Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Marsh, Samuel

MARSH, Samuel, clergyman, b. in Danville, Vt., 3 July, 1796; d. in Underhill, Vt, 1 April, 1874. He was graduated at Dartmouth in 1821, and at Andover theological seminary in 1824. He was ordained in 1825, and, after serving as a home missionary in New England for two years, was pastor of various Congregational churches in Vermont for nearly forty years. He originated in 1827 the system of colportage that has since been employed with excellent results by the American tract society, the American Sunday-school union, and other religious societies. Mr. Marsh was an able debater, and had repeated controversies with representatives of other denominations. He was a profound biblical scholar, and his knowledge of Greek and Hebrew was very thorough. In 1852 he was settled in Underhill, Vt., and continued there until his death. His publications, including essays and sermons on temperance and anti-slavery, were very popular, and during the latter part of his life he wrote 1,000 biblical hymns, some of which were published.