was ordained in November. On December 5, 1860, Gladden and Jennie O. Cohoon, a schoolmate at the Owego Free Academy, were married. The couple had two daughters, two sons, and one granddaughter. Those events in Gladden's life came during what he recalled as "ominous and exciting events" in the nation's life. South Carolina seceded from the Union and was followed within two months by six other states. In June 1861, he resigned and accepted a call to the Congregational Church at Morrisania, New York, where he served until 1866. In 1863, he took leave to serve in the Christian Chaplaincy Corps. However, he contracted malaria, which forced him to return home for recovery and to resume his pastoral duties. Gladden's third pastorate was in North Adams, Massachusetts, where he served from 1866 to 1871. His next position was the religious editor of the New York Independent from 1871 and 1875. The weekly newspaper had a nationwide circulation of one million. His role was to write news articles and editorials on practical theology and the day's social issues. From that position, Gladden attained national fame, especially for his aid in exposing the corrupt organization of Boss Tweed. In 1875, Gladden became pastor of the North Congregational Church in Springfield, Massachusetts, for seven years. During that pastorate, he also worked as editor of Sunday Afternoon (1878–1880). Sunday Afternoon described itself as "A Monthly Magazine for the Household." Besides editing, he also contributed articles. Gladden's active support for workers and their right to organize began during his years in North Adams and Springfield. His position aroused the opposition of mill and factory owners, but he was not deterred and continued his work for justice the rest of his life. Although he was deeply concerned for the well-being of workers, scholars have noted that his early lectures in 1875 and 1876 lacked the understanding of the industrial system that was characteristic of his later writings. In that era, Gladden acknowledged that the economic problems were also moral but "contributed little that the most conservative of industrial leaders would not have admitted to be the case." He published Working People and their Employers in 1876, which advocated the unionization of employees, and was the first notable US clergyman to approve of unions. Gladden did not support socialism or laissez-faire but advocated instead the application of "Christian law" to issues. His 1877 book The Christian Way: