CalumWa (Hnitimftp 
 
 THE LIBRARIES 
 
 Bequest of 
 
 Frederic Bancroft 
 
 1860-1945 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCHES 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Baptists of Southeast 
 Missouri. 
 
 EMBRACING : 
 
 An Account of the First Baptist Families of the Great West; 
 the First Churches; the First Associations, and Biograph- 
 ical Sketches of the First Ministers. Including an 
 Account of the twelve Associations of Churches, 
 and the Ministers going out from these First 
 Baptist Churches from 1796 to 1886. The 
 Founding of the First Institution of 
 Learning under Baptist Patron- 
 age in Southeast Missouri. 
 The First Baptist Pe- 
 riodical and other 
 Important Matter. 
 
 By H. F. TONG, 
 
 With an Introduction by 
 
 ^VM. H. MAYFIELD. M. D., 
 
 Of St. Louis, Mo. 
 
 ST. LOUIS, MO. : 
 
 NATIONAL BAPTIST PUBLISHING CO., 
 
 1888. 
 
b. 
 
 
H. F. TONQ 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The sketches comprising this volume were writ- 
 ten at the solicitations of many brethren and 
 friends of Southeast Missouri, this being the 
 empire ground, or district, from which the 
 great Baptist family (now numbering nearly 
 one hundred thousand in the State) started 
 forth ; having first planted here the standard of 
 gospel truth and soul-liberty, which finally struck 
 the last blow to Papal power in these American 
 States and Territories. Feeling it but a just pride 
 of the Baptists, of Southeast Missouri, to preserve, 
 as a memorial, a combination of historic sketches 
 in book form ; thereby preserving their high appre- 
 ciation of the labors, (oils and sacrifices of the 
 fathersy who were the first instruments, under 
 God, in the establishment of the great cause of 
 Christ and soul-liberty in the wilderness of the 
 great West, A fact to be transmitted to their 
 children and the generations to come, reminding 
 them that it was here, in Southeast Missouri, that 
 fhis great work first began : the first sermons were 
 preached ; the first house of worship was built ; 
 
11 PREFACE. 
 
 the first refusal to comply with Roman edicts 
 west of the great river ; the first churches were 
 established, and the first Baptist Association was 
 organized. 
 
 These facts are not gathered from tradition, 
 but from written testimony preserved by individ- 
 uals, church records, and Minutes of associa- 
 tions. They furnish a continuous train of dates in 
 connection with the events and circumstances 
 mentioned in the sketches, which the writer,- after 
 two years of the most assiduous labor and toil, 
 has sought to gather and compile at the request 
 of brethren whose hearts seem to be knit to- 
 gether with those who have gone before. 
 
 He disclaims any merit for discharging a dut}' 
 so full of interest and pleasure, and desires here 
 to tender his sincere thanks to the many brethren 
 and friends who have aided him by their writings, 
 manuscripts preserved, and Minutes of associa- 
 tions sent or handed him. In particular, he 
 would mention Eld. William Polk, of fronton ; 
 Eld. Pinkney Graham, of Castor Church, Madi- 
 son county ; E. L. Graham, Esq., of Twelve Mile 
 Church, with many others, too numerous to men- 
 tion. Also, he acknowledges much aid from 
 sketches gathered by Bro. R. S. Duncan, in the 
 History of Missouri Baptists, and from Minutes 
 
PREFACE. Ill 
 
 furnished by Miss Rachel Adams, of Mt. Carmel 
 Church. 
 
 Hoping that all will remember that he submits 
 this with affectionate consideration for their la- 
 bors, and praying that God's blessings may go 
 with this little volume and give it a welcome re- 
 ception with all ; and that it may accomplish 
 good, he sends it forth. 
 
 Respectfully, H. F. Tong. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The history of the Southeast Missouri Baptists 
 is as important to them as the history of Great 
 Britain is to the English. No man can write that 
 history except he be one of the actors in it. 
 Such is truly the case in the one whose pen has 
 compiled the facts contained in this book. God 
 calls men to do work, and, I believe, God called 
 Bro. Tong to do this work ; because He led him 
 through a long series of events, for over a third 
 of a century, and filled his fertile mind with 
 facts that must be recorded. Bro. Tong is a 
 minister of the gospel of Christ, true and tried. 
 The writer of this note has been intimately con- 
 nected with him for twenty years. Through all 
 this time I have seen him stand up for God and 
 the right. Religion, good morals, higher educa- 
 tion of heart and head, an honest, upright life on 
 Sunday and all the rest of the week, have been 
 fully exemplified in this brother's life and labors. 
 
 Bro. H. F. Tong was born in Mine La Motte, 
 Madison county, Mo., Nov. 6th, 1836, and raised 
 in that county. His father, Henry D. Tong, 
 
VI INTRODUCTIOX. 
 
 a native of Kentucky, was the eleventh of thh'- 
 teen sons of Wm. Tong, who was a soldier of the 
 Revolution and a native of Maryland. In the 
 year 1820, his grandfather came to Missouri. His 
 mother was Miss Minerva Allen, of Madison 
 county, Mo. They were both members of the 
 Baptist church. His father Avas a zealous Chris- 
 tian worker in prayer and exhortation. The Tong 
 family before this were Episcopalians. Bro. 
 Tong only received a common school education — 
 only spent three months in college at Arcadia, ]\Io. , 
 near Ironton. His father being a farmer, natur- 
 ally taught his boy to work, which, by the way, 
 is one of the most important lessons of a secular 
 nature. 
 
 He found Christ precious to his soul in June, 
 1849, at the age of 14 years. He often says: 
 "I never shall forget the day that Jesus washed 
 my sins away," Four years later he was bap- 
 tized into the fellowship of Pendleton Baptist 
 church, St. Francois county. Mo., by the beloved 
 Elder Wm. Polk, and began preaching in March, 
 1855. In March, 1858, he was married to 
 Miss Christiana H. Jones, of Madison count}^ 
 Mo. For seven years he endured great affliction 
 and many sore trials in consequence of his sick- 
 ness and inabilitv. On this account he refused 
 
INTRODUCTION. Vll 
 
 to be ordained to the ministry, but gave all his 
 spare time to the acquisition of knowledge and 
 study of the grand principles of the Bible. In 
 November, 1867, he was set apart to the ministry 
 by the order of Bethel Baptist church, by Elder 
 Robert C. Mortin, the pastor, and others. In 1869, 
 he removed to Bollinger county. Mo., and, in 
 June of the same year, organized the Mt. Carmel 
 Baptist church, assisted by Elder Pinkney Gra- 
 liam. He has resided near there most of the 
 time since. Out of these seventeen years he has 
 served this church as pastor thirteen years ; two 
 of the remaining years he served as District Mis- 
 sionary of St. Francois Association, and one year 
 as General Financial Agent for the May field-Smith 
 Academy. In 1880 he organized the Little White 
 Water church at Mayfield, Mo. ; also Bethel 
 church, Patton, Mo., and aided in ordaining ten 
 ministers, and helped organize several other 
 churches, and helped to set apart a number of 
 deacons. He has served as pastor of the following- 
 churches : Castor (now First Baptist church of 
 Marquand), Shady Grove, Marble Hill, Mosley, 
 Trace Creek and Mt. Zion (now New Salem.) 
 He has been honored as Moderator of the St. 
 Francois Baptist Association at different times. 
 In the midst of political confusion, or religious 
 
Vlll INTRODUCTIOX. 
 
 strife, he has always held the pul)lic confidence ; 
 has always drawn large crowds of people, and his 
 labors have been greatly blessed. Patience, for- 
 bearance, and a strong love for souls, are charac- 
 teristics of our beloved H. F. Toug. 
 
 I esteem it an honor to give you this brief 
 sketch of the life and labors of my former pastor. 
 He has brought forth the memory of many of 
 God's noble servants, who have long since gone 
 home, and, but for this book, would be known no 
 more. We here have their blessed example. 
 This ought to stimulate each of us to higher 
 aims and more active work for the Lord. You 
 are making a history. How do you want it to 
 read in the sight of your fellows ? God knows it 
 all. May He give you grace, grit and go-ahead- 
 ativeness enough to act your part of the future 
 in such a way as will honor God and benefit your 
 fellowman. 
 
