Cartwright, Peter

kart'rit, Peter (1785-1872), a famous circuit preacher. He was a native of Virginia. He died at Pleasant Plains, Illinois. In 1806 he was ordained by the Methodist church of Kentucky. He was a famous outdoor revivalist, a power in the camp meetings for which pioneer Kentucky and Illinois were noted. He was a man of ready wit, earnest eloquence, and sound common sense, but withal somewhat eccentric. On one occasion, it is related, he came down from the pulpit and threshed a rowdy who was disturbing the meeting. He then went back to the pulpit and finished his discourse. His rough and ready ways gave him a strong hold on the settlers. He sat in the legislature of Illinois. In 1846 Abraham Lincoln defeated him in an election for Congressman. In his Autobiography he tells us that he traveled sixty-five years, baptized over 12,000 persons, and preached over 15,000 sermons. See Methodists