"The following document is one of two documents originally written by my great-grandfather Asbury Washington Saye. I acquired a few copies of the original document from different sources but they were all poor quality copies and difficult to read. I decided to retype the document using a computer word processor with the intent to make a document as exact as possible to the original. So using the copies I had I attempted to make each line and each page duplicate the original including all spelling and punctuation errors as well as all crossed out text. Where it was possible to read I typed the crossed out text with strikeout text. There were a few places in the copies that the exact character or characters were not decipherable so I made a best guess in those situations. My intent in duplicating the document in this way was to allow readers to experience the exact feeling and intent of the original writer and to see the sometimes unusual spelling of many of the words.
Asbury W. Saye was the father of Amanda Emeline Saye Sellers who was the Mother of Auda Angline Sellers Aposhian who was my mother. I am the sixth and last child of George Moses and Auda Aposhian.
This document was retyped using Wordperfect 5.1 on an IBM PC compatible computer. It was printed using Courier font which most closely matches the original type. If anyone would like a copy of either the printed text or a computer disk please contact me.
I hope readers will enjoy reading this fascinating history as much as I have enjoyed retyping it.
***** [manuscript page] 41 *****
time to preach but one time during the Indian campaign that sermon was
the first that was ever preached in the Cherokee Nation and was deliv-
ered in some part of what is now Hall County at least some history
gives the Rev. James Hall who labored so long in the ministry and was
so far as we can learn the first protestant minister ever sent to
Natches on the Mississippi River as a missionary of the Cross of Chri-
st, but honor to whome honer is due, if the honor was confered in rem-
emberence of the Hon Lyman Hall all very well, he should be remembered
by the people of Georgia for the devotion he exemplified, and sacrefic-
es he made for her interest; but if to remember the Rev. James Hall w
who labored so faithfully for the temporal good and no less for the
spirital interest of the people; let the honor fall on one or between
the two. I will go back to my childhood again, my father and mother
were members of Fairview congregation it was near Lawrenceville the
people were generally in good circumstances, some were wealthy and some
of the wealthy were members of the church and were leaders in the ses-
sion and had management of the church especially the financial part of
it and that was right for it was their money that kept the finance
question easy, these wealthy people dressed finer than we could their
fine clothing and nice department at church made a fine impression on
me, it caused me to believe religeon was a fine and honorable thing,
when these people come to church they stepped very light and the more
unpolished people would do likewise, when seated did not talk, it appe-
ared to me to be a sacred place, and they did hold places of worship
more sacred then than now as I passed by last seummer I stopped a while
to see the sleeping ones that are there in the cemetary awaiting the
day when the Arch Angel shall sound the trumphet at the last day when
the uniting of that glorious body to that spirit that has been resting
with god so long will take place, the old church building is still in
use, the pulpit has been cut down some, the seats were the same I used
to sit on over sixty years ago, I Knelt down by the pulpit and prayed
and gave thanks for the privelege of once more being premitted to see
that sacred place, made more sacred by the sleeping dust of loved ones
at that place, I went down to the spring looked around there was some
of the monarchs of the forrest still standing that were large trees
when I saw them back in the long past I cant tell you of the feelings
that this place gave me, the noble forms of some of the best men I have
ever seen, oh I can see them now as they worshipped god then, now giv-
ing praise to him who hath redeemed them with his precious blood, oh
will I be a fit subject to enjoy god with them, forever.
In 1837 my father carried his family to Lumpkin county for mother to
see her parients and other connection father generally carried us once
a year to see them, my mothers people were Baptist, at this visit the
association met at the church of which my grandfather and mother were
members, they had a hewed log house of workship, but too small for the
congregation that would assemble at the association, so they cut trees
down and brought them together and laid them in tiers for seats, for the
preachers they had some slabs from a sawmill to make a platform to
preach from, uncle Charles and uncle George Barnes were the leaders
in music after singing some songs they would have prayer then the sever-
al preachers would preach some; the first one would preach the longest
the last one talking but a short while the services would continue from
about ten o'clock of a morning until three in the evening, the children
was not kept at the services longer than they wished it was not wrong
for us to get up and leave when we wanted to or at least it was not
considered so as the services would continue so long, so uncle John
Barneses boys and myself would go to the spring it was a fine one clear,
cold and pure freestone water and ran off a considerable branch from it,
when we felt like it we went back to grandfathers to enjoy some of his
fine apples for he had a large orchard of fine fruit.
**** 42 ****
After dismission a goodly number of the delegates lodged with my grand-
parents, it would nearly take the rest of the evening to get dinner
through with, then at night hold another service which would last two
or three hours, one of the songs sang often then I remember well it
was this:
Oh when shall I see Jesus,
And reign with him above,
and from the flowing fountain,
Drink everlasting love.
I wish I could hear some of that old time music yet, the delegates had
come from their humble homes with such clothing as their wives, mothers
and sisters had been able to make from the raw cotton and wool the
preachers laid their coats off before commencing service, then as they
grew warm on the subject they were discussing they would lay off their
vests unbutton their shirt collars to get as much air as possible, the
weather being warm, that was in great contrast to the presbyterian
church down at home and it did not look as if they were so religeous
as the presbyterians while there services was much more protracted,
yet it lacked that decency and decorum that I saw at the presbyterian
church, while I know now they were as religeous and as good a people
as any yet had not the advantages on the frontier as those had in the
mere populous and longer settled parts of the country, I believe grand-
father Barnes was as honest and pious a man as I ever was acquainted
with and I never heard him pray in public and I don't know that he ever
prayed openly with his family, of course I think he ought to but in
those days it was not stressed as it is now, I think the worship as
crude as it appeared to me was as exceptable to god, as our worship in
a more refined way where the heart is right all is well, the services
being long and we being allowed to leave when we whished was not the
best, I did not know, had not been instructed to reverence them and
sit still, which would have taxed my patience to its utmost extent. I
think they should have given intermissions and had some refreshments on
the ground and kept the children under strict servielance but it was
not the style of those uncultered times; and to the credit of the
children at that meeting we was as peaceable and quiet through the day,
as if we would have been near where the worship was going on some how we
felt we was at meeting. I suppose one cause of that was we did not
get to go to meeting regularly then as children does now, the word
going to meeting then had a sacredness about it that now weems lost.
It did not require a servant from one of the neighbors hired all the
time cooking for the guest that might except your invitation to dine
with you, your plate of beans, and bacon, corn bread and butter milk
and butter constituted the dinner often, of course fried chicken and
biscuit for breakfast of a morning. My grandfather killed or procured
a large quarter of beef for this occasion, had some fine steak or it
tasted that way to me and grandma could make the best coffee for I
still believe I am a pretty good judge of that article, I was not
stout and hearty like most children but give me a good cup of coffee
and I could eat something, then some apple or peach pie followed as
a finishing touch to the dinner, people enjoyed eating the food of the
times then as well as people do now sitting at their wedding like
tables that now is fixed up at every public gathering about this time
though we did not hear of it then there was a presbyterian preacher;
a young man came to Clarksville and was preaching to the satisfaction
of the town and community, after preaching several days quite a number
of the young people concluded to visit Tahlalae Falls, after viewing
those beautiful but more proper to say sublime cateracts the ladies
were escorted off by some of the gentlemen some distance while this
young minister with some of the others intended bathing in one of the
beautiful basins of water that was found at the bottom of some of those
falls, for there is several falls from 50 to 80 feet perpendicular.
**** 43 ****
While many from 10 to 20 feet I believe all the gentlemen had left to
see the ladies properly cared for except the preacher, they left him
as they intended soon came back to take a pleasant bath with him,
they found his clothes at the side of the water but he was gone they
made every exertion to find the body which proved fruitless it was
never found; oh how sad such occurences, the ministers name was
Hawthorn; this fatal catastrophe happened just before the meeting of
the Baptist association of which I have been trying to relate what I
saw, and heard, and the impressions made on my mind I was about eight
years old, it impressed me that the Baptist was not as good as the
Presbyterians, and like all impressions made on me when young it has
been hard to eradicate, probably it is well enough for every one to
think their fathers house is the best; At home when we attended church
the people walk lightly when reaching the church, kept still in the
house the services was not so long but what we were expected to keep
quiet, not go out of the house without it was imperiatively necessary
then move out very easy and quietly to keep the sabbath quiet was impo-
sed on us to a greater extent than now though not more so than it ought
to have been, really I dont think as sacred as we should have kept it;
not it is too much of a holliday, grandfather Saye kept up family pray-
er morning and at night, he did not allow his blacksmith work to keep
him from his devotions, I recollect one morning one of his neighbors
who was an immoral man came to the shop to get some work done grandpa
went to the shop and worked away at the job until he was called to
breakfast before eating he got his Bible read I suppose as much as a
chapter went to prayer when through his devotions, he with his neighbor
then was ready for breakfast, I expect the immoral man was impatient
but he had veneration for grandfather, if not for his creator and seemed
to pass the morning pleasantly enough; before father removed to Cherokee
county I was sent to school a short time to Thomas Moore, I have already
spoken of him he was one of the best teachers we had in my childhood days
I was fratified to learn late in life that he was a nephew of the Rev.
William Moore, I believe the name is spelled Moore the great pioneer
Cumberland minister of North Alabama, only a few years ago Thomas Moore
told me he once lived several months with his uncle and went to his
meetings and heard him preach often; I was taken under care of the
Eliton Presbytery just after father Moore had died, and resolutions
passed to preach a sermon by the old brethern or one of them at the
next sitting of presbytery; but I was situated so that I could not
attend, but I already have said something about Thomas Moore who married
cousin Amanda Flemming in 1838 I was sent to school a short while to a
Mister Bennett he was a good teacher but a very immoral man that prev-
ented him from getting another school, then a man by the name of Hunter
commenced a school but taught but a short time I dont recollect what
was the trouble that caused him to quit, he was also an immoral man, ano-
ther man then made up the school it was thought he would be the very
man for the place; he was a brother to the Rev. James Patterson who
was then pastor of Fairview church and other congregations in the town
and country, he was very popular with his congregations and was also
teaching the school known then as the Labor School, it was a flourshing
school at that time and when Joe Patterson made his school the patrons
had high hopes of securing or that they had secured the second best
teacherin in all that country, but alas for human expectations how it
is that some men can be such good men as we all knew or believed James
Patterson to be and he proved to be through life the man he professed
to be he never disappointed the expectations of any; neither in the
pulpit nor in the high school in which he was principle; Then to have
a brother that was not fit for anything does look strange, but such is
the case more often than we like to admit, I dont think he filled out
his term but every body was glad when he quit; he had some pet he could
**** 44 ****
not do enough for them, they could do just as they pleased in the
school house or out of doors, others he had no sympathy for , I
was one of the unfortuenate ones, he would keep mea at the same sum
as we called them then, now called problems he would do that to keep
me from keeping up with my class in arithmetic, I have been kept at
one problem all day and without allowing a figure the next morning he
would pass on it as all right, my class then would do nothing but help
me up until I would set in even with them again. I know he treated
one little girl inhumanely all of the time, I have wondered since I
grew up that the patrons kept him at all, I suppose he was running
on his brothers credit; I hope we have better teachers now everywhere
if not it is high time that we was improving, this was in the year
1840; In the year 1839, we had no school that I recollect of it was t
the most productive year I recollect of ever seeing in my life I have
seen as good corn crops grown since and have seen as good cotton, and
wheat often since that time but never saw them all the same year to
such perfection, that year the corn, oats, wheat, cotton and all
kinds of vegetables, mellons and fruits of all kinds, apples, pears,
peaches, plums, cherrys, grapes, muscadines, fox grapes,wild grapes
of all kinds; black berrys,dew berrys, goose berrys, huckleberries,
haws all kinds of wild fruits as well as the cultivated just grew in
rich profusion, my grandfather would remark that he never had seen
so plentiful a year in all his life: The winter was very mild spring
opened up early had no rain sufficient to keep us out of the field, t
the ground did not get to wet to plough all the season just rained
enough to keep the crops growing then after the crop was maturing it
ceased raining any whatever, a fine time for gathering in the crop
for it matured superbly, it continued until near christmas before we
had any rain, it requires a long drouth to dry up the springs and
branches in a freestone country as North Georgia is blessed with, we
had to go thirty five miles to a mill on the Chattahooche River to
get our grain ground that mill ground for people as far as Augusta
one hundred and seventy five miles away, many people had no wagons
and teams to go to the mill with, they made gritters out of tin and
would grit meal, after the corn dryed until it was to brittle to grit
they would place it in warm water until it would soften and swell
until they could grit it; We had to wait one week for our turn at the
mill so we went on to see grandfathers folks as it was not more than
15 miles further, father anticipated this and carried mother along
so she could enjoy seeing and being with her parents a few days, for
the mill was on our route or nearly so if it had been only for a
visit the connection; people became alarmed some thought it would
never rain any more and the world would soon take fire; there was the
brightest borealis shown along our northern sky for some time that
fall that has been ever seen that alarmed some, so this year had
some remarkable traits, that I recollect well for a ten year old boy
and another remarkable fact is that men are so prone to do evil when
in a state of prosperity; There was a great amount of Brandy made from
the fruit that year and was drank,freely at the huskings of one corn
it was common for every farmer to have a corn shucking as they were
termed then; and the Negro slaves enjoyed a dram as well as any white
man; and what corn shucking songs they would give us where there was
plenty of Brandy, the neighbors allowed each other the privalege of
giving Brandy or Whiskey to their slaves if they would not give them
enough to make them drunk, I kept pretty clear of it as it was from
the devils shop, my father nor any of the connection had nothing to do
with it; so the negroes gave us no music; as Bill Arp says everything
calm and serene at our house; I heard a sermon yesterday that I felt
was the truth, that it was the proper home training that was the hope
of both church and state; oh may the raising of the present generation
be in honesty, intergrety, veracity and truth; O'h keep away from
the immoral;
**** 45 ****
I fear that the training of children is more lax now than in former
years and it was so wet that we could not plant nor work the crop
year, it was so wet that we could not plant nor work the crop as it
ought to have been done, the 28th of may the Savanah River rose 37
feed above low water mark; There was a bridge built across the Savanah
by General Hamptons father and washed away the same year, known as the
great Yazoo fishet it occured in 1796; I will leave my narative a
little again to state some events most of them I can recollect of with-
in my own mind the great metroric shower, generally called the falling
of the stars took place November the 13th 1833; the cold friday and
saturday, took place according to Dr. Beards sketches of the early
Presbyterian Cumberland ministers, says in the narative he gives of
the Rev. Mr Anderson that he died in 1804, that was before the cumber-
land Presbytarian church had an existence, Anderson was one of the men
that had been set apart to the full work of the ministry, without the
liternary course prescribed in the confession of faith, but was a
zealous devoted man to the work that he was set apart to, and was a
defender and advocate of the great revival, which was being opposed
by some of the ministery, he says Mr. Anderson died in 1804, there
might have been another but in the early days one cold saturday in
the days of Anderson part of that year that Mr. Anderson was preaching
at one point seventy five miles away from where he lived and never
disapointed his congregation up there but once, and that it was the
cold friday and saturday that prevented him reaching them, but others
say it occured in 1835, I can recollect the cold saturday of 1835, I
can recollect these events but was too small to recollect dates.