 Mrs. Christiana H. Tong, wife of the author of 
 these sketches, daughter of Thomas and Delila 
 Jones, was a native of Madison county, this state. 
 She was born Jan. 20th, 1837 ; was converted and 
 baptized into the fellowship of the Bethany Bap- 
 tist church, under the ministry of the beloved 
 Wm. Polk, in the year 1855. From this time 
 forward she was faithful and true to her 
 
INTRODUCTION. IX 
 
 • 
 
 church, as well as to her famil}^, and all who 
 needed befriending, who called at her gate, were 
 never turned away without proffered aid, at least. 
 She made the doctrines, precepts and examples of 
 Christ the ornaments of her beautiful and im- 
 pressive life. By her remembrances she aided 
 much in these sketches. She died April 27th, 
 1888, saying, among her last words: *^ Oh, that 
 I could be at rest ; " to which she soon w^ent 
 with the smiles of beauty and peace resting 
 on her face. When asked if she had any- 
 thing to submit to these sketches, she pro- 
 duced the following, which is here given, saying: 
 **This, sir, is all ; this is for you and me." 
 
 THEY ARE GROWING OLD TOGETHER. 
 
 They are growing old together, 
 
 Spring and summer time have fled, 
 Fled with bud and bloom forever, 
 
 As the autumn tints are shed. 
 They have wreathed the May-day blossoms. 
 
 They have plucked the flowers of June, 
 They have seen the last sheaves gathered 
 
 Underneath the harvest moon. 
 
 They are growing old together, 
 
 They are fading side by side ; 
 There are seams they cannot cover, 
 
 There are scars they cannot hide ; 
 And they bear the silent record 
 
 Of many a care and loss ; 
 
IXTKODUCTIOX. 
 
 Of many a toilsome day's march, 
 And many a weighty cross. 
 
 They are growing old together, 
 
 They have counted many a mile ; 
 They have cheered and helped each other, 
 
 Over many a broken stile. 
 And when grief's quivering arrows, 
 
 In their stricken hearts sank deep, 
 They have stifled each other's sorrows 
 
 That the other might not weep. 
 
 They are growing old together, 
 
 As they journey down the hill, 
 Soon their feet must near the river, 
 
 With the waters deep and chill ; 
 Where the phantom ship will anchor, 
 
 To embark her spirit freight ; 
 And one of them will sail with her, 
 
 And the other have to wait. 
 
 But soon the day will come, 
 
 When the other has to go, 
 And then they hope to meet. 
 
 Where beloved part no more. 
 
 W. H. IVIayfield, 
 
THE FIRST SETTLEMENTS OF MISSOURI. 
 
 Some two hundred and four years ago, the 
 great valley of the Mississippi was formerly 
 taken possession of by Robert Cavelier De la Salle, 
 a Frenchman, who, in 1G82, took formal posses- 
 sion of the country near the mouth of the great 
 river, Mississippi. By this act the King of 
 France claimed dominion of almost the whole 
 of the great valley of the Mississippi, Avhich was 
 called the Province of Louisiana; and so con- 
 tinued his claim until, in 1763, eighty-one 
 years after the country was first claimed, 
 France relinquished her claim to all the country 
 east of the great river. Forty years after this act 
 in 1803, France ceded the province of Louisiana 
 to the United States, and in March, 1804, 
 all of upper Louisiana; after which all this 
 vast Territory north of the Southern boundary of 
 Arkansas and west of the Mississippi, was called, 
 by Congress, the District of Louisiana. It was 
 afterwards called the Territory of Louisiana, and 
 still later the Territory of Missouri, which, last 
 name was given in 1812. It included in its bounds 
 
I THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 the jiresent States and Territories of Missouri, 
 Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Oregon, and the 
 larger parts of Kansas and Minnesota; also 
 Washington, Montana, Idaho, Dakota, and many 
 parts of Wyoming, Colorado and Indian Terri- 
 tory. 
 
 The Capitol of the Territory of Missouri, 
 which had been called Upper Louisiana, was 
 St. Louis. In the year 1820, the State of Mis- 
 souri was organized, and was admitted into the 
 Union in 1821. From November 1st of that 
 year, the Capitol was at St. Louis; at St. 
 Charles from 1821 to October 1, 1826; since 
 which time it has been at Jefferson City. In the 
 year 1836, by an act of Congress, the Western 
 boundary was extended to include what was called 
 the Plate Purchase, when the State of Missouri 
 was established in its present geographical limits 
 and bounds. 
 
 Originally, the State was divided into five Dis- 
 tricts ; First, New Madrid, including all the 
 territory between the Southern boundary of the 
 State, and a place called Tywappity Bottom; 
 second, Cape Girardeau, including all the terri- 
 tory between Tywappity Bottom and Apple 
 Creek ; third, St. Genevieve, including the terri- 
 tory between Apple Creek and the Meremac 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 3 
 
 River; fourth, St. Louis, including the territory 
 ])et\veen the Meremac and Missouri Rivers ; fifth, 
 St. Charles, including all the territory north of 
 the Missouri River. 
 
 That part of the State known as the first three 
 divisions, or parts, which is now called Southeast 
 Missouri, is the part to be identified in the Bap- 
 tist History, of which I am now about to write. 
 
 The first actual settlement of white inhabitants 
 in Southeast Missouri, so far back as tradition 
 can fix the date, was in the county of St. Gene- 
 vieve, in the j^ear 1735. Su])sequently, in the 
 year 1763, several French families came from 
 Kaskaskia and St. Philip, and settled in this part 
 of the country. The next settlement was made 
 where St. Louis now stands, in the year 1764. 
 The settlement of St. Louis was established by a 
 French merchant, named M. Liguest, who called 
 it St. Louis in honor of Louis, the fourteenth 
 king of France, not knowing that the King had 
 already ceded the territory to their old enem3% 
 Spain, and that it then belonged to her ; after- 
 w^ards ruled by her authority, until ceded to the 
 United States. 
 
 From these statements, the reader may have a 
 view of the first settlements west of the great 
 river, and especially Southeast Missouri ; from 
 
4 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 which field the following historical sketches of 
 Baptist history are gathered : Their first settle- 
 ments, the lirst Baptist preacher, the first church, 
 the first association organized, followed by a re- 
 view of the labors, toils and sacrifices, made for 
 the establishment, success and progress of the 
 cause of truth and liberty. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 
 
 CHAPTER I, 
 
 THE FIRST ASSOCIATION. 
 
 Beginning in 179(3, the first Baptist settlement, 
 the first minister, the first convert, the first bap- 
 tism, the first chnrch, the first Baptist associa- 
 tion were established west of the great Missis- 
 sippi River; and these were the first Christians, 
 other than Roman Catholics, to set foot on the 
 land of Missouri. 
 
 This was many years before Missouri became a 
 state, and while, as yet, her territory was con- 
 trolled by foreign kings. A few Baptists came 
 and settled in her borders, and, as, at this time, 
 Romanism was the established religion, no free- 
 dom of conscience was allowed; consequently, 
 those wdio met to worship God in the simplicity 
 of gospel faith, did so at their peril. The few 
 Baptists, who w^ere here prior to the close of the 
 eighteenth century, w^ere frequently threatened 
 by the emissaries of the Pope. But they counted 
 not their lives dear unto themselves, and thus 
 went forward, not fearing those who could kill 
 the body, but trusting in Him who had power to 
 
h THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 destroy both soul and body in hell. With this 
 Divine trust they seemed to become emboldened 
 by the threats of the Papal power, and therefore 
 raised their voices in opposition to the supersti- 
 tions, corruptions and innovations of the Romish 
 Church. In defending the doctrine of salvation, 
 by a personal and living faith in Christ (as the 
 Head of the Church), certainly those were noble 
 spirits that first planted the standard of a pure 
 Gospel west of the great river, maintaining at the 
 same time the right of soul liberty. They were 
 Baptists, and the first of whom we have 
 any account (as they were the first Christians 
 other than Catholics that ever set foot on the 
 soil of Missouri) w-ere Thomas Bull, his wife and 
 her mother, Mrs. Lee. They settled in what is 
 now Cape Girardeau county, in the 3^ear 1796. 
 Mrs. Bull and Mrs. Lee died before the first 
 church w^as organized. The next that came to 
 this part of Missouri were Mr. Enos Randol and 
 wife, and Mrs. Abernathy, the wife of Mr. John 
 Abernath}^ in 1797. They settled a few miles 
 south of Jackson, the present county-seat, on 
 Randol's Creek, so called in honor of Enos Ran- 
 dol, the first settler near it. These families lived, 
 for several years, in the midst of forest wilds, 
 with Indians on almost every hand, entirely des= 
 
SOUTHEAST ^IISSOtJRI. 7 
 
 titute of even ordinary church privileges, though 
 they occasionally met together, not publicly, to 
 sing, and pray, and worship God in this wilderness, 
 this great wilderness, doubtless the greatest on 
 the American continent, embracing, first and last, 
 all the country west of the great river, extending 
 from the Gulf of Mexico to the British possessions 
 on the north, and westward to the Pacific Ocean, 
 a territory suflScient for the planting and estab- 
 lishment of more than twenty of the grandest 
 States of the American Republic. Such was the 
 county in which our Baptist fathers first settled. 
 But they were not destined to live long in this 
 way, as, in the year 1799, they were encouraged 
 by a visit from Elder Thomas Johnson, an aged 
 Baptist minister from Georgia, who was prob- 
 ably the first Baptist preacher of the regular order 
 who ever came west of the great river. Elder 
 John Clark, who was a Baptist in principle, 
 though not a member, preceded him one year. 
 We will here mention, of Elder John Clark, that 
 he was a Methodist preacher, who, after visiting 
 this part of the Territory, finally became identi- 
 fied with what is called the St. Louis District or 
 settlement, in which he became a member of the 
 regular order of Baptists, with whom he spent 
 the remainder of his loui? and useful life. 
 
« THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Of Thomas Johnson's life we have but limited 
 information. He was doubtless a native of the 
 State of Georgia, where he resided at the time of 
 his missionary tour west of the great river. And 
 right here we mention him as a missionary. The 
 first Baptist of the regular order that ever 
 preached in Missouri was a missionary. It is said 
 of him that most of his ministerial life was spent 
 as missionary to the Cherokee Indians in his 
 native State. His visit to Missouri was a great 
 l)lessing to the scattered sheep of this great wil- 
 derness, and, though contrary to the law of 
 Romanism, he preached the blessed gospel to 
 them, not in stately houses like we have to-day, 
 with large public gatherings of the people, but in 
 the log cabins, and out-of-the-way places, to small 
 companies of eager hearers with honest purposes 
 and warm hearts. They made no great parade 
 about their meetings, lest they should be inter- 
 rupted by the agents of the Pope. 
 
 The preaching of this old pioneer missionary 
 was fruitful of good, during his stay, even be- 
 yond the encouragement it gave to the children of 
 God in the wilderness, as, under his preaching, 
 Mrs. Ballon, the wife of one of the oldest set- 
 tlers, was converted and baptized by him in Ran- 
 dol's Creek. This, without doubt, was the first 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. \) 
 
 baptism ever administered in Missouri ; and, as 
 there was not a church in the Territory, Mr. 
 Johnson, following an old custom, gave Mrs. 
 Bullou a certificate of baptism, which, in a prac- 
 tical way, answered all the purposes of a 
 church-letter of dismission. 
 
 Eld. Johnson died in his native State about the 
 year 1830. The year 1805 constituted a new era 
 among Baptists in this wilderness land. One 
 year before, France had ceded Upper Louisiana to 
 the United States, which event brought with it 
 the enjoyment of religious liberty. Another fact 
 also contributed this year to the prosperity of the 
 Baptist cause — the coming to the territory of 
 Eld. David Green, whom God seemed to have 
 chosen as His instrument to permanently plant 
 the gospel seed in this great wilderness. 
 
 David Green was a native of Virginia. He 
 spent most of his life in North and South Caro- 
 lina, preaching the gospel to the poor. During 
 the early settlement of that State, he moved to 
 Kentucky, where he resided till 1805, when he 
 came to Missouri. A few Baptist families had 
 moved and settled in Tywappity Bottom, some 
 ten or twelve miles south of Cape Girardeau. 
 Several others had also settled in the neighbor- 
 . hood of Jackson. To these families Brother 
 
10 THE BAI»T1STS OF 
 
 Green preached for a ^vhile, and then returned to 
 his home in Kentucky. The condition of his 
 brethren in the Missouri Territory rested so heav- 
 ily upon his mind that he could not remain away 
 from them, and the next spring he came with his 
 family and fixed his home in Cape Girardeau 
 county. He continued his labors in that district, 
 organized the first two churches in the Territory, 
 and on the 9th of December, 1809, was taken 
 home to his rest, in Heaven. 
 
 The first Baptist Church ever formed in the 
 Missouri Territory was in the Tywappity Bottom. 
 As there has been some doubt about the date of 
 this church, and as the honor of its being the first 
 has been claimed for another, we give the testi- 
 mony entire on which this statement is made. 
 
 In this vicinity, the first Baptist church, called 
 Tywappity, was organized in 1805, of some eight 
 or ten members. This was the first religious con- 
 gregation, other than Koman Catholic, that was 
 gathered west of the great river. 
 
 The next year, 1806, the second, called Bethel, 
 was organized in the vicinity of the present site 
 of Jackson, about twelve miles northwest of Cape 
 Girardeau. In this vicinity, quite a colony of 
 Americans from Kentucky and other States, in 
 eluding several Baptist families, had settled. A 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 11 
 
 preacher by the name of Green otliciated witli 
 these churches in their early formation. 
 
 Tywappity Church was a feeble body from the 
 first, and became defunct after a few years, but 
 was reorganized in 1809, or another church oc- 
 cupied its place, to which Mr. Edwards minis- 
 tered in 1817. The meetings were held at Ross 
 Point, or near the present site of Commerce, in 
 Scott county. \_Peck's Reminiscences of Mis- 
 souri, Westeini Watchman, volume 8.] 
 
 Hardshijjs of These First Families. — Even 
 ten or twelve years after the date last named, 
 they were sometimes reduced almost to starva- 
 tion. We give the following description by an 
 eye witness : 
 
 On Saturday, November 15, 1817, we were 
 circumnavigating the great bend — the flood of 
 the Ohio checking the current. When we left 
 Shawneetown, there was not half a barrel of flour 
 in the place, and it was only by a special favor 
 that we got two loaves of bread. We had laid in 
 a supply of fresh beef, and the captain had a 
 small stock of hard sea-biscuit, so a supply of 
 eatables of some sort must be had at the first set- 
 tlement, which proved to be Tywappity Bot- 
 tom. On Sunday, at 12 o'clock, I found here 
 two Baptist families and learned some important 
 
12 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 facts about the state of religion and schools in 
 this part of the territory. No milk and no 
 meal could be had, but we obtained a few ears of 
 damp corn from the field, and a bushel of pota- 
 toes. The mills, such as then existed, were out 
 of repair, and no family enjoyed the benefit of 
 corn dodgers. Hominy w^as the substitute for 
 bread. Our progress, by the setting poles, the 
 coi'delle, and the bushivhacking , from this time 
 until we reached St. Louis, was at the rate of 
 eight or ten miles each day. On the 17th, we 
 reached Ross Point, where bluffs set in, or jut out 
 into the river, and where resided John Baldwin, 
 a Baptist of some prominence. Here, also, 
 I found and made the acquaintance of Eld. James 
 P. Edwards, who subsequently died in the wes- 
 tern part of Kentucky. Such was life in this 
 early settlement. Ibid. 
 
 We have already seen that the Bethel Church 
 was the second gathered in the Territory. It was 
 organized .July 19, 1800, a short distance south 
 of the present site of Jackson, the County-seat 
 of Cape Girardeau county. I am writing with the 
 old book of records before me. David Green, 
 the minister, and Deacons George Lawrence and 
 Henry Cockerham officiated in the constitution. 
 
 The constituent members were Eld. David 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 13 
 
 Green, Thomas English, AYilliam Matthews, Lena 
 Green, William Smith, Jane English, Agnes 
 Ballon, Thomas Bull, Clara Abernathy, Edward 
 Spears, Catherine Anderson, Anderson Rogers, 
 Rebekah Randol, John Hitt and Frances Hitt ; 
 in all, fifteen. Thomas Bull was chosen Writing 
 Clerk, and William Matthews as Singing Clerk. 
 
 Eld. David Green ministered to this flock in 
 the wilderness for a few years and then died. 
 
 Bethel Church, though the second organized, 
 may be regarded as the first permanent church 
 organization in Missouri. The first, Tywappity, 
 havini? become defunct not lons^ after it was or- 
 ganized. And from Bethel Church, directly or 
 indirectly, sprang all the churches that composed 
 the first Association ever organized west of the 
 ti^reat river. 
 
 The first house of worship ever erected in Mis- 
 souri, save those built by Catholics, was built by 
 the Bethel Baptist Church above mentioned not 
 long after its organization. It was constructed 
 mainly of very large yellow poplar logs, well 
 hewn; it was about twenty by thirty feet, and 
 located about one and a half miles south of Jack- 
 son. 
 
 In honor to, and in memory of this house 
 of worship, built by these first pioneer Christians 
 
14 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 of th(3 great West, we submit the following 
 highly complimentary address, by Rev. J. C. 
 Maple, which accompanied a handsomely mounted 
 gavel — made of wood from one of the sills of the 
 old Bethel Church House — presented to the 
 Moderator of the General Association of Mis- 
 souri, at its Session held at St. Joseph, in Octo- 
 ber, 1875: 
 
 ADDRESS OF KEV. J. C. MAPLE, D. D. 
 
