day, Saturday 25 March, the committee
presented the following
report which was adopted:
"Your committee on conference relations met and carefully
considered the case of Rev. J. W. Caughlan, and We unanimously recommend that
he be continued in the relation of a supernumerary on the following conditions,
viz:
"That he publicly, before the conference, retract the following
statements and promise in the future not to speak or print like sentiments.
"1. That he, Rev. J. W. Caughlan, would not be governed by
disciplines, church creeds, commentaries and church conventionalities.
"2. Clipping from the Good Way, Oct. 29th, 1881, two articles:
"This sect originated in a vigorous protest against the very spirit
which is now having such marked prominence in the administration of some of the
preachers and the lordly decisions of some of the bishops.
"How unlike their great leader are these modern lords over God's
heritage. He did not think that ministers had a 'right to dictate by their own
authority what they (the flock) shall believe or what they shall do.' Not so
with Bishop Harris and the spiritual lords of Ohio. They say the flock must obey
or be cast out of the synagogue.
"But it is a fact that holiness of heart is but little preached in
the Methodist Church of to-day, The doctrine of entire sanctification is with
many of our preachers a fine spun theory having no practical value and no
responsive experience, And most of the life that now exists in the Church on
this subject is due to the labor of these 'self-constituted (God-owned)
specialists.' If high-toned ecclesiastics in their 'Churchly 'wisdom should
succeed in suppressing those humble evangelists, it would be a fatal blow to
vital godliness.
"3. Also clipping April 17th, 1880:
"But at a recent camp meeting an old man was saved and asked our
counsel. we recommended him to the churches that were most accessible...
Methodist and Presbyterian... and he made this reply in substance: These
churches are fighting holiness and I can't join them. I don't think I ought to.
Do you think I ought?
"You may be sure we were cornered. We knew it was true that they
were fighting holiness, and we did not feel that we could, with conscious
approval of God, bid him seek a home where his soul would be imperiled.
"D. B. White, T. J. Wheat, J. W. Bovee, G. B. Abbott. H. C.
Dayhoff.
"J. W. Caughlan declining to accept the conditions set forth in the
foregoing report, charges and specifications were preferred and a court was
ordered to try the case."
Later that day, "The following were appointed the court in the case
of John W. Caughlan, viz:
"I. Chivington, J. S. Barwick, J. T. Boyle, T. A. Canaday, L. V.
Ismond, W. B. Moody, S. H.Enyeart, J. R. Sasseen, S. N. Warner, E. V. Roof, T.
B. Bratton, O. Bruner.
"J. J. Bentley was appointed to preside.
"The conference agreed that nine should be sufficient to bring in a
verdict. (I count 12? I think this note applies to the next jury for the case
of Jeremiah Wright, where only nine jurors were named. John must have had a
jury of 12.)
"T. J. Wheat and D. B. Lake were appointed to conduct the case on
the part of the church."
On
Monday 27 March 1882 the results were announced:
"The committee in the case of J. W. Caughlan made their report,
recommending that he be reprimanded by the Bishop for insubordination to the
order and discipline of the church, and he was called forward and reprimanded.
"J. W. Caughlan was granted a supernumerary relation."
Conclusion: John Wesley was a man of courage that stuck
to his principles. As a result he was subjected to humiliation in front of his
peers.
Missouri
Conference held at ________ commencing 7 March 1883:
"When the name of J. W. Caughlan was called, a communication was
presented from him commenting on the action in his case at the last Conference
and requesting in consequence thereof to be entered as withdrawn from the ministry
and membership of the Methodist Episcopal Church, whereupon the following
resolution was adopted:
"Resolved -- That there being no charges against J. W. Caughlan and
he having by letter requested to be entered as withdrawn from the ministry and
membership of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Conference does hereby,
without assenting to the statements and implications in his letter to the
Conference grant his request and order his name entered as withdrawn, and
requests him to surrender his parchments to the Secretary of the Conference.
Conclusion: John resented their actions and was unable
to continue in ministry with them.
From 1884 to 1888
there is no mention of John Wesley at the Missouri Conferences.
Chronology Continued
In 1884 John moved to Kansas City Missouri.
Then in 1889 he moved to Kidder Missouri.
The Missouri Conference was held
20-25 of March in 1889. John is there and wants to be admitted again into the
conference. On
Overall Conclusions: John Wesley Caughlan not only had the courage of his convictions, but also was big enough to return to the church that had reprimanded him.
In 1890 John travels to Payson,
In 1891 John moved to Breckenridge Missouri and is there until 1912 when he moves St. Joseph, Missouri.
The 1910 census confirms he was in Breckenridge Missouri. Also living with him at this time is his daughter Helen, her husband Oliver Ward and their children.
On
John died on 13 February 1912 living at 2806 Sacramento,
St. Joseph Missouri and he is buried at Mt.
Auburn Cemetery, St. Joseph, Missouri.
His wife Nancy Jane died on
Important letters concerning John Wesley’s Family
The following letters were found in the “History of the Caughlan Family” By Fred W. Caughlan 1962.
(By Helen Caughlan Ward, 1957)
I know very little about my
mother’s genealogy. She was Nancy Jane Miller, daughter of Abram Miller of
She was one of a family of 17
children. Abram Miller, her father, had ten children by his first wife and
seven by this second wife. (She stated it the other way around at anther
time.) My mother was next to the
youngest in the second family. I think my mother’s grandmother’s maiden name
was Sphune (spoon), and she came from
By Fred Caughlan
This is about all we know of
mother’s family except Hazel Hitchman, who was a daughter of James Chamberlain,
is living in
John Wesley Caughlan, our father
was born in
While in
After spending about 18 months
mining he decided to return home. Either before he went west or after his
return he worked as a furniture finisher. He then decided to enter the
ministry, and joined the Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church as a
circuit rider, where he met Nancy Miller, and they were married. After that he
served the church at
On their way across the plains in
western
When the war broke out they
returned to
After father’s discharge the
Bushwhackers mistreated all northern preachers they could catch, so when they
questioned him and asked who he was and where he came from, father answered he
was just from
Father was quite a debater and
served many larger churches, such as
Then father was sent to Savannah
and at the end of two years one of the enemies he had made by his beating him
in the pervious election to General Conference, preferred charges because some
woman had gotten into a church squabble and asked father at a camp meeting what
she could do because she could not get along, and her preacher wouldn’t help
her. When the Bishop heard the charge, he reprimanded father before the
Conference. In his high temperament, father asked for his credentials and joined
the Holiness work and started a paper called the “
Some of the big men in the
movement organized a corporation to take over as soon as it began to look like
a good enterprise, and they voted father out, which caused a break in his
health. We moved to
Father later was induced to reenter the Conference, and did some good work before he retired. He was a man of great faith and prayer, and spent many hours on his knees, till God called him to his reward.
After his family had all reached
the place that they could care for themselves, he bought a little home in