This Rejoice & Praise God Sunday Open Thread, with full respect to those who worship God on the Sabbath, is a place to reaffirm our worship of our Creator, our Father, our King Eternal.

It’s also a place to read, post, and discuss news that is worth knowing and sharing. Please post links to any news stories that you use as sources or quote from.

In the QTree, we’re a friendly and civil lot. We encourage free speech and the open exchange and civil discussion of different ideas. Topics aren’t constrained, and sound logic is highly encouraged, all built on a solid foundation of truth and established facts.

We have a policy of mutual respect, shown by civility. Civility encourages discussions, promotes objectivity and rational thought in discourse, and camaraderie in the participants – characteristics we strive toward in our Q Tree community.

Please show respect and consideration for our fellow QTreepers. Before hitting the “post” button, please proofread your post and make sure your opinion addresses the issue only, and does not confront or denigrate the poster. Keep to the topic – avoid “you” and “your”. Here in The Q Tree, personal attacks, name-calling, ridicule, insults, baiting, and other conduct for which a penalty flag would be thrown are VERBOTEN.

In The Q Tree, we’re compatriots, sitting around the campfire, roasting hot dogs, making s’mores, and discussing, agreeing, and disagreeing about whatever interests us. This board will remain a home for those who seek respectful conversations.

Please also consider the Guidelines for posting and discussion printed here: 
https://www.theqtree.com/2019/01/01/dear-maga-open-topic-20190101/

On this day and every day –

God is in Control
. . . and His Grace is Sufficient, so . . .
Keep Looking Up

Hopefully, every Sunday, we can find something here that will build us up a little . . . give us a smile . . . and add some joy or peace, very much needed in all our lives.

“This day is holy to the Lord your God;
do not mourn nor weep.” . . .
“Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet,
and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared;
for this day is holy to our Lord.
Do not sorrow,
for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

. . . and to Die is Gain

Philippians 1:21 says, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” In order to understand Paul’s words, we must first look at the context.

The book of Philippians is a letter from the apostle Paul to the church in Philippi. In the epistle, Paul encourages the church, gives them advice, prescribes the life Christians should lead, and more. At the beginning of chapter 1, Paul opens with greetings to the church, letting them know how much he yearns for them (Philippians 1:1–8). He then goes on to speak of his current imprisonment in Rome and attempts to put the minds of the church members at ease (verses 12–14). Paul knows his suffering is happening for a reason, and that reason is to further the message of Christ: “What has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel” (verse 12).

In Philippians 1:19–20, we see the background for Paul’s “to die is gain” statement. Up to this time, Paul had already suffered much in his missionary journeys. He was beaten, stoned, hated and derided, shipwrecked, and now imprisoned. But Paul found joy in his afflictions, because they had strengthened his faith exponentially and allowed him to serve as a strong witness for Christ. Preaching and living out the Word of God was Paul’s highest goal, and these events had provided him with ample opportunities for evangelism. He literally presented his body “as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1) for God’s kingdom. Because he had faithfully run the race set before him (Hebrews 12:1), he knew God would be honored through both his life and his death (Philippians 1:19–20).

This brings us to Paul’s statement, “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). As Christians, our whole lives are to bring glory to God, and Paul had the assurance that, even in his suffering, he was accomplishing that goal (“to live is Christ”). But, as we see in the second part of the verse, Paul knew that his death would bring glory to God as well—and not only that, but it would also be the time when his faith would come to fruition and he would live with his Savior forever (“to die is gain”). Paul longed for the day when death would bring him face to face with Jesus (verse 23.)

All Christians feel the pull of heaven and yearn for an eternity with Christ. Heaven will be far better than our earthly life, for we will be present with our Savior in a place devoid of sin, sickness, and death (2 Corinthians 5:8). What we lose in life we will gain in heaven. Before that time comes, our purpose on Earth is to live as a light of hope in the darkness of sin and death (Matthew 5:16). We live a life of sacrifice so we may be assured, as Paul was, that even our death will glorify Christ Jesus.

https://www.gotquestions.org/to-die-is-gain.html

This Rejoice & Praise God Sunday Open Thread, with full respect to those who worship God on the Sabbath, is a place to reaffirm our worship of our Creator, our Father, our King Eternal.

It’s also a place to read, post, and discuss news that is worth knowing and sharing. Please post links to any news stories that you use as sources or quote from.

