Defying Flood
Two men on horseback said good-byes. "I should not be surprised if I never see you again," said the first.

"Well," answered the second, "if I fall and you never see me again, tell my friends that I fell at my post trying to do my duty."

Illinois was flooded. Not a path could be seen beneath the sheet of water. Treetops, which might guide a bold traveler, stood miles away but would be out of sight whenever he rode into a hollow. He could easily lose his way or flounder into a hole. Even if he reached the trees, a swollen creek beside them would compel him to swim twenty yards. He might have to spend the night on the sopping prairie. The rider paused. On one hand was his duty to the souls of his frontier parish; on the other, serious danger. At that moment he recalled his motto: "Never retreat till you know you can advance no further." He rode forward.

Frontiersman
That decision was characteristic of Peter Cartwright, one of the most colorful frontier preachers in the young United States. Born in Virginia in 1785, just two years after treaty ended the American Revolution, he was taken West to Kentucky. There he became a tough guy in rough Logan County known as "Rogue's Harbor" because of its swarms of badmen. His Methodist mother pleaded and prayed with him. Her prayers wakened a response. In a camp meeting her sixteen year old son was convicted of his sinfulness and need for a Savior. For hours he cried out to God for forgiveness until finally the peace of Christ flooded his soul. At once he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church. Within two years he was a traveling preacher, bringing the gospel to the backwoods of the new nation. His rough past and hardy constitution served him well, for he faced floods, thieves, hunger and disease. He met every challenge head on.

Fear no mortal man
Once Cartwright warned General Jackson (future President of the United States) that he would be damned to Hell just as quickly as any other man if he did not repent. A timid preacher apologized to Jackson for Cartwright's bluntness. The general retorted that Christ's ministers ought to love everybody and fear no mortal man, adding that he wished he had a few thousand officers like Peter Cartwright.

Peter the pugnacious preacher
Frequently rowdies disrupted Cartwright's meetings. When one thug promised to whip him, Cartwright invited the man to step into the woods with him and do it. The two started for the trees. Leaping over the fence at the edge of the campground, Cartwright landed painfully. He clutched his side. The bully shouted that the preacher was going for a dagger and took to his heels.

Another time Cartwright charged a group of rowdies in the dark, yelling to imaginary forces, "Here! here! Officers and men, take them!" The troublemakers bolted in panic. Such events gave him a name. A story spread that he had fought legendary river boatman Mike Fink.

Soul winner extraordinary
Crowds flocked to hear him. Throughout Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois, Cartwright preached to hosts of men and women, speaking three hours at a stretch, several times a week. The conviction in his booming voice could make women weep and strong men tremble. 10,000 came to Christ through his preaching in meetings that often ran day and night. Cartwright baptized thousands, adding them to the church. Several church buildings were erected at his instigation to house services for the new converts. To answer a desperate need for more preachers, he championed the creation of Methodist colleges. Having schooled himself, he saw the value of learning. Wherever he went he left behind religious books and tracts to convert and strengthened souls in his absence. The joy of soul-winning compensated him for all hardships.