Campbell, George A.
Born 7/25/1845 in Springfield Twp, Bucks Cty, PA Died 11/7/1911 in
Married to Helena S Mann on 9/28/1867
Children:
Parents:
5 feet 9 inches Tall, brown hair, hazel eyes
Pastoral Assignments
1887 Hatfield
Quakertown
1888 Hatfield
Quakertown
1889 Hatfield
Quakertown
1890 Western, PA
1891 Western, PA
1892 [No assignment]
1893 Reading
1894 Reading
1895 Reading
1896 Hatfield
Quakertown
1897 Hatfield
Quakertown
1898 New Tripoli
Northampton
1899 Graterford
Harleysville
1900 Graterford
Harleysville
1901 Graterford
Harleysville
1902 Remps
Terre Hill
1903 Remps
Terre Hill
1904 New Tripoli
1905 New Tripoli
1906 New Tripoli
Gospel Banner, September 1879, page 5
Springtown, Pa., July 26, 1879
Dear Brethren and Sisters, and all the readers of the Banner. May God bless you. Amen
I am a reader of the Banner, and though dust, I feel that I should write for its columns. I must say that it is the purest sheet that I have yet perused; it always refreshes my soul to read its columns.
It was three year last March, since I gave my heart to Jesus, with my dear wife, and can say “me and my house will serve the Lord.” We were converted in a protracted meeting conductive by Eld. Jonas Musselman, and soon after received baptism as an “answer of a good conscience toward God.” I must confess with grief to my own shame, that I know that I ought to have been religious, long before, but did not believe that the religion of Jesus was so sweet, but now find it is “sweeter than honey and the honey comb,” and can say that I am not weary of serving the Lord. No! I feel to push boldly forward, through storms and clouds as well as sunshine, up hill, as well as down.
When seventeen years of age I enlisted in the Union army, as I was then in the world, I supposed it to be my duty, but now as a follower of the meek and lowly Jesus, I view these matters entirely different.
I experienced great trials and hardships during those three years, but the Lord has delivered me: blessed be his holy name.
I was a prisoner in Salisbury, N. C., came to Anapolis [sic] hospital as a mere skeleton, about ready to die, when a sister in Christ came along and stopping before my couch commenced talking with me. She asked me whether I expected to get well. I told her I did not know nor care. Then she asked me whether I had peace with God. I in my spiritual unconsciousness told her I did not know. She then spoke with me on the subject of religion. After she left me, I contemplated, commenced to pray and obtained peace in a small measure, but when I got well it was like sickbed conversions mostly are: it was soon lost, but a small light was still glimmering, and a small voice calling; and I thank God that I am what I am; nothing to boast of myself. It is the Lord’s doing; he has saved me, and I feel to do something to his honor, and improve the talent he has entrusted to me. If I cannot stand on Zion’s walls to proclaim God’s truth, I can assist in staying the prophets arms, that the banner of Christ may wave victoriously over his people, that satan’s bulwarks may be stormed, big cannons silenced, and his strongholds crumbled in the dust. I do not believer that dens of thieves and places of drunkenness and reverlry, gambling houses &c., are the most dangerous amongst satan’s strongholds; he has snares and traps of a finer work of art, by which he seeks to ensnare the unwary by offering them in the garb of religion. Many, alas! Have been deluded and led away, who as Paul says “have the form of godliness but denying the power thereof.”
Brethren and sisters, let us so live that when the dying hour comes, we may have a clar conscience, our work well done, and can lay down our pilgrim staff in peace. I hope by the will of the Lord to meet some of you yet, here below, if not, meet me in heaven.
George A. Campbell
Letter G A April 1880 p. 62
Letter Kate 12/1880 p 189
Article March 1, 1881 – p 35
Letter 11/15/1881 p 173
Letter Flora M. 11/15/1883 pg 171 Pleasant Valley
Yearbook 1912 pg 18
Elder G. A. Campbell was born in Springfield Township, Bucks Co., Pa., on July 25, 1845, and died on November 7, 1911; aged 66 years, 3 months and 13 days.
He was ordained to the Ministry in 1890 and served the following charges and missions: Quakertown and Hatfield, Western Pennsylvania, Reading, Siegfried, Gratersford and Harleysville, Terre Hill and Remps, Walnutport and Tripoli.
Yearbook 1901 page 38 Ministerial Convention
1. An Essay, by Elder G. A. Campbell, [o]n “The Necessary Qualifications of an Applicant for the Ministry.” A call of God and studious habits to study the word are necessary. He needs qualifications of an ambassador in Christ’s stead beseeching men to become reconciled to God.