Major Smith better known as Bill Arp his memory is poor in placing the
cold friday and saturday in 1839, which as I have before stated was a
year remarkable events about the middle of December 1839 we had sleet
and a considerable snow, it was very cold and the Major says he was
carrying the mail form Lawrenceville to Boswell, could make the trip
in one day which was a ride of about 48 miles, he has not stated the
distance but as I have traveled it so often I know the distance pretty
well, he states he came near freezing to death on his return Friday, w
which I believe with all my heart, but he had forgotten that really
the cold saturday took, place before he was large enough to have carr-
ied the mail he is a little older than myself and heap smarter, I wish
I had his ability to write but his memory is like mine not always cor-
rect, no doubt it was the cold friday with him as he came so near
being froze before he got home, I excuse him for the mistake he is a
man I think a great deal of,my father done his trading in his fathers
store when we were boys, my father always placed a high estimate on
his father, I think the Presbytery that father attended last or about
the last he was able to attend, to represent his church in that body
convened in Rome, and he was made one of the guests at Major Smiths
father which he enjoyed very much he told me he stayed with brother
Asa Smith and enjoyed again the friendship of his old friend formaly
of Lawrenceville. Last summer I went up to where the Major was work-
ing in his garden, made myself known to him I was wanting his history
of Georgia he told me I would find it at the Book Store, he then
related his experience with uncle James H. Saye when he was a little
boy, xx I have mentioned it in uncles history. The great rebellion
among the slaves would have occured the 4th day of July 1835, if John
A. Murell had not been betrayed then arrested tryed before the court
of Madison county Tennessee found guilty and sentenced to the peniten-
tary for ten years though he was pardoned before he served long, he
died in 1841 he became known as the great land pirate he was laying
plans and having his allies at work to have the negroes to rise the
4th day of July as it would be a general holliday to rise up and slay
their owners his codjuters could slyly set some of the houses on fire
in the larger towns and the consternation would be so great they could
easyly rob the barns their plans had been pretty well arranged to do
**** 46 ****
their bloody work and bring distress on seven of the slave holding
states that would have horrowfying indeed, but after his trial the
plot fast spread over the country and proper precautions made to stop
any rising that might occur only one little rising took place that was
in Correl county Mississippi which was soon quelled with the loss of
only a few lives. I know dear son you will excuse me from wondering
from my text as the history of events such as I have been relating
will be more interesting than the monotony of sticking to little thin-
gs about myself. I will not relate as incident of a man turning over
from the presbyterians had joining the methodist, his friends seemed
suprised at his conduct, he had moved up among the Blue Ridge Mounta-
ins and wanting to find some presbyterians he made inquery of a neigh-
bor woman if there was any presbyterians in the country, she said she
did not know but that her husband was a good hunter and to go around
and see among his furs and hides he would find the skins at the gable
end of the smoke house he might find a skin of that sort; that was
why he said he joined the methodist, I dont five much credit to the
truth of this story but it verifies a truth that ought to stand, and
may stand in the day of judgement against us presbyterians who should
have penetrated these hills and mountains and proclaimed the gospel
of christ to these uncultured but honest inhabitants, but we almost le
left the whole work to the Baptist and Methodist, I suppose one reason
was we could not see a living in it; But to return to my sketch 1840
was very wet our crop was poor, 1841 was poor I have thought it was
the abuse of the rich crop of 1839, making so much Brandy and where
there is much whiskey or Brandy drunk there will be much that bad is
going on, many I can recollect at the corn shuckings were profane
until I have wondered why the religeous people did not reprove and
rebuke the wicked crowds especially the negroes when drinking would
cause this creation; but they were negroes and paid very little att-
ention to, in the fall of 1841 my father removed to Cherokee county
we generally made good crops in that new and tolerable fertile country
In 1843 father moved to where mother is now living the year of 1845
was known as the dry year that there was but little corn made on up-
land, our fresh bottom lands did well wheat was pretty good, the crop
in South Carolina was so poor that many people left there and settled
in the fresh Cherokee County. In 1846 the Mexican war broke out it
lasted over two years a company went from Cherokee county most of them
returned some of our neighbor boys went they all returned, the year
1849 we had a snow storm the 15th of April and killed all our fruit
and nearly destroyed the wheat crop the spring had set in early wheat
was heading out; it was frozen until it looked dead and fell down it
sprouted up and made about a third of a crop it was very hard to save
cutting through the dead stubble that had been killed by the frost, we
could hardly cut through it with our scythes, some ploughed up their
wheat and planted the fields in corn; That year I learned vocal music
and became a teacher in 1851; In 1844 my father organized a sabbath
school at the Baptist church near where he was living made Superinten-
dent and served in that capacity two years, he was a zealous man in his
religeous duties pressing the claims of the gospel upon the students
of the school, his talks made a great impression on me, I at times
found myself in great trouble about my souls eternal welfare but said
nothing to any one about it, in the year 1845 my weakly condition
seemed to sink me down lower than common I was not able to work in the
farm all that year but generally went to sabbath school, that year
there was a generous man we never knew him he gave one hundred and
twenty Libraries to Sabbath schools, which had goodly numbers of
schollars I forget the number that the schools were required to have
our school could not report the amount necessary, there was another
school xx conducted by the Methodist about two miles away, they united
**** 47 ****
the schools as one but continued to meet and teach them as before at
the two different places, we received the library of books, it was a
noble donation by that unknown generous man, we divided the library
between the schools, In that Library was New Testiments, hymn books, a
Bible Dictionary, and a great many volumes of good byographys histories
in a condensed form, and many little works that was entertaining and i
instructive to children; That Library of books has been quite an adv-
antage to me all through life; In the year 1846 we had a good meeting
the people became interested in the meeting many was found seeking
the salvation of their souls it was at this meeting that I felt that
I should seek an interest in the blood of our dear savior, I with
others went up, craving an interest in the prayers of the good christ-
ians that was exhorting us to come repent of all sin and leave to
christ by faith alone for salvation; After some prayer had been offered
myself with other penitients were seitting on one of the front benches
there was not much excitement among the congregation at the time of
which I speak, but there came a wonderful feeling of joy and gladness
over me, I felt that my sins were forgiven I went home very happy,
father asked me about my feelings and condition the next day I gave
him satisfaction that I was the christian, but doubts seen intervened
I gave way to despondency and a few months afterwards mother asked me
if I was not going to unite with the church, I answered that I was not
she did not press the question why, if she had I should have told her
that I had been mistaken in my feelings, that I now was oppressed with
the weight of my sins and did not feel like I was fit to unite with gods
people, after many years of experience since, I think if I could have
been instructed with regard to the dealings of god with his people and
have received comfort from them that they did not enjoy gods countainence
at all times as they wished to, that I might have joined the church then
and saved myself trouble and sorrow that at times caused me to have but
little pleasure and comfort, when I should have been enjoying the bles-
sings religeon gives, this state of things went on until in 1850 I was
attending a camp meeting in Cobb county where we was enjoying Dr.
Wilsons grand sermons, though they did not impress me much with regard
to myself, but there was a lady friend there that once taught school
near my fathers in 1845 when I was not able to attend school, she was
a good friend of fathers and devotedly pious, she and her relatives
had taken shelter at the school house for their comfort at the camp
meeting, I was passing by the school house for recreation at one their
intervals of the meeting, there was a window made by cutting out one
of the hewed logs to give light in the house more than could come in
at the doorway for we had not reached that state of wealth to justify
building a framed building and getting glass for window lights then, or
at least it had not become the style; She beckoned to me I came up to t
the window she asked me very seriously about the condition of my mind
in regard to my future interest, I would answered her as evasively as
I could, she would not excuse me nor take an evasive answer to her
pointed questions and to her appeals to become a christian, spoke of
my pious parents and my surroundings generally, left me no excuse for
not coming out for christ and becoming one of his devoted followers
and reaching out for heaven and escape the wrath of god, I made her no
direct promis that I would heed her good advice, but she made a power-
ful impression on my mind greater than Dr. Wilson had made with his
grand theological sermons, though I appreciate his and others who can
give such pulpit orations they are necessary for the general good, but
often simple and pathetical means are used by our heavenly father to
bring the sinner to christ or to reclaim the backslidden, I dont know
which to say I was at this time, it proved a reclaimation if I was the
backslider it also proved to be a pungent conviction of sin in all of i
its deformity if I was among the xx unsaved which I felt that I was
**** 48 ****
certainly of that number, time were along until in the spring of 1851
when Mr. Lannon was assisting Dr. Duboise in a meeting at Hickory Flat
church now known as Carthage, on sabbath the sacrament of the lords
supper was celebrated, Mr. Lannon was a returned missionary from jeru-
salem he had served there ten years, he had settled in Merriotta and
I believe died there, the administrations of the lords supper in those
days was made and taken with more solemnity than now, I think we are
at fault for administrating the supper with so little solemnity Mr.
Lannan was making this occasion a very impressive one, saying he had
taken the lords supper in an upper room in the same city where our sav-
ire had instituted it, to me it was one of the most solemen occasions
of my life, oh how I wanted to partake of that celebration I sit back
some distance from the front and bathing in tears over my sad condition
the night following I could not sleep I had that evening after my ret-
urn from church made it convenient to call on a young friend who was
living near my uncle James.H. Sayes in South Carolina when at home, he
was visiting relatives in Georgia, at this juncture of my life I did
not reveal to him my distress of mind, we had a pleasant talk socially
after prayers byt the head of the house we retired for the night all of
them to repose, I to my anguish of mind I dont now recollect that I
slept any I came home the next morning went to plowing our young corn
I suppose it was about six inches tall just plowing over the first time
my mind was terribly wrought upon I was praying from one end of the
field to the other until at last being worried mentally or giving up
the struggle as no good I can hardly tell you what my state of mind was
I thought I would seek no longer that, day, not that I was going to
give up seeking but that I must rest awhile from such anguish if I c
could, just then pretty much the same feeling that I had expierenced
in 1846 came back over me only the impression was more vivid and joy-
ous than at the first, it was all I could do to keep from shouting the
praises of god as I continued to plough on; the corn the green trees
in fact all nature seemed to be be praising though mute I cant descr-
ibe my feelings of joy and happiness for three days every thing look
heavenly and devine these lovely feelings to a great extent left me
gradually but I felt I was renewed by grace divine that I was regener-
ated that now I could see god as my father and christ my redeemer the
holy spirit my sanctifier, but for fear I might feel that I was mist-
aken again I kept my feelings to myself until one day after crops was
laid by father and myself was sawing shingle timber, we was sitting
down resting when I approached father to give me his religeous exp-
erience he did so and after he got through he asked me if I had some
religeous experience to relate I then went through with mine he was
gratified but was a man that said but little, it seemed to me that our
work went on more easely after our pleasant religeous talk. That
summer I taught vocal music part of the time though I made a pretty
good hand on the farm, my sister and myself united with Hickory Flat
church, the last sabbath of november of that year soon after I left
home and went to Mississippi. finally settled there but visited Georgia
and remained there part of the time until I married your mother that
joyous occasion took place February the 19th 1855; When I left my
fathers house in december 1851 I boarded the train for Chattanooga there
I took fare on a steamer down the Tennessee River. the mountain scenery
from its banks and valleys interviewing was food for my appetite that
had long been pent up on the farm with its monotony of dull rounds of
labor, there was a grand sublime and beauty about the river, Mounains
and valleys the high crags of rocks overhanging the cliffs, the gurg-
ling streams falling with such impetuosity from the mountains to the
plains below gave me such feelings of the beauties and subimeties of
nature that I have no language to give it the proper expression, I found
my way to my great uncle John Gardners, I never had seen him before nor
any of his family they treated me kindly, I soon found a home in the
**** 49 ****
neighborhood with a kind family and went to work on the farm at 10
dollars per month lived with and as one of the family I worked with
this family principaly some with others for fourteen months, then went
back to Georgia and lived with grandfather Saye until fall then in the
fall of that year which was 1853 I traveled for Rufus Barker a brother
to uncle Obadiah Barker, as his Agent Distributing his medicines and
collecting his money for sales already made, continued until in the
spring, then went to the water cure to be treated by that system of
practive for my health for it was never good, the treatment did me good
especially in one way, and that was to let drugs and medicines alone,
and as I have let them alone I have been permitted to live my three
score years and ten while every person that was afflicted as I was that
I knew continued to take medicine and have long since passed away, that
was in 1854 In the fall of that year I went back to Mississippi had b
bought a piece of land before I left there in 1853, I then took up a
school and was teaching when I married, made a little crop besides
teaching my school, the next year I worked on the farm, then the next
I sold medicine and groceries in the town of Carrolville my little
farm had been almost destroyed soon after my marriage by a severe storm
called in them days herricanes, and had been unfortunate in business
settled up my affairs and removed to Georgia my health being poor
caused me to become dissatisfied to easily any where, my family phy-
sician told me it was the best thing for my health that I could do not
to locate permanently, I did not feel satisfied back in around my old
home, so in the fall of 1859 I found myself back in Mississippi went
to sub contracting on the mobile and ohio rail road, the contractor
was a man from Rockford Illinois he was a gentleman of the first type,
he was to have the Road completed by the first day of january 1861 or
forfiet a considerable amount, he finished up according to his contract
he was trying before we finished the Road to get a road to build in
Georgia, it is the road now known as the Georgia Pacific, the heated
contest for the Presidency was taking place and Northern men was un-
popular at the South and the company then controlling it had resolved
that a northern man should not have the contract to build the road,
our contractor had been building rail roads for 26 years nearly dating
back to the first Roads built in the United States he knew how to build
a Rail Road, and he had learned a great deal about human nature, he
knew if he got the contract of that Road in Georgia it must be done
through Southern mens influence, he could get the Mobile and Ohio Co.,
to recommend him that he was a safe man among us at the South, and get
a good recommendation from the United States Marshall of North Mississ-
ippi xxx he never meddled in politics that he was an high toned citizen
and knew how to put Rail Roads through in good style, and other offici-
als were ready to help him along, I was to take those papers and present
them to the Company in Atlanta and with my previous acquaintance with so
some of them and with the help I might get from my friends in Georgia
I might secure the Road for him, if I could he would give me ten miles
of the road to work at his contract that he would take the road at.
While we were looking and working to this end Mr. Lincoln was elected
President, the next news was South Carolina had ceceded from the Union,
others soon followed, the ceceded states formed a confederacy soon
elected provisional officers, the President of the Confederacy issued
orders that any one that was not satisfied within the limits of the
confederach, to settle up their affairs and move up North or to parts
more congenial to them and they should have perfect protection until
they got away, after the confederacy was organized this limitation was
forty days, so my golden dreams of making money fast was dissipated as
a morning cloud, so my good northern friend bundled up and went north or
or most of them went back.
