The Musings of A Simple Country Man

By Hobie Morris

(Brookfield, NY – Feb. 2012) This is a war story that has many unusual twists and turns. It’s a story you’ll never read in Civil War histories. It begins, and ends in 19th Century Central New York. The story is about two men who were destined to meet with life changing results; a young man in his late teens or early 20s and an older man in his early 50s.

Orimel Gillette is a young farmer standing 5-feet 9-inches with black eyes, brown hair and a dark complexion; no doubt a strong, vigorous man from many years of hard physical work.

The older man, Charles Finney, by comparison is slighter of build, frailer—from a lifetime of incessant travel often in very primitive circumstances. Finney has a remarkable intellect, amazing endurance and unshakable determination in his lifelong pursuit.

Before their fateful (some might say faithful) encounter in the small hamlet of Western, nine miles north of Rome in the mid 1850s they had never met, although both Orimel and Charles Finney had spent their formative years here in Central New York, albeit at different times.

Finney was born in Connecticut in 1792. Two years after his birth Finney’s family moved to Oneida County—a virtual wilderness at that time. Later his family moved to the wilds of Jefferson County.

Orimel C. Gillette was born in 1835 in Shelby, NY but grew up in Western [ville]. His father, by the same name, was a prominent doctor/surgeon in Western. Orimel, Jr. had four other siblings—an older brother and three younger sisters.

The Gillettes (the spelling widely varies over the centuries: Gillet, Gyllett, Gillett, Gillette, DeGylet, etc.) American ancestors first came to the New World in 1630. On May 30, 1630 Jonathan Gillett (1609-1677) arrived from England with 140 other Puritans on the ship Mary and John. The difficult trip took a little over two months. Jonathan first settled at Dorchester, Mass. and later lived in Connecticut.

Ironically, also on board the Mary and John in 1630 was an Englishman named Matthew Grant. One of his descendants, Noah Grant fought in the Revolutionary War and afterwards moved west to Ohio. Noah fathered nine children, the fourth named Jesse. Jesse became a tanner by trade, married in 1821 and had a son on April 27,1822. His name was Hiram Ulysses Grant—often called “Sam” Grant.

Orimel’s European roots traced back to England, Scotland and France to the family of Jaques DeGillet (DeGylet) living in Guyenne, Bergerac Province, France. The DeGylets were French Huguenots (Protestants) who were forced to flee France about the time of the massacre of French Protestants beginning on St. Bartholomew’s Day Aug. 24, 1572 during the reign of King Henry II of France.

Charles Finney’s name was widely known in the Empire State as well as throughout the most populous cities of the Northeast and beyond. Several trips to England and Scotland had solidified his international reputation in Europe.

Finney was one of the greatest and most influential preachers, revivalists/evangelists in American religious history; comparable to the Rev. Billy Graham in the 20th Century. Both men having a profound influence on the spiritual life of this nation and World as it was in their respective times.

(For example, as the result of Finney’s revival in Rochester in 1830—that was called “the greatest revival of religion that the World has ever seen in so short a time”—100,000 people were reported as having connected with churches as the result).

For four decades Finney duplicated the Rochester success in tiny hamlets and great cities throughout the land. He had the God given ability to ignite religious fervor in communities, and even entire cities, a fervor once ignited that rapidly spread like wildfire as people were consumed and converted in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Charles Finney’s modus was intellectual rather than emotional or bombastic, convincing his listeners with his logic and unshakable Biblical knowledge. In fact Finney had once been a lawyer and would talk to an audience as he would to a jury stressing in a logical, methodical way the soundness and truthfulness of his client’s position.

In 1855 Finney returned to preach in Western. Western was the site of one of his most successful early revivals some 30 years before.

It was in Western that he encountered Orimel Gillette, the son of very pious parents and prominent church members. His doctor/surgeon father was a church trustee and his mother Julia “a praying woman.”

For some reason Orimel didn’t share his parents’ piousness. In fact he bitterly and openly opposed the revival. He told people that “neither Finney nor hell could convert him.” Orimel was very hateful and profane in his opposition (but immorality wasn’t apparently one of his other sins). But then something miraculous happened inside the young man.

