Elias Cornelius (1794–1832) was an American

Christian missionary A Christian mission is an organized effort for the propagation of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries, to carry on evangelism or other activities, such ...

and ordained minister.

Life

Elias Cornelius' father was also named Elias Cornelius (1758–1823), and his mother was Rachel Stocker. His father had joined the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...

as a surgeon after some rudimentary training, but was taken prisoner on 22 August 1777. Cornelius met

Ethan Allen Ethan Allen ( – February 12, 1789) was an American farmer, businessman, land speculator, philosopher, writer, lay theologian, American Revolutionary War patriot, and politician. He is best known as one of the founders of Vermont and fo ...

in prison, but escaped on 16 January 1778, and rejoined the Continental Army. Elias Cornelius was born 30 July 1794 in Somers,

Westchester County, New York Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...

. At the age of sixteen, he began his college career at

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

. After his undergraduate years, Cornelius continued to study theology at the

Yale Divinity School Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...

under Timothy Dwight IV. He was licensed to preach on 4 June 1816 by the South Association of Congregational ministers, and appointed agent of the

American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was among the first American Christian missionary organizations. It was created in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College. In the 19th century it was the largest and most imp ...

(ABCFM). As ABCFM agent Cornelius traveled to many cities and towns in the northeastern states including Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Maryland, preaching sermons and raising money. The majority of the money raised was to support the conversion of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Creek Indian tribes to Christianity. It was also to be used to establish schools within these nations. Cornelius continued to preach and fundraise as he traveled south where he finally ended in Northwest Georgia, near Cartersville in 1817. He spent 18 months there and it was at this location that he encountered the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

tribe who led him to the Etowah Indian Mounds. Cornelius wrote in his journal about his visit and the journal became the first published account of a white person visiting the mounds. Neither Cornelius nor the group of Cherokee who led him to the site knew the relevance or purpose of the mounds at that time. It was later discovered that the mounds were used as burial sites as well as residential areas and temples. In September 1818, Cornelius married Mary Hooker, daughter of Asabel Hooker (minister of

Goshen, Connecticut Goshen is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,150 at the 2020 census. Geography Goshen is in central Litchfield County and is bordered to the east by the city of Torrington. According to the United Stat ...

), descendants of

Thomas Hooker Thomas Hooker (July 5, 1586 – July 7, 1647) was a prominent English colonial leader and Congregational church, Congregational minister, who founded the Connecticut Colony after dissenting with Puritan leaders in Massachusetts. He was known ...

(1586–1647). Their children were: # Elias Cornelius III, born 13 August 1819, married Lydia Francis Gray, and died 7 December 1857. # Mary Hooker Cornelius, born 3 July 1821. # Thomas Hooker Cornelius, born 17 March 1823 and died 18 November 1853 in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. # Edward Hooker Cornelius, born 10 September 1825 and died 29 April 1864 in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

. # Sarah Edwards Cornelius, born 14 February 1830, married George B. Little in 1850, and had two daughters. # Jeremiah Evarts Cornelius, born 25 December 1831, married Sarah Fenner Storrs (daughter of

William L. Storrs William Lucius Storrs (March 25, 1795 – June 25, 1861) was a U.S. Representative from Connecticut, brother of Henry Randolph Storrs. Born in Middletown, Connecticut, Storrs was graduated from Yale College in 1814. He studied law and was admi ...

) in 1862, had a son and a daughter, and died 4 March 1896. On 22 July 1819, Cornelius became associate pastor of the Tabernacle Church in

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...

. After the death of Jeremiah Evarts, Cornelius was named secretary of the ABCFM in October 1831, but became ill. He died on 12 February 1832.

Elias Boudinot Elias Boudinot ( ; May 2, 1740 – October 24, 1821) was a lawyer and statesman from Elizabeth, New Jersey who was a delegate to the Continental Congress (more accurately referred to as the Congress of the Confederation) and served as President ...

, one of the students Cornelius introduced to the

Foreign Mission School The Foreign Mission School was an educational institution which operated between 1817 and 1826 in Cornwall, Connecticut. It was established by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. The ABCFM was focused on sending missionarie ...

became a later Cherokee National leader and named his son

Elias Cornelius Boudinot Elias Cornelius Boudinot (August 1, 1835September 27, 1890) was an American politician, lawyer, newspaper editor, and co-founder of the ''Arkansan'' who served as the delegate to the Confederate States House of Representatives representing the ...

in honour of Cornelius.

grew up to be a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cornelius, Elias 1794 births 1832 deaths American Congregationalists Yale Divinity School alumni People from Somers, New York Yale College alumni