Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ABSALOM, AND JOHN T. LITTELL. The subjects of this sketch were both born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania—Absalom in the year 1788, and John T. in 1790. Their parents were poor, and both members of the Presbyterian Church. In 1799 their father, Absalom Littell, who was a soldier in the Revolution, emigrated to what was then the far West, and settled on the west side of Silver creek, in Clark's grant, Northwestern Territory; or, in what is now Clark county, Indiana. At that date there were but few " pale faces" in the Territory, and no settlements between them and the Rocky mountains, except a few French stations, or forts, containing a small number of Americans. The great West, that is now shaking the earth with its giant tread, was then in its infancy, eager for new ideas, and more susceptible than now of religious impressions. The influence of the Christian preacher in that day was, therefore, like that of the parent over the child. Before the advent of the school-teacher to that part of the world, both Absalom and John T. had almost attained to their majority; hence they received but little instruction save that which was imparted in the domestic circle. Yet, by their own exertions, they became tolerably well informed; and of the Holy Scriptures especially they acquired a thorough and ready knowledge. Absalom, being more fond of literary and scientific pursuits, became the better scholar. He was well versed in parliamentary rules, and none was more frequently called to preside over religious meetings. Though his own life was regulated by the " perfect law of liberty," yet he had a respectable knowledge of the civil law ; and his judgment in legal matters was as decisive as it was gratuitous. He peaceably settled many controversies between his neighbors, adjusting...