The bishop was satisfied that he crossed the Alleghany Mountains at the wrong time of the year. He not only talked about it, but made this singular record: “I have more than once put the wrong foot foremost in my journeys to the West: the spring will not do because of wet and deep and dismal roads; the summer’s extreme heat, and the small green flies, make disagreeable traveling. I make a decree, but not of the Medes and Persians, never in future to cross the mountains before the first of September, nor leave Carlisle before the first of October.” On Friday we were the guests of Rev. John Sale, who at one time had almost the whole state of Ohio for his district. On Sunday the bishop preached at Xenia Court-house on Col. i, 28, “Whom we preach.” There were about five hundred to hear him. I tried to clinch the nail the bishop had been driving. We went to Peter Pelham’s, another of the bishop’s choice homes, where he delighted to rest his weary head. This was a most respectable family. They had emigrated to Ohio from Old Virginia. This night we were very unfortunate, for our horses were lost and in the morning could not be found. Our appointments were out in advance, and the people must not be disappointed, so we borrowed horses and on we went to Samuel Hitt’s, (brother of Daniel,) and then to Widow Smith’s, where the bishop preached. By the time he had finished his discourse our horses were there. Brothers Sale and Pelham had gone in pursuit of them, found them, and then brought them to us. On the 26th we went to the house of Rev. Philip Gatch, one of the bishop’s famous homes. A camp-meeting was held there, and the bishop was delighted to greet many of his old friends whose society he greatly enjoyed. The meeting was attended by the mighty power of God, and over fifty were converted; but I was suffering so with inflammation in my eyes that I did not attend till Sabbath. I spoke to the crowd in German. I must have looked comical enough, for I had a blister behind each ear, and a bandage around my head and over my eyes. Immediately after my exhortation the bishop preached to two thousand people. On Monday evening I preached in German at Brother Gatch’s house. The family were very kind to me, and I parted invoking the blessing of God to rest upon them. These noble families I have mentioned emigrated from Virginia and Maryland, which were slave states, to Ohio, a free state. They abominated slavery and slave soil, and they emancipated their slaves before they left for Ohio. This I had from their own lips. All honor to their memory for their noble deeds! At that day we preached against holding human beings in bondage. I did it early on the Peninsula, as my journal will show.