A certain man said, if a man can stay in the home land let him not go to the Foreign field. so with the call to the ministry. Paul said, “Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel.”
Aptness to teach and instruct in order to perfect God’s people here below is necessary. Illiteracy is no excuse, as Peter and John did much work and people saw God with them. An applicant with too much forwardness and desire of recognition and lack of willingness to teach a class of Sunday School scholars, collect Pastor’s salary, etc., should have more humility, patience and judgment. A desire for a fat living is not a quality of God’s called minsters.
Yearbook 1904 page 45 Ministerial Convention
Second, “Deacons, Their Qualifications and Influence For Good” – By Elder Geo. A. Campbell. The Deacon is an officer in the Church of Jesus Christ to assist the pastor in temporal affairs so he can give more of his time to the word. A man of sound judgment in financial affairs, not double tongued or two sided, and should have a home to entertain strangers. It is a permanent office. First proven, and then ordained.
Resolved, That we receive this essay to be published in the Gospel Banner.
Yearbook 1911, pg 11
Elder G. A. Campbell, of Quakertown, Pa., writes: – My hearts’ desire is to come to Conference, but it seems all pertaining to this life has an end. “I trust you will pardon me as my time has been, and I am perfectly satisfied. The Lord has been good to me. You must increase but I must decrease. I trust the Lord will deal kindly with you all and lead the work to His honor and glory.”
Yearbook 1911, Pg 59 Ministerial Convention
The Committee has learned with sorrow that the Ministers G. A. Campbell and L. B. Taylor are unable to be present at this Convention on account of their physical condition. May the Lord greatly bless them.
Gospel Banner, Vol. 3, No. 8, April 15, 1880, page 62
Springtown, PA., March 14, 1880.
Dear Bro. Daniel: – May the Lord bless you, and all the readers and writers of the Banner. By taking my stand on the Lord’s side and observe the Christian Church, I am induced to write a few lines of exhortation to cheer the pilgrims onward and upward on the royal road that leadeth to the City of our great King.
First, I praise the Lord that he has given us this road; for without a road we can go now where, and in order to get to the desired destiny, we must enter upon the right road and continue theron till we reach our journey’s end. Just so spiritually: nearly everybody in our land and day, professes to be on this road, of which I fear a great many will in the end be deceived; but let us examine ourselves first, how we came upon this road.
I will tell you how I go on: I tried for years to get on, and I think I would have been on long before if my conscience would have allowed me to climb over the fence; but finally by the Lord’s help, I came down to the awful gate, and obtained admittance, not however before I was willing to throw away self-will, self-righteousness, pride and all, and receive Christ as he was made for us, meek and lowly in heart; and I obtained the power to become a child of God. Praise his name, for his love to me was so great I felt so happy. I thought my heart was melting with love like wax in the fire. Like the poet says:
Religion is good, religion is sweet,
I found it down at Jesus’ feet.
Secondly, let us examine ourselves. Are we yet on this road? So many roads are cut out alongside that we have to be very careful or we might miss take the wrong one. I can examine myself best by looking back and see if I have yet that love in my soul, and if my heart’s desire is that all men should be saved, Jesus died and paid for all and if I can pray with feeling for those that mock me, hate me or despitefully use me, and if I have a desire that they may meet me in heaven I know I am yet on the road; and our prayer should not be confined to our own denomination; but all true Christians are one body in Christ; and if we see that they are in the wrong, according to God’s word, we must pray to God that he might enlighten them and bring them upon the right part.
The Apostle tells us, Rom. 14:19, “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things where with one may edify another.” And now if we obey the divine precepts and are on the royal road, how is it that contentions will sometimes arise among Christians. On one side we are told, “If my brother is offended at me I shall remove what offendeth him, and then it give no brother a right to be offended. Hence if we obey the word of the Lord, peace, love and harmony must abide; and in order to work successfully for the Master it must abide, for we are told by St. James, “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” Hence we see where the latter takes place among Christian professors, it is evident that they are not on this royal road, because it is a peaceful road, and no beast of prey can go thereon. But I hope all the readers of the Banner are on this road, and I have written this as a safeguard, not to depart from it till we reach the Celestial City, and be forever at rest with our dear Lord and Master.
