This Week in Texas Methodist History July 25

 

 

Advocate Publishes Horace Bishop Dictated Memoir, July 1943

 

 

Many, if not most Texas Methodists have been on Bishop Boulevard on the SMU campus, probably without knowing the preacher being honored with name.  I will confess that when I first saw the name, I thought if might refer to the office of bishop rather than a person’s name.

 

It is actually named for Horace Bishop (1843-1933) the first chair of SMU’s Board of Trustees.  At the time Bishop was serving as Presiding Elder of the Waxahachie District of the Central Texas Conference.  The preachers of the district raised $5000 to build Bishop Boulevard which is today one of the most beautiful tree-shaded spots in Dallas. 

Mrs. R. W. Baird, one of Bishop’s daughters gave the Advocate a copy of a brief memoir her father had dictated to her.  The Advocate editor published the account in two installments in July 1943, ten years after his death.   The memoir reveals an interested insight into Bishop’s call to the ministry—it had been while he was in Confederate Army service under the direction of Chaplain John Keener, assisted by Enoch Marvin, both of whom would later be elected bishops of the MECS.

 

Bishop moved to Palestine from Virginia in 1860 when his father was elected to the presidency of Palestine Female Academy.  The family traveled by rail to Memphis then by steamboat to New Orleans and then Shreveport.  The last 150 miles to Palestine were by hacks.

 

Horace Bishop worked in a drugstore until his induction into the 28^th Texas Cavalry Dismounted as part of Henry McCulloch’s command.  His unit became known as Walker’s Greyhounds as they developed a reputation for how fast they marched.  His most difficult march was from Shreveport to Arkadelphia in three days in the rain with one ear of corn as the only food.  Bishop fought in several battles including Mansfield, Milliken’s Bend, Pleasant Hill, and Jenkins Ferry where he was wounded.  

 

Bishop had the services of several chaplains while in service.  His first was Frank Patillo who was discharged because he often preached until midnight, defying the orders of his commander to let the men sleep.  His favorite was a Baptist, Martin V. Smith, who preached twice a day for forty days and forty nights.  His preaching resulted in 250 baptisms.  Another chaplain team of John Keener and Enoch Marvin also preached to Bishop’s outfit.  Both men were later elected bishops of the MECS.

 

Bishop had received a good education from his father.  He said he carried a copy of Bacon’s Novum Organum in his knapsack in CSA service.   That background quickly gained him appointments to some of the best churches in Texas in Fort Worth, Corsicana, Waxahachie, San Angelo, and Waco.  His erudition was a good fit for the increasing number of well educated urban residents of Texas.  He was pastor at Waco when the Children’s Home was created there.

 

As one of the most distinguished members of the Texas clergy, he was one of the founders of SMU and served as the first chair of its Board of Trustees. 

 

He died at the home of his daughter in San Angelo, but was buried in Restland Memorial Park in Dallas.