In the QTree, we’re a friendly and civil lot. We encourage free speech and the open exchange and civil discussion of different ideas. Topics aren’t constrained, and sound logic is highly encouraged, all built on a solid foundation of truth and established facts.

We have a policy of mutual respect, shown by civility. Civility encourages discussions, promotes objectivity and rational thought in discourse, and camaraderie in the participants – characteristics we strive toward in our Q Tree community.

Please show respect and consideration for our fellow QTreepers. Before hitting the “post” button, please proofread your post and make sure your opinion addresses the issue only, and does not confront or denigrate the poster. Keep to the topic – avoid “you” and “your”. Here in The Q Tree, personal attacks, name-calling, ridicule, insults, baiting, and other conduct for which a penalty flag would be thrown are VERBOTEN.

In The Q Tree, we’re compatriots, sitting around the campfire, roasting hot dogs, making s’mores, and discussing, agreeing, and disagreeing about whatever interests us. This board will remain a home for those who seek respectful conversations.

Please also consider the Guidelines for posting and discussion printed here: 
https://www.theqtree.com/2019/01/01/dear-maga-open-topic-20190101/

On this day and every day –

God is in Control
. . . and His Grace is Sufficient, so . . .
Keep Looking Up

Hopefully, every Sunday, we can find something here that will build us up a little . . . give us a smile . . . and add some joy or peace, very much needed in all our lives.

“This day is holy to the Lord your God;
do not mourn nor weep.” . . .
“Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet,
and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared;
for this day is holy to our Lord.
Do not sorrow,
for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

To Live is Christ . . .

Philippians 1:21 says, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Most people focus on the second part of the verse, “to die is gain,” and contemplate the joys of heaven. But we should not overlook what comes before. The importance of the phrase “to live is Christ” cannot be overstated. In all honesty, this phrase should be central to every Christian’s life.

In this statement, the apostle Paul is saying that everything he has tried to be, everything he is, and everything he looked forward to being pointed to Christ. From the time of Paul’s conversion until his martyrdom, every move he made was aimed at advancing the knowledge, gospel, and church of Christ. Paul’s singular aim was to bring glory to Jesus.

“To live is Christ” means that we proclaim the gospel of Christ. Paul preached in synagogues; he preached at riversides; he preached as a prisoner; he preached as an apostle; he preached as a tentmaker. His message was constant: “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). He brought the message of Christ’s sacrifice to kings, soldiers, statesmen, priests, and philosophers, Jews and Gentiles, men and women. He would preach to literally anyone who would listen.

“To live is Christ” means that we imitate the example of Christ. Everything that Jesus did and said, that’s what Paul wanted to do and say. The church benefitted from his godly example: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). What would Jesus do? That’s what we want to do.

“To live is Christ” means that we pursue the knowledge of Christ. We want to know Christ better and better each day. Not just a set of facts about Christ, but Christ Himself. “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11).

“To live is Christ” means that we are willing to give up anything that prevents us from having Christ. Paul’s testimony in this regard: “Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him” (Philippians 3:7-9). We cling to the promise of our Lord in Mark 10:29-30 that our sacrifices for Jesus’ sake will be repaid a hundredfold.

“To live is Christ” means that Christ is our focus, our goal, and our chief desire. Christ is the center point of our mind, heart, body and soul. Everything that we do, we do for Christ’s glory. As we run the “race marked out for us,” we lay aside the entangling sin and worldly distractions, “fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2). He is our life.

https://www.gotquestions.org/to-live-is-Christ.html

The Annular Eclipse of 14 October 2023

I posted about this a couple of weeks ago (see sidebar, last entry as of now…well until Wolf adds this post to the sidebar right underneath it). This is an event that would be a total solar eclipse…except that the Moon is near the farthest point in its orbit when it happens, so it’s consequently farther away and appears smaller. Too small, in fact, to cover the disk of the Sun. (The fact that the Sun is slightly closer to the Earth in January than it is in July–because of Earth‘s elliptical orbit around the Sun–probably doesn’t play much of a role; in October it ought to be pretty close to its average distance to Earth.)

And yes…I remember a conversation where I begged people to say “the far side of the moon” to mean the side we don’t see. Because that far side isn’t always dark; it’s quite well lit up when we see the new moon; at new moon the side facing us is the actual dark side of the moon.