George A. Campbell
Gospel Banner, Vol. 4, no. 5, March 1, 1881, page 35
Gathering or Scattering
by Geo. A. Campbell
He that gathereth not with me, scattereth. – Luke 11:23
These words of our Savior deserve the honest consideration of every Christian. Professors generally are slow to admit that they are scattering, yet equally slow to speak out when the matter is brought to a definite test, and say they are gathering, and yet it is certain that all do one or the other, and none do neither nor both. Jesus declares, “No servant can serve two masters,” yet on of the two masters we do serve, either God or mammon.
Man by nature is under the power and dominion of the devil and is “led captive by him at his will,” and until regenerated or born again by the power of God, and delivered from the power of the devil, will do his will as naturally as water will run its course downward,. And from this state man cannot be delivered by belonging to church nor by baptism, neither by observing any or all of the ordinances of the church, neither can he by these means, with out a change of heart, gather with Christ, but will rather scatter abroad.
It is then a matter of importance for us to determine whether we are for Christ, and gather for him, or whether we are against him and scattering ab road. We can only become the true servants of Christ, by abandoning, and altogether refusing to serve our old master, by fleeing to Christ, who is strong to deliver, and who will make us free from the bondage and slavery of sin and the devil. Thank God, whom the Son makes free, shall be free indeed. Thus being delivered through the power of Christ, we will realize that it is no hard matter to serve him, and that his “yoke is easy and his burden light.” May God enlighten the eyes of our understanding, that we may know our duty, and by the influence we exert, gather into his fold the erring and wandering ones, instead of scattering them abroad.
Gospel Banner, Vol 4., no 22, November 15, 1881, page 173
Dear Ed. and Brother in Christ: – May the good Lord abundantly bless you and all the readers of the Banner. The love of Jesus constrains me to write a few lines for the Banner, to bring my mite although it is so very little when compared with the good, spicy reading in its columns, filled by such able writers as sister Risdon and others. But I must say right here that I have nothing of my own, that Jesus is my all in all. He has been so good to me that I would not know where to commence to praise him. I know that he has forgiven all my sins and gave me the power to become a child of God, nearly six years ago, and that he has cleansed me from all inbred corruption at our camp-meeting. All glory to his name, since then I can sing with the poet:
“I have a peace, it is calm as a river –
A peace that the friends of this world never knew:
My Savior alone is its author and giver,
And oh, could I know it was given to you.”
I find it no burden to serve the Lord, but instead a great pleasure and happiness; and I can say the Lord’s will is mine – do with me according to thy good pleasure. But it makes my heart feel sa[d] that not more are willing to stoop down and receive Christ the sinners’ friend.
We had erected our new tabernacle in Springtown two weeks, but on account of the cool weather prevailing it has visibly not been such a marked success as we hoped, yet at seasonable times it was crowded with people anxious to see and hear the Word of God which was wonderfully proclaimed in spirit and power. And we trust the good seed sown will yet bring blessed results in the future. One sister received full salvation, and on the last Sunday three were willing to follow the footsteps of Jesus even into Jordan to be baptized, and it pleased the Lord to abundantly bless us. There were perhaps a thousand people present, and they gazed on with awe and wonder as to what these things meant.
We are only a few cross-bearers of Springtown and vicinity, but we are determined to fight on. Pray for us, that we may put on the whole armor of God, and move forward in spirt of earth and hell.
O, dear brethren and sister, do not loiter away your time in the wilderness of unbelief, murmuring at the light manna; that is not your calling, but come boldly to the banks of the Jordan and enter by faith through the bottom and take stones along to build a piller of confession on the other side, that all may see that you have crossed and now enjoy the rich fruits of the land of Canna, a land of rest from all doubts and fears this side of eternity. Oh, the blessed repose,
“Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe in his gentle breast,
There by his love o’er shaded
Sweetly my soul shall rest.”
Pray for me, that I may prove faithful unto death. Your brother in Christ, Geo. A. Campbell.
Gospel Banner, Vol 6., no. 22, November 15, 1883, page 171
Pleasant Valley, PA.
Dear Brother Brenneman: – I feel it my duty to write a few lines to the Gospel Banner, to let its readers know what the Lord, had done for me. About two months ago I gave my heart to Jesus at the Chestnut Hill camp meeting. Since that I have enjoyed myself very much; and I still know that the Lord is with me. Bless his holy name for free salvation. Glory to God, he hath cleansed me from all sin. I never can forget the day when Jesus washed my sins away.
This is the first time I wrote for any paper. I am fourteen years old, and attend Sabbath-school and church. I have a brother and a sister living, and one little brother has gone to heaven to live with Jesus. My desire is to serve the Lord as long as I live. I need the prayers of all the dear brethren and sisters that I may be kept humble at Jesus feet.