**** 50 ****
They were fast becoming attached to the south and probably all would
have remained among us if cecession had not took place, some few of
them remained and made good and true men for the perilous times we
went through I had bought another little farm and went to work to
make a crop, I had a man with a family on my place working for a part
of the crop so when a call for volunteers to defend our country and
homes, my country made up several companies mine was the second one
made up we volunteered for the war let it be long or short, the other
companies volunteered for one year only we was first mustered into the
State service, then revolunteered for the war and was early sent on to
Richmond Virginia, there mustered into the confederate service, from
there we was sent to Winchester then to Manassas just barely escaped
from getting into the Manassas battle by an Engineer running the trai-
ns together and making a collision he was a traitor to our cause was
caught court marshalled and shot for making the collision, he kept
my brigade out of the fight, it was monday morning before the brigade
reached the bloody scene many of them were detailed to assist in brin-
ging the dead I was left back at Piedmont with a sick man I remained
with him one week came on to my regiment they were encamped on the ed-
ge of the battle field, they pointed out to me where the first Missis-
sipian fell in defense of southern rights he was a member of the second
Mississippi Regiment his father was a neighbor of mine the young heros
name was Albert Thomas, he had five or six brothers who went into the
war to avenge their brothers death, I remained with the command until
the middle of october when I was discharged on account of disability
to serve in the field in active service I got home and recuited up,
but did not go into the service on account of being weakly. I was
struggling along to try to make a sort of living for my little family
and assisting the soldiers wives around me for conscription had taken
all men under thirty five that could bear arms into the service, and
of course left their wives many of them in almost helpless condition,
so far as making a living for themselves on the farm, I was doing all
I could to assist myself and those women near me but it was not long
until the great battle of Shiloh was fought General Beauregard held
Corriath for a short time then retreated down the Mobile and Ohio Rail
Road to Tupelo that left me between the picket lines, all the summer
it was a fearful time fighting around my corn field I could not go
to the mill to get any wheat or corn ground. I threshed out some wheat
in my yard and winnowed it with a bead counterpane, I got it clean
enough to take to the mill but the pickets would not let no one pass,
so I cut down a nice post oak tree out off a piece squared it at the
ends and began to hollow out one end mortor like to beat up some of
my wheat so as to make a homony to institute for bread, before I
finished it one of the picket lines fell back that gave me the chance
of a mill, then when that line would move up again the other line wou-
ld fall back some so that I watched my opportunities and could get to
mill on one side or the other so I was saved the trouble of making my
mortar, and eating wheat mash, the Federals, I suppose had orders to
make us all get out from between the picket lines, and the orders from
the confederate lines was to conscript us out my name was enrolled on
the conscript order and to report at enterprise that was some distance
down the Mobile and Ohio Rail Road I started spent the first night at
my sister in laws her husband had been killed at Sharpsburg the 17th
of september I began to study the helpless condition of that poor
woman left a widdow with five little children none of them large enou-
gh to help her make a living for themselves and all the means of supp-
ort was fast being swept away I could not do any more for her than to
give her a note of fifty dolla rs which was due me from her husband,
my mind was on my dear wife then with but one child about one year old
I determined the next morning to return home and get my little family
**** 51 ****
to a place of safety it possible, I went back sold a few things gave
as much provisions to a poor family that moved in to my house as I
could spare got me up oxen and wagon bundled up a few things and sta-
rted for Georgia knowing that it would be very uncertain about ever
making the trip through the Federals might pick me up any day, the
conscript officers might conscript me at any time, that would leave
my wife left in the road some where to take care of herself as best
she could, but we determined to risk all if we lost all by a wonder-
ful protection of divine providence we arrived safely at my fathers
for I was not molisted on the way at no point, when we got to my fath-
ers I learned that Byers Stearns had been killed at Malvern Hill Va.
which was the last days fighting around Richmond in 1868, he was the
husband of my youngest sister, so you lost two noble uncles that
year, your mothers brother, as I have stated was killed at Sharpsburg
Maryland on september the 17th 1862, one of my cousins, Rutherford
Barker was killed in June the same year at Nashville Tennessee, it was
a year of mourning with us, cousin George Barnes died the latter part
of this year or early in 1863, cousin George Noel died in Atlanta in
1864, brother George died in New Orleans september the 3rd 1863 another
cousin George Barnes the son of uncle Charles Barnes of Texas died
just before the breaking out of the war so there was not any of the
connection left of that name except uncle George Barnes and his son-
in-law George Freeman,; Freeman like a true man fought the war thro-
ugh to its bitter end and is now living in Cherokee Georgia doing well
I admire the pluck of such men, My folks was happyly suprised at our
getting through the country all the way from Mississippi, I expected
to go right in the service after fixing up for your mother to do as
well as possible, but every man had left fathers employ and the miller
had been sick several months, so I went into the mill, that saved me
from being conscripted, I remained in the mill until in the fall when
I went into the calvary service for six months, then returned home
and did no more service. I will pass over the year 1864 without giv-
ing you a history of it for I could not do it if I was to try ever
so much, to try to tell of the burning of the towns driving off all
the stock or shooting it down in our yards; plundering the dwellings
some times not leaving a vessel of any kind that would hold water, not
a thing left to eat and nothing to eat it with, it anything had been
hidden which was generally discovered if the effort was made, and
this savage warfare and slaughter of blood and treasure was done by
that pious and godly people from the North; but we have been trying
ever since the bloody struggle to cultivate the christian forgivness f
for we must forgive them that tresspass against us if we expect for-
givness of our heavenly father but it has been the hardest work of my
life to do it, but I believe I have done it, and may god forgive both
sides that fought each other with so much bitterness; I think it only
just, to turn away from my sketch of myself and speak of some of the
friends of former days. I will first speak of Col J.J.A. Sharp he
was born in Pickens county South Carolina in 1828, removed to Cherokee
county Georgia in 1853 he was made Colonel of the Militia in 1857, in
August 1861 he raised a company of volunteers of which he was made
Captain his company made a part of the 23rd regiment of Georgia volun-
teers, they were commanded by Col. Thomas Huchinson of Cherokee , the
regiment constituted a part of Gen. Colquits brigade, they were
ordered to Virginia, was in the seige at Yorktown, then in the hard
fought battle of seven place then engaged in the seven days struggle
around Richmond, next at Sharpsburg then at Winchester, was promoted
to Major, he commanded the regiment at Fredricksburg and was in comm-
and of the regiment at Chancellersville when he and 100 of his men
were captured but after 20 days was exchanged after which the brigade
was sent to Charlestown South Carolina where they remained about six
months, then ordered to Florida, they were engaged in the battle of
**** 52 ****
Ocona pond in that state, then were ordered back to Virginia, was eng-
aged in the second battle of Cold harbor retreated to petersburg where
he was under fire for three months, next engaged at Hauison, and at
Fort Fisher, wounded at Bentonville North Carolina march the 16th 1865
he never got the ball out of his body which finally brought him to his
grave, he died the 16th of october 1896, honored and beloved by all
who knew him, he was a leading man in getting the Reinhardt College
established at Waleska Cherokee county where he lived and died; all
honor to men of his make up; I will not mention Col. Harris, I think
he was living in the town of Canton when he was made Colonel of the
43rd regiment of Georgia volunteers, they were sent west and was engaged in the bloody battle of Bakers Creek Mississippi where Harris
was killed and his regiment badly cut up, then retreated to Vicksburg
where they was closely beseiged until the surrender the 4th of July
they were then paroled as prisoners of war and sent home until exchanged they were not allowed to stay at home long they were soon placed
back in the filed though they doubt yet whether they were properly
exchanged or not, and I have not noticed anything in history to satisfy my mine whether they were or not, I was talking with Lieutenant Pedan last winter he was Lieutenant of one of the companies of the 43rd
he said that the battle of Bakers Creek was the hardest battle during
the war that his regiment was engaged in, I suppose it was on account
of the awkard position his regiment was placed in, Lieutenant Boger a
friend of mine was killed there, my friend Lieutenant Pedans last wife
was the daughter of Judge Maroney who was an early settler of Cherokee
his father was one of the Pioneers of Madison County, while it was
still a part of Wilks county I love to speak of these men that had the
nerve to settle down among or near the Indian and subdue the savage
and the soil and bring it to that high state of cultivation which we
now enjoy. Judge Maroney had a brother who was an excellent physician
I learned this while I was in madison county last fall, not from the
Judge or his children, but while he was a fine physician he lost heavly in some financial transactions that ocured in 1837, he then removed
to the Cherokee country settled I think if my memory serves me right
in Chattooga county, I suppose did well through life. Mrs. Pedan told
me her father was born in Madison county in 1795, though it was then
Wilks he removed to Cherokee in 1839 died in 1870 if I mistake not;
His wife was connected distantly with the celebrated Tilmonds of South
Carolina, there is quite a number of friends that I would like to
mention that assisted my Ancestors in the early settlement of madison
county but my little Book would become monotonous and uninteresting
to you, I am afraid it will anyhow. I will just mention some of their
names, the Scotts, the Woods, the Graves, the Claghorns, the Cholstons,
the Carruthers and McCurdys, but I will desist; I will now state
another sad circumstance of the cruel war, Robert Hawkins a good neig-
hbor of my fathers his sons all volunteered into the service of their
country and fortunately all returned, but not so with his son-in-laws
two of them never returned, one of them Richard Bailey was killed on
the retreat from Gettysburg on South Mountain near Boons Burough Gap
on the 8th day of July 1863, the other son-in-law died in prison the
old man Hawkins died before the war ended, that left the family without
any man person on the place only two negro men who were devoted to
their mistresses there were some females also that were slaves, one of
the men was sent to South Carolina on some business probably to save
some of their stock from being taken by the enemy he died out there
the other taken care of things as best he could, the war ended all was
gone but the negroes and they must go without knowing how to take care
of them selves, Mr. Hawkins family had lived above want until the war
surge came upon us, the girls had never been accustomed to all kinds
of work the negroes had done all of the manuel labor, but when all
was lost their property their negroes labor their dear husbands gone
**** 53 ****
forever, they adjusted themselves to the situation accepted it with a
determination to out live disaster, make home an honorable place if
it is an humble one, helped to support their old slave when he became
disabled to do for himself, one of these ladies is still living in
Cherokee county with her son and now in her old age can be taken care
of very well the other married Dr. Moore and has for a long time res-
ided in Ellis County Texas. One of the brothers died in 1896 one of
them had died before that time two are living yet Mrs. Bailey and my s
sister were great friends thought a great deal of each other, lost all
their property but had the determination to out live adversity, even
of the most dire character, they succeeded. I give this sketch to
portray the sufferings mentally and physically which my generation of
people which are now fast passing away had to pass through and endure,
but thank god they have been tryed as by fire they stood the test, and
today the great south is indebited to them to a wonderful extent for
her prosperity. I only give this one instance of suffering and endura-
nce, and through indefatingable perservance have done what has almost
astonished the worldxxxxx. These friends I have been talking on were
not worse off than thousands of others, indeed it was common; I want
to get on and away from the bitter scenes of which I have been writing
I will not say something about the first settlers of Cherokee, Colonel
Brooke Settled on the Ettawah river in 1831, before the last treaty was
made with the Indians and before the counties of the territory was
laid out and organized it was done the next year, he was a good farmer
represented the county sometimes was a man of good practical sense but
would some times drink too much whiskey sometimes the whiskey seller
would get tired of waiting on his customers and want to close his doors
to go home but some of them would be too lively for him and would keep
him waiting until he would get out of all patience, he thought one
night he would scare them off he picked up a piece of cows hoof and
began to strike it with his knife as if he had a gun flint right over
a powder keg, told the men to run for he was going to explode the
powder keg all over them , the old Colonel turned around to him where
he was striking away on his supposed gun flint told the fellow I can
stand it if you can, John and William McCanless they were brothers
they both settled in what is now Canton the county seat, cleared up
some of the bottom land lying south of canton along the creek just before
it entered into the Ettawah River they got five dollars per acre for
clearing it and the first crop, they made fifty bushels per acre of
corn on it, the two brothers lived in Cherokee until they died both
lived to good old ax age. John McCanless died in 1889 being about
82 years old his wife died in 1881, William McCanless died 1896, xx
being about 92 years old, I became acquainted with them about 50 years
ago they were good and true men, Williams wife died in 1891 being
about 81 years old their wives were Thompsons their fathers had emi-
grated from Virginia when his family was young, andxsisterx my sister
married the oldest son of John McCanless, Colonel Rusks father settled
in Cherokee in 1834 on Little River the Colonel was at one time Tax
collector then at one time senator in the legislator from his district.
His wife was Colonel brooks Brooks daughter, he died a few years ago
The Chamblees settled there about the time the county was organized,
Martin Chamblee was made tax collector the year the county was organi-
zed, he was a candidate in 1882, 50 years after he collected its first
tax, he was beaten. Martin Chamblees father never had to attend
court nor ever was sued in his long life for he lived to be very old
I think the old man and most of his children were primitive baptist,
Tillman Chamblee was full of practical jokes, he was the man that uncle
charles and George Barnes bought out on little river in 1839, Tillman
bought a farmerx on the Ettawah, he owned land on both sides of the
river so he kept himself a boat for his own use, and also a little
**** 54 ****
Batau for convenience, once a young fellow came hurriedly up with his
best girl and wanted Chamblee to set them over the River for they were
running away from their parents to get married, that was as good a
thing as he wanted they went in good speed to the River he told them
to get in his Bateau and he could set them over quick, he began as if
he was in a great hurry got the Bateau in a rocking way and turned it
upside down, he then began to swim around and got hold of the girl swam
and placed her on the Bank, but they must go to the first house and
find some dry clothes he helped them all he could until they got dry
clothes, until they departed in a good humor or as much so as the case
would admit of, sometimes his neighbors would get off some good thing
on him he enjoyed it as well as themselves, he would never alow a man
to speak disparaingly of his wife, which is a good rule. The Chamblees
have all passed away except the youngest brother, I met with him while
in Georgia, but there is so many of these old friends looms up in my
mind that I will not get back to my history if I try to mention them all.
There are the Camps, the Johnsons, the Scotts, the Evans, the McConnells,
the Bostons, the Dials, the Mcafees, but I will not relate but one more
incident. Major Thomas Evans he is still alive but quite old and feeb-
le, in 1850 he put up a store of dry goods near his residence at some
cross roads, got the post office removed there and probably a blacksmi-
th shop went up, but I am not certain about that, the Major named his
place Broomfield, one of his neighbors had fallen out with him and said
that Broomfield should not be the name of the place, that Tom would
trick every body that came over to trade with him and it should be
called Trickum, the people for sport at first began to call it Trickum
and now at the cross roads you will see a board up pointing with the
index finger to Trickum so many miles just as if it was a large town.
The Major long ago yeilded up his name and speaks of Trickum as comp-
lacent as any one. Dear Son I will try to quit wearying you with men
and things that was only enteresting to me many years ago, I will now
drop back to my unimportant self after the war I moved over into
Paulding county to repair up a mill I had bought down there in the
spring of 1864, soon after Shermans Army came on Johnson retreating
before hime, Johnson made a stand at Dallas, stood their ground eleven
days then retreated to Merietta, while at Dallas the Federals tore up
my mill dam to catch fish and tore up my mill in a general way, so I
had to build in the new almost from the stump, I sold it when I got it
repaired then went back to Cherokee, remained there until in the fall
of 1869, I removed to StClare county Alabama, while there I placed
myself under care of Presbytery, looking to the ministry after three
years I removed back to Georgia into Bartow County. The first meeting
of the Presbytery of Georgia after I removed back was held in Fairview
church in chrokee county, there I was licensed to preach the gospel of
our dear savire, I am all the Cumberland Presbyterian ever licensed in
Cherokee, the congregation at that place removed their place of worship
to Fair Mount in Gordon county, a distance of about three miles from
its former place, the Presbytery met with the same congregation some
years after this and Ordained me to the full work of the Ministry, there
has been something striking to me about being almost raised from child-
hood in cherokee, then roaving about so much, comming back and being
licensed to preach in the only Cumberland Presbyterian church in the
county, and I was not aware of the existence of one until the meeting
of Presbytery, then afterwards the congregation removed their place of
worship just out of the county, then being Ordained while convening
with the same congregation, has to me been very striking to me as
something very peculiar in my history. I have done but little good
working in the ministry it seems to me that I could have done more if
I had been more concetrated to the work, I commenced too late in life
to make a success as I might have done if I had commenced in early life.
**** 55 ****
Which I have felt often that I should have done, our removals to
Columbus, then to Atlanta was not as satisfactory as we might have made
them but our removal to Texas has been a good move if you and your
brother and sisters will think and set in the right direction, I have
been in eight different states I prefer Texas to the others while they
have comforts and conveniences that we can not have, yet we have some
advantages they cannot secure.