Well moons don’t get any newer than when there’s a solar eclipse; we literally see exactly none of the lit side of the moon at those times; it’s perfectly back-lit. So this being my third full eclipse (another annular also in Albuquerque back in 2012, and the total eclipse in 2017), I’ve now seen the entire dark side (and this time it’s correct to say it) three times.

Anyway, it seems like I did everything I could to try to sabotage myself without quite succeeding in doing so. I planned to leave before 4 AM, it was 5 AM when I left. I left the camera I intended to use at home (idiot!) but had every other camera including my second choice (ironically a more expensive camera by far). I forgot to charge the batteries…one was dead, one was halfway there and I had trouble finding it. I also forgot to hang a weight off the tripod.

OK so the original plan was to drive to Albuquerque from Colorado Springs. Albuquerque was almost right in the middle of the track for this thing; the eclipse would last the longest and the Moon would almost perfectly center itself on the Sun…my eyeball, the moon, and the Sun would be in a perfect line for a split second. But the late departure meant I had to take more extreme measures.

Refer to the map:

I-25, which comes down from Colorado Springs is the thick line that comes into the frame at the top, just to the right of center. You’ll notice it meanders a bit. Just after entering the eclipse path, it jogs northwest, and gets no further in; finally it reaches Albuquerque.

I decided, because I was running late, to do something desperate. Notice right after I-25 enters the path, there’s a road running southeast from it (US-84). That’s a two lane road with very little traffic, I could get on that and drop down to the east-west road (I-40) then turn west and actually be getting deeper into the zone.

The eclipse was in progress by the time I reached US-84. I got about halfway down I-40 from US-84 to the next diagonal road (which also runs the wrong way!), stopped and set up. This was exit 234 if memory serves, and if you want to follow along on a more sophisticated map.

By the time I set up my equipment, the eclipse was well under way.

The Equipment

OK, let’s see, I had a Canon R5–roughly $3500. A Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.0-5.6 L, roughly $2200. A $250 tripod. And a two dollar filter to dim the sun enough it didn’t roast the electronics in the camera.

Clearly, before next April’s eclipse I will need a better camera.

OK, seriously, the filter is a piece of thin cardboard with a 1×5 inch window in it; the window has the same plastic they use in eclipse glasses. It’s handy for quick looks at the sun…or it can be duct taped over a camera lens (make sure the duct tape covers any part of the lens the filter does not).

And, incidentally, the R5 is arguably the best EOS camera Canon makes right now, though the R3 is better at a number of things. But not for this job. So I guess I have no choice but to improve the filter.

Oh, yeah, I forgot the duct tape. Fortunately gas station convenience stores usually sell it. Not cheap but IneededitrighteffingNOW!

The filter works…but it imparts an orange glow to everything, and the sun gets an orange tinge to it. Well it would if it weren’t blown out in the images. Which is fine, it should look white not orange anyway. (I could conceivably get photographs of sunspots if I didn’t blow out the sun by mistake; I know I did with the same filter on a different camera during the Venus transit of 2012.) In a way the event looked better through regular cheapass eclipse glasses (which I also had with me), because they aren’t obviously glaring orange in areas that ought to be jett black.

Here’s the first picture I took after setting up.

(Cropped from 8192×5464 pixels full frame down to 3000×2000, then reduced in size 50 percent to 1500×1000.)

The Moon came in from about 45 degrees clockwise from the top (1:30 though I shouldn’t use clock positions to indicate directions here because someone might think I am actually giving the time). So given that you can see it has 60 percent of the way across the Sun already. I cut it close!

Closer to annularity:

This is right about the point (just a bit later actually) where the crescent of the Sun starts to curve inwards at the tips. That can only happen if the occluding body isn’t as wide (in terms of angle of sky) as the Sun. Or in other words, you won’t see it look like this shortly before a total eclipse.

Getting very close.

At this point things happen rapidly. I started hitting the button on the bulb (wire remote) every second or so, I can flip through them on my computer and watch the horns of the crescent grow longer. (I want to figure out how to make a time lapse movie out of them. And yes the camera could probably have done that, except I couldn’t remember how to set it up and certainly didn’t have time to do it right there and then!)

