Dr. Dodge was a man of scholarship and literary tastes. He was fond of books, and in his old age, when he did not have large means for the purchase of books, he wrote to a friend that he must needs content himself with reading the titles. He was of the opinion that every one should read with ease some other language than his own; his choice would have been, “Greek— modern Greek," for he agreed with a French author in regarding the Greek as the most beautiful language in the world. One who knew Dr. Dodge well calls him "one of our greatest preachers, poetical, scholarly, profound, magnetic." He was born November 16, 1815, in Rappahannock County.

VINCENT THOMAS SETTLE

1823-1892

Rather the larger part of the ministry of Rev. Vincent Thomas Settle was spent in Missouri. He was, however, a native of Virginia, and some seventeen years he labored in the Old Dominion. He was born May 28, 1823, at "Mountain View" farm, Warren County (then Frederick County), Virginia, his parents being Vincent and Catherine Shull Settle. He was one of thirteen children, seven boys and six girls, and, of this number, nine lived to mature age. "Mountain View," his birthplace, was originally granted to Lord Fairfax by the Crown. After having studied at the Lisbon and Front Royal Academies, Professors Latham and J. Worthington Smith being among his teachers, he himself was an assistant in the latter institution for several years. Upon his conversion he was baptized, by Rev. John Ogilvie, into the fellowship of the Goose Creek (now Pleasant Vale) Baptist Church, Fauquier County, Virginia. In October, 1853, at Front Royal, he was licensed to preach, and, in August of the following year, he and his brother, Josiah J. Settle, were ordained at St. Stephen's Church, Nelson County. His first pastorate, in 1856 and 1857, was at Lexington, Va., and his next at Mount Crawford, Rockingham County, Virginia. At this latter place he remained from 1858 to 1861, and here he was married, April 30, 1859, to Miss Caroline L. Turley, youngest daughter of Cyrus and Elizabeth Turley. Of the five sons and three daughters born of this union, one son and one daughter died in infancy. About 1863, under the employ of the Old (Goshen) Board, he preached for the Mount Moriah Church, Amherst County. Before leaving Virginia to

live in the West, he had ministered, at one time or another, to these churches: Rose Union and Jonesboro, Nelson County; Adiel, Albemarle County; and Ebenezer, Amherst County. The Minutes of the General Association for 1856 show that that year he attended the meeting of the body in Lynchburg, as a delegate from Ebenezer Church. His last pastorate in Virginia was at Mount Moriah.

In 1872 he moved to Missouri, where for fifteen years he labored under the State and Home Boards. He organized the Baptist Church, at Fredericktown, Mo., and during his pastorate there the first meeting-house was built and paid for. His other pastorates in Missouri were Ironton, Potosi, Greenville, Desarc, Oran, Kelso, and Pleasant Hill. The last year of his life he was missionary of the St. Francis Association, and in this capacity visited all the churches in the Association. In this year he raised enough money to pay his own salary and all the indebtedness of the Association, and reported 111 conversions and 103 baptisms. His last sermon was at the Wayne County Association, September, 1892, when his text was: "For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass." James 1:23. He passed away at Fredericktown, Mo.. October 30, 1892. His wife, who survived him, died in the spring of 1915, and one of his sisters, Mrs. Sarah Settle Brown, still resides in Columbus, Ohio. Professor Joseph R. Long, of Washington and Lee University, through Mr. F. V. Settle, of Amherst, Va., secured from Mrs. Brown practically all of the facts contained in this sketch.

GEORGE B. BEALER

1824-1870

At the close of the Civil War, Rev. George B. Bealer became pastor of the Freemason Street Church, Norfolk, Va., but since his lungs were weak he did not remain long in Norfolk. From Norfolk he went to the pastorate of the church at Madison, Ga. After eighteen months at this place, his health continuing to decline, he gave up work and was carried to Atlanta for treatment. There he died June 2, 1870. He was born in Grahamville, S. C., in 1824, and just before his death he begged to be carried back to South Carolina, saying: "Bury me in the lowlands. My heart is not here. It is among the people I know and love." The body was taken back to Darlington, and buried near the church where he had had a successful ministry of thirteen years. While he was pastor in Norfolk the Episcopal minister asked to be allowed to use the pool of the Freemason Street Church to baptize a candidate. His request was granted. Just before the baptism was to take place the rector asked Mr. Bealer if he would not immerse the candidate; his answer was: "I would suffer my right arm to be removed before I would do such a thing."

His first wife was His second wife was

Mr. Bealer was twice married. Miss Bascot. She left one son. Miss Emily J. Winkler, a sister of Rev. Dr. E. T. Winkler. Of this union there were four children. The two who are living are Rev. Alexander W. Bealer and Pierre Bealer.

BALLARD PRESTON PENNINGTON

1858-1914

The Red Sulphur district of Monroe County, West Virginia, was the birthplace of Ballard Preston Pennington. He was the son of William and Nancy Shrewsbury Pennington, and was born August 13, 1858. After having taught school for several years he studied law and was admitted to the bar. Soon after this, while attending a protracted meeting, he was converted, and the whole plan and purpose of his life changed. He united with the Baptists ("missionary"), and, answering a call that he heard, decided to be a preacher. He was ordained, and from that time to the end "his life became a fountain of grace which has flowed in an ever-broadening stream, touching and blessing literally thousands of his fellow-beings. He had the gift of oratory, a rare command of language, and the love of God and man in his heart. A physical infirmity which made him a cripple would have brought to inactivity a less earnest nature, but he was endued with dauntless energy, and was always ready to go whithersoever he was needed, and where he could speak a good word for Jesus." He served as pastor to many churches in Monroe County, and probably preached to more churches in this county than any other preacher now living. Among the churches in Monroe of which he was pastor were Oak Grove, at Gates; the Valley Church, near Zenith; Sweet Springs, Sinks Grove, and Broad Run. At these last two churches he was pastor at two different periods, and at the time of his death. Twice, for two years in 1908-09, and again, not long before his death, he was pastor of the Princeton