Mr. Cist:
      Dear Sir, - As I have been giving you in former communications, some incidents of the early settlement of the Miami country, I will now give you some account of the pioneer preachers, for at that time we were not entirely without preaching in the stations. The first preacher I heard at North Bend was the Rev'd. John Tanner, whom I mentioned in a former communication. He then lived at Tanner's station, where Petershnrgh now is, in Boone county, Kentucky. The next was the Rev'd. Dewees, who came to the same station in 1792, and after Wayne's treaty settled near North Bend, in what is now Boone county, Ky., and continued lo preach for us till about the year 1804, when he settled in Indiana in the neighbourhood of Brookville, where he died about ten years ago.

     They were both ministers of the Baptist Church. Next the Rev'd. James Kemper of Cincinnati, frequently visited us, and preached in the station. The Rev'd. John Smith of Columbia, a member of the United States Senate, and of Burr notoriety, preached for us occasionally.

     The Methodists did not preach in the country at so early a day as some other denominations. The first Methodist I heard at North Bend, was Rev'd. Mr. Oglesby, about the year 1804 or 5. The Rev'd. John Langdon, who was well known in this country, preached in this country about the same time.

     Men subject to military duty, if they went in those days to Church, were obliged to go armed and equiped, as if going to battle.
     Yours respectfully,
     JOHN MATSON.
North Bend, [KY] Oct. 6th, 1845.

========== [From Charles Cist, editor, The Cincinnati Miscellany, 1846, pp. 154-155. This document provided by my son, James K. Duvall. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]

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