Oh, good, I wasn’t imagining things! This is 57 seconds after the previous picture:

This is the moment right before annularity. The ring is complete…except for two breaks. These are due to mountains on the moon cutting off the Sun’s disk, still…for just that moment. As the moon moves further down and to the left the mounts will eventually fall completely inside the Sun’s disk.

A similar effect happens during a total eclipse but is much more obvious, because the sun shining between the mountain peaks is the ONLY sunlight in view (the rest of the ring is absent). This is called “Bailey’s beads.” Bailey’s beads are visible with the unaided eye and are evidence the moon has mountains and is not an absolutely smooth sphere. (This was controversial around Galileo’s time when many believed everything in the sky was pristine and perfect. Clearly no Chinese weather balloons back then!)

I wasn’t in the middle of the path so the “ring of fire” was not of uniform thickness even at mid eclipse. At roughly 10:38 AM Moutain Daylight Time, this is as close as it came from where I was:

You’ll notice in these last three pictures the sun is apparently moving up and to the right. I didn’t bother trying to center it when I cropped the big 45MP image. Instead I made sure to crop exactly the same area off each picture, so you could see the (apparent) motion of both the Sun and Moon as the eclipse progressed.

Several times I had to loosen the tripod and shift to keep the Sun/Moon from leaving the frame entirely, but I did not have to do that at this time, and so what you see is the real relative motion of the Sun and Moon against the sky as A) the Earth rotates, causing the illusion of motion from east to west, B) the Sun moves, ever so slowly reoughly west to east, taking a full year to completely circule through the entire sky. (That’s what a year is, in fact.) This is “real” motion against the background stars…except for the fact that it’s really us on Earth moving, in the other direction! The Moon is also moving west to east across the sky, about 12-13 times faster than the sun; New Moon is when it laps the sun going across the sky. (And this time it really is the Moon that is moving.)

And now annularity ends.

Again, we see the effect of mountains on the lunar rim. People on those mountains, at that moment would see Earth and Sun on the horizon…in two exactly opposite directions. (I did not have to move the camera, but I did crop this from a different location in the frame, so that’s why it seems to be centered again.)

The total duration here, according to the timestamps, is 3 minutes, 49 seconds.

The moon looks like it’s dropping through the center of the bottom side of the Sun. In fact, I joked with another eclipse watcher who was there, that I was now taking pictures of the Turkish flag..which is often hung downwards like a banner (much like the US flag is hung behind the Speaker’s chair in the House of Reprehensibles), with the crescent points towards the ground. Of course the Turkish flag also has a big five pointed star on it.

Last one…the moon almost completely departed, Down and left the tiniest “cut”.

Many lessons learned for next April. Better filter. Dial down the exposure a bit (and maybe catch some sunspots if there are any), and the focus could be a tiny bit sharper.

Until then…

This Rejoice & Praise God Sunday Open Thread, with full respect to those who worship God on the Sabbath, is a place to reaffirm our worship of our Creator, our Father, our King Eternal.

It’s also a place to read, post, and discuss news that is worth knowing and sharing. Please post links to any news stories that you use as sources or quote from.

In the QTree, we’re a friendly and civil lot. We encourage free speech and the open exchange and civil discussion of different ideas. Topics aren’t constrained, and sound logic is highly encouraged, all built on a solid foundation of truth and established facts.

We have a policy of mutual respect, shown by civility. Civility encourages discussions, promotes objectivity and rational thought in discourse, and camaraderie in the participants – characteristics we strive toward in our Q Tree community.

Please show respect and consideration for our fellow QTreepers. Before hitting the “post” button, please proofread your post and make sure your opinion addresses the issue only, and does not confront or denigrate the poster. Keep to the topic – avoid “you” and “your”. Here in The Q Tree, personal attacks, name-calling, ridicule, insults, baiting, and other conduct for which a penalty flag would be thrown are VERBOTEN.

In The Q Tree, we’re compatriots, sitting around the campfire, roasting hot dogs, making s’mores, and discussing, agreeing, and disagreeing about whatever interests us. This board will remain a home for those who seek respectful conversations.

Please also consider the Guidelines for posting and discussion printed here: 
https://www.theqtree.com/2019/01/01/dear-maga-open-topic-20190101/

On this day and every day –

God is in Control
. . . and His Grace is Sufficient, so . . .
Keep Looking Up

Hopefully, every Sunday, we can find something here that will build us up a little . . . give us a smile . . . and add some joy or peace, very much needed in all our lives.

