OPENING WILLENHALL 31/10/1881
Three miles from Wolverhampton. We opened fire in the streets in the morning at ten o'clock, had a great crowd of men who followed us to the Barracks, and filled it. At eleven o'clock had a very good and quiet meeting. But alas! in the afternoon, when some of the very men who were so good and quiet in the morning, got filled with strong drink, they became very noisy, and it was with the greatest difficulty we could carry on the meeting. The devil of drink is one of the greatest enemies we have to contend with. At night I thought we would get to the Barracks in good time to open the doors to save a crush, however, when Capt. Payne and Lieut. Baugh and myself arrived at 5.30, to get ready for 6.30, we found 1,500 people in front of the door, and we could not get near to open it and light the gas. I was fifty-five minutes before I could get into the Theatre, We had good order inside, and five souls. I hear from Captain Payne that they have had sixty souls the first week. Hallelujah!
From "The War Cry," page 2, 24th November 1881.
Crashing in at the theatre are numbers of men and women who never hardly saw the inside of a place of worship till the advent of the army into this place. Men who drank and swore and mocked, now testified to God's saving power. 26 came forward on Sunday, making a splendid total of 76 for the week seeking a Saviour.
From, 'The War Cry', November 1881.
Another new Corps is going ahead, Captain A Payne and Lieutenant Baugh, two Training Home Iads, are leading their people on to victory. The first month they have had two hundred and twenty-three anxious enquirera; they have great crowds of people every night in the week, and hundreds turned away on Sundays. Go on my brave comrades. God will crown you when your work is done. Hallelujah!
From, "The War Cry," page 2, 15th December 1881.
WILLENHALL (Capt. Payne)—This week the work has been glorious. Several poor drunkards rose to their feet and walked boldly to the penitent-form, where, after some severe struggling, they laid hold of Christ by faith. On Monday, the 30th December we had a grand tea-meeting in the afternoon, 400 sat down.In the Theatre we had a glorious time, tourteen souls found their way to the Mercy seat.
From, "The War Cry", page 3, 12th January 1882.
At this place the people also are so willing to hear about the Saviour, that I believe we might have held a continued service, without breaking, for days and night, if we could have sustained them. The first night the Theatre was so full at six o'clock, that we could get nowhere near the door. We had to effect an entrance by a little door under the gallery, and when inside, they were obliged to pull up a floor board and pull us up, and on the gallery we had to walk a plank over the heads of the people, across a partition six feet high, with three inch iron spikes, before we could get to the stage; but, thank God, we got over safe and after a blessed time, sixieen men and women came out for God.
We held a meeting for Holiness at noon the next day: Theatre full fourteen found pardon, And at night again, a crowd of anxious souls. After a powertul time, we wound up with a shout of victory from forty souls, whose chains of sin had been broken by our King in the service. May Captain Payne and Lieutenant Baugh never rest until the town is moved.
From, "The War Cry," page 4, 9th February 1882.
Willenhall, which is only 3 miles from Bloxwich, is being shaken by the mighty power of God in such a manner as I never remember seeing a town shaken before. Not only in the Army, but in every chapel in the town, hundreds of souls are getting saved. I spent Sunday last, February 5th with them and indeed it was a never to be forgotten day.
At night all the chapel people joined us in procession. It was said that there were from 1,000 to 1,500 Christians marching all at once through the town into the Market Place, where we formed a big ring all round the Market Place eight deep. After a short address, we separated and went singing a lively song to the Theatre and the others to their own chapels.
We had 40 souls and at the other chapels a goodly number of souls were saved.
From, 'The War Cry', page 2, 2nd March 1882.
Note: In 1881 the town's population was 18,461, so over 5% were in the march and likely over 10% of the town was saved.
God is making bare His Holy Army in this town. There has not been known such mighty work for many years, if ever before, as there is at the present time. All the churches and chapels are being stirred up and filed with anxious souls, and hundreds are getting converted. Hallelujah!
I conducted a Holiness Convention the other Monday a day which our Soldiers and many other Christians will never forget. In the morning we had the Methodist New Connexion Chapel, the minister taking part in the Meeting. In the afternoon we had Primitive Methodist Chapel, their minister also taking part in the meeting. At night we had our old Hallelujah Barracks packed, and hundreds could not get in. This day's meetings proved a great blessing to the town.
From, "The War Cry," page 2, 23rd March 1882.
I do not know where the meetings were held.