Daniel Fristoe was born again during the days when there was much persecution against the preaching of the gospel in Northern Virginia.  Several years after his conversion, on this day in 1771, he was ordained to the ministry.  Perhaps as a prophecy of his future ministry, on the day before the ordination, one of the local Baptists, John Young, was haled into court for preaching without a licence.  Fristoe knew what was ahead, but his trust was in the Lord.  On the following day, Fristoe met with a number of new believers who wanted to be baptized.  As they were publicly expressing their testimonies, a man came among them who began blaspheming and carrying on as if he was demon possessed.  As he rolled around on the ground, it was necessary to tie him up and to take him away.  After that, sixteen people were judged to be worthy of baptism.  The next day, a Sunday, about two thousand people came together to witness the strange Baptist ordinance.  After Brother Fristoe preached they proceeded to the river, where twenty-nine were ready to be immersed.  The spectators gathered around and some climbed trees to watch.  The branches were so full of people that some broke and many people were unexpectedly dropped into the water.  Fortunately no one was hurt.  Fristoe later recorded: “When we sang, ‘Come We That Love the Lord,’ (people) were so affected that they lifted their hands and faces toward heaven and I discovered such cheerful countenances in the mist of the flowing tears as I had never seen before.”  After a very short ministry, Daniel Fristoe attended a meeting of the Philadelphia Baptist Association, during which time he contracted smallpox and died – miles from home and the arms of his wife and seven children (which perhaps says something about attending denominational meetings).
– Source: “This Day in Baptist History,” Thompson and Cummins