McCLELLAN, GEORGE B. 



553 



Both the General Council and the General 

 Synod (North) have adopted the report of the 

 joint committee as far as it is completed. The 

 General Synod (South) has not yet taken ac- 

 tion with reference to the matter, not having 

 a meeting in 1885. 



Efforts at Union. In the latter part of 1884 a 

 proposition was made by members of the Lu- 

 theran Church in the South to hold a Church 

 Diet for the purpose of inaugurating a more 

 general organic union among the Lutheran 

 synods in the South, properly based on the con- 

 fessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. 

 The proposition was very generally favored, 

 and a* convention was called to meet in Salis- 

 bury, N. 0., Nov. 12. The North Carolina, 

 Tennessee, South Carolina, Virginia, South- 

 western Virginia, Georgia, and Holston Synods 

 sent delegates. There were twenty-three cleri- 

 cal and nine lay delegates and five commis- 

 sioners. The Rev. A. J. Brown, D. D., of the 

 Holston (Tenn.) Synod, was elected president. 

 The result of the labors of the committee ap- 

 pointed to formulate a basis of union was the 

 following, which was finally adopted without 

 a dissenting voice : 



Confessional Basis. 1. The Holv Scriptures, the 

 inspired writings of the Old and New Testaments, 

 the only standard of doctrine and church discipline. 

 2. As a true and faithful exhibition of the doctrines 



i of the Holy Scriptures in regard to matters of faith 

 and practice, the three ancient symbols, the Apostolic, 

 the Nicene, and the Athanasian Creeds, and the Un- 

 altered Augsburg Confession of Faith. Also the 

 other symbolical books of the Evangelical Lutheran 

 Church, viz. : the Apology, the Smalcald Articles, the 



i Smaller and Larger Catechisms of Luther, and the 

 Formula of Concord, consisting of the Epitome and 

 Full Declaration, as they are set forth, defined, and 

 published in the Christian Book of Concord, or the 



, symbolical books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, 



published in 1580, as true and scriptural developments 

 of the doctrines taught in the Augsburg Contession, 

 and in perfect harmony of one and the same pure 

 scriptural faith. 



Object and Aim. Outward expression of scriptural 

 unity of the synods concerned ; mutual strengthening 

 in faith and confession; unification of all Lutherans 

 in one orthodox faith, and mutual co-operation in the 

 promotion of the more general interests of the Church ; 

 as books of worship, liturgies, theological seminaries, 

 charitable institutions, immigrant missions, foreign 

 missions, and important home'-missionary operations. 



Powers. Its powers shall be only of an advisory 

 and recommendatory character in all matters, excep't 

 such as pertam to the general interests or operations 

 of the Church, as already indicated. In regard to 

 these, it shall be invested with such powers" as the 

 synods composing it may delegate to it. In its oper- 

 ations it shall not interfere with the legitimate work 

 of the synods in its cjnnections. Its constitution 

 shall, contain nothing that is in conflict with this basis 

 of union. 



The Diet resolved to submit this to the re- 

 spective district synods for ratification. The 

 Diet also adopted an outline of a constitution 

 by which the new body should be governed, 

 in case the district synods should be sufficiently 

 unanimous in effecting a general organization. 

 All the synods represented at the Diet, except 

 the Georgia Synod, have ratified the " Basis of 

 Union." 



The several Norwegian Synods have also held 

 several conventions during the year, in the in- 

 terest of a closer union; but no organization 

 has yet been effected. The four Norwegian 

 Synods interested in this movement number 

 368 ministers, 1,097 congregations, and 117,154 

 communicant members. 



The Lutheran Church in all portions of the 

 world numbers, according to the latest statis- 

 tics, 25,452 ministers, 33,693 congregations, 

 and 47,451,136 members. 



M 



MeCLELLAN, GEORGE BRDfTON, an American 

 soldier, born in Philadelphia, Dec. 3, 1826 ; died 

 in Orange, N. J., Oct. 29, 1885. His father 

 was an eminent surgeon, and one of the found- 

 ers of Jefferson Medical College. He was edu- 

 cated at home and in private schools until 1840, 

 when he entered the University of Pennsylva- 

 nia. In 1842 he entered the Military Academy 

 at West Point, and was graduated in 1846, 

 standing second in his class, which was one of 

 the^ largest that ever left the Academy, and 

 1 which numbered among its members Stone- 

 wall Jackson, Pickett, Crouch, Reno, Foster, 

 Maury, and Stoneman. He stood first in geol- 

 ogy and engineering. He was assigned to duty 

 as brevet second lieutenant of engineers ; but 

 the Mexican War was in progress, and he was 

 ordered to aid in organizing a company of 

 ; sappers and miners. 



He sailed for the seat of war with this com- 

 mand in September, 1846. At the siege of 

 Vera Crnz he was active in engineering work 

 ; under Capt. Robert E. Lee, and was highly 

 .commended in official reports. At Cerro Gor- 



do he cleared away the obstacles from in front 

 of Pillow's assaulting column; at Mesicalcingo 

 he advanced so eagerly in making a reconnais- 

 sance that only the prompt action of his com- 

 rades saved him from capture ; at Contreras, 

 while he was posting batteries, two horses 

 were killed under him, and he was finally 

 knocked down by a grape-shot that struck the 

 hilt of his sword. At the San Cosrne gate, in 

 the assault on the city of Mexico, he made his 

 way with his miners through the walls of a 

 block of adobe houses to the rear of a battery 

 that commanded the gate, and in the eager- 

 ness of his advance fell into a ditch and nar- 

 rowly escaped drowning. He was breveted 

 first lieutenant, Aug. 20, 1847, for gallant and 

 meritorious conduct at Contreras, and after- 

 ward captain for gallant and meritorious con- 

 duct at Molino del Rey. The latter honor he 

 declined, as he was not present at the action, 

 but he accepted the same brevet, Sept. 13, 

 1847, for gallant and meritorious conduct in 

 the capture of Mexico. He was made second 

 lieutenant, April 24, 1847. 



