Singing evangelist, born in Clearfield County, PA, on the 9th of July 1838; killed in the railroad disaster at Ashtabula, OH, on the 29th of December 1876. He had but little education, but his fondness for music led him to gain what knowledge he could of this art by attending conventions and the Academy of Music at Geneseo, NY. After the war, to which he was drafted in 1864, he held musical conventions and composed numerous songs. He became acquainted with D. L. Moody, and was persuaded to devote his life to evangelical work. His labors were in constant demand throughout the United States and Canada. He was a man of considerable personal magnetism, was a ready speaker and possessed a sweet, sympathetic voice in singing. His singing was not scientific, but exerted a powerful influence on a miscellaneous audience. He published several collections of songs. Among his most famous songs are Hold the Fort; Pull for the Shore; and Down Life’s Dark Vale We Wander.