***************************
CHAPTER NUMBER FIVE
***************************
Dear Son, I will now give you a sketch of your mothers people, though
I know but little of Her ancestry, I once could have learned more in
the days of grandmother Ricks but like most others did not think it of
importance enough to chronicle it, there were three brothers came over
from Europe about the year 1780, from what I know recollect of hearing
my mother-in-law any about them, they were Dutch, I don't know whether
they were from Holland or some part of Germany, for the Germans are cal-
led often time Dutch. Their names were Edward, William and John Ricks,
their names are indeed English, and possibly were from there, John died
in early life, William Ricks emigrated to Kentucky, and were among its
early pioneers, settled in the neighborhood of the Crab Orchard, and I
believe the place is still known by that name yet. I suppose I once
met with one of Williams grandsons but know nothing of them; Edward
Ricks who was your great grand father lived and died in North Carolina
he married a Miss Mennenhall she dying he married a Miss Mennenhall
again, I don't know whether they were sisters of not they may not have
been related, he raised four sons and three daughters, your grandfather
was named John he was born July the fourth 1798, he was married in 1820
to a Miss Bobbins who was but one day younger than himself, he removed
to Alabama about 1823, died in october 1835, leaving your grandmother
to struggle along and raise her children as best she could, and she
adjusted herself to the situation as did many brave and noble women
did when found on our frontiers and left in distress and often in debt
and your grandfather was not the exception to the rule for he was some
in debt, your grandmother so managed as to pay all and raise all her
children respectably, she raised three sons and four daughters, your
mothers people like my mothers were Baptist, and there was very few of
any other denomination is the country where they settled, your uncle
Ransom the oldest child married very young to a Miss Gilliland her
father was their Pastor and preached around in that country until his
death which occured in 1856, he was raising a corn crib fell off and
one of the legs fell on him, killed him instantly. I omitted to state
your grandfather settled in Blount county, he like many others can't
find the best place at first, so he moved to Jefferson County one year,
then to Marion one year, but came back to Blount near where he first
settled and died there, your Aunt Huldah also married their preachers
oldest son, James Gilliland he raised his family in St.Clare county
Alabama he and his three oldest sons were in the great civil war to-
gether in the same company, your grandmother removed to Mississippi in
the fall of 1851. Your uncle Edward and Reuben had gone there about
1848 and came back and moved their mother out there, they were still
unmarried at that time, Ransom with his family had also removed to
Pentotee county Mississippi in 1848, but all three of your uncles had
settled in Ittawamba county its now Les county, they settled near where
the town of Baldwyn now stands, there is where I became acquainted with
your mother. Where the town now stands I cut and split rails for
fencing land, your aunt Jane married a man by the name of Wright,
**** 56 ****
He was a mill wright and house carpenter, he removed down on the coast
now far from New Orleans to a little town called Stahely just across
Lake Ponchasteain east of Orleans he raised 2 sons one of them is an
Engineer on one of the Railroads or was when last heard from the other
one died when he was a young man, they raised several daughters, I have
met two of them one of them was married, her husband was an Engineer on
the Railroad, I forgot his name I know nothing more of your uncle
Richard Wrights family Edward married a Miss Pratte who was living in
the same neighborhood of your uncles and grandmother. When the cruel
war broke out he remained at home until conscription was enforced he
volunteered as a recruit to go into my old company in Virginia, Capta-
in Tison was at home getting up recruits for his company at that time
he done regular and hard service from the time he got to the command
which was early in the spring of 1862 until he was killed in the hard
fought battle of Sharpsburg Maryland, on Sept. the 17th of that month,
he left a widow with 5 little children to struggle with in her advers-
ity until after the war, she married a Mr. Jones they were doing very
well when last heard from. Your uncle Ransom was made prisoner near
his home carried north was kept in prison two years, in July 1865 he was
released from prison made out to get home, but was nearly wore out with
scurry died in a few days after getting home leaving a large family to
struggle on as best they could. I can't tell anything about them now.
Remember Ricks the youngest son Ruben just about my age would not go
into the war but managed to keep out until the Federals over ran our
country there in Mississippi he then got them to send him and family
North he remained there until after peace was made he then came back
his wife dying soon after, he married again his first wife was a Miss
Coleman his second wife a Miss Gooch he removed to Texas remained there
several years then I think he went into Arkansas, may be living yet so
far as I know I have not heard from him in 18 years, he was raising
some family by both of his wives, your Aunt Leah married a many by
the name of Bolen he was a weakly man did not go into the war he died
soon after peace was made he left two children, a son and daughter.
Your Aunt was paralized before the war I don't suppose she ever walked
any more she was still living when last heard from, but that has been
so long we do not think she is living now. Your uncle Edward was
mourned as one of the best men of his company, he was well thought of
at home your uncle Ransom was a man that stood high in his community.
Your uncle Reuben never was so well thought of, it was not popular at
all to runaway and go north in time of the war but it was a time to
try mens principals. Your uncle Ransom was about 44 years old when he
died, he was a member of the Baptist church your uncle Edward was 37
years old when he laid down his life for southern independance. I
went back to Mississippi in 1867 and brought your grandmother with me
she wished to live with your mother but she did not live long she died
september the 3rd 1868 just turned in to her seventy first year. I
can look back now and say as regards many of my loved ones blessed
are the dead that die in the Lord, your grandmother was a remarkable
woman when your grandfather died, she was determined to succeed she
would tan her own leather in tan troughs, tare some old shoes to piec-
es to see how they were made, she then made all her own childrens
shoes and became so good a shoe maker she made the fine shoes that
her first two daughters stood in when they were married, she was a
Genioas or she could not have made any thing she wished for her fom-
fort and that of her family. The Ricks's were yankees or friends as
they are some times called, that would have prevented them from taking
any part for or against the independance of the Colonies in the days
of the revolutionary war. I know that was tried in the days of the
confederacy, they will not take up arms to slay their fellow man, and
why the christian nations of the earth can not aide and discard one
of the cardinal principals of the gospel of our Lord jesus christ and
**** 57 ****
continue to appropriate millions of money to slay their fellow christ-
ians and still call themselves christians is entirely beyond my comp-
rehension, but we are at it and Glory in it, we hear a great deal said
about the millenium that it will soon come in all of its glory, while
thousands are expended on the Army and Navy, tens are gotten up to
christianize the world, we are not the christians yet we ought to be.
The Millenium is not in sight yet, it may turn out as our savior said
and as in the days of Noah so shall it be in the days of the son of
man, they did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in
marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the Ark, and the flood
came and destroyed them all, Likewise also as it was in the days of
Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted,
they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Soddom it rained
fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even this
shall it be in the day when the sea of man is revealed. It may be well
enough for us to notice what our savior said as well as what men are
writing; but I get away from my narative I am glad that your ancestry
were religeous people both mine and your mothers she like myself sec-
ured but a limited education she has some practical tallent if she cou-
ld have had it cultivated, she probably did not know it herself in her
young days or at least gave it very little thought, your grandmother
Ricks was a Robbins the Robbinses were connected to the Swains, as I
have stated my grandmother Barnes was a Swain; Your grandmothers
oldest brother was a soldier in the war of 1812 against the British
and Indians, he removed to Texas about the time it was admitted into
the union his father and all of his family had emigrated to Alabama
from North Carolina about the time your grandfather Ricks did, which
was about 1823, but after the Texas emigration became common, he, your
grandmothers oldest brother Alexander by name he caught the contageous
of emigration pulled up stakes and came to Texas, but we know nothing
of his decendants whatever, Jacob Robbins her youngest brother became
a methodist preacher I don't think he became an Itinerent at any time,
he married a Miss Moton, some of that name are living here in Eastland
county, from what I can learn are decendance of that family, Jacob
Robbins died very suddenly, he was assisting in carrying on a protrac-
ted meeting in his neighborhood, he was entertaining some of the people
of the meeting at his house, they had retired from dinner to the ver-
randah, uncle Jacob had not sit down but stepped in the yard as if
going to look after something, and dropped down dead to the astonishment
of his guest and family, so he seems to have died at his post preaching
and feeding those that were at their masters work, up to the last day
of his life, I feel like exclaiming blessed are the dead who die in the
Lord. Daniel Robbins died in early life left a widow and two little
boys. I met with them about 30 years ago when I was down in Alabama
they were doing very well considering they were raised up orphans and
poor. Elithebeth Robbins married Seth Ricks a brother to your grand-
father she had no children uncle Seth and his wife did not live to be
old they died about 1845 or 6 there might have been one year or more
between their deaths, but it was not long the sister that grew up at
the same time with your grandmother died while young never married.
Your great grandfather Robbins settled the place where the town of
Walnut Grove now stands, he settled there when the country was a wild-
erness, there was a large fine spring and walnut trees growing all
around on the nice plot of ground surrounding the spring so it was call-
ed Walnut Grove long before it became a town. Your mother was very
small when her mother left Blount and moved into Decalb county near a
place called Duck Springs then after several years removed to Mississ-
ippi, after we had been married several years we was passing through
Alabama to Georgia we came to Walnut Springs it was still in the woods
year mother looked out of the wagon and said this is where grandfather
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lived I knew the place there is the spring here is the Walnut Trees
every thing looked so natural yet she could not have been more than
3 years old if that when she last saw the place. Your great grandfather
Robbins died on this place he was also the first settler of it. Walnut
Grove is now a considerable Depot on the Rail Road passing through from
Gadsden to the south on North Road connecting Bermingham and Decatur;
Your grand father Ricks lies in one of the grave yards in Murphysvalley
Blount county Alabama. Your grandmother Ricks lies as I have before
stated in the cemetery near the Baptist church of Woodstock Ga. Since
I have been recalling up the dead in my mind and reviewing the past and
trying to chronicle it, these lines of the Rev. McBridges of Floyd
county, a good Baptist Preacher, who got in to trouble once about some
of the school funds and I think suffered unjustly, he is a good poet,
and some of his lines chimes in with my feelings so completely, I beg h him to excuse me for using them. I want him to have the full benefit of
composing them, I claim no poetical talient, my mind is poetical but
I am too old to try now to cultivate it, so let us turn over another
page and borrow what we have not of our own, without ever expecting to
return the favor to Brother Bridges.
- Of former days I love to think,
while joy their memorys brings,
and from their sweetness I still drink,
Like water from the gushing springs.
- . I think of them as cherished days,
And some of them I would restore,
Their sunshine around my memory plays,
As I still count them O'er and O'er.
- A thousand days these memories bring,
As I still count them over,
My heart flies back on golden wing,
To find sweet scenes I'll see no more.
- But these are gone and precious ones,
Who tred with me this little vale,
The strong and brave and sweet companions,
Lie cold in death with faces pale.
- I see the church where feet have tred,
And hear the songs that Saints did sing,
Where devoted people wirship god,
And in their souls the spirit bring.
- On the church yard I look once more,
Though its seense should make me sad,
I see some faces in days of your,
That once were here and made me glad.
- But they have gone beyond the skys,
And there lives made a sweet story,
While in the grave their bodies lie,
Their spirits resting now is glory.
- Thier lives were full of living praise,
But the hand of death their lives did sever,
We see their work in many ways,
And their influence live for ever.
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Thanks to Mr. Bridges for those lines, Now we will turn another
page and I will give you a few lines of my best composition of poetry
which is poor indeed, but excuse me I have not the talent for such fine
Art if the word Art will answer for a better term.
- We live with them in the long long past,
As if they were living here,
But awake to think O dreams of the past
Of long lost friends so dear.
- Oh let us venerate their lives
Who fought and toiled with such hard fate,
To meet the savage and the soil,
In their unbroken state.
- We now enjoy their pleasant homes
That cost them blood and tears and groans,
Oh let us emulate their lives
By listening to the widdows cries.
- Oh let us stop and look around
While passing through this vale below,
And dress the sore and bleeding wounds
Of many indeed you know.
**** 60 ****
***************************
CHAPTER NUMBER SIX
***************************
Dear son as I live so far back in the past, it may be a little
interesting to you to realize something of the education of the times
of my moulding in childhood, I will take from history things they,
our Leaders kept from us, things that were not taught nor circulated
among us, now I know they were wrong in not teaching us some of these
things, while a just retrebution has come upon us, yet, when Israel
had to be punished for her sins God never looked out a righteous
nation to inflict his punishment, on his transgressors, so if we had
to be punished for the sin of abusing slaves, he certainly picked on
the people that know how to lay it on McDuff like; To begin I will
quote from Bancrofts and Hildreths Histories of the United States,
School crafts histories of the Indians., also Captain Spragues history of the Seminole war, he was a captain in the Federal service at
that time, and I shall mention some of the writings of Joshua R.
Giddings, he was in the United States Senate from O hio in time of
the Seminole war before they were carried west. I will begin at the
root of the trouble, that cumilated in the bloody struggle for Sout-
hern Independance. Florida was originally settled by the Spaniards
in 1558, they were the first people to engage in the slave trade and
sought to supply other nations with servants from Africa, the Colon-
ist held many slaves both North and South, so it was not Southern
Institution as many have supposed, but holding slaves by all Nations
have been common among the nations of the earth both savage and Civilized, from time immemorial. Carolina by her first and second
charters claimed a vast extent of country, embracing St. Augustine
and most of florida, this conflict of jurisdiction soon involved the
Colonist in hostilities, the Carolinaions who held many slaves from
Africa sought to enslave the Indians who resided in their vicinity,
hence in the early slave cedes of that colony we find reference to "Negroes, other slaves" When the boundries of Florida and South Carolina became established, the colonist found themselves seperated by
the territory now constituting the state of Georgia, at that time
mostly occupied by the Creek Indians. The efforts of the Carolinans
to enslave the Indians, brought about with them the natural and appropiate penalties. The Indians, soon began to make their escape from
service to the Indian country. This example was soon followed by the
African slaves who also fled to the Indian country, and in order to
secure themselves from pursuit, continued their journey into Florida.
We are unable to fix the precise time these first African slaves con-
stituted a seperate community, their numbers had become so great that
in 1736 they were forced into companies and relied on by the Floridians as allies to aid the Spanish in that territory. You may ask why
did not the Spaniards who was such good slave catchers along the
coast of Guinea, Africa make slaves of them, I suppose it was because
they could make them assist them in holding Florida as a Spanish col-
ony against the invasions of the English who had planted colonies so
near them and might be subjected and turned over by Spain to the Eng-
lish and the Spanish colony in Florida was loyal to Spain, for that
was their mother country. While the negroes knew that if they were
found or captured, slavery was their doom, they were permitted to
occupy lands granted to them upon the same terms as was granted to
citizens of Spain, indeed, they in all respects became free subjects
of the Spanish Crown, probably to this early and steady policy of the
Spanish Government, we attribute the establishment and continuance of
this community of Exiles in that territory in 1738 A messenger was
**** 61 ****
went by the colonial Government of South Carolina to demand the return of the fugitives, slaves who had found an asylum in Florida, the
demand was made upon the Governor of St. Augustine but was promptly
rejected, this was the commencement of a controversy that lasted over
a century, and only terminated by the subjugation of the Southern
Confederacy by her sister states of the North. The Nations of the
earth now have gave up the use of involuentary servitude and generally without much bloodshed, it was left for this Independent, and free
thinking Republic to settle the great question of slavery involving
our Nation in a vast amount of blood and treasure. It is believed
by some writers that in chartering Georgia by the crown of England to
General Oglethrope as a free colony, was to protect the Carolinias
from their slaves getting through to Florida, but that a free colony
would send their slaves back home if found trying to escape at any time. But I think it was the generous and phylanthropic feelings of
Oglethorp to establish a free and independant people from their Bondage of poverty and distress as the history of Georgia is generally
given. These negroes by the Creek Indians were called Seminoles
which in their dialect means runaways, and the term being used often
while conversing with the Indians, came into almost constant practice
among the whites, and although it is now applied to a certain Tribe
of Indians, yet it was originally used in reference to those negroes
and some dissatisfied Indians who had taken refuge in the deep marshes of Florida and had united themselves to the Mikashukas who was
it seems but a small tribe of Indians inhabiting the territory. The
circumstances that brought these dissatisfied bodies of people together thought of different colors and different dialects, they seem
to have had a determined and fixed resolution to be free, the Negro
from his master to be free, the Indian to be free from his oppressive Chiefs and savage Rulers, and for mutual protection allied togeth-
er. In after years we find them amaligating and becoming mix blood
which made some of the most desperate Chiefs that the whites have had
to encounter, the half civilized Negro from the plantations of South
Carolina, and Georgia, intermarrying with the savages of the Forrest
for what is now our country, then was almost an unbroken forrest, one
party fighting for to hold his country, the other to prevent his
going back in to slavery and knowing they could use no power nor influence but brute force, they learned to use that at times that was
terrable. Some eight years after the Colony of Georgia was establi-
shed as a free colony, efforts were made to introduce slavery among
its people, it was thought it would extend the christian religeon,
and I suppose it did to some extent among the colored race, but never
made the white man much better by owning them, though as good man, I
believe as we ever had in the Union owned slaves that may not seem to
you possible since you have grown up since it has passed away. You
may ask me how can a man hold to the golden rule, to do unto all man
as he would have them do unto him, very easy sir, to have been placed in the Negroes place in Africa under their savage rule and barbarity, it proved a great blessing to many to be placed under good
masters learned to work a thing almost new in the christian religeon,
and I think lived and died good christians, so you see that good
masters could say give me the place by far than my slave was in before he was kidnapped and brought to this country, but you say kid-
napping negroes picking up children, and either or both of the parents and leaving the children to starve or be taken care of by their
savage friends it looks too bad, I think myself that men were brutal
indeed who could do such a thing and seems to have had as little soul
as some men have today, but God often makes the wickedness and wrath
of man to praise him, and the remainder of wrath he will restain, at
least at the time of which I am now writing the great Reverend, Mr.