 Brother Moderator and Brethren: 
 
 I have a pleasant duty which I desire, by your 
 permission, to perform. It is known, my breth- 
 ren, that, as in other States, the Baptists were 
 among the first to erect the standard of the cross 
 in Missouri; and though we are not of those who 
 have faith in the preserving power of relics or 
 amulets, we do believe in guarding with care 
 our records ; and both duty and affection re- 
 quire us to treasure some of the mementoes of the 
 men and their work, who were the pioneers in 
 this great State. 
 
 From 1731 to 1803, the condition of the 
 Government affairs of the province of Louisiana, 
 which then included what is now the State of 
 Missouri, was far from being settled. The ques- 
 tion of Spanish or French rule was not arranged 
 to the satisfaction of the people, yet for years 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 15 
 
 the upper territory was under the control of a 
 Spanish Governor, whose headquarters were at 
 Cape Girardeau. Here he ruled with the pomp 
 and severity of an oriental prince. He was never 
 without his retinue of priestly advisors. Inliu- 
 enced by these vassals of the Pope, he, at one 
 time, issued an order that all the people who re- 
 sided within a distance of fifteen miles from his 
 mansion, should, on a certain day, attend mass at 
 Cape Girardeau. The few Baptists then in the 
 province, and residing within the district named 
 in the order, dared to disobey the command, and 
 it was only by what the pi-iest termed the 
 neglect of the Governor, that they narrowly 
 escaped the penalties of their heretical insubordi- 
 nation. 
 
 In 1806, the Bethel Baptist church was organ- 
 ized, and soon afterward a house was built, in 
 which they met to worship God. This was the 
 first house of worship built by anti-Catholics, 
 w^est of the Mississippi River. From the great 
 river to the Pacific Ocean this log house was the 
 only building devoted to the service of the living 
 God. The membership of the church was not 
 large, but formed an active, consecrated band. 
 When visited by those remarkable pioneers. Peck 
 and Welch, they found her an earnest, liberal, 
 
10 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 working missionary body. Even the amount of 
 money contributed for missions has been kept 
 upon the records by the unwearied chronicler, 
 Kev. John M. Peck. 
 
 But, in a few years, a portion of the church 
 withdrew and formed a new organization, in the 
 vilhige of Jackson, one mile north of the old 
 Bethel meeting-house. This was not the first, 
 but the fourth colony which had gone out from 
 the mother church. But those who remained 
 after the formation of the Jackson church, un- 
 fortunately, became anti-Missionary, and, of 
 course, the Bethel ceased to exist with the death 
 of those who were the members. The church in 
 Jackson is, therefore, the proper representative of 
 this first Baptist church of Missouri. At the 
 suggestion of Kev. W. J. Patrick to the pastor of 
 that church. Rev. James Reid, I had this gavel 
 made. It is composed entirely, except the 
 mounting, of wood taken from one of the sills of 
 this first temple erected in the western wilderness. 
 The old house has been torn down. The hand of 
 time and the ruder hand of man have accom- 
 plished the work of demolition. But that spiritual 
 temple, of which every truly regenerated man or 
 woman forms a part, will never feel the weight 
 of years, nor yield to the wasting force of time; 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 17 
 
 but, sustained by the Almighty Hand, this more 
 glorious structure, which ^\e labor to erect, will 
 endure with the Kock upon which it is founded, 
 not only through ages, but its existence is abso- 
 lute and eternal. This little piece of wood may 
 serve to remind us of the small beo^inninoj of the 
 Baptist denomination in Missouri, sixty-nine years 
 aoro. In less than seven decades the one church 
 has increased to 1,292, and the little band, that 
 then stood alone in this vast region, has become 
 nearly 90,000, to say nothing of the large num- 
 ber and the glorious work now being accomplished 
 in other States and Territories west of the Missis- 
 sippi River. 
 
 To-day, we may well exclaim: *'What hath 
 God wrought?" And while we should carefully 
 avoid all vain glorying over our numbers, let us, 
 to-day, take fresh courage from this little 
 memento of the past, and seek an increase of 
 consecration to the Master's work, commensur- 
 ate with our numbers and our opportunities. We 
 have not now, as then, a single log house in the 
 wilderness, but many elegant houses of worship ; 
 and what is still better, a noble band of able and 
 consecrated ministers, who preach the Word of 
 life in these well built temples. 
 
 We have all the needed facilities for great use- 
 
18 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 fulness. Let us, my brethren, with the call of 
 this travel , hear the voice of the little band that 
 began the work in the great state, — exhorting us 
 to greater activity; and, in the name of Him by 
 wdiom they conquered, promising us yet greater 
 victories. 
 
 To your care, my dear brother, as the Modera- 
 tor of this body^ I commit this memento. When 
 seven more decades have passed away, may it ap- 
 pear that our growth has equalled, if not sur- 
 passed, the rate of the past. 
 
 Rev. J. M. Peck visited the Bethel Church in 
 the year of 1818. He speaks of having preached 
 there on the subject of "Missions," and of taking 
 collections amounting to $31.37. He says that 
 *'this church, at that time, w^as the most liberal 
 contributor to missions in the Territory." 
 
 The Bethel Church sent messengers to the Red 
 River Association, Kentucky, in 1810, and con- 
 tinued to do so until the formation of the Bethel 
 Association in 1816, an account of which will 
 soon be given. 
 
 A Baptist preacher, named William Murphy — 
 a native of Ireland — came from East Tennessee, 
 with his son William and one Silas George, and 
 located claims just south of the present site of 
 Farmington, St. Francois county, in 1798. Rev. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 19 
 
 Murphy and Mr. George both died on the way 
 home, as they were returning for their families. 
 David Murphy cut the first tree in what was 
 known as the Murphy Settlement. 
 
 In 1804 Mrs. Sarah Murphy, the widow of 
 Rev. Wm. Murphy, came to the claim located by 
 her husband in 1798. She was accompanied by 
 her sons, Isaac and Jesse, a grandson, and several 
 others. Three years after she came to this 
 county, she organized a Sunday-school, which 
 continued in successful operation for many years. 
 The school was organized not far from where 
 Farmington now stands, and was, doubtless, the 
 first organized in the great West. It was a model 
 school for the times. [Life of Eld. Wilson 
 Thompson, p. 175.] [Minutes of Bethel Church, 
 June, 1810.] 
 
 THE ORGAXIZATION OF THE FIRST BAPTIST ASSO- 
 CIATION^ WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI, 
 
 I have briefly sketched the early settlements of 
 Missouri, their system of government, manner of 
 living, etc., etc., including the first Baptist fami- 
 lies and their settlements, the first preachers, the 
 first convert, the first baptism, the first churches 
 organized, the first house of worship built — em- 
 bracing a period of from 1735 to 1816. In this 
 year the Bethel Baptist Association was organ- 
 
20 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 ized, the first west of the Father of Waters. 
 I will now proceed to give an account of this 
 Association, taken from the historical sketches 
 furnished by Eld. Wm. Polk, in the "Ironton 
 Bai^tist Journal." (A notice of this Journal and 
 its editor will be given towards the close of this 
 chapter.) These sketches embrace the writings 
 of J. M. Peck and others, whose reminiscences 
 extend back to the beginning of Baptist work in 
 the Territory of Missouri, besides the lifetime ac- 
 quaintance of this venerable author with the work 
 and doings of this Mother Association, from the 
 date of its organization in 1816, to 1859, at which 
 time this historical account appeared in the first 
 number of the Journal. It extends over a period 
 of forty -three years. Having these sketches be- 
 fore me, I submit this account as doubtless the 
 most accurate and faithful of any from 1816 to 
 1859. 
 
 HISTORY OF THE BETHEL ASSOCIATION. 
 
 This mighty state, with its cities, towns, and 
 densely populated districts, was, says Eld. Polk, 
 a far western wilderness, more difficult of access 
 from the older states than San Francisco is now 
 from New York. The difficulty of towing a keel- 
 boat laden with provisions, farming utensils, and 
 the like, against a rapid current, made emigration 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 21 
 
 stop as soon as a favorable location could be ob- 
 tained. Consequently, the lower portion of the 
 state was the iirst settled by Americans to any 
 great extent, as it had been by the Spanish and 
 French. 
 
 Among the first to undergo the hardships of 
 this journey, and enter the wilds of Missouri, 
 w^ere found, as is usually the case, members and 
 ministers of the Baptist denomination. They 
 were scattered about, in settlements, from New 
 Madrid to Old Franklin. They had a few church 
 organizations, but no association of churches, up 
 to the year of 1816, when Missouri was still a 
 wild territory, — its character and inhabitants 
 almost unknown to the world. 
 
 The first gathering, for the purpose of forming 
 an association of churches, was held in the 
 small, log meeting house of the Bethel Church, 
 Cape Girardeau county, on the second Lord's 
 Day in June, 1816. Eld. James Edwards 
 preached. The Convention was opened with 
 prayer by Eld. Thomas Donahue; Isaac Sheppard 
 was chosen Moderator, and Thomas Bull, Clerk. 
 
 The following messengers from churches were 
 enrolled: Bethel Church, Thomas Bull, John 
 Sheppard, Eld. Benjamin Thompson, and Rol)ert 
 English; Tywappity, Henry Cockersham, John 
 
22 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Baldwin and William Ross; Providence, Wm. 
 Savage; Saline, Eld. Thos. Donahue and John 
 Duval ; St. Francois Church, Eld. Wm. Street 
 and Jonathan Hubble ; Turkey Creek Church, 
 AYm. Johnson, E. Eevelle and S. Baker. Elders 
 H. Cockersham, John Farrar, Thos. Donahue 
 and James P. Edwards were appointed to preach 
 and constitute churches in different parts of the 
 Territory. The Convention then adjourned to 
 meet again, to complete the organization, on the 
 last Saturday in September, ISIG, at the same 
 place, — the Bethel meeting house. 
 
 THE ORGANIZATIOX. 
 
 In accordance with the foregoing preliminary 
 arrangements, another meeting was held at the 
 Bethel Church, near Jackson, the county-seat of 
 Cape Girardeau county, on the fourth Saturday 
 in September, 1816. The First B.iptist Associa- 
 tion west of the great River was thus fully or- 
 ganized and called Bethel, after the church with 
 which it met. The Bethel, Tywappity, Provi- 
 dence, Barren, Belview, St. Francois and Dry 
 Creek Churches were the constituents of this As- 
 sociation, and their aggreg:ite membership was 
 230. Eld. Thomas Donahue preached the Intro- 
 ductory Sermon on this memoral)le occasion. 
 The preachers, who were members of this Asso- 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 23 
 
 ciation, were Ileniy Cockersliam, John Farrar, 
 William Street and James P. Edwards. 
 
 The origin of the Bethel and Tywappity 
 Churches has already been given. Mention is 
 here given of the others. 
 
 The Barren Church, in Barren (now Perry) 
 county, was organized at the house of one Bro. 
 Evans. With this church. Eld. Donahue lived 
 and labored until his death. He was a truly good 
 man, one of the best examples of piety. He 
 preached the doctrines of the cross with iindevi- 
 ating faith and zeal. The confidence of his peo- 
 ple was never shaken in him while living, and his 
 virtues were remembered with teiiilerness, after 
 he went home to his reward. 
 
 The Belvicw Church was oroanized at Cale- 
 donia, Washington county, in July, 181G ; Eld. 
 Felix Reading, of Kentucky, was its first pastor. 
 
 Providence Church was organized at, or near, 
 Fredericktown, in August, 1814, by Elders Wil- 
 son Thompson, John Farrar, and James E. 
 Welch. This last named brother was a licentiate 
 from Kentucky, then on a visit to the Territory. 
 J. M. Peck visited this church in its earlier days, 
 and says that he circulated a subscription paper 
 to secure means to pay Eld. Farrar to preach for 
 them once a month. Sixty dollars was sub- 
 
24 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 scribed; but in two or three weeks after, in 
 church conference, a majority voted to, and actu- 
 ally did, burn the same. No wonder it came to 
 naught! From the foregoing, it appears that 
 Eld. Farrar lived elsewhere, although Eld. Polk 
 says, that he was a member of this church and 
 preached for them until 1825, when he moved to 
 AVashiiigton county, where he died in 1828, 
 or 1829 ; that he attended his funeral ; that he 
 was a good man, mild in his address, courteous 
 in his manners, sound and unwavering in doc- 
 trine, and was recognized as one of the worthy 
 pioneer preachers of Missouri. As to his mem- 
 bership, it seems that he w^as a member of the 
 St. Francois Church, since the Bethel Church dis- 
 missed him, with forty-four others, to form a 
 church by that name. 
 
 St. Francois Church takes its name from the 
 river, St. Francois, which rises in the vicinity of 
 the Iron Mountain. This church held its meet- 
 ings about twenty-five miles below the village of 
 old St. Michael (now Fredericktown, Madison 
 county). The beloved William Street, a mem- 
 ber of this church, was also its pastor until his 
 death, w^hich occurred about the year 1827. Eld. 
 James Edwards, after laboring over fifty years, a 
 faithful, God-serving man, died, in 1855, in Bal- 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 25 
 
 lard county, Kentucky, at the advanced a^e of 
 seventy-five years ; the hist years of his life found 
 him still preaching the Gospel faithfully and reg- 
 ularly. 
 
 The Constitution of the Bethel Association, 
 drafted by a committee, was the same as that 
 adopted by the Virginia Union of Baptists. The 
 Association was thus organized on the principles 
 of the United Baptists, which faith it still holds. 
 The Virginia Association, whose Constitution was 
 thus adopted, was called Red River; it was then 
 known as the Red River Constitution. 
 
 As soon as this organization was effected, cor- 
 respondence was opened with Little River Asso- 
 ciation, held in Southern Kentucky; and also 
 with Mount Pleasant Association, in Boone's 
 Lick, Missouri. This last Association was con- 
 stituted, in 1818, of five churches, in which were 
 eight ordained ministers. 
 
 In the year 1818, two messengers from these 
 corresponding Associations were present: Eld. 
 Josiah Horn, from Little River, and Eld. Wm. 
 Thorp, from Mount Pleasant. Each one had a 
 long and dangerous journey to travel. That was 
 not an age of railroads nor steamboats ; neither 
 was it a silken slippered age, especially among 
 preachers. 
 
26 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 The Association was visited, in 1818, by J. M. 
 Peck, T. P. Green and others. A resolution 
 was introduced at this session to open a corres- 
 pondence with the Foreign Board of Missions. 
 Elder T. P. Green was appointed Corresponding 
 Secretary. Communications w^ere also submitted 
 by J. M. Peck, on Foreign and Western Mis- 
 sions, which resulted in a resolution favorable to 
 missionary enterprises; but the next year it was 
 withdrawn, and renewed again in 1820. It was 
 then resolved that the churches send in their 
 views at the next Association, when the corres- 
 pondence was again dropped and never after- 
 wards renewed. [O/instian Rep., volume G, 
 part 2, page 37.] 
 
 The Association, by this time, had increased to 
 fourteen churches, with four hundred and seven- 
 teen members; some of whom were located in the 
 Territory of Arkansas, and were soon dismissed 
 to form an association in that country. 
 
 In 1824 the Cape Girardeau Association was 
 formed of eight churches dismissed from the 
 Bethel for that purpose, viz. : Barren, Dry 
 Creek, Bethel, Tywappity, Clear Creek, Apple 
 Creek, Ebenezer, Big Prairie, IIel)roA and Shiloh. 
 Two other churches were dismissed, in 1831, to 
 form the Franklin Association. Thus the Old 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. Z( 
 
 Bethel will be found to be the parent of most of 
 the associations of Southeast Missouri (that is, up 
 to 1859), and some of those in Arkansas. She 
 has sent forth some able ministers of Christ, who 
 have gone out from her bounds to other fields ; 
 while other faithful men have stayed to labor in 
 her midst for the good of souls. 
 
 PROGRESS OF THE BETHEL ASSOCIATION. 
 
 Elder Polk continues to trace the history of 
 Bethel Association with deep interest, having had 
 intimate, personal acquaintance with her from her 
 organization, through all her changes, prosperous 
 and adverse, up to the present time. In 1822, 
 Bethel Association appointed Elders Street, Clark 
 and Edwards to visit Arkansas Territory and con- 
 stitute therein, two churches. The point they 
 were to visit was two hundred and fifty miles 
 from their homes, and most of the way was 
 through a wilderness, where the Indian camp was 
 met far more frequently than the white man's 
 cabin. But they felt that, as servants of the 
 Lord, they must be up and about their Master^s 
 business, regardless of dangers or difliculties. 
 They did not go unaided l)y their brethren, as 
 many now suppose they did and should have 
 done, because the Master had called them to His 
 work. This was no ground that they should bear 
 
2S THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 their own expenses, and meet the trials of the 
 way; for, notice, as soon as the appointment was 
 made known, the brethren manifested their liber- 
 ality as in the days of the apostles, and numbers 
 subscribed towards their outfit; sufficient means 
 were collected to defray the expenses of the trip, 
 and their hearts w^ere thus made glad by the gen- 
 erosity of their brethren. 
 
