Perhaps a no more remarkable letter was ever written — certainly none under more extraordinary circumstances — than the dying message of Jay C. Sterrett, a young cowboy of Alberton. Iowa.
The story of his tragic death, accompanied by the letter to his mother, appeared prominently in State newspapers, and was copied in many more distant cities. It reached the hearts of all who read it. And such was the interest and sympathy aroused in his own community that people from far and near, neighbors and strangers alike, drove from one farm to another telling and retelling the story.
While rounding up cattle late one evening, Sterrett was thrown from his horse into a creek. The fall injured his spine, paralyzing his body below the waist. He fell on his knees in such a position that he could keep his head above the water only by supporting himself with his elbows on the bank.
Hour after hour he lay in the icy stream, calling for help. His only companion was his dog, Ring.
In this painful predicament he managed to take from his pocket a note book and by the aid of his flashlight write a farewell message to his mother.
His body was found in the stream next morning by a search party, his faithful dog marking the place. The following letter to his mother, tied with twine, was found on the bank: "Dear Mother: If you were only here tonight.
I am lying in the creek in Bracewell's pasture and can't get out. The water isn't deep and I will try and fight it out until somebody hears me. If I had only listened to you and not rode the gray until I got a saddle blanket!
"Don't worry about me, for I sure feel that God is with me tonight. O, Mother, I am so thankful I was brought up in a Christian home. Dear brothers and sisters, live so you can always be prepared to die when you get into a place like this and think maybe you can't get out.
"All your sins come up before you, but if you pray for God to blot them out for Christ's sake, they will leave, and peace comes in their place.
"I am feeling better now. The water don't seem so cold, only my head gets dizzy sometimes. I forget everything and seem to fall asleep awhile. O, if I could only get out of here I would do more towards bringing others to Christ.
"My legs are paralyzed and I can't reach anything. Maybe someone will see my flashlight and come. I'm going to keep up as long as I have strength.
"I do want to see you all so much. There is a verse keeps running through my head and it is so beautiful: 'God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!' I suppose this writing will all be useless if I get out, but somehow I don't feel like I would.
"The roads are so bad and it looks so stormy and I've yelled until I can't make a sound above a whisper.
"I'm getting awfully bad again. I'm getting so tired holding myself up to write, I must rest again.
"My back is hurt some way. I can't write any more. I want to bid you all good-bye. God bless you all. It is getting light in the east....
"Mother, it will soon be over. I'm in a hurry to go now. My suffering will be over forever." (Signed) "JOY."
Sterrett had often expressed a desire to lead others to the Lord Jesus. When he returned from the Army at the close of the war, he told his mother he would like to work bringing souls to Christ. Evidently his desire was fulfilled in a manner of which he never conceived. His testimony given in the hour of weakness and dissolution has reached more persons, and with greater effectiveness than most Christians influence in a lifetime. Like Samson, he accomplished more for \God in his death than in his life.