**** 62 ****
Whitfield, and Mr. Habrsham and the Saltyeburgers and Moravins con-
cluded to try the experiment, and Georgia became a slave holding
Colony whose frontier bordered directly upon Florida, bringing the
slaves of her planters too near to those negroes who had been prot-
ected as free men under Spanish laws. About 1750 a difficulty arose
among the Creek Indians which hey could not settle, which cuased
Seacoffe, one of thier leading men to leave the Tribe with a number
of followers, and go into Florida, and under the spanish colonial
policy, were incorporated in and with the Spanish population and
given leands where ever they could fin them unoccupied, and were pro-
mised protection udner the Spanish Crown. Form this time these run-
aways would not listed to any treaty, the Creeks would make with the
English colonies, cessation was right with them, treason with us, but
they were savages, we were halv civilizedc. These allied with others
gone before they made a strong and war like people, and the name Sem-
inole with the wites seemed to mean great danger, before they were
removed to the west, I do not know when the first slaves runaway from
their masters in Georgia, but a communication from the Georgia dele-
gates in 1776 setting fourth that a large force of troops was neces-
ary to prevent their slaves from deserting their masters, Mr. Gidd-
ngs an Ohio Senator for a long time trys to show that the burdens
of slavery was tryed to be heaped upon all the Nation alike, while it
was a souther institution, that was incorrect for at that time near-
y all the colonies was slave holding or had been very recently, and
it was a National sin then that became so great a southern sin after-
wards, the Northern states having such long winters, and for several
months in the year have to stay almost indoors found the Negro very
improfitable and became pious enough to sell their slaves to the
Southern planters, then went home and cried out it was such a sin
that their legislatures must pass laws prohibiting slavery, Within
their limits. It is true that many northern men was honest enough
to set their slaves free, but not more so than the south, I know when
we commenced fortyfying against the Federal fources at Manassas and
at Winchester that the free colored population was called out to help
us fortify those points, and I was suprised of the gresat adroves that
were brought in to the work. From the history of the revolution I
have no doubt but many negroes fled from their masters and sought
safety in Florida, and were protected by the laws of that territory,
but in time of the first war with great Brittan there was many people
in Georgia who still opposed the Institution of slavery, they would
assemble in gresat numbers and pass resolutions of abhorance and dis-
aproval of slavery in America. That likely encourged some negroes
to try to make their escape and may havae caused some to get into
Florida, and to have remained there, that would not have tryed if th-
se people had not passed these resolutions, thought what I will say
just here myxsurise may suprise you, but it is never the less true,
that if many of the planters had packed up his negroes goods and some
of them had better clothes than their masters, if he had told them to
get in the wagon that he was going to take them to Florida they would
have begged them not to do such a thing, and they would have wept at
being dropped down there and have begged hard for him to carry him
them home with him again, I know of what I am speaking, the Loyalty
of the colored race to their masters was well exemplified in time of
the great struggle for southern independence. Colonel C.E. Mott
commanding the 10th Mississippi regiment when he fell in the battle
of Williamsburg in april 1862, his slave ran into the thickest of the
fight picked up the lifeless form of his beloved master and carried
the body to the rear until he could see it decently intered, many
indeed took care of their mistresses while their husbands, fathers
and brothers were at the front defending their homes and sacred honor.
**** 63 ****
An seemed as much interested in their masters welfare as if it had
been their own families, the love that existed between the master and
servant to the present generation would appear remarkable if they
could witness it as I have in the past. Some histories gives it that
the slaves that ranaway manifested much judgement in the selection
of their lands for cultivation, locating their principal settlements
on the rich bottoms lying along the Suwanee and Applachicola, here
they opened plantation, and some it is said became wealthy in flocks
and herds. The Creeks wanted to hold jurisdiction over the Seminoles
which they would not submit to which caused a great deal of trouble
between the good citizens of Georgia and their red friends the Creeks
and Cherokees, and these troubles caused the people of Carolina and
Georgia to invoke the Continental congress in 1785 to assist them in
getting up a treaty that would be satisfactory to all partiesk but it
proved a sad failure, treaties made from time to time with the Creeks
for more of their lands and to return the fugitives, that was in
Florida to their masters continued to be unsuccessful for they found
the Seminoles disregarding her treaties and would not admit that the
Creeks had any jursidiction over them they claimed that they were
electing their own Cheifss and officers that they were to all intents
and purposes an Independent Tribe, and were living under the Spanish
Government and had nothing to do with the United States Government,
nor with the Creeks in particular, who was being encroached upon by
the whites, many persons askedk congress to give certain sums of money
to reinstate them for the loss of runaway slaves which I think ought
to never to have been done, but many was compensated by the Government
for usch loss, in the meantime the Northern States had emancipated
their slaves and became less careful about giving much aid in keeping
up an institution that they was sure was morally wrong. Now we will
turn away from what the different states are thinking and doing, we
find that in the meeting of the nineth session of the Synod of South
Carolina the following question,? Is it expedient to admit baptized
slaves as witnesses in ecclesistical judicatories where others can-
not be had, It was answered in the negative. But an order was passed
at the same session of Synod, this meetin was held at Morganton
thursday november the 3rd 1796, enjoining on hands of families the
religeous instruction of their slaves, and teching the slaves child-
ren to read the bible, also a memorial was brought forward and laid
before Synod by the Rev. James Gilleland, stating his conscientions
dificulties in receiving the advice of the Presbytery of south Carol-
ina, which has enjoined upon him to be silent in the pulpit on the
subject of emanicpation of the Africans, which injunction Mr. Gille-
land declares to be in his apprehension contrary to the council of
God. Whereupon Synod, after deliberatin upon the matter, do concur
with the presbytery in advising Mr. Gilleland to content himself with
using his utmost endeavors in private to open the way for the eman-
cipaetion of the Negro race in such way as to secure the approbation
and assistance of their owners, and secure the hapiness of our people,
and preserve the peace of the church and render them capable of en-
joying the blessings of liberty. Synod is of the opinion, to preach
publicly against slavery in the present circumstances, and to lay
down as the duty of every one to liberate those under their car, is
that which would lead to disorder and open the way to greast confusion.
We notice the meeting of the thirteenth session of the South Carolina
Synod, an overture for the purpose of commencing a correspondence with
other religeous denominations in the state about petitionin the
Legislature for the emancipation of the salves, on the principal that
all children of slaves born aftaer a fixed period shall be free, this
overture was brought in at the meeting of the twelfth session of Synod.
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The committee appointed to deliberate on the overture answered it thus,
That it is our ardent wish that the object contemplated in the overture
should be obtained, yet, as it appears to us that matters are not yet
matured for carrying it forward especially in the southern part of our
states, your committee are of opinion that the overture should now be
laid aside and that it be enjoined on very member of this Synod to use
his influence to carry into effect the direction and recommendations of
the Synod of New York and Philadelphia, and those additionally made by
the General Assembly, for the instruction of those who are in a state
of slavery, to prepare them the better for a state of freedom, when such
shall be contemplated by the Legislatures of our Southern States. You
see the people in the South were at this time as favorable to the eman-
cipation of the Negro race as they generally were at the North and more
so than the owners of our shipping interests in New York and Boston for
they wanted their crews to bring large cargoes of Negroes to the South-
ern ports and sell them into slavery so far as they cared forever, but
that was stopped in 1805 by a law against it in congress that year, I
have quoted from the Synods meetings of 1776, 1799 and 1800. I think
they made a fatal mistake in supposing that the legislatures of the Sou-
thern states would do for their slaves what these good ministers would
not dare to do in their pulpits of in any other way a thing so desirable
as the emancipation of the negroes of the south. Our rulers bothe Ecc-
leciastical and civil were generally slave holders and of course would
not pass resolutions in our church courts that would be detrimental to
themselves neither would they make laws for the state that would depri-
ve them of their property, while the most of them were treating their
sservants well yet they did not want them to learn to read nor be educa-
ted at all, only to make good hands in the field or in the house and
before my day passed an act in the Georgia Legislature making it a
penitentiary offense to learn the negroes to read, which was simply
submitted to so far as I know, without remonstrance from the church or
from the public in general. When the law was passed my Grandfather was
teaching a sabbath school for the benefit of the negroes, of course he
could do n more than quit, since my recollection it was not thought
right to do anything for the negro only treat him kindly as you would
other chattles that belonged to you by right of purchase, we got us a
code of morals with regards to the negro that now looks hideous,
indeed we were taught that it was a constitutional guarantee to us from
our fathers when they went into the Federal Compact which the Northern
States now disregarded, which made it our duty to withdraw from the
violaters of said compact, now we will return to the troubles that was
occuring with the runaways in Florida, in 1792 a man by the name of
Seagrove was sent to Florida for the purposse of negotiating with the
Spanish authorities for the return of the negroes that at different
times had made good their escape from their masters, when he reached
Florida, he found the authorities of the province entirely opposed to
the surrender of any subjects of the Spanish Crown to slavery, the negr-
oes were regraded as holding the same rights which the white citizens
held, if the United States had been demanding one of her subjects that
was being held by the Spanish Crown, Spain would not have dared to hold
him for that would have been a breach of National faith, but when our
authorities demanded chattles in the name of Negroes, who had became
citizens of the Territory, that might have been the property of some
one, or they might be the children or grand children of those that
were once in bondage, we the authorities under the supervision of the
Crown of Spain will see them protected. It is evident, that the
representatives of the King of Spain encouraged both the Seminoles and
Negroes to pay no attention to the treaties that the Creeks would make
with the United States, which caused our Government ot have a great
deal of trouble with the Indians.f The quakers after the declaration of
**** 65 ****
Independence, that all men have the right to be free, proceeded in
good faith to emancipate their slaves, and if all good religeous
denominations would have done the same it would have saved blood and
treasure in great abundance, and they have often since assisted slaves
in getting to a free county. Treaties were often made and as often
violated until it became a worry to both state and Federal Authorities
Negroes continued to runaway from masters living on our frontiers and
our people would demand them of the Indians where they had sought
protection. The Indians could not return them if they had wished to,
for the negroes would hide in their deep recesses of swamp of forrest,
until he could learn wheather the Indians would be his protector or
not, when he found them favorable to them they would become servants
to them by paying them some of their produce that they would raise on
the rich lands they would pick up or to cultivate, the savages as well
as refined society thought it a disgrace to labor, hence a little done
for them was as satisfactory as much done for the white man, the India-
ns had roving habits hence it was easy for the negroess to be exchange
from one owner to another, we dont know that with regard to the Negro
that it was often done but white captives were exchanged often, hence
once exchanged and his second owner could say he had bought him from
a brother Indian so he would claim him as always Indian property some
Negores would not become servants to them but would agree to become
one of their tribe and defend their rights as an adopted citizen, so
you see it was a troublesome affair at best, between the whites and
Indians everywhere there was no Spanish jurisdiction to interfere with,
so the Creekss quit trying at last to treat with the whites for the
Seminoles for the latter would not hear to it, so before they left
for the great west they recognized the independence of the Seminoles
as a tribe. It became a certain fact to the frontiers of Georgia and
Alabama, that Florida must become a province of the United States or
their slave property would not be in no way nor at any time secure,
for spain would not give them up as chattles for the owners could not
claim them under any other head. In time of our second war with Greast
Britain by some means or another Spain permitted some of the Englissh
Navy to ascend up the Appalachicola River and either build or repair a
Fort on the said River leaving a large quantity of ammunitions and
leaving some heavy cannon and really left in good condition for
protection of its inhabitants, provided a defense against any invasion
that might take place, it seemed to give more protection to fugitives
runaway from their owners than was agreeable to these masters of slaves
along our frontier though it was supposed to be sixty miles from our
line of territory, I have no means of knowing now what diplomacy that
took place between Spain and our Government with regard to it, General
Jackson who was commander of the Southern department looked upon it
as threatening the peace and security of many of the inhabitants,
especially the negroes who could run away and defend themselves again-
st capture by their owners and he said to General Gains in a communic-
ation to him that he looked upon the Fort on the Appalachicola as a
palcke suitable for pirates and outlaws in general, and if he had the
same view of it to go dwon and blow it up, General Gains seems to have
had the same view of it as General Jackson, he made preparations to do
so, sent Colonal Clinch with a land force while a naval vessel came
up the River to assist in the destruction. Colonal Clinch bombarded
a little having no ground suitable to plant a battery and having no
feelings to select those who had taken shelter in the Fort he left it
for the vessel when it came up the river to do its bloody work. The
men on the vessel bombarded awhile with seeing poor effect they then
commenced with hot shot that soon reached the powder magazine and an
awful explosion took place killing two hundred and seventy some odd
**** 66 ****
and crippling others until three hundred was killed and died of wou-
nds, those poor deluded creatures had been frightened by the appro-
ach of Colonel Clinch, and the women and children with some of the
men had taken refuge in the Fort for protection, this took place in
July 1816, before congress had ordered an invasion, and early before
war was expected by either the whites or Indians, why Jackson and
Gains were not court marshaled for this outrage looks strange now.
In 1817 a party of our troops numbering about 36 men was massacreed
by these negroes and Indians in revenge of their families who had
been destroyed in the Fort the year before. The killing of these
36 men by the Indians and their allies was looked upon as an out-
rageous and savage outrage. Congress furnished men and means for
General Jackson to prosecute a brutal warfare upon a people outside
of our territory and so far as I can learn without the consent of
the Spanish Crown, but you have learned that we don't ask Spain any
odds, we can invade her territories that lies further off than Flori-
da was to them. The Indianss fought him hard, both negroes and Ind-
ians, the loss of life was greast but the worst on the Indians for
Jackson destroyed their crops burned up their villages and left them
in a starving condition and closed out the subjection in 1818. Spain
seeing she could not hold Florida and maintain her National dignity
sold out her entire territory known as the Floridas, I believe for
five millions of dollars; Now we could make that people the Indians
give us up our property in negroes, but it still worked poorly. I
shall not go into details about the stipulations and agreements that
was made and as often broken. General Jackso was made first Gover-
nor Florida he soon learned that the institution of slavery was
not much improved in its security by the transfer of Florida to us,
so he soon became a strong advocate of their removal, a thing for a
long time they were determined not to do, but after so long a time
and aftaer much blood shed they were finally removed and as I have
stated before I commnenced this chapter, that all of the Seminole
trouble ended in 1842, when Billy Bowlegs gave up and him and his
followers went west, costing our Government 40 millions of dollars
and over 15 hundred men, counting the 5 millions we gave for the
territory then guessing at 5 millions for the war in 1817 and 1818,
and us poor deluded people that went through so much anxiety and
discomfort besides the loss of friendsk as we thought defending our-
selves against the inroads of the Indians when it was caused to a
great extent, To secure the runaway slaves and perputate the inst-
itution, began in earnest to educate her people against it, while
the south with just as much earnestness began to educate her people
to believe it was right and a bible doctrine, but would not allow
us to have their Northern Books written upon that subject. So my
Generation of people was moulded in the belief that it was right to
own and transmit their children to our children as their servants,
while we could see that our territory would soon be too small for
our great increase of slaves, we must extend our territory so as to
give room for our prosperity in the great west, our Northern breth-
ern became determined that we should not extend slavery into the
territories, for which we had expended as much blood and treasure
as they had, as a natural consequence bitterness began to spring up
and often in congress apitheths unpleasant to the ear, and sarcasm
of the bitterest kind would be given away to, or spring up in that
August body from the representatives of all parts of the Union. The
compromise of Henry Clay would have answered the purpose very well,
if the war withMexico had not occured, the treaty with Mexico giv-
ing us so much Southern territory that the north became determined
tha t Mr. Clays compromise should now be disregarded, and when
**** 67 ****
Abraham Lincoln declared that all the States must necessarily be
free or slave he hit upon the very principal that made him President
of the United States, or rather for awhile the disunited States,
Though his idea was not so popular at first, for Stephen A. Douglas
beat him for the Senatorship in Illinois upon that issue while I
have never thought that Abraham Lincoln was the great man that he
is trying to be made to appear in history, yet his idea of all the
States must either be free or slave holding, was certainly correct.
