Bishop Cheshire's first episcopal act was to hold an evening service in Tarboro, the night of his consecration, at St. Luke's Chapel for Negroes. He did not lose any time in assuming the duties of his new office. While in Tarboro he made several visitations in Edgecombe and Halifax counties. On October 23 he and his family returned to Charlotte, but he did not tarry long. A few days later he set out for the mountains of North Carolina, where he spent a month visiting the scattered churches and missions in that section. Returning from the mountains, he continued his visitations until he was suddenly called to Raleigh on December 13 by the death of Bishop Lyman, who had been in greatly enfeebled health for the past few months. The death of Bishop Lyman placed the Assistant Bishop in full charge of the Diocese of North Carolina. The few weeks of work Bishop Cheshire had had under the direction and advice of the senior bishop stood him in good stead now that he had the sole responsibility for episcopal guidance of the Diocese. CHAPTER V _First Years in the Episcopacy_ When Bishop Cheshire assumed the episcopal oversight of the Diocese of North Carolina, he felt little confidence in his ability to fulfill the duties of the office. He did feel that by sincere and diligent application he could accomplish much for the welfare of the church. When elected assistant bishop he was, in his own words, "constrained to accept the call, not from any sense of fitness in myself, but simply because such a call seems to me to carry with it an imperative obligation to accept, unless the hand of God should plainly point in another direction: a dispensation was laid upon me."[30] Notwithstanding his expressed views, Bishop Cheshire was, in the opinion of most churchmen, better fitted for his office by ability, temperament, and training than any other man in North Carolina.