 These missionaries, as such are now called, 
 constituted tvro churches, Union and Little Flock, 
 in Lawrence county, Arkansas Territory, These 
 churches applied for membership at the next ses- 
 sion of the Association, September, 1823, and 
 were received. Others sprung from these 
 churches which w^ere afterwards admitted into the 
 Association. 
 
 In 1829 the following churches made applica- 
 tion for dismission, for the purpose of organizing 
 an association in the Territory of Arkansas, viz. : 
 Spring River, New Hope, Little North Fork and 
 Richland. The messengers of these churches re- 
 quested help in the work of organizing. The 
 Association appointed Elders J. Williams, S. 
 Frost, eJ. Wilburn, M. Bailey and William Street 
 to meet and confer with the delegates, at Spring 
 River Church, the second Saturday in November, 
 1829. This church takes its name from the 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 29 
 
 beautiful stream near which it stands, Bro. 
 Street, though a man of no extraordinary ability 
 as a preacher, was much loved and respected by 
 all who knew him, because of his uniform life 
 and zeal in the cause he espoused. He resided 
 near St. Francois River, in Wayne county, in a 
 house built by himself, w4iich was covered with 
 shingles fastened on with wooden pegs. This 
 was not for want of means, but on account of his 
 remote situation. He was a man of wealth, and 
 would often solicit protracted meetings, giving 
 them support. He would feed and lodge all the 
 visitors rather than burthen his poor neighbors. 
 He was frequently chosen Moderator of the 
 Association, which place he filled with dignity, 
 and satisfaction to his brethren. The church of 
 which he was a member was dismissed from 
 Bethel to join St. Francois, a new association 
 more convenient for him to attend. We are not 
 informed as to the time and manner of his death. 
 James Wilburn, a deacon in Pendleton church, 
 emigrated to Missouri in an early day from South 
 Carolina, where he had been a leading member in 
 the Baptist church to which he belonged. He, 
 too, has long since gone to rest, leaving behind a 
 large posterity, many of whom are members of 
 Pendleton church. 
 
30 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Pendleton Church was constituted is 1825, in 
 a settlement six miles west of where Farmington 
 now stands. This settlement was made up chiefly 
 of emigrants from Pendleton district, South 
 Carolina. Among those who came from this dis- 
 trict we find the names of Watkins, Wilburn, 
 Halbert and others. 
 
 This church united wdth the Bethel Association 
 in 1826, one year after it was organized. James 
 Halbert was its first pastor, sustaining that rela- 
 tion until 1838, when he removed to Crawford 
 county and the church fell to the charge of Eld. 
 Wm. Polk, in w^hich pastorate he continued for 
 twenty-five 3'ears out of twenty-six — Eld. Wni. 
 Hamilton serving one year while Eld. Polk was 
 missionary of the Association. For a while, this 
 pastorate did not bring much prosperity, but in 
 after years, it yielded abundant fruit to the glory 
 of God. This body has sent forth several faith- 
 ful heralds of the cross ; • and to heighten her 
 glory, it is recorded of her that she has stood 
 firm when oppositions have beat on her in all 
 their fury; yet all have failed, and she still 
 stands. It was here that the eloquent John 
 Barry, so much lamented, started forth as a mes- 
 senger of peace. During the three years of his 
 youthful ministry, his labors met with marvelous 
 
SOUTHEAST MlSSOUIir. 31 
 
 success, — many souls being hopefully converted. 
 Crooked Creek Church came into the Associa- 
 tion the same year with Pendleton Church. Eld. 
 Polk says that he could not give the particulars 
 of this church, for lack of full and correct infor- 
 mation. The writer of these sketches will here 
 add that that church, then knoAvu as Crooked 
 Creek, is, doubtless, the church now known as 
 Marble Hill Church, its name havinsf chanofed 
 several times as well as its place of meeting. 
 Eld. Polk adds, that Eld. Orr labored with great 
 success building up churches in this part of 
 Southeast Missouri; that Eld. Moses Bailey suc- 
 ceeded him in the pastorate of this church; that 
 it left the Bethel Association to unite with a new 
 one, presumably the Black River, which after- 
 wards dismissed churches to form the St. Fran- 
 cois Association. David Orr was said to be a 
 man of fine accomplishments, with much self- 
 reliance, great zeal and energy in the cause of 
 Christ. He was a graduate of high order, but of 
 what school we know not, as in those days men 
 of great talent and learning were scarce ; conse- 
 quently, after the State w^as organized he was 
 sent to the legislature. His brethren objected to 
 this, as it had a tendency to draw his mind from 
 the great work of the Gospel. 
 
32 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 We have but little information resfardino: Eld. 
 Moses Bailey, Bro. Orr's successor to the charge 
 of Crooked Creek Church, except that he was a 
 man of ability and energy. 
 
 A good anecdote is related of these two breth- 
 ren — Orr and Bailey. Bro. Bailey was, at first, 
 a Methodist preacher. He had an interview with 
 Bro. Orr, which resulted in a debate between 
 them on the subject of baptism. Sometime after 
 the discussion, the disputants met at a neighbor's 
 house, when the dispute was renewed. Each de- 
 fended his own side with great warmth, until at 
 last, forgetting themselves, in their zeal for their 
 respective opinions, they came to blows. Bro. 
 Orr proved too strong in this contest, as he did 
 in the war of words, and so Bro. Bailey had to 
 yield. In a short time after, they became friends, 
 and Bro. Bailey yielded the questi(»n, united with 
 the Baptist Church, — Bro. Orr baptizing him. 
 After this, they labored together, retaining the 
 most mtimate friendship as long as Bro. Orr 
 lived. The truth of this circumstance is cor- 
 roborated by a son of Eld. Moses Bailey, Bro. 
 John Bailey, now a faithful member of Marble 
 Hill Baptist Church, Bollinger county. 
 
 PROGRESS OF THE BETHEL ASSOCIATION. 
 
 In 1827, Bethel Association held its meeting 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 33 
 
 with Providence Church, near Fredericktown, at 
 which meeting New Hope and Little Flock 
 Churches sent up the following request: 
 
 We pray you as an advisory council, to devise 
 some plan whereby destitute churches and vicini- 
 ties may be supplied with the preaching of the 
 Gospel. 
 
 To this the Association responded by sending 
 Wingate Jackson, J. Williams, David Orr and 
 J. Farrar. These men and their work in the 
 interest of building up the Baptist cause, and en- 
 larging the influence of the Bethel Association, 
 will be noticed in succeeding chapters. 
 
 In the year 1820, Hepzibah Church united with 
 the Bethel Association. It was constituted by 
 Wingate Jackson, in St. Genevieve county, the 
 same year. It was located on the Big Saline 
 River, in a settlement called New Tennessee. 
 The members of the organization ^veve Eld. Win- 
 gate Jackson, Obediah Scott, Noah Hunt, Joel 
 and Enos Homers and two sisters. 
 
 Wingate Jackson was born in Virginia, in 1776. 
 His parents emigrated to the state of Kentucky 
 when he was quite young. He professed religion 
 in early youth and united with the Baptist 
 Church. Soon after, he commenced to preach, 
 and was ordained in that state : and for a number 
 
34 THE BAPTISTS CF 
 
 of years he was a prominent preacher among 
 Kentucky Baptists. He removed to Missouri 
 while it was a wilderness, and preached with 
 great acceptance in the bounds of the Bethel 
 Association. He was a great counsellor and 
 peace-maker among the churches. 
 
 On one occasion there were seven accessions to 
 the church, while it was destitute of a pastor. 
 Elders Jackson and Polk were both sent for, that 
 one or the other might administer baptism, and 
 to guard against disappointment. They both met 
 at the church. Elder Polk relates that a Metho- 
 dist preacher, a circuit rider, had an appoint- 
 ment for the forenoon to sprinkle an infant. All 
 parties met at the same time ; Jackson and the 
 circuit rider occupied the pulpit. The circuit 
 rider preached, and at the close of his discourse 
 called for the subject of the ceremony, making 
 the following remarks : "We are the people who 
 believe in free agency, and that every person 
 should judge for himself and choose his own 
 mode of baptism." He then called for the baby, 
 performed the ceremony and gave way. Jackson 
 then took charge of the congregation, and after 
 singing a hymn, he said he was well pleased with 
 the sentiment expressed by the brother. He also 
 believed in the doctrine of a free agency, and 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 35 
 
 was most earnestly in favor of persons choosing 
 for themselves. "But," said he, *Hhe brother 
 was very inconsistent, after such remarks, to 
 sprinkle water in the baby's face, when it could 
 not help itself and was incapable of choosing for 
 itself; from the way it cried and resisted, we 
 know that it was in no way pleasing to it. At 
 this, the circuit rider was very indignant, and ris- 
 ing, challenged Jackson for a debate. ** There is 
 nothing to debate between us," replied Jackson, 
 '* reconcile your principles expressed with this 
 practice of yours, and the question is settled." 
 The circuit rider left, while Jackson proceeded to 
 preach a most acceptable sermon. We might 
 dwell at length on the life of this great man, but 
 suffice it to say : He rests from his labors j;s one 
 who did much for the cause of truth in Southeast 
 Missouri. He died in 1835. 
 