Your Sister in Christ,
Flora M. Campbell.
Casualties at Chaffin’s Farm – September 29, 1864
Co. H. 2nd PA Heavy Artillery
Captured –
Capt. George C. Wilson
Pr. Basillus Bernhardt
Pr. James Clark
Pr. Jesse Collins
Pr. George A. Campbell
Pr. George H. Jones
Pr. Joseph Sheppard
Pr. Samuel B. Watson
[Pr. Thomas Winters – not in roster, testimony given, date of capture unknown]
Killed
Corp. Philip Duffy
Wounded
Pr. Isaiah Kline
Pr. Francis Palmer
Pr. Edward Reading
Missing
Pr. Stephen Reed
[Eye of the Storm: A Civil War Odyssey. Written and Illustrated by Robert Knox Sneden. Edited by Charles F. Bryan, Jr. and Nelson D. Lankford. The Free Press: New York, NY, 2000.]
Page 196-198 – [February 24, 1864] At Salisbury
We were marched into the prison yard for the night. There were about eighty of us. Here we met several hundred of our fellow prisoners who were dirt begrimed, ragged and in a deplorable state, covered with mud from the yard which looked and smelt like a hogpen… There were five or six ragged Sibley tents in the yard with the mud a foot think all around them and dozens of skeleton looking prisoners crowded around us.
We entered the prison yard through a strong gate in the high plank fence, on the top of which were posted the Rebel guard. Two small pieces of artillery wre mount on scaffolding outside the fence. These guns could sweep the yard with grape and canister from ene to end. The yard was overcrowded with the most abject, dirty, ragged lot of prisoners that we ever saw. It was hard to believe these grimy skeletons of men were once in our army… The place was so crowded that many had to sleep and live in the filthy yard which was trampled into muck which went over our shoes, and smelt just like a pig pen. Very frequently one or more detachment of 800 men would get no rations at all for twenty-four and thirty hours. Bread was from $5 to $15 a small loaf (Confederate) and the prisoners having no money, sold their overcoats and blankets, blouses, buttons and anything they had for food.
For weeks the prisoners in the yard had no shelter whatever. All were thinly clad, thousands were barefooted, and not one in twenty had a blanket, blouse, shirt or shoes! One Sibley tent and one A tent were furnished to each squad of 100 men. There were only a few of these standing now, all were torn, ragged, and very dirty. The cloth had been cut from them to patch clothes with. The rest burrowed in the ground, or under the buildings, having first torn away the foundation stones. The main building was crowded to suffocation from the second floor to the attic. The windows of the ventilator on the roof was partially boarded up to keep out the cold.
The prison was originally a cotton factory…. A smaller building was near it in the yard which had been a boiler and engine house. All were of brick. The main building had a tower with doors on each story…. At one time no prisoners were confined on the first floor of the factory. A novel contrivance was made so that the prisoners could get access to the rooms above the first floor. This was a mast, holding a movable gangway or boardwalk which worked by a rope and pulley. When it was hoisted close to the mast all access was cut off from the second floor to the ground. There were two old broken stoves, which filled the rooms with dense smoke, and th whole place was infested with vermin, while ragged clothes, bed quilts, and blankets, all reeking with vermin hung up on nails and strings in every room. The mud and other filth in the yard was horrible. All the prisoners were covered with red mud and filth, ragged and half starved.
Page 295 – At Annapolis
[December 17, 1864]
About 4 p.m. we made the harbor of Annapolis and came to anchor, while we were taken off by a large tugboat, and landed about dark at the wharf near the Naval Academy. A band of music, and about 200 people were waiting here to receive us, who escorted us to “Camp Parole” in the vicinity where we were all put into long barracks, in which bunks were fitted up, [and] where after rations were issued we smoked and discussed matters to a late hour.
Page 296
[December 18, 1864]
All the sick came ashore today and were brought here in ambulances. Most of them were afterwards removed to the Naval Academy buildings, which is not a vast hospital. There is a bureau of officers here who have numbers of clerks employed in making out furloughs for us to go home… We are quartered in several barracks which are built on a dreary waste of mud and about 200 are in each building.
Page 296
[December 19, 1864]
The weather is cold, and as the men are huddled around the stoves cooking as usual, it is hard work to keep warm. Opposite every barrack is a cook house, where the army ration is cooked and issued three times a day, when all have to form [a] line with tin cup and plate, which the men beat continually on with a spoon, making a great clatter. The rations are very liberal and much more than can be used without waste.