“This day is holy to the Lord your God;
do not mourn nor weep.” . . .
“Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet,
and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared;
for this day is holy to our Lord.
Do not sorrow,
for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Spiritual Warfare

Various people in the Gospels and the Book of Acts commanded demons to leave other people—the disciples as part of Christ’s instructions (Matthew 10); others using Christ’s name (Mark 9:38); the children of the Pharisees (Luke 11:18-19); Paul (Acts 16); and some others (Acts 19:11-16).

It appears that the purpose of Jesus’ disciples casting out demons was to show Christ’s dominion over the demons (Luke 10:17) and to verify that the disciples were acting in His name and by His authority. It also revealed their faith or lack of faith (Matthew 17:14-21). It was obvious that this act of casting out demons was important to the ministry of the disciples. However, it is unclear what part casting out demons actually played in the discipleship process.

Interestingly, there seems to be a shift in the latter part of the New Testament regarding demonic warfare. The teaching portions of the New Testament (Romans through Jude) refer to demonic activity, yet do not discuss the actions of casting them out, nor are believers exhorted to do so. We are told to put on the armor to stand against (not attack) them (Ephesians 6:10-18). We are told to resist the devil (James 4:7), be careful of him (1 Peter 5:8), and not give him room in our lives (Ephesians 4:27). However, we are not told how to cast him or his demons out of others, or that we should even consider doing so.

The book of Ephesians gives clear instructions on how we are to have victory in our lives in the battle against the forces of evil. The first step is placing our faith in Christ (2:8-9), which breaks the rule of “the prince of the power of the air” (2:2). We are then to choose, again by God’s grace, to put off ungodly habits and to put on godly habits (4:17-24). This does not involve casting out demons, but rather renewing our minds (4:23). After several practical instructions on how to obey God as His children, we are reminded that there is a spiritual battle. It is fought with certain armor that allows us to stand against—not cast out—the trickery of the demonic world (6:10). We stand with truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer (6:10-18).

It appears that as the Word of God was completed, the Christians had more weapons with which to battle the spirit world than the early Christians did. The role of casting out demons was replaced, for the most part, with evangelism and discipleship through the Word of God. Since the methods of spiritual warfare in the New Testament do not involve casting out demons, it is difficult to determine instructions on how to do such a thing. If necessary at all, it seems that it is through exposing the individual to the truth of the Word of God and the name of Jesus Christ.

20231005 Open Topic

I have mentioned before that my many-times great-grandmother was one of the last women tried for witchcraft in America, a full hundred years after Salem, in 1792. I say “tried,” but it was her neighbors, not the courts, who put her on trial. She was tortured, but survived. And she was about eighty years old when this happened, which is hard to imagine. According to documentation I discovered, she also lived until at least 1802, and died by 1803. I imagine that, considering what was done to her, she never walked without pain in those last ten years.

Anyway, Wolf said I should write about her sometime, and this is that time, I guess.

First, though, I want to share another bit of history from South Carolina where Mary Free Ingleman, my ancestor, lived, which might be related. This is a shocking tale, at least to me, considering the time period. I thought pre-Colonial America was more Puritan than perverse, but maybe not!

The story of the Weberites, also known as the Gifted Brethren, took place in an area of South Carolina known as the “Dutch Fork.” The settlers there were from the Palatinate area of Germany for the most part.

“Jacob Weber (also spelled as Weaver) was a Swiss immigrant who came to Saxe Gotha in 1739 with his brother. Weber underwent a conversion and started to preach to his neighbors starting around 1759. According to some sources, Weber’s group practiced animal sacrifices according to Old Testament rules and some fantastical accounts reported that they started dancing naked in the woods. Either way, the group grew and began to exhibit cult-like characteristics, as some members were apparently forced into joining. Soon, Weber began to believe that he was God himself and that a man named John George Schmidtpeter was Jesus Christ incarnate. An escaped slave named Dauber (or Dubard) was declared to be the Holy Spirit. 

The only ordained minister in Saxe Gotha, Christian Theus, attended one of the meetings of the Weberites, where he was insulted and asked to recognize Weber as God. Upon Theus’ refusal, the congregation tried to drown him. However, Theus ran for his life and managed to escape after finding an enslaved person on a boat on the Broad River. Theus tried to get the colonial authorities involved to no avail. 

