WILLIAM S. SEDWICK was probably the most active and useful Sunday school worker that has ever labored among the Baptists in Kentucky. His whole nature seemed to be consecrated to this especial calling. His eminently godly mother dedicated him to the Sunday school work, in her solemn prayer to God, while he was yet a small boy. His father, George C. Sedwick, a native of Virginia, was a Baptist minister of more than ordinary ability, who, in early life moved to Zanesville, Ohio, where his son William was born. He afterwards moved to Kentucky, where he spent some years at Paris and other points.
William S. Sedwick was born, May 24, 1836. He obtained a moderate English education. Being of a mirthful and restless temperament, and adverse to religious exercises, he made up his mind, to use his own words, that "they were a little too religious at home." At the age of fifteen years, he ran away and went to New Orleans on a flat boat. Here he stopped with his brother George, who was in business in that city. Soon after this, George died of yellow fever, leaving with William this message: "Tell my mother I died trusting in Jesus." William ascribed to this brief message, under God, his conviction and subsequent conversion. Returning to his father's house, at Zanesville, Ohio, he united with the Baptist church at that place, about five months afterwards. Not long after his conversion, he entered into the Sunday school work in his native town with much zeal. After attaining his majority, he went to New York city, and labored for a time, in the Howard mission. From thence he came to Kentucky, as Missionary of the American Sunday School Union. While engaged in this work, he offered himself to the Baptist Board of Foreign Missions, at Boston, as a candidate for a missionary to China. His application being rejected, he accepted the position of Sunday School Agent for Kentucky, under the appointment of the General Association of Kentucky Baptists, in the Spring of 1865. About the same time, he was ordained to the gospel ministry, at Jeffersontown, Kentucky. He labored as Sunday School Agent, under appointment of the General Association only about twenty months. But the amount of work he performed was wonderful. He established a small periodical called the "Try Paper", and foremd a TRY SOCIETY, consisting of 7,000 children, each of which took the following pledge: "I promise to try to read, daily, one chapter in the New Testament, and that the chapter indicated by the Try Almanac." This society became so popular that it had been introduced in fifteen states, before Mr. Sedwick's death. Mr. Sedwick traveled with great rapidity, and labored with consuming zeal, over a large portion of the State. His influence over children was marvelous. He would call together the children of the village or country place, and within an hour after they met, would have a Sunday school well organized, and the children singing, "at the top of their voices," Sunday school songs they had never before heard. But in the midst of this career of usefulness, he was suddenly called to give an account of his stewardship. He reached his home in Bardstown, perhaps on Tuesday evening, and took a congestive chill next day. "On Wednesday afternoon," writes his wife, "he was lying in our bed and fell asleep. I went out and left him a little while. When I returned, he was lying on Kimmie's little bed, and seemed to be in an intense excitement, and was trembling from head to foot. I said to him, 'Why, Will, what is the matter? Why did you get up and come here?' 'O," said he, 'I hardly know where I am yet.' He said he awoke in the greatest excitement, got up before he knew it, and fell on the trundle bed. He had been dreaming that he was at a World's Sunday School Convention, and there was a great crowd and great interest, and he had been making an address. Just as he awoke, they were presenting him with a crown or wreath, in token of their regard for him, and it so excited him that he trembled for hours." He died the following Saturday, September 29, 1866.
As a preacher, he succeeded only with children. He was extremely simple in his language and illustrations, and so full of wit, humor and buoyancy of spirit that no audience could avoid laughing under his sermons.
