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Biographical / Historical

Rev. Thomas Wilmer Dorman (1805-1869) was mentored by Rev. Henry Furlong (1796-1874) when Dorman converted to Methodism. Dorman moved to Alabama in 1836, and he was ordained a deacon in the Alabama Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1837. From 1862-1865, Dorman was in charge of the State Street Colored Church in Mobile, Alabama.

Scope and Contents

Three (3) page letter from Methodist minister, Thomas Wilmer Dorman to fellow clergy member, Henry Furlong. Dorman writes from Middleburg, Virginia to Furlong in Abingdon, Maryland. Dorman has recently returned from the "Southern Country" and expresses his desire to permanently move to Montgomery, Alabama. He mentions "black and Indian populations" and the "savage warfare" during the Second Creek War in Alabama. Though he expresses some concern about the violence, Dorman expresses his desire to move there for his ministry.

Dorman also mentions other Methodist members by name, discusses doctrinal arguments, and Furlong's expected elevation to life members.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Creek War, 1836
• Methodist Church--Clergy--Correspondence
• Migration, Internal--United States--History--19th century