Foss, Archibald Campbell

Foss, Archibald Campbell a Methodist Episcopal minister, son of Reverend Cyrus Foss, was born at Phillipstown, N.Y., March 6, 1830. He spent two years of his youth as clerk in a dry-goods store in New York city; entered Amenia Seminary at the age of seventeen; became highly honored for his scholarly and Christian character; received license to preach; entered the Sophomore class of Wesleyan University at the age of nineteen; supported himself by teaching during vacations; graduated in 1852, and immediately joined the New York Conference. His appointments were: Lenox, 1852 and 1853; Morrisania, 1854 and 1855; Thirtieth Street, New York city, 1856 and 1857; St. Paul's, 1858 and 1859; the next year with Dr. McClintock, Tarrytown, but labored there only a few weeks, when, being appointed to the professorship of Latin and Hebrew in Wesleyan University, he repaired thither, and there continued two years; Poughkeepsie District, 1862 to June 1865; Thirtieth Street, New York city, July 1865, to 1867, and finally to Sing Sing, in 1868, where he labored one year, and then retired from the effective ranks and sailed to Europe. In 1869 he preached one month in Florence, Italy, and another in Lausanne, Switzerland. Early in 1870 he left his pleasant Swiss home for a tour through the principal cities of Italy. He returned to Clarens, Switzerland, March 3, thoroughly worn out with fatigue, and prostrated with gastric fever, and after a few days of suffering died. Mr. Foss was pre-eminently independent and original. He was brave and self- reliant, a wise and safe counsellor, generous, yet cautious, patient, painstaking, able, and eminently successful. See Minutes of Annual Conferences, 1870, page 97.