248 History of Methodism 



of like faith and patience, achieved a gratifying suc- 

 cess. The Bladen Circuit soon came to embrace in 

 its regular appointments the entire country from Long 

 Bay, in South Carolina, to the Cape Fear River, in- 

 cluding Kingston (Conwayboro), Lumberton, Eliza- 

 beth, Smithville, Old Brunswick Court-house, and 

 Wilmington. The numbers in society constantly in- 

 creased; many families of the first respectability and 

 influence joined the Methodist Church, and Bishop 

 Asbury became highly delighted with his annual visits 

 to this portion of the work. The settlements on the 

 Cape Fear were first entered by the preachers on the 

 New Hope Circuit, in North Carolina, which took its 

 name from a creek which runs through Orange county 

 and empties into Haw River, in the southern part of 

 Chatham, a few miles above its junction with Deep 

 River to form the Cape Fear. 



As early as 1779, James O'Kelly, to whose distin- 

 guished ability and energetic service as a pioneer 

 preacher Methodism was greatly indebted for its early 

 success in many fields of labor, entered and explored 

 this region and became well known to Colonel John 

 Slingsby, a commissioned Tory officer in the Revolu- 

 tionary War, who resided on the lower Cape Fear, 

 and who was deeply and most favorably impressed 

 by his preaching. A granddaughter of Col. Slingsby 

 writes : 



The anecdote of the Methodist preacher (James O'Kelly) which 

 you wish me to relate, I had from the old gentleman's own lips. 

 Mr. O'Kelly, then a young Methodist preacher, when traveling over 

 the country and preaching, was taken at the house of a friend or 

 acquaintance by a small party of Tories. His horse, saddle, and 

 saddle-bags were taken from him, and he was tied to a peach-tree. 

 A party of Whigs coming up just at thetime, a skirmish ensued, and 

 although he was between the two fires, he was not hurt. Before this 