During this time, the leaders of the sect began to have disagreements. Dauber was murdered by the sect, and Schmidtpeter murdered a Saxe Gotha resident named Michael Hans. This may have been an attempt to prove that Schmidtpeter could raise the dead. The murder of Hans enraged Weber who ordered his flock to beat and trample Schmidtpeter to death since he was Satan in disguise.

The murder of Hans was enough to get the attention of the authorities in Charleston though. The militia intervened and arrested seven of the Weberites. Four were found guilty and one, Jacob Weber, was executed. Weber wrote a confession while imprisoned and may have promised to rise from the dead after his execution.”

https://www.lexingtonchronicle.com/stories/the-murderous-saga-of-a-1700s-lexington-county-religious-sect,51197

From another account:

“During the harsh and violent winter of 1761 on February 23rd and 24th, thirty-one year old John George Smithpeter and allegedly “a godless colored preacher” named Dauber met with a sudden and violent death at the hands of Jacob and Hannah Weber, John Geiger, and Jacob Bourghart and possibly other followers of Jacob Weber at the Dutch Fork near the confluence of the Saluda, Broad, and Congaree Rivers in the western part of South Carolina north of Saxe Gotha. On Marach 17, 1761 a trial was held at the March Sessions of the court in Charleston, South Carolina. Jacob Weber, allegedly a crazed religious zealot, was convicted of the murders of John George Smithpeter and Preacher Dauber along with his wife, Hannah Wieber, John Geiger, and Jacob Bourghart. On March 31, 1761 Jacob Wieber was hanged for the murders at Charleston. Another Weberite, Abraham Geiger, was banished from South Carolina in about 1761 as a result of his involvement in the “Weberite Heresy.” Abraham Geiger died five years later in Georgia at the age of seventy-six. Dauber was NOT murdered by the Weberites at all; in fact it was Michael Hentz who was the second victim of the Weberites.

An item in the South Carolina Gazette, May 13-26, 1761 edition, on page three states the following: “At a court of Common Pleas held this week, before the honourable William Simpson, Esq; chief justice, John Gieger, Jacob Bourghart, and Hannah Wieber, (who, with Jacob Wieber executed on the 17th, were convicted of murder at March sessions and received sentence of death the 31st of the same month) were admitted to bail, to appear on their own recognizance from sessions to sessions, his majesty’s pleasure touching the sentence passed upon them shall be known.” It was however proven that the murder victims were John George Smithpeter/Schmidtpeter and one Michael Hentz. The preacher Dauber or Dubber was not in fact murdered and went on to live a long life.”

Mary Free Ingleman’s maiden name is not known. Her first husband, Lawrence Free, died in 1771, and she remarried not long after. There is a possibility that her new husband, Jacob Ingleman, was a member of the Weberite sect. That may have been the impetus for Mary’s neighbor’s suspicions of her. In any case, in 1792, they accused her of witchcraft. The following account states that Mary herself may have been a Weberite; I personally don’t believe that records support that conclusion.

This is a photo of the house Mary Free Ingleman lived in back in 1792 (obviously the pic was taken far more recently!

https://www.theqtree.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Mary-Ingleman-house.jpg

From “The Witches of Fairfield, S.C.,” by Lee R. Gandee, Fate Magazine, 1972:

In 1792 Fairfield County was across Broad River from Lexington County (an arm of Richland County now separates them), where a generation earlier a bizarre cult called the Gifted Brethren practiced incredible excesses, deifying three of its leaders as God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. This bizarre group practiced hypnosis and before it was broken up its leaders hanged or banished for the murders  they committed, many of the “gifted” members had come to be considered witches. Colonial records suggest that Mary Ingelman was a native of Lexington or a member of a family who had lived there and it seems possible that the imputation of witchcraft followed her when she moved to Fairfield, about 20 miles from the headquarters of the Gifted Brethren. In any case, she was the principal one of the accused, the others being  an old Mr. Harding and his wife and an old crone named Sally Smith.  

Lawyer Pearson stated that from the time of the first settlement of Fairfield there always had been persons reputed to be witches living there but that up to 1792 their activities had been considered harmless, more in the nature of white hex than of black magic. In 1792, however, a number of strange phenomena occurred; women began to act possessed. Presently about one person in 20 yielded to unreason and organized to stamp out witchcraft.

