e Memorial Baptist Church in Maryland.

The Baptists were at the same time receiving recruits from another
source. In June, 1862, while a destructive war was being waged by the
Southern States against the Union, warning was given that a terrible
siege was to be started against the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia.
This news caused between three and four hundred members of the Shiloh
Baptist Church of that town to leave for Washington as a place of
refuge. After arriving there many tearful eyes were turned toward the
dear old church of their childhood and riper years, where "many a
pleasant hour had been enjoyed, and it was only natural for these
fellow church members to plan for a place where they might once more
gather in prayer and praise God for their deliverance from the
ravages of war."[30] Home gatherings were frequent among these
refugees and in this way the organization of the present church was
effected.

Shiloh Baptist Church, like many other churches, had its beginning in
a Sunday School.[31] The constant meeting of these seekers after the
truth served to keep a number of them in close touch with each other
and intensified the desire for a church of their own. They then began
to meet in each other's houses for prayer and for conference upon the
subject and soon resolved to have a Shiloh Baptist Church in
Washington, since they could not return to Shiloh Church in
Fredericksburg. It was at one of these prayer meetings in the bedroom
of Henry D. Peyton in an old brick house on K Street, between 26th and
27th Streets, in Georgetown (now West Washington) that Shiloh Baptist
Church of Washington had its beginnings in September, 1863.[32]

Having formed the church, the founders sent a communication to the
various Baptist churches of Washington, both white and black, asking
that a council be called to consider the propriety of recognizing them
as a regularly constituted Baptist church. The Negro Baptist churches
gave these petitioners no encouragement and sent no delegates to the
council, but the white Baptist churches sent a number of their
members, deacons, and pastors, as delegates, who met in the First
white Baptist church, located at that time on 13th Street between G
and H Streets, Northwest, at eight o'clock Wednesday evening,
September 23, 1863, and formed a recognition council. Dr. G. W.
Sampson, pastor of the First Baptist Church and President of Columbian
College, was chosen Moderator, and John S. Pole