 Soon after the death of Father Jackson, Hep- 
 zibah church dissolved her constitution for want 
 of ministerial aid ; yet the members remained 
 true to the cause of the Master as individuals. 
 Among them we mention Obediah Scott, noted 
 for his piety and steadfastness. At a meeting of 
 the Bethel Association held with the Hepzibah 
 church — of which he was a member — in 1838, a 
 motion was made to drop the nume * 'United." 
 
36 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 A warm debate followed, in which Obediah Scott 
 and Elder Wm. Polk, long a member and minis- 
 ter in the Association, pleaded earnestly that the 
 union, which had so long existed, should still con- 
 tinue. It was a melting scene, when old Bro. 
 Scott, with tears flowing freely down his withered 
 cheeks, besought them not to thus break the 
 union between brethren of the same household. 
 Some of the principal advocates of the proposi- 
 tion w^ere then merging into Parkerism, or Two- 
 seedism, where they evidently landed as the 
 sequel will unquestionably show. 
 
 The Bethel Association held her Sixth Annual 
 Meeting at Bethel Church, Cape Girardeau 
 county, on Saturday the 4th day of September, 
 1822. Wm. Street preached the Introductory 
 Sermon. Isaac Sheppard was chosen Moderator ; 
 Elliott Jackson, Clerk. At that time the Asso- 
 ciation had a membership of 454 communicants. 
 New Hope Church came into the Association this 
 session. This church w^as organized, with 
 eighteen members, a few miles north of Iron 
 Mountain, St. Francois county, tiames Halbert 
 was its first pastor. Christopher Crider, a mem- 
 ber of this church, lived a long and useful life: 
 he was a godly, })niying uian, and a warm ex- 
 horter. This church is still living, situated now 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 37 
 
 near Bismarck, a large railroad town, of much 
 business. Elder Jolm Martin, a resident minister 
 of the community, is pastor at this time, 1888. 
 
 Bethel Association opened correspondence with 
 what was called theMissouri Association, in 1819, 
 and also with the Illinois Association, but neither 
 continued very long. The correspondence with 
 the Missouri Association was discontinued because 
 of their division; and that with the Illinois 
 through neglect, says Elder Polk ; and corres- 
 pondence with the Cape Girardeau fell through 
 about the same way. He also says, that in 1831, 
 correspondence was opened with Franklin Asso- 
 ciation and continued until 1834, when a personal 
 difficulty occurred which finally affected the 
 union of the two bodies and the correspondence 
 ceased. 
 
 THE FAITH AND ORDEK OF THE ASSOCIATION CON- 
 SIDERED. 
 
 In 1834, a council was held with Pendleton 
 Church, August 1st and 2nd. The messengers 
 from the several churches met to confer on the 
 subject of the faith and order of the Association ; 
 and as the term united had not been generally 
 used in the official records of the Association, the 
 propriety of the same was taken into considera- 
 tion and the faith and order compared with that 
 
38 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 of the United Baptists of the United States de- 
 scending from tiie Union in Virginia. Bro. Win- 
 gate Jackson presided as Moderator; it was 
 agreed, unanimously received, and ordered to be 
 printed with the Minutes. From that time to 
 the present, they have been known as United 
 Baptists b}^ using the term in all the official works 
 of the associations and churches. For this the 
 Association and churches have been reproached 
 on one side for wearinor jt because it was thought 
 to fence out Parkerism or Two-seed doctrine ; 
 and on the other hand, because she could not take 
 on the surname of Missionary. 
 
 Bethel Association has not connected herself as 
 a body with any missionary organization, foreign 
 or domestic, outside of her own bounds since 
 1821, when the correspondence with the Foreign 
 Board of Missions was dropped. 
 
 In 1837, the Association convened with Pen- 
 dleton Church, and correspondence was opened 
 with the Little Piney Association of the United 
 Baptists, in 1838. The Little Piney raised a 
 remonstrance against the term '^united," and it 
 was dropped by it. They came to the Bethel 
 Association the same year, to have her also drop 
 the name, but she refused. On this account, 
 strife was begun and kept up three years before 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 39 
 
 it was quieted, when the correspondence was dis- 
 continued, with some loss to the Bethel. So it 
 is to be seen that most of the troubles and con- 
 fusion of the Bethel Association has grown out 
 of her correspondence with other bodies. Since 
 she has ceased her correspondence with other 
 associations, she has had, comparatively, peace 
 and prosperity ; her churches having enjoyed 
 many revival seasons with large increase to their 
 number. 
 
 The Bethany Church was the home of the 
 beloved Wra. Polk. It was organized in the year 
 1830, at the house of Mr. Chas. Sinclair, who 
 resided near Big Creek — now called Marble 
 Creek — eight miles south of Ironton, Iron 
 county. James Williams, pastor of Providence 
 Church, Fredericktown, and Littleton Lunsford, 
 from Washington county, probably a member of 
 old Cotar's Church in that county, assisted in its 
 constitution. The church was organized with 
 eight members. Elder Peter Williams, brother 
 to James Williams, resided there at the time and 
 this church was the fruit of his labors. But he 
 soon gave up the charge of the church, and 
 moved to Washington county, when the charge 
 fell to the care of Elder Wm. Polk, who became 
 its resident minister, and continued so for about 
 
40 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 thirty years. For a time, until the organization 
 uf what is now called Liberty Church, near to 
 where Bethany was organized, the meeting of 
 Bethany Church was divided ; being held part of 
 the time near Marble Creek, in the house of Bro. 
 Sinclair, and part of the time near Brewer's 
 Creek, in the home of Elder Polk. In process 
 of time both churches built for themselves com- 
 fortable houses of worship, and each has enjoyed 
 many precious revivals with the ingathering of 
 many souls. 
 
 Bethany Church has been quite a fruitful vine. 
 Four other churches were organized by members 
 of this church ; all of which are yet living epistles. 
 In 1859, there were two Sunday-schools, under 
 the auspices of this mother church. During the 
 ministration of Elder Polk he baptized between 
 337 and 400 converts into the fellowship of 
 Bethany Church. The writer of these sketches 
 now adds that among that number were his wife, 
 father, mother, step-mother, and many other 
 relatives and friends. 
 
 At the meeting, in the year 1838, of the Bethel 
 Association with the Hepzibah Church, St. Gen- 
 evieve county, as mentioned elsewhere, the prop- 
 osition to drop the name "united" as submitted 
 at this meeting, became the rallying point against 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 41 
 
 Parkerisni, which was creeping into the Associa- 
 tion in a disguised form, for advantage. Elder 
 Wm. Polk, who was one of the strong combat- 
 ants against this heresy, writing on this subject, 
 asks, "What is Parkerisni?" and in the follow- 
 ing forcible manner answers: *'It is fatalism, 
 Two-seedism, Anti-nomianism, akin to Univer- 
 salism, Deism and Atheism — the worst of all the 
 isms affecting the good morals and destroying the 
 peace of society, licensing men to carry out their 
 wicked designs, dishonoring God, and giving the 
 devil the honor of fathering a great portion of the 
 world of mankind.'* To this he might have 
 added with perfect justice that it was the ground- 
 work of all Anti-missionism, and a hindrance to 
 every progressive enterprise attempted by the 
 Baptists of Southeast Missouri ; that the parents 
 who partook of this sour grape, have not only 
 gone back on spiritual progress, but have set their 
 children's teeth on edge, to the third and fourth 
 generation since. Its stubborn, non-complyiug 
 disposition against almost every progressive work 
 is to be seen more or less throughout Southeast 
 Missouri, though we are glad to say that the 
 advocates of these is7ns are but few at this time 
 and that the true doctrine of God with a progres- 
 sive spirit is gradually gaining ground through- 
 out the land. In 1840, the Association met with 
 
42 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Bethany Church. At this meeting correspondence 
 was dropped with Little Piiicy Association, be- 
 cause she refused to continue correspondence with 
 any association having the title * 'united." 
 