Apparently they realized they might be held accountable for their acts for in assembling their evidence they took depositions and also kept written records of the testimony at the trial of the four accused. Pearson had access to these depositions and the testimony and repeats enough of it to allow reconstruction of a few of the incidents on which the charges were based.

The “judge” chosen to decide the cases was a respectable planter, Thomas Hill, whose home was five miles from Winnsboro. He was a slaveholder and a man of considerable property. The accused were brought to his plantation for trial, Mary Ingelman from a distance of about 15 miles. A jury was selected and John Crossland, a poor man, apparently young and strong and perhaps a tenant on Hill’s land, was named “sheriff” and “executioner.” The “trial” was conducted at night in a hut or outbuilding on the Hill plantation.

Mary Ingelman was accused by Rosy Henley and her sister of having placed a spell on them. Of the two Rosy was the worse affected and the evidence suggests that she was psychically disturbed — if not actually possessed by devils. The manuscript reads: “Lying in her bed she could not be prevented by the utmost exertions of four strong men from rising up and clinging to the ceiling. They were both bitten on the neck and shoulders and stuck over with pins and splinters. Their case was dreadful . . .”

Anyone can fake and two sisters could bite each other unobserved and if they were willing to undergo the discomfort, could stick pins and splinters into themselves or each other. but it is hardly possible to fake a levitation convincingly enough to withstand the efforts of four strong men to prevent it and equally difficult to give the impression of clinging to a ceiling while four men attempt to pull one down.

There seem to be only two possibilities: The individual supposed to be levitating, the four strong men and all witnesses were hypnotized and conditioned by suggestion to believe there was a levitation. Or the levitation actually occurred.

It is not possible to say whether autosuggestion could or could not simultaneously control the participants and witnesses of a supposed levitation. Hex and voodoo seem to utilize telepathic suggestion in a way which makes this possible but from admitting this it is only a short step to believing witchcraft. Rosy Henley may have been unconsciously overwhelming the sense-impressions of those around her and filling their consciousness with the fantasies of her own mind but the psychic energy necessary to cause this probably could produce an actual levitation just as readily. Whether Mary Ingelman had any part in it at all seems doubtful.

Pearson makes it clear that he believed the levitations occurred. In fact, a wizard not brought to trial, one Joe Fairs of Lower Fairfield, was accused of affecting tow of Drury Walker’s daughters in the same manner. Pearson said, “It took four strong men to prevent her (the worse afflicted one) from rising out of her bed to the ceiling. Sometimes she would rise up the wall, slide across the ceiling and descend the opposite wall without injury. There was no doubt as to these phenomena at Walker’s.”

For a circuit court lawyer to risk his reputation by making such a statement indicates he had complete confidence in the truth of those who reported these levitations. He also must have believed persons still living could and would verify his claim.

Aside from the levitations of the Henley and Walker sisters, the most unusual phenomena occurred in the case of Willing Haw “alias Martha Holley.” She testified that after Mary Ingelman bewitched her she “. . . put up (vomited) balls of hair with pins sticking out, was all over the neck and shoulders stuck full of pins and splinters and deprived of all peace and comfort . . . “

The other testimony reads like all testimony in witch trials for as far back as records go. Adam Free, Mary Ingelman’s son by a previous marriage, testified that his mother once asked him for one of his cows. When he refused Mary immediately cast a spell on it causing it to spring up convulsively, fall and break its neck.

His son, Jacob Free, testified that his grandmother once turned him into a horse and rode him to Pearson’s apple orchard on Broad River six miles from his home. The manuscript relates quaintly, “While she was filling her bag with apples, his eye was attracted by the beautiful red apples that hung over him. He put up his long horse head to obtain a stealthy supply and while he was attempting to do so, she drove a punch into his cheek from the effects of which he did not soon recover.”

One is tempted to say that a young man must really be bewitched to make such a statement or impelled by motives that a psychiatrist would find interesting.

However, it remained for Isaac Collins to accuse Mary Ingelman of consorting with Satan. “He testified that on one occasion he took his trusty rifle and went out on a deer hunt around McTyre’s old field. He saw a deer and tried several times to fire at it but the rifle would not fire. He suspected witchcraft so he removed the ball, split it  and inserted a sliver of silver. The then fired; the deer vanished; in its place a large black cat appeared with its front leg wounded and the cat limped away.

