Wonderful grouping of three letter [1887, 1892, and on undated] from H. P. McCormick. He and his wife were Southern Baptists from Alabama who sensed the call to be missionaries in Mexico early in the 1880’s. They served in Zacatecas and the present letters are written to his friend, W. D. Powell, Secretary of the Sunday School Convention of Texas Baptists.
The first letter, four full pages, discusses the work at San Luis. He then goes on two discuss two native workers who work with him, but have been put in prison because the local priest told the people that the missionaries want to assassinate him. The people were running in the streets crying, “Viva el Padre!” He and the local priest are also going to have a public debate, though the Padre seems to be backing out. McCormick has offered to show from Scripture and the ancient writings of the Catholic Church that the Catholic Church as it stands now is guilty of idolatry. Etc.,
The second letter, a full two pages on larger paper, dated 5 years later, has the work much more stable and McCormick gives updates on various other works that seem to have perhaps been started by him in other towns around Zacatecas.
The final letter is with regard to a large building for sale which McCormick wants to buy; it is on offer at $8,000. It would apparently be the first large Baptist church in the region, etc.