We admit the providence of God working good to his people though
the wrath of man though it must be often restrained. I will give
you a very poor mans opinion of Abraham Lincoln, that poor man lived
in a day when the Present spectacles was not looke through as the
young now wear them. He was elected to the Presidency on a platform
that demanded that no territory should be admitted into the Union as
a State with slavery; Many of his party said it was a disgrace to
be connected in any way to the States that was holding the Negroes
or any of them in slavery, and that they ought to withdraw from them,
they called themselves the God and morality party, and there had
sprang up so much bitterness by the time for his inauguaral that the
early histories gives it that he was put through in disguise, and
when he did not feel safe he asked for two regiments to give more
security to the City of Washington, it was granted with the underst-
anding that no more troops should be called for. So favorable was
the authouritys of the Northern states to a peacable withdrawal of
the Southern States from the Federal compact that they was not thin-
king that war was inevitable, but,k this extreme faction on the great
question at issue now had their man at the helm, a man that they
could control, and they was going to control the ship of State over
all the shoals and mailstroms, regradless of consequences. After
the confederate States had organized their Government it sent comm-
issioners to Washington clothed with power to stipulate such terms
of amity and peace and International law as would be pleasing to both
Governments. Mr. Lincoln said he would be pleased to do so and wou-
ld hear them in a few days, they continued to wait until their pati-
ence were almost exhausted, when our commissioners learned that
Lincoln was preparing a fleet of vessels to give all needed aid
to Fort Sumpter a place he had no jurisdiction over, according to
the laws of State that formed the Federal compact, not according to
the law of Nations. Major Anderson was wrong to try to hold a Fort
that belongs to South Carolina and does today if she was a State,
but she is now one of the Provences of the Imperial power of North
America, you know the history of Fort Sumpter, this poor man used
to think that the President of the United States ought to have been
a man that ought to have had manhood an honesty enought to have said
to our commissioners to go back and tell your people I intend to
whip them back into this Federal compact, but he said nothing of the
sort, then after drawing our men our Authorities to fire the first
gun then was ready to make all the Capitol out of the Fort Sumpter
case he could, right there he awoke up the duty of preserving the
Union, the thing that so many of them had wanted to get out of, but
now saw they were wrong and the Union must be preserved even at the
cost of calling out 75000 men for 90 days. The battle of Manassas
shown him what kind of material that the decpetions of his party had
drawn him into, let us draw the vail over the boold and damage that
followed one of his historians says, that after his failings* in 1868
that he said that if any man out of hell is suffering as I am I pity
him. One of the themes that was propagated in the days of the rev-
olutionary war with Great Brittian, was he that draws the sword
shall perish with the sword, so it was with Abraham Lincoln, he dis-
graced the Presidential chair, the highest position that the Government.
**** 68 ****
can bestow upon one of her citizens, and disguising himself to reach
Washington then disguise his real intentions to these honest good
men that had been sent by the confederate Authorities to settle all
difficulties peacably. Let us pass by the war and see Mr. Lincoln
again, the south burned out our country devasitated from the two
Armies one million of lives lost, by battle, by prison, by camp lifes
exposure. A gentleman told me they were offering 8 hundred dollars
per head for substitutes in Maine when general Lee Surrendered. The
histories have been very modest in speaking of that little affar,
they never had told you that Lee surrendered 7 thousand and one
hundred muskets on that memorable morning, they have so far as I
know given you the correct numbers that was pressing Lesss rear which
they say was one hundred thousand and General Thomas with 50 thous-
and in his front, but they have relieved us the humilation of stat-
ing our numbers; but I wonder from my subject, when the country
was drenced in blood and great mourning from Maine to California
and from Virginia to Texas, where do we find Mr. Lincoln and family,
in a place that is considered immoral, a place where no good emina-
tors denounced as a bad place by all good and moral and religeous
people, shot down in that unwholly place, having his fun and pleas-
ure at seeing a Theatrical exhibition; Galleo like caring for none o
of the distress he had caused. Oh that awful account given that
night before that judge which says vengeance is mine, I will repay
saith the Lord. I should not have told you anything about what this
poor corn field man thought or said. If you had not been taught
that Abraham Lincoln was the greatest saint that ever lived in the
United States, exept George Washington. If he is the best since
the Great Washington's day; the Lord pitty us and save us from ruin.
That awful night of the Assassination of Mr. Lincoln God seemed to
say it is enough, the south is punished. God saw that to save the
south from something worse than war if any thing could be worse, he
sought out the better plan by removing him from the Presidental
Chair, take care father you will make out John Wilks book a saint.
My dear shild I shall do no such a thing he was a murderer, but it
would be about as easy to make him the saint as John Brown who was
hanged for his raid on Harpers Ferry and caused blood shed innocent-
ly there, he was made out a great saint, and martyr, by the Northern
people to the present day, so I find that it wont do to have relig-
eon mixed up with politics, but it will do to have conservative
politicks with religeon. It was a kind providence indeed to the
south taht Andrew Johnson was made President of the United States,
he came into State at the right tiame to save the south that would
have come upon them a thing worse than war if such a thing was poss-
ible, he was the queen easther of the south, whil his name
is trying to be forgotten, if a fair history could be given of the
black records of the days of re-construction which we never expect
to see, then Andrew Johnson's name would shine fourth as one of the
Greatest Presidents of the United States. He stood a storm of rage
and malice that eminated from congress, that but few men at that
time would have dared to have done, so determined was this sectional
party to give the people of the south no chance in any way to be a
party in the Union again, that to the astonishment of the South and
of thw world, 16 months afater the surrender of all confederate auth-
ority when they had fought us four years to keep us in the Union,
behold they found us out of the Union for the first time since the
toruble began, such poor measures as was then resorted to was what
President Johnson had to withstand, for he was standing up for
constitutional rights of States, a thing they were determined to
overthrow. They tried to impeach him for his righeous administrati-
on but failed, but carpet bagism union lagionism* illegal plunder
**** 69 ****
made legal, was that we had to pass through for seven long years
after the war. Before we was admitted as one of the Provinces of
our great imperial head. If we could have had the chance as General
Grants treaty gave us at the surrender of General Lee we would not
havae had much trouble after the war, but the stipulations of that
surrender was disregarded by congress, but you say that Lee had to
surrender, very well he did, but Lee being powerless, it only shown
the Generosity and tender heart of Grant and pictured him as a man
to us too high toned to take advantage of his great, but fallen adv-
ersary. I wish we had more General Grants, but I am not goi-
ng to write history in general, this is only for you dear son to
notice when I am gone which according to nature can't be long. I
want you to sift history that the 19th century has made, and leave
to that which is right, or that which has been given by an unbiased
pen. I will only speak of one more circumstance of Mr. Lincolns
doings that so disgraced the Presidential Office, that was calling on
spiritual meduims to converse with the spirits of General Washington,
Napoleon, Reno and others to give him information how to prosicute
the war, but he found the saints disagreed upon the subject, he said
as he did the sinners, I suppose he went by sinners the living
Actors in the Drama. It puts me in mind of Saul resortin to the
witch of Endor, at one time when he thought the City of Washington
was in danger of being taken and that the south could not be
subjected, he made a fair proposition to the South as much so as I
thought the President of the United States could without undignify-
ing the Chair he occupied, but when reverses came upon us and he
saw that the south was fast falling into his hands he then rejected
all overtures, but unconditional surrender and if he had lived to
have carried it out, Oh how awful it would have been. Dear Son
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***************************
CHAPTER NUMBER SEVEN
***************************
Dear Son it is said that Scotch Irish are sometimes a stubborn
race, will stand upon their convictions of what is right without
yielding the point until thoroughly convinced, so as we have a little
of that blood in our veins we retain the stubborn disposition very
well. Let us notice a little of their history, the race of Scotch-
men that emigrated to Ireland in the reign of queen Elithebeth,
returning there characteristics as Scotch, but borrowed some things
from things from their neighbors and were fashioned, in some measure
by the moulding influences of the climate and country, in contra-
distinction from the natives, they called themselves Scotch; and to
distinguish themselves in the Colonies were called Scotch Irish.
This name is provincial and more used in America than elsewhere, and
is applied to the protestants that emigrated from the North of Ire-
land at different periods in the early settlement of the English
Colonies in North America; Their religious principals, swayed their
political opinions, and in maintaining their forms of worship and
their creed, they learned the rudiments of Republicanism, before
they emigrated to America. They demanded and exercised the privel-
ege of choosing their ministers and spiritual directors, in all
opposition arrayed against them for they would not have their Ecc-
lisiastical and civil jurisdication mixed up and suffered fines and
imuisionment and banishment, and took up Arms at last, and victor-
ious in the contest, they established the Prince of Nassau upon the
throne, and gave the Protestant succession to England, and in emig-
rating to America, they maintained in all the provicences where they
settled, the right of all men to choose their own religeous teachers
and to support them in the way each society of christians might
choose, irrespective of the laws of England or the provences where
they might locate, and also to use what forms of worship they might
judge expedient and proper, from maintaining the rights of conscie-
nce in both hemispheres and claiming to be governed by the laws
under legitimate sovereigns in Europe, they came to America to
demand the same extended rights in politics as in consequence, that
rule should be chosen by the people to be governed, and should
exercise their authority according to the laws the people approved.
In Europe they contended for a limited monarchy through all the
troubles of the seventeenth centuary; In America, their decendants
defining what a limited monarchy was or wasnt, found it to signify
rulers chosen by the people for a limited time, and with limited
powers, and declared themselves independent of the British Crown,
For three centurys this race of people have had one set of moral,
religeous and political principlas, working out the noblest from
work of society. Obedience to the just exercise of law, indipend-
ence of spirit, a sense of moral obligations, strict attendance on
the worship of God. The choice of their religious teachers, and
determined to have the same privilege with regard to their civil
rulers, while we know that of the same spirit was shown in many of
many of the puritians of New England, and the Hugaenants of France,
and the Baptist that came over from England, Wales, Holland and other
parts of Europe were imbued with the same spirit of different Natio-
nalities and trainings settling in the wild woods of America const-
antly emphathized and taught that all men have a legal right by birth
to civil and religeous liberty, and the large territory to which the
could find homes so congenial to their feelings, those things inspi-
red them, one was the acquiring of wealth another free government in
xxxx all civil matters, the third and greatest inspiration was the
right of consience to worship God according to the dictates of our
spiritual impression,s these great civil and religeous opinions have
cristalized and have formed the greatest sociaty and all xxxxxxx
**** 71 ****
Republic, and have given civil and religeous freedom to all class of
society, and all Nationalities that have found an Asylum from oppre-
ssion among us, it seems from history that the Scotch Irish was the
first to boldly confront and resist British Tyrany. Other countrys
have religeous toleration but have their established church and its
ministers supported by the public Tax, just as the civil officers of
the state, so there is not religeous freedom as there ought to be in
no country but the United States. We do not appreciate the great
blessings of liberty here as we ought, but often complaining of hard
times while we are enjoying more of the rich blessings of heaven than
any other people on the face of the Globe, may we learn to be more
thankful as we grow in prosperity.
***************************
CHAPTER NUMBER EIGHT
***************************
Mr. William E. Saye: Dear Son, let us review our lessons and see
what we have done, and to do this, I must go back and commence again.
So I will have to try to write another chapter to get back again as
I want you to see me; you will conclude that I am an old man when I
get through this chapter. I lived back when it was my privelege to
see and hear the old revolutionary soldiers talk of their struggles
and exposure and battles, I talked with an old vetran that was in
the battle of Guilford Court House, old Uncle Billy Flemming was in
the Battle of the Cowpens or that is my recollection of him now, I
was well acquainted with an old lady that was near the battle of
ninty six, and participated in the struggles of that unfortunate
time, I have talked with this old lady and this vetran of Guilford
Court House since I was grown, I was born near the Indian line when
we talked of the Mississippi River as being a long way off, I can
recollect when Arkansas was admitted into the Union and most of the
States west of the Mississippi. Missouri came in before my day, the
Louisiana purchase was our western frontier, reaching to the Rocky
mountains North of Texas and New Mexico. Some boys went into the
Mexican War of my age while I would have been glad to have went, but
I was weakly as you know I never was stout. I will go back in my
recollections of the excitement over building our first Rail Roads,
we heard and read that when built and the care put upon them that
they would carry us ten miles per hour, I can recollect that men
would look incredulous at such astounding features. Father used to
laugh at hearing of a man saying if they would run one through near
him he would split as many rails for it as any man in the country.
The states at first was afraid to make appropriations of money to
try the experiment of building even a short piece of Road believing
it would be money thrown away or a thing that was impractable, but
finally tried the experiment, in 1848, at noonday church the preacher
took for his xx text; And the Lords house shall be established on
the Mountain, I believe you will find this prophecy in Jeremiah, I
dont recollect much about the sermon only it was on the line of the
great advancements in the Arts and scenes, he said that he was a
member of the Legislature in 1835 in South Carolina when a member
presented a bill for an appropriation of money by the state to make
the experiment of building a Rail Road out from the city of Charles-
ton to Camden, I don't know the distance it is probably 40 miles,
our preacher said I fought it with all my influence, but a majority
favored the appropriation and it was made; he was defeated in trying
to save the states money, as he thought from being spent foolishly
on a wild scheme that could give no good results; This man had seen
that Road built, he said when he was defeated, he said to his colegue
**** 72 ****
I will take the first ride down to Charleston when you build your
Rail Road, he said he was as good as his word, took the first ride.