Charles Finney heard a knock on the door of the room he was staying in during the Western revival. Opening the door he saw a young man looking truly startling. Finney thought almost insane. The young man was so violently trembling when Finney ushered him to a chair that nearby furniture was also jarred. His hand was ice cold, his lips were blue. His entire appearance very alarming to the evangelist.

Finney asked him what was the matter. The young man confessed that he had “committed an unpardonable sin” and had done it on purpose. The distraught young man continued.

Seven years before he was given a copy of a book entitled The Pirate’s Own Book. It produced an extraordinary effect on his impressionable young mind. It inspired him to want to become the greatest pirate who ever lived. He also made up his mind to become the greatest highway robber and bandit as well.

But, as he related to Charles Finney, there were things in the way that he had to overcome: his religious education, the teaching and prayers of his parents among others.

He had heard that it was possible to “grieve the Spirit of God away.” To quench God’s influence so one would no longer feel it. So to be able to rob and murder without compunction he had to get rid of religious convictions.

The young man tried to do just that by blaspheming the Holy Ghost in many despicable ways. Hoping his conscience would no longer prevent him from committing odious crimes.

Then it was time to test. He would commit a crime and see how it affected him.

One evening he set fire to a school house near his home. He later mingled with the crowd trying to put the fire out. But it was too late. The building burned to the ground.

The young man told Finney that “he did not find his conscience at rest about it as he expected.” He wasn’t suspected of setting the fire but other men in the community were. Such a crime could end in a state prison sentence.

After confessing to Charles Finney the young man whose name was Orimel Gillette said he intended to admit his guilt to the school trustees. He asked Charles Finney if he would go with him for that purpose.

Together they went to the home of a school trustee who was also a close friend of the young man’s parents. Finney, speaking on behalf of the young man, told the trustees the facts. Finney suggested the other trustees be told. The gentleman replied that he would go and tell them.

The trustee told the young man that he forgave him and assumed the other trustees and community would too.

Orimel’s conscience still bothered him.

That evening as Finney was preparing to go to the revival meeting the young man once again approached him. He told Finney that he wanted to make a public confession that he had acted alone. He asked the evangelist if he would tell the people and he would stand next to him to answer any questions.

When the people were assembled Charles Finney related the entire story. Orimel’s family was so well known and beloved that Finney’s words made a great impression. Many people openly sobbed and wept.

After his public confession Orimel Gillette finally had peace of mind and more importantly soul and conscience. As Finney later wrote in his post Civil War autobiography the young man “retained his hold upon Christ from then on.”

Sectional wars clouds were darkening the horizon as Orimel became a man of God and Charles Finney continued on evangelizing and converting.

In the spring of 1861 war between the Union and Confederacy broke out. Orimel’s patriotism was powerful and soon he volunteered to help stamp out the rebellion of seceded Southern states.

On Aug. 14, 1862 Orimel enlisted as a Private in Company I of the 117th NY Vol. Regiment. He was 27 years old and volunteered for three years. He was mustered in the next day.

On June 25, 1864, he was lightly wounded in the head at Petersburg, Va.

On Aug. 25, 1864 Orimel was captured by the Confederates when attacking the Union picket line at Bermuda Hundred, near Petersburg, Va.

He was sent with other prisoners to Salisbury (NC) prison. Later he was paroled and rejoined the 117th Regiment.

Orimel was 30 years old when he was killed in action at the capture of Fort Fisher, Federal Point, NC. It was Jan. 15, 1865. The capture of Ft. Fisher in some of the most brutal fighting of the Civil War sealed the doom of the last major Confederate seaboard port, Wilmington, NC. The gallant and much bloodied and battle tested 117th Regiment had led the Union land assault against the imposing, but undermanned Confederate earthen fort bristling with many powerful cannons. The great Civil War would end in a few months.

Orimel Gillette would never grow old. For nearly 146 years he has remained 30 years old; peacefully resting in the Westernville Presbyterian cemetery, established in 1818 in the Oneida County town of Western.

Charles Finney lived to the ripe old age of 83. A few years before his death in 1875, Finney’s autobiography was first published in London, England. In this fascinating book the story of Orimel’s memorable conversion 10 years before his death at Fort Fisher made an indelible impression on Finney.

After all it was Finney who helped Orimel to gain the right road in life. Orimel entered, on his battlefield death, into the glorious eternal life promised to all believers. Indeed, in death there was new life!

Hobie Morris is a Brookfield resident and simple country man.