“A day or two later he was plowing corn and became thirsty. He went to a spring near the field and while he was resting there Mary Ingelman came up with her arm in a sling and told him that he was to blame for her injury and that she would not forget it.

“He testified that after that she turned him into a horse and rode him to a grand convention of witches. Where, he could not say, but he thought somewhere in North America; and on the way the Devil rode up by her side and observed, ‘Mother Ingelman, you have a splendid horse.’

” ‘Ah,’ she said, ‘This is that rascal Collins!’ “

Faced with this a accusation Mary Ingelman offered no defense, nor did any of the others to the charges made against them. They were adjudged guilty and sentenced to be punished.

As punishment they first were tied by the wrists and hanged to joists in the building where they were flogged, the newspaper account says, brutally. They were taken down, “then placed with their feet to a bark fire and confined there until the soles popped off.” After this torture they were released and allowed to crawl away. The Hardings and Mary Ingelman escaped further abuse but Sally Smith was found some distance from the Hill plantation by a vindictive man who “cast her down and placed a pine log across her neck. She could not stir and the next day was relieved by a benevolent person passing along the path.”

Despite this treatment none of the four victims died as a direct result of it and the witch-hunters began to consider  action against Hezekiah Hunt and his wife, Mourning Hunt, who were strongly suspected.

Evidently the group felt that public opinion protected them. Of the four only Mary Ingelman attempted to have anyone brought to justice for the outrages committed upon her. In all Camden District she found only one magistrate who would issue a warrant for anyone’s arrest. He was The Rev. William Yongue, a Presbyterian minister, so shocked by the circumstances that he ignored public opinion. He issued a warrant for the arrest of John Crossland who was tried in the County Court, found guilty of aggravated assault and sentenced to be fined five pounds. He never paid it but fled “the far west,” which in 1792 meant Georgia or Alabama. Pearson expressed some sympathy for him saying that “. . . other better-informed men than Crossland also participated . .  .” and were not punished.

Early in the account Mr. Pearson referred to Mrs. Ingelman as ” . . . the dreadful old Mary Ingelman” but apparently this was intended as irony. In concluding his account he wrote: “Some persons now living may remember the great witch Mary Ingelman. She was a remarkably neat, tidy and decent old lady. She was of German extraction and probably a native of Germany. Her conversation was pleasant, entertaining, instructive; her manners mild, simple and agreeable. Her knowledge in pharmacy was considerable and her application of simples in the cure of country complaints was the result of much observation and gratuitous practice. . . .” He added that she was a pious old soul and that when her spirit left this earth it probably went to a better place.

In Salem, Rebecca Nurse was described in much the same way and Rebecca Nurse was put to death. Being a “remarkably neat, tidy and decent” person is no protection, nor is benevolence and piety when a community falls under the spell of a witch-hunt.

In Salem horror and excess brought about its own reaction. In Fairfield the delusion was broken by a a wise minister, “Preacher Woodward,” who announced that he would preach on witchcraft and thus attracted a huge crowd. The crowd was keyed to a high pitch of expectancy and the minister began by admitting that sorcery and magic exist, that indeed there are witches. However, he declared with mock seriousness, people should not imagine that old or ugly women were witches. What woman with supernatural powers would use them to make herself ugly or old, he asked the congregation. Rather, he said, suspect beautiful girls of witchcraft, since with a look and a few words murmured in a certain way they can draw boys away from their families, turn them first into lackeys and at last into lifelong toilers. Wizards, he averred, are not to be found among old, broken men but among the young and handsome who with a touch and a murmur can deprive a girl of her senses and turn the most lissome and carefree maiden into a servant and a household drudge.

The tension broke. The crowd laughed and the Fairfield witch-hunt was over. No more did Rosy Henley and the Walker girl rise to the ceiling. No more did William Haw “put up balls of hair with pins sticking out.” Witchcraft and laughter cannot coexist.”

I actually own a copy of the original Fate Magazine where this story was published.

My direct ancestor was Adam Free’s brother. He appears to have remained clear of the doings, and did not condemn his mother. As a side note, from the historical record it appears quite clear to me that Adam Free fathered some of his own grandchildren by not one but two of his own daughters. This was not a nice man.