At the time of which I speak 1848 our state Road was finished to
Rosses Landing on the Tennessee River, except the Tunnel through the
ridge, at what is now Tunnelhill, it was finished that fall, then we
had communication direct from Charleston on the sea coast to the
Tennessee River, that was accomplished in thirteen years after the
struggle in the South Carolina Legislature to make its first exper-
iment, the Georgia farmers many of them was scared believing that
Tennessee would ship their meat and flour down upon us until we could
find no market for their produce, but we outlived the scare. Then
there was another thing that excited the people often in those days
it was the tariff question, in the exciting times in 1840 over the
banking question, upon that issue Mr. William H. Harrison was elected
to the Presidency of the United States, the tariff question was also
prominent and by this time Georgia had built a Road through the state
to a place called Marthasville, and they were in connection with the
Railroad to Charleston, and they were also pushing a Road through x
from Macon up to this point namely Marthasville, children will notice
what their parents are talking about, especially when a subject is
often discussed and as they were finishing up some of the Central
Rail Road which they aimed to connect with the Road from Augusta at
Marthasville, a little fellow hearing the little engine comming for
it would tickle you to see such an engine now, the little fellow ran
into the house crying out oh mother the tariff is comming, I see it,
and if the little fellow is still living he has felt the tariff as
well as seeing of it, for since then both, Rail Roads and tariffs
have come to stay. And the little town of Marthasville has become
the Capitol of Georgia. I was living in Mississippi in 1857 when the
Memphis and Charleston Rail Road was finished and a grand Excursion
given Charleston to Memphis, they brought from the Atlantic Ocean a
barrel of water and with pomp and ceremony poured it into the Missi-
ssippi connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the father of Waters, it
was or is a historic event in the progress of Rail Roads, that was
nine years after the connection by Rail in what is now Chattanooga,
it was a great thing to connect the Ocean to the Tennessee, and a
grand thing to marry the father of waters to the Atlantic Ocean,
twelve years after; the connecting link was made to the Pacific,
that was in 1869, since then the Arts and scenes have progressed with
such rapidity they have overflowed me. I begin to feel like a little
fellow at school who does not know his lesson and with his finger in
his mouth trying to scratch the floor with his toes; I believe I had
rather be the other little fellow who knew all of it but what was
toren out. I used to live on the frontier but now we have none, I
used to teach school but would not know how now. We used to teach
websters spelling book, but now they want a few blocks of wood with
some big letters on them, we used to teach Smyleys Arithmetic, now
they would smile at it as bad as we cryed at it then, once we had
Indians to fight, now we have them on their little reserves known as
Indian Territories or reservations, where they must keep still and
behave themselves, a few years ago thousands of Buffalo and other
game, now a few Buffalo trying to be preserved in a United States
Park; and bad fellows trying to kill them out, verily the world
moves on rapidly, I can't keep up, I must soon stop and take a long
rest, but let us have our bed made right. My fathers Minister at his
church, once when I was a boy was spending a night with us when he
was telling father that he was going to raising sheep, he had some
low bottom lands along a creek that ran through his farm that would
be fine grazing land, and he was going to sow it in cuckould burrs,
mother wanted to know how he was going to get the burs out of the wool
**** 73 ****
he said he would take it to a machine that would take them all out,
my parents thought it was a very extravagant notion of the old
gentleman to think he would ever see such a thing as a machine to
take out cuckould burrs out of wool, but our fingers was not made
sore much after that time by picking burrs out of wool, for the
machine soon come, and oh how it saved our fingers. The Cuckould
Burr relief, came, about the year 1847 or 8 in 1844 we heard of the
wonderful invention of a wire being put up from the City of Washing-
ton to Baltimore that messages of news could be conveyed upon it,
it seemed like a very unreasonable story, but yet it come to us as
we thought by a reliable gentleman, it was not long until thousands
of miles of wire were put up. About 1846 we heard that they had
invented a reaper by which they could harvest their wheat very
rapidly, of course it took as many Binders as when reaped with
scythe and cradle; The next news was they had invented a binder,
which was a great labor saving machine, the next was that they had
invented a machine by which they could reap, then convey it by the
same power into a threshing machine and the wheat came down winnow-
ed or as we usualy say, now, fanned clean ready for the Garner,
these different statements of the improvements in the wheat machin-
ery took place within two or three years, it reached our incredual-
ity, my brother who was about grown by this time in utter contempt
of such a thing being possible said he would not have the thing
without it would pour the wheat in to the sacks then take the stri-
ngs and tie the sacks up; so much for what we did now know and
how much has been forced upon us. When I think of talking with
patriots of the Revolution, lived neighbors to Vetrans of the
second war with great Britain, and can recollect when we did not
have half as many States or provences to this Union as we now have
memory stands out in grand Panoramic view before me that Language
fails to give words of expression to represent it to you as it
passes in my mind before me. One writer says that many books owe
their success to two things, the good memory of those that who
write them, and the poor memory of those who read them; if I ever
get my scribbling down to a book, its success must depend on these
two things just mentioned. I may feel a little like the man who
applied at the Clerks office at court for license to marry, he was
asked by the clerk the womans name, he gave it, that seem to tickle
some parties who were sitting around he told them they need not be
winking and laughing at thim for it was the best he could do.
But if the Genius of the present age is said by some to be barbar-
ous if they consign it to the flames of oblivion, I will say oh
very well son, let us go back to the plough. Memory is the power
of all intellectual operation, yet idiots have memory. Memory
brings a voice from the tomb, sweeter than song, form which we heed
and will turn away for the moment from the charms of the living
and stand as it were in the scenes of the past. Memory that we ex-
cepted Jesus Christ as our savior will be the joy in heaven of the
Saint. Memory, that we rejected the overtures of mercy that is only
found in Christ, which was eternal life through his Atonement, will
be the worm of fire that will gnaw at the vitals of the soul in the
dark regions of dispair forever. The virtuous mans memory in the
evening of life is what he feeds upon, in Heaven it is his joy
forever. Joy departed forever is painful to memory. Benefits rec-
eived go far back in life on memorys wings; Injuries received goes
farther back; The memory of my pleasures in early life reaches
back with memories beginning so far as I can see or memories carr-
ies me, which is before I was three years old, my father was living
then in Hall county, left there the next year, so memory carries me
back sixty seven years. A large field but poorly cultivated.
**** 74 ****
Experience has taught me that all the blessings of this life are
worth nothing without the sunshine of hope for a bright and lasting
eternal future, my wishes are these for thee.
- May happiness ever be thy lot,
Wherever thou shalt be;
And joy and pleasure light the spot,
That may be home to thee.
- How sweet to have a faithful friend,
In whome we may confied;
To bless us if we act a-right,
And if we err to chide.
Hope for the best, get ready for the worst, and learn to take things
calmly leaning on the everlasting Arms of Jehovah; be content with
the lot god has marked out for you, love honor and o'bey him in all
things, and your last days will be peaceful and happy.
You like all young men are now a sower of seed on the filed of life
the bright days of youth are the seed time. Every thought of your
intellect, every emotion of your heart, every word of your tongue,
every principal you adopt, every act you perform, is a seed whose
good or evil fruit will prove a pleasure or give grief in after life.
Guard well your thoughts for they produce your actions for good or
evil.
In after years when you recall,
The days of pleasure past,
And think of joyous hours and all
Have flown away so fast,
When some forgotten air you hear
Brings back past scenes afar,
And gently claims your listening head
Remember then what Pa has said.
All that we are is the result of thought; it is founded on thought
it is made up of our thoughts, then learn to think ar-right, then
our actions will be found in the pathway of virtue, justice and
equity. My son study what true verture is; the virturous man is
happy in this world, and he will be happy in the next; Virture is
a state of war, and to live in it we have always to combat with our-
selves. Live peaceably with all men, while combatting with yourself.
Dear son I have received an answer from my letter to Savoy, he
was a grandson of my great uncle William Saye, he seemed glad to hear
of us and will give me more information as soon as he hears from his
brother John who is living in Illinois, he says that his grandfather
emigrated from Georgia to middle Tennessee when that country was
first settling up, and settled on the Harpers but removed from there
to Bedford county there he raised his family, he just raised two
children one son and one daughter, he named his son Richard, the
Richard was for my Grandfather, he says Richard was his father. I
believe now that I was mistaken that his name was only Richard, he
says they pulled up stakes and removed to south west Missouri in
1830 and that they settled in Polk County 20 miles North from Spri-
ngfield, the county site of Green county, and that William Saye
died in 1834 or 5, that Richard says his father emigrated to Calif-
ornia in 1853, and died about 1864, I stated in my sketch of William
Saye that he raised one son and that his name was Benjamin, his name
was Richard, I don't know how the mistake was made, our cousin at
Savoy, Texas is named William Richard Saye, instead of Dr. Joseph Saye.
**** 75 ****
Hope I will soon hear from him again and get a more full report of
my great uncles family. William R. Saye of Savoy was born November
the 27th 1820 he is about nine years older than myself, he says his
health is poor. I am writing for some more material for my sketches
I have now learned that all my grandfathers children were born in
Franklin county, where Aunt Mary and father grew up to womanhood and
manhood, none of the others grown when grandfather removed to Guin-
ett county. Presbyternanism was well established in Georgia in the
beginning of the Nineteenth century, the first presbyterian church
established in Florida was in 1823 or 24 by Dr. Lothir and emigrant
from Ireland, he is said to have been a man of great abilities. The
cumberland presbyterians have planted churches there since the civil
war and are doing something to build up the Redeemers Kingdom in that
part of Gods Vineyard. I am writing this page of omitted thoughts
that should have come in, in their order,but as I am writing this
almost entirely from memory I can't fix my book in the order that I
wish it was done; I have mentioned some where that friendship and
the best of feelings prevailed among the whites and Indians before
their removal to the west. In talking one day to Densy Medford and
old friends of mine and of my fathers, he had settled among the
Indians before they left Georgia, he said he would see some of them
in Heaven, he had great confidence in their christianity as well as
their being good neighbors to him. Dear son, since I have been
writing this page I have received another letter from Dr. William R.
Saye of Savoy Texas, his grand father was several years older than
mine he married Miss Ann McDonnel, I think married in Georgia before
emigrating west, raised two children a son and daughter Richard his
son, his daughters name was Sally. Richard Saye was born in 1800
married in 1819 to Miss Elithebeth Robberston there was born to them
nine boys and two girls the first one was born november the 27th 1820
Allen the second one died in infancy. Bennett H. Saye was the third
one the fourth child was Elithebeth Disart. Richard F. Saye was the
fifth, he lives at Walnut Grove Green county Missouri, Thomas T. Saye
he lives in Polk county Missouri, Mary Ann Edwards George lives in
California, Jasper, also in California, Edwin and John the youngest
are both dead; William Sayes daughter married a Mr. William Robbert-
son a brother to Richards wife, they raised a family. I have the
names of the three oldest ones, Elithebeth Ann was the oldest,
Allen was the second one, John, W. Was the third, I have not the
names of all the Robbertson family, my great uncle William and
family were like the Sayes they left behind when they emigrated
west were presbyterians of the strict order of that people. I will
now give the names of Dr. William R. Sayes children, Jessie Richard
Saye, Graybill Collin county. Mary Ann Evans, Whitewright, Grayson
county, William L. Saye, Clarendon, Donley county, by profession a
Lawyer. I am thankful to Dr. Saye of Savoy for this information.
As my grandfather Saye and wife was for awhile members of the first
presbyterian church ever organized in North Georgia, I will give
for your benefit a little account of the planting of presbyterian-
ism in the colonies, Colonel Stevens of Maryland applied to the
presbyteriany of Donegal in Ireland for a minister to settle in
that colony. Francis Makennie was sent he labored some in the
Barbadees and in Virginia, then in Maryland, he led the way,the way
for presbyterian ministers to America, and was prominent in forming
the first presbytery, that of Philadelphia, in 1706, a Presbytery
which has since spread out into the General Assembly of the United
States of America., there was many people in New England and New
York that were presbyterians in faith and practice before this time
but had never been organized into presbyterial form of Government,
**** 76 ****
And indeed have yet never come into Presbyterial and representative
form of Government, but continues in the congregational form. The
Synod of New York and Philadelphia determined to organize a general
Assembly of the Presbyterian church in the United States of America
as a preliminary step some new Synods was made of which the Synod
of the Carolinas was one, it was organized in November 1788, in May
1789 the General Assembly of the Presbyterian church was organized,
but I am not now sure how many Synods had been organized before it
was constituted; In 1813 the Synod of the Carolinas was divided
and a new Synod formed known as the South Carolina and Georgia Synod,
since then the Presbyterians has grown rapidly especially at the
North. There was some trouble which continued to grow, with regard
to faith and practice, a considerable leaning to congregational
Government, and in others to preach an unlimited atonement, until
there was a division made in the General Assembly in 1837, dividing
the great body of presbyterians into almost two equal parts, known
as the old school and new school presbyterians, they finally compr-
omised and formed an organic Union in 1864, though there is some
fiction yet on the great question of the atonement, the Cumberland
Presbyterian church was organized in 1810, it was a body of, or it
is ab a body of Presbyterians, which is an outgrowth of the great
revival of 1800, there are several bodies of presbyterians in the
United States, and there is a great many organizations in the world
of religeionist who govern their bodies in Presbyterial form and in
faith are presbyterians with some sleight modifications, as shown
by our great Pan Presbyterian councils which meet every four years.
You may wish to know more about the solemn League and covenant that
will be a little hard to do but it was the germ that grew to such
strength as to seperate State and church, it was first framed by
John Craig, and called Craigs confession, or the first national
covenant of Scotland, and subscribed to by the leaders of the people
in 1557, and subscribed to by King James, and the Nation Generally
in 1581, enlarged and signed again in 1588, and again in 1638 enlar-
ged and made to consist in three parts, the first the old covenant
by Craig, the second condeming Jopery, third the application of the
whole to the present time, and again remodelled and adopted in 1643,
and by the Westminster Dwines and the Parliament of England, the same
year., and continuing in Scotland a binding instrument to this day,
and also acknowledged as binding to this day by a large number of
the Scotch Irish decendants of America, in matters of conscience
they had been accustomed to resist the King without the King agreed
with them, and bound themselves by this solmn oath to do it, and
this solmn League was inseparably connected with doctorinal creed
and form of church Government, which were strictly presbyterian.
We as convanantors yet condemn Jopery and maintain a representative
form of Government, will not have civil and Eccliciactical Govern-
ment mixed, thus far we are covenanters. I will not speak for the
churches opinion on the atonement, I speak only for myself as a
Cumberland Presbyterian. I have no limited atonement in mine, as an
infinit being paid the penalty for out sins, how can an infinite
being boundless in his attributes, how can he surcumscribe himself
to do a limited thing in atoning for Adams lost race, we are taught
he tasted death for every man, we lost all when Adam fell through
belief, we gain all by belief in christ, but it requires belief in
the all atoning blood of christ, to be excepted of the father adopt-
ed into the family of the redeemed, to enjoy god in christ, forever
through the sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth.
Presbyterians and Baptist are trained to think for themselves, will
have no prelacy over them with regard to religious thought, they may
not think right but they are taught to think, it is very well to be
**** 77 ****
Taught to try to think a-right, while I have been trying to give
you an insight into the troubles the Presbyterians have suffered
for conscience sake in their religious opinions in the past, yet
I do not want to eclipes others or hold them in the back ground,
for civil and teligious liberty, if history is to be relied upon
the Baptist have suffered more persicutions than any other one
denomination that I am acquianted with.
***************************
CHAPTER NUMBER NINE
***************************
Dear son, I have just been reading of an eulogy by the Rev. Dr.
Swing, I will quote a little of it, when congress was without sense
and without skill, Washington was on hand with both, at all hours,
with wisdom that never left him for a movement in seven years.
Never before had the world seen such a clear grasp of the value of
human liberty and such a uniform realization of means to an end.
His mind did not flash like a cannon or like a meteor, it poured
out constantly like the sun. The calmness that he possessed was
not that of insensibility, but it was that of an unchanging power.
He lived in a group of years in which each day was great. The age
not only lifted Washington up to a high level, but it compelled him
to remain there, until he was taken down for burial. Now I don't
think Washington would have this as correct at all if he was living
he reposed great confidence in the Colonial congress and also of the
congress of the United States after the articles of confederation
had been agreed upon and excepted by all the States, Swing says
Congress had neither sense nor shill, Washington believed they had
both, for when he appealed to them for help they responaded to him
as best they could under the circumstances that surrounded them, it
is casting quite a reflection on Jefferson, Adams, Hancock, Hamilton,
Hall, Rutlege and Witherspoon and many others that have been handed
down to us as great Statesmen and patriots. I have quoted Swing to
show you how unfair eulogys often see, to get one so high you have
to cast others down or it implies that much. Now for fear you may
think I have done Abraham Lincoln injustice, I will give you Bishop
Newmans eulogy of him, he says there is no name more deserving of
imperishable fame than Abraham Lincoln. He is embalmed in song,
recorded in history, eulogized in panegyric, cast in bronze, sculp-
tured in marble, painted on canvass, enshrined in the hearts of his
countrymen, and lives in the memories of mankind. Some men are bril-
liant in their times, but their names fade from the memory of the
world, some are not honored by their contempararies, but in subseq-
uent ages their memories are recalled qith gratitude. But here is
one who was more honored than any other man, while living, more
revered when dying, and destined to be loved to the last sylable
of recorded time. He has this three freatness. Great in life, Great
in Death, Great in the history of the world. He was the staunchest
patriot, the greatest statesman, the truest friend, the kindest
father, the purest husband and the noblest citizen. In nothing are
the sagacity and might of Lincolns Statesmanship more apparent than
in his determination to save the Union. He would have the Union
with or without slavery. He preferred it without, and his preferen-
ce prevailed. time has justified the widow of his Statesmanship
when Lincoln was murdered the South lost its best friend. These
are words of Bishop Newman, if I did not believe history was a
little more correct than the history that has been written of men
and their greatness or littleness, through my day and generation,
**** 78 ****
I would want them heaped in a pile and burned and I am afraid all
history has been to some extent written with a partisian pen, I
don't give the credit to history as being correct as I once did, I
have lived in a day when too much history was made. Mr. Newman
places all citizens of the United States in the comparative sense,
while he places Lincoln in the superlative degree, he is the best
statesman, patriot, friend, father, husband, citizen. I don't
place him head and shoulders higher than every body while he may
have been as good and kind as other men generally, I don't want to
take anything that we should honor Mr. Lincoln for, away from him.
