1882 TEXAS & MEXICO. Archive of 12 Letters of Southern Baptist Missions in Mexico.

A really wonderful 12 letter, 25pp small archive of correspondence largely, but not exclusively, between Rev. W. D. Powell and Missionary Secretary of the American Baptist Publication Society, G. J. Johnson. 

Discusses B. H. Carroll, Baptist politics, the missions in Texas, fund-raising, missionary discouragement, and more. 

W. D. Powell and his wife Florence were pioneer missionaries to Mexico with the ABPS. He was considered one of their "apostles," renowned for his preaching and seemingly endless missionary energy. The venture was fraught with challenges, some of which are detailed and public for the first time in these letters. It is known that he was shot at on multiple occasions and apparently stabbed as he road on horse back throughout the Mexican countryside distributing Bibles and literature. While he was riding his circuit, Florence founded a school for girls. 

Not only was the mission challenging, but in 1890, the assets they left behind in Texas were embezzled by the judge they had trust to protect them. The "cyclone" of work that he was, without missing a beat, he returned to Texas to save what he could and was back in Mexico to intercede for a fellow Southern Baptist missionary who was in trouble whose tracts had been mistranslated and angered the Catholic priests. 

After returning from the field, both William and Florence were active in Southern Baptist life, and William served as the field secretary for the Foreign Mission Board from 1913 until his death in 1934.

A large archive of his previously known letters reside at the University of Kentucky, likely deposited by his friend W. R. Powell, from whom we have one item here.

G. J. Johnson was of course for many, many years the Missionary Secretary for the ABPS.

*June 13, 1882, 1p ALS by G. J. Johnson on ABPS letterhead for Johnson, replying to Powell's notification that he would no longer be working in the Sunday Schools and that he feels called to be in the general work of the Missionary Society in Mexico. Johnson says, "I am sorry for your decision . . . but we do not want to be found fighting against God."

*July 5, 1882, 8pp ALS by G. J. Johnson on ABPS letterhead for Johnson, "Tomorrow we have a meeting of our Committee & will probably appoint the six brethren you nominated - to wit McJunkin, Dobbs, Wilson, Hitchcock, Edwards, & McIlroy, the first to serve one year & the last five for two months each to receive 40% on all cash proceeds of our books, etc. . . . It was not quite handsome in Dr. Morehouse to try to get you away from the Publication Society when he knew we valued you & you were already in our service. But some men will do those things. About continuing in our service, you must do what is right. We want you to continue, of course. I think we have proved that. But we leave it all to you & the Lord. If the decision shall be to stay for five years & work through this Society in Texas & Mexico, we shall rejoice. But if you must go, may God & his blessing accompany you. . . Also, look up right now for colored people of Texas . . . etc."

*July 31, 1882, 2pp ALS by G. J. Johnson on ABPS letterhead for Johnson, replying to Powell, "You are a perfect steamboat at work. How I wish you were going to continue permanently in this work in Texas & Mexico; though we should feel the burden on top of all we are now carrying, still we would carry it gladly, but I suppose we must yield to the inevitable and let you leave us. Goes on to mention "Bro. Carroll," who would be "B. H. Carroll."

*August 2, 1882, 2pp ALS by G. J. Johnson on ABPS letterhead for Johnson, replying to Powell, "Yours from Dallas at hand. You are a magnificent General & if we only had you regularly and permanently we could make affairs boom in old Texas. Well, if Bro Carroll will not serve in Northern Texas, perhaps someone else will. . . we are getting spread & drawn upon so fearfully that we are fast shrinking up." etc.

*August 5, 1882, a 2pp ALS by G. J. Johnson on board the Erie Rail Road in New York, en route to Kalamazoo regarding payment of his account. 

*December 5, 1882, a 1.5pp ALS by G. J. Johnson on ABPS letterhead for Johnson, "Bro. Kit Williams writes me that he has received no Bibles on this ew year & is much in want. I do hope the Bible account can be early adjusted. I fear that none are yet sent." etc. 

*February 14, 1883, a 2pp ALS by G. J. Johnson on ABPS letterhead for Johnson, "I don't have any more about that $500 that is to come from Mrs. Graves of Brenham . . . for diffusion of Baptist Literature over Texas, except that I saw you spoke of her intending to give it, in some letter you wrote to some paper, which when I saw it, I feared would stir Dr. Pope up or somebody else to go & persuade it out of her for some enterprise in Texas. But you will see to that I doubt not. || As I wrote you, it would be better because easier to invest if it were $1000 - but we can, of course, invest $500 if it cannot be made more." etc.

*April 7, 1883, a 1.5pp ALS by G. J. Johnson on ABPS letterhead for Johnson, "I am helping Bro. Muller reports will surely be in soon for February; Mrs Groves is not, after all, going to give us the $500 or $1000 this year is she? . . . I expect we shall, after all our fears, close our year without any debt. Thank God!"

*April 21, 1883 postcard from W. R. Howell to W. D. Powell in Saltill, Mexico. Howell was Captain of a Colporteur Cruiser that distributed tracts in sea ports [based in Seattle]. He also was bookkeeper for the American Baptist Publication Society [missionary department]. In the present, he offers pastoral care to Powell, "Sorry you have so much opposition & so many privations to contend, but our Father is greater than any of these." etc.

*June 5, 1883, a 1.5pp ALS by G. J. Johnson on ABPS letterhead for Johnson, "You will probably understand the enclosed & will answer. If he refers to all those Bibles & Testaments you brought for us - don't name us in the matter - but tell him that they were distributed among Colporteurs & Sunday School Missionaries in Texas & Mexico & are all given away among the destitute. . . You had a booming time at Waco I see, as our folks did at Saratoga. For once I did not go to either, but went off to Florida." etc.

*July 21, 1883, a 1.5pp ALS by G. J. Johnson on ABPS letterhead for Johnson, "If he [Mr. Muller] or you are lacking anything that we ought to furnish, let me know, for I shall take pleasure in doing the best we can." etc 

*May 21, 1886 postcard from F. M. Myers [another Southern Baptist missionary in Mexico]. Datelined from Augusta, Kentucky, May 21, 1886. "Dear Brother P. I have been reading of your cyclone movement among the churches and you are so close I can almost feel the shock here. . . I regretted very much that the board could not send me back and when I knew another was going to Patas I felt that my home had been transferred to another. I rejoice in your success . . . I have a very pleasant charge here, but long for Mexico." etc.