I will give you H.C.Potters hope for the nation, he says the truth
for us to remember at all times, and especially at and in these
times, is the truth, that the hope of a nation is not in its forms
of Government, not in the wisdom and equity of its executive, nor
in the justice and purity of its Administration; so much as in the
elevation and r redemption of individual character among its people.
I think Potter is right, he is not eulogizing one man above another
to others detriment. I lived back when Bishop Newman and President
Lincoln lived, one stood at the head of our government for four
stormy years, the other at the top round of a large Eccleciastical
body of which we love to reverence as a great body of christians,
these men were learned men, both in the schools of litature and
experience, and I shall not set up verdict to the contrary of great
and wise men, the great Evangelist Sam. T. Jones says that ignorance
is the worst thing that afflicts the human race, so the poor corn
field man and other laborers are still afflicted a little that way,
yet, but may be not so bad as we was in the past, so as I do not
dare to give a verdict, we will just express an opinion, Sam Jones
says hell is paved with mens good opinions, I am not even darring to
give this as a good opinion, it was our thoughts at the time, Bishop
Newman says Lincoln was enshrined in the hearts of his countrymen, it
did not appear to us that way when General George B. McLellan run
him so close for the Presidency in 1864, if the South could have
cast her vote in that election he would have beaten him overwhelm-
ingly at that time; but father how could you have voted for McLellan
at all since he fought you so hard; because he was the highest toned
Chieftain and most consomate General that General Lee ever had to
meet, he wanted the fate of the battle field to settle the family
quarrel between the states and when ordered by Lincoln to burn,
plunder and destroy both the farmer and the towns in his march he
resigned and in his indignation said he would not burn and destroy
the women and children to settle the difficulty, we was so ignorant
we thought it great in him, if it had not been for Stonewall Jacksons
indominable perservrnce and Chiefship in placing himself in McLellans
rear on the Chickahomony in 1862 McLellan would have taken Richmond,
and that when Lee had his largest Army, though not as well drilled
as in 1863, and after McLellan failed to accomplish that great end,
General Pope was placed in command, he in a pompous speech said he
had been running from the Rebels in the west but always run in the
rear while the Rebbels took the lead, but like his predecessors he
run best as they had done, took the lead and lead his Army out of
Virginia in less than two months, Lincoln seeing that Washington was
about to fall into the hands of Lee, called back McLelan to take
command of the Army and to try to restore its morale, and he knew
that if there was any man at the North that could do it, that it was
McLelan. In two weeks he had the Federal Army in pretty good cond-
ition again, by the time Lee could get up to Sharpsburg Maryland,
the morale of the Federals was prepared to resist the invasion of
Lee successfully or successful enough to Save Washington.
**** 79 ****
Though the battle was considered a draw fight, Lee was crippled so
he could not go forward, McLellan was hurt so he could not follow up
Lee as he fell back across the Potomac, Steward and Hampton with
their cavalry remained between the contending Armies until Lee had
crossed over the River safely bringing back all of his Army supplies
as completely as if no enemy was behind him, as soon as Washington
was saved Lincoln dismissed McLellan from the command, he had gained
great popularity at the North as a Chieftain and statesman, and we
was so ignorant as to believe Lincoln was narrow minded and jealous
of McLellans popularity both in the Army and throughout the North,
and as the war was very unpopular with many of the North as well as
at the South we thought Lincoln was afraid he would be elected to
the Presidency in 1864, a thought that Lincoln could not endure, and
he must place a man at the head of his Army and suffer defeat time
and again rather than keep a man there that could have made it a
success much earlier and with less bloodshed, but oh that man is a
Democrat and it will place him in the Presidents chair in 1865, we
had better suffer defeat awhile than suffer such humilation as that,
that was the specticals we looked through in those days Bishop
Newman says he was great in life, great in death, and great in the
history of the world, I will shell down my ignorance, I thought the
Theater was an immoral place but I yeild the point to the learned,
go to the theater and got killed if you want to die great, we will
leave the verdict of his greatness with Gladstone the once great
Premier of England he once sent some beautiful pictures to General
Robert E. Lees daughters begging them to accept them because of his
great reverence for their father he said that he had never known but
two great heroes in his day, that is your father, and general Gordon
who lost his life in Cartouma in Egypt. No doubt but he voiced Eng-
land correctly and probably of the world, you say Gladstone was not
an ignorant man why did he give such xx a decision. I of course do
not know it seems that Newman did not keep him posted, he also says
he was the truest friend, he was to one widow Armstrong when he
saved her son from the Gallows of from a long term in the Penitent-
ary by getting the strongest evidence in the case thrown out and the
boy or young man acquitted when it was a plain case he did the
murder, it don't seem from the history of the case that Armstrong
in any way denied the killing of the man, I noticed in a paper rece-
ntly I believe it was the Chicago Introce Interocean for his benev-
olence and such a kind heart he had for what he had done for Mrs.
Armstrong in turning her son loose again upon the world and did this
without one dollar of fee for his services, he was a worse man than
our attorneys at law are now, they want big pay if they risk letting
out the murderers on us at large, this was in 1857, the war came in
1861 Armstrong had married but in his enthusiasm to save the Union
as many good men did that had never killed any body, but it got
pretty hot for Armstrong he wrote to his mother he was sick of the
xxxxxxxxxxxxx job and he wanted his mother to fix some way to get
him out of the scrape, he thought more of his wife and children
than he did of the Union, his mother recollected what Lincoln had
done once for her son, she wrote to him that her son was very tired
of the war and wanted to get home to his family, no sooner than
Lincoln read the letter he ordered him discharged and sent home which
was done. The paper states this took place in 1863, well if Lincoln
had treated about eight hundred thousand at that time as he did
Armstrong we would soon have had mothers fixed up peacefully, for
his grand Army and our raged rebbels as they pleased to call us,
was as tired of it as Armstrong was, but as usual with me I cant
see that soft and kind generous nature that is attributed to him in
relieving one widdow, and making thousands more without careing
**** 80 ****
A straw for their relief. Newman says he was the kindest father,
the purest husband, I have never heard it doubted, but that he was
the kind father, and pure husband, but to say that he was the kind-
est and purest, cast quite a reflection on the rest of us, it means
that some of us may have been partly pure but not as pure as Linco-
ln, I know that there is as pure families among the common poor
laborers of our country as you will find anywhere, while I have
never been permitted to move in the higher walks of life I am sure
they would resent the aspersion as quick as myself. Newman futher
says he was the noblest citizen. I dont' doubt, never heard it
doubted but that he was a good citizen, but to say that he was the
noblest of all, is the meanest bosh that won't bear inspection, he
further says that Lincoln statesmanship was made apparent when he
determined to save the Union, he never did save it, he never wanted
it saved, and when he had almost given up all hope of conquering
the south he proposed a compromise, that compromise was that we
would revoke the issue that he claimed had brought about the war,
in other words he was willing to settle the difficulty if we would
settle in his way, proposing to gradual emancipation and all slaves
should be set free by the year 1900. While I thought then it would
be the best thing that could be done under the circumstances, yet it
was the creature proposing to its creator what must be done, for
the States was certainly the creator of the Federal xxxxxxxey head,
without supposing they were to surrender their State Soverign rights,
as States; but we have been shown better, he was determined to have
a Federal Supremacy, making the Soverign States near provences in
that imperial power so much so that when the states was admitted in-
to the Union they had to come in under new constitutions, declaring
that Federal Government was paramount and states Government must
submit to its imperial dictation, and its power has been shown over
state authority on several occasions of late years, the Illinois
Governor disclaimed needing any Federal authority in 1894, but
Cleveland the Dictator of the Federal power at that time let him
know better, the same year Mississippi was in great straits for
money, I don't know wheather she was worse off than the other prove-
nces or not, but she was trying to organize a plan by which she e
would circulate a paper currency which should be redeemable in the
currency of the United States; The President, Grover Cleveland who
then was the Dictator of our Government sent to the authorities of
Mississippi that he would sent the Federal Troops down and crush out
any such a scheme, Mississippi put me in mind of the poor fellows
turkey which had swallowed some cherries that had been preserved in
whiskey, but thrown away as useless the turkey was soon xx down and to
the owner seemed would die to make sure of a good mess of turkey soon
had her divested of feathers by the time she was well picked she began
to coot as she was awaking out of her intoxication. Oh said her owner
you have cooted to late; Mississippi when she ceased cooting so loud
in 1865, she may lie still now in her intoxication for it is too late
to coot now. I will confess to being mean enough to have been a little
glad when Cleveland sent the Federal Troops in to Illinois against
the Governors wishes, as she had been so active in sending Federal
Troops down on us 30 years before their great strike in 1894 for I
am sure we did not want to see them and we would not have molested
them if they had not come down in such beligerent style, I know that
we are called Independant States yet, if that name suits the people
I will have no objection; It puts me in mind of the story of the man
who brought his pumpkins to the house in his sack carrying a stone
in one end to balance the pumpkin, he was asked why he did not throw
the rock away and put a pumpkin in each end of his sack that he
would secure his crop faster and with less labor.
**** 81 ****
He said his father always brought his pumpkins to the house by bal-
ancing a stone in one end, and his father done very well, So our
children have seen us carry our produce to the house while, the
stone of Taxation and oppression well balanced our sack on our shou-
lders, yet they think, and I recon correctly enough that we have
done very well, so they will be more willing to do so than we were
when we were driven to it, I have never seen a man that meddled in
politics, but very little, but politics have meddled with me some-
times roughly enough to keep me out of humor sometimes for a while.
Bishop Newman said when Lincoln was Assassinated the South lost her
best friend, God save me from my friends if he was the best, we had
for we got pretty well acquainted with him in the course of his four
years introduction among us, we did not get acquainted with him
personally, he always sent his servents to wait on us, and they seem-
ed to love him and tryed to obey his every instruction, we never did
appreciate these favors, have not done so yet,l Bishop Simpson said
at the Burial of Abraham Lincoln that he was greater than moses who
delivered three million of Isarlites out of Egyptian bondage for he
had delivered four millions of Africans out of servitude, Moses was
the law giver and a great deliverer of Israel from bondage, form
Egypt; believed to be a type of christ or a paralel to him, it appe-
ars to me to be very near blasphemy to make any such comparison,
Simpson gave that as why he was greater than moses. Newman never
pointed out the first reason for placing him in the superlative deg-
ree as he did or could not; He should have placed him only in the
comparative sense. All these several pages have been drawn out of me
by reading these bombastic Eulogies by men that ought to have known
better, this stuff that my grandchildren will have to read and of
course believe it as I used to believe everything I read. I want to
leave a dying protest against such Eulogies, Abraham Lincoln was
placed in power in a dangerous way that let to dangerous results, his
name will always be conspiceous in history because of the great
events that happened in his day and he was one of the Actors in the
Drama that brought about a great revolution and reform in what is
called republican institutions, but placing him head and shoulders
above other men does injustice to the great Actors in the drama with
him, and does injustice to the times in which he lived to make him
the sun, while the others were his satitites. Do you ask what Mr.
Lincolns history has to do with the history of the Saye Family, we
was contemporary with him and felt him severely both in loss of life
and property, he caused me to carry your mother and your oldest
sister who was then an infant one year old three hundred miles throu-
th all the dangers which war had brought us into, without knowing
wheather I could get ten miles from the place from which we started
without being captured by as inveterate enemy who would send me to
a Northern prision and leave your mother and sister in a helpless
condition among those who had no sympathy for myself nor her. Before
we started the movements of the Armies had placed us between the
picket lines where Anarchy prevailed, where no protection to life,
liberty, or property, was given, I determined to get my little family
out of there at all hasards and I was fortunate enough to get them
out and through to a place of safety. God in his great mercy protec-
ted me in my benevolent intentions, that was a day that tryed men to
the bottom os those who differ with me in this being an imperial
Government. Please read Alexander H.Stephens history of the war be-
tween the States, his history has been endorsed by many leading men
of the press of the North as being the nearest correct of any history
written on the war, he had been a great friend of Mr. Lincoln. See
what he says about him, Mr. Stephens was not an ignorant man as I am.
**** 82 ****
He was a grand statesman in his day, he don't hold up Mr. Lincoln as
the best and noblest man of his day. I suppose Mr. Gladstone had
about the same view of him or he would have sent the pictures to Mrs.
Lincoln instead of to General Lees daughters; While we have grown
very relgaious over the Union, since we have lost states rights, for
now we often see the United States flag hung up in our churches, once
we would have thought it sacralidge to have dared to do such a thing
verryly the world moves and its vanities; Christianity remains the
same if you can find it.
They are slaves who dare not be,
In the right with two or three.
We like brave men though we don't say we belong to that class a man
who dares to tell a bad man that he is bad. If I know my self I
have always loved good people let them live North or South. I will
quote here the words of Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, she was not lov-
ed by all good people of the south. In her old age she says I am
coming to that stage of my prilgrimage that is within sight of the
River of Death, and I feel that now I must have all in readness day
and night for the messenger of the King. I have sometimes in my
sleep strange perceptions of a vivid spiritual life near to and with
christ and holy ones, and the joy of it is like no other joy; It
can not be told in the language of the world. What I have, then,
I know with absolute certainty; Get it is so unlike and above anyth-
ing we conceive of in this world that it is difficult to put it in
to words. The inconceivable love lines of christ. It seems that
about him there is a sphere where the enthusiasm of love is the calm
habit of the soul, That without words, without the necessity of
deminstrations of affection, heart beats to heart soul answers soul.
We respond to the infinite love, and we feel his answer in us, and
there is no need of words. These are the feelings and words of Mrs.
Stowe. I have not reached her altitude in the christian life, thou-
gh it is my own fault, I have not been the devoted christian she was,
many of us live below our priveleges and duties so we are not blessed
as she was, Her talents were more than mine and she put them to ab
a better use. I can say with Mrs. Stowe, that I am at that stage of
my pilgrimage that is in sight of the River of Death, and I feel that
now I must have all in readiness day and night for the messenger of
the King. While my readiness is not so complete as I believe hers
was when he came for her, yet I must make it as complete as possible
True christianity is love, none loves God but he who loves good. To
love God is to love what god is. God is true, pure, just, and holy,
and he who loves these things out of God may love them in God, this
last sentence I quoted F.W. Robertson. So far as I know now I will
close my manuscript without I hear from some relatives that I have
just lately written to. Now in taking a panoramic view of my life I
will close by quoting some lines from W.W.Story. They chime in with
my feelings.
With the wreck of their life all aroung them, Unpitied, unheeded, alone,
With death swooping down over their failure,
and all but their faith overthrown.
While the voice of the world shouts it chorus,
Its glory for those who have won,
While the trumpet is sounding triumphant,
And high to the breeze of the sun,
Gay banners and waving, hand clapping, and hurrying feet,
Thronging after the laurel crowned victors,
I stand on the field of defeat,
Who have held to their faith unseduced by the prize,
**** 83 ****
That the world holds on high,
Who have for a high cause dared to suffer, resist, fight, if need
be to die.
Men trained and moulded in the stormy days of our republic as
generation was, can not be frightened nor discouraged by troubles,
however great. Truth crushed to earth, shall rise again;
The eternal years of God are hers.
In closing I will quote John Wesley: He says,
" I have a thought.
I am a creature of a day, passing passing through life as an arrow
through the air, I am a spirit come from God, and returning to God;
Just hovering over the great gulf; Untill a few moments hence, I
am no more seen I drop into an unchangeable eternity."