 Salem Church was organized on the middle 
 fork of the Black liiver, in Reynolds county, by 
 Elder Peter Williams, who was doubtless its first 
 pastor. After he left, some vexed question 
 caused a division which resulted in the constitu- 
 tion of the Black River Church, which went to 
 Franklin Association. In 1849, a second division 
 was caused by a question of decorum ; the por- 
 tion that reorganized adopted the name of Mt. 
 Pleasant, and came into the Bethel Association 
 in 1850, at which time Salem was dropped. Soon 
 after this, a gracious revival was enjoyed in her 
 midst, and thirty-five converts were l)aptized 
 into the Mt. Pleasant Church. 
 
 In 1841, the Association convened with New 
 Hope Church, St. Francois county. At this 
 meeting Colony Church came into the Union, 
 having fifteen members. It was organized at the 
 house of T. Parks, five miles east of Farmington, 
 then called Colony Settlement, after which the 
 church was named. In three years, she had re- 
 ceived twenty-eight members, mostly by bap- 
 tism ; in 1844, a large list was dismissed to or- 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 43 
 
 ganize jn St. Genevieve county; in 1852, slie had 
 fifteen baptisms, but had excluded twenty -nine as 
 the result of a division on the question of re- 
 baptism and Two-seedism. This left only thirty- 
 four members, but a blessing was in store ; in 
 six years she gained 144 additions. This was 
 wonderful ! This church now worships in a large 
 brick church, two miles north of Farmington. 
 At this session, correspondence was opened with 
 the Cape Girardeau Association. 
 
 Following an old custom, the Bethel Baptists 
 have sent forth several important circular letters, 
 which were intended for a stimulus to the 
 brotherhood in the vindication of the faith and 
 practice of the Baptist denomination. I will here 
 mention two of the most important ones which 
 have come under my observation. The first was 
 the one written by the venerable Father, Elijah 
 O' Bunion, of Fredericktown, by order of the 
 Association, for the year 1841, the leading 
 feature of which was the Church of Christ 
 Measured and Designated. The letter was a 
 model of general knowledge and deep research. 
 
 The second letter was for 1885, written by 
 Wm. S. Barry, and ordered published in the 
 Minutes of that year. It was a general appeal 
 for a forward march all along the line, maintain- 
 
44 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 ing a consecrated ministry, properly sustained b}^ 
 the churches, for Sabbath-schools, prayer-meet- 
 ings and family devotion to the cause of Christ. 
 Certainly it breathed the true progressive spirit, 
 and we are glad to say it was adopted by the As- 
 sociation. 
 
 Having followed the History of the Bethel 
 Baptist Association, as furnished principly from 
 the writings of Eld. Win. Polk, from its consti- 
 tution in 1816 to 1859, at which date his account 
 ceases, we are left to glean its history from that 
 time to 1885, from other sources of inforniation. 
 
 THE PROGRESS OF BETHEL ASSOCIATION. 
 
 The Minutes of 1859 show that the session was 
 held that year with New Hope Church, St. Fran- 
 cois county. Eld Wm. Polk preached the Intro- 
 ductory Sermon and was also chosen Moderator, 
 and Eld. W. D. Hamilton, Clerk. Three new 
 churches came in this year, viz. : Mt. Zion, 
 Locust Grove, and White Oak Grove. Nineteen 
 churches were I'cported on the list, eighty-seven 
 baptisms were reported for the year, with a total 
 membership of 834. Eld. K. Moore was ap- 
 pointed at this meeting, to supply with preaching 
 the destitute churches in the bounds of the Asso- 
 ciation. For this purpose, a Committee was ap- 
 pointed, composed of Eld. Wm. Polk, W, Cov- 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 45 
 
 ingtoii, G. W. Reniiick, W. Burke and C. 
 Gideon, to collect funds, by subscriptions or in 
 any other manner they might see proper, and to 
 settle with Eld. Moore every three months; for 
 the first two months and over a half, they raised 
 $C1.65. From the Minutes of 1856, it appears 
 that Eld. Wm. Polk had been employed to preach 
 the following year, in the bounds of the Associa- 
 tion for a stated salary of $500.00 ; but only a 
 portion of the year was put in. In 1860, the 
 session was held with Pendleton Church, St. 
 Francois county. Correspondence was opened 
 with the St. Francois Association, located in 
 Wayne, Bollinger and Madison counties. During 
 the war period, work among the churches and 
 associations was suspended. 
 
 FEET-WASHING. 
 
 In 1868, the session of Bethel Association was 
 held with Bethany Church, Madison county. At 
 this session, an article on the subject of **feet- 
 washing," as set forth in St. John, loth chapter, 
 was adopted and ordered published in the 
 Minutes, as follows : 
 
 We believe feet-washing, as set forth in the 
 13th chapter of St. John, to be one of the ordi- 
 nances of the Gospel, and that it ought to be 
 observed by all Christians, as our Lord and 
 
4n THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Savior delivered it to the disciples, and that it 
 ought to be practiced in connection with the sup- 
 per by all baptized believers. (The supper here 
 mentioned was not the Lord's Supper, but was 
 eaten at the house of Simon, in Bethany, where 
 the example of feet-washing was instituted two 
 days before the Passover Supper in Jerusalem, at 
 which time and place the Lord instituted His 
 Supper.) 
 
 The itinerant, or mission work of the Bethel 
 Association has been principally confined to her 
 own bounds since the year 1821, when corre- 
 spondence with Foreign Mission Boards was 
 dropped. The next year, 1822, however, in the 
 interest of the home work, they sent three mis- 
 sionaries, viz. : Elders Street, Clark, and 
 Edwards, to preach and organize churches in 
 Northern Arkansas. Under their labors, two 
 churches, Union, and Little Flock, (situated in 
 Lawrence county. Ark.,) came into the Associa- 
 tion. In 1827, at the session held with Provi- 
 dence Church, Fredericktown, Madison county, 
 a petition from Little Flock, Arkansas, and New 
 Hope, Missouri, was presented, "Praying the 
 Association to advise plans for the preaching of 
 the Gospel to the destitute." The Association 
 appointed a committee, consisting of Wingate 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 47 
 
 Jackson, James Williams, David Orr, and John 
 Farrar, who were to report thereon to the Asso- 
 ciation the next year. 
 
 In 1856 Eld. Wm. Polk was sent by the Asso- 
 ciation at a salary of $500.00, to preach to the 
 distitute in the bounds of the Association ; but as 
 all the means were not raised, only a part of the 
 year's work was reported the next year, 1857. 
 In 1859, Eld. Robt. Moore was sent to preach to 
 the destitute, for which a committee was ap- 
 pointed to raise money and pay him quarterly. 
 From the foreo-oinoj itinerant work of the Bethel 
 Association, it is to be seen, on a line of com- 
 parison with other Associations of Southeast Mis- 
 souri, that Bethel set an example which has been 
 followed more or less by all, as only three or four 
 had taken any interest in Foreign Mission work 
 until after the civil war. Of her Sunday-school 
 work, it is to be observed that her churches and 
 people have, at different times and in different 
 ways, engaged in Sunday-school work, now and 
 then, all the way down the seventy-two years of 
 her existence. The main thing lacking with them, 
 as with nearly all the other Associations of South- 
 east Missouri, was not to have declared long ago 
 in favor of Baptist Sunday-schools. 
 
 At different times she has passed resolutions 
 
48 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 against the evils of intemperance, and of late 
 years, against her churches receiving alien im- 
 mersions. They have uniformly stood against 
 the evils of free communion with other sects, 
 considerino: it a mixinoj of the Church of Christ 
 with the world. She has tried to stand to the 
 apostolic order of Christianity. 
 
 OF ITS SUCCESS. 
 
 The Bethel Association has been a fruitful vine, 
 having dismissed eight churches in 1824, to form 
 the Cape Girardeau Association ; four, in 1820, to 
 form an association in Northern Arkansas; two, 
 in 1831, to form the Franklin; one for a new as- 
 sociation supposed to be the Black River ; one for 
 St. Francois, and nine in 1859 to form the Cen- 
 tral Missouri Association, — a total of twenty-five 
 churches. Doubtless, none other has done more 
 in this respect. 
 
 Of the first ministers, not mentioned else- 
 where biographically in connection with the work 
 of the Bethel Association and its first churches, 
 we will now mention Eld. Wilson Thompson, the 
 beloved Thomas Parish Green, the great Sunday- 
 school worker of Southeast iMissouri, and last but 
 not least, the beloved William Polk, whose life- 
 w^ork was finished at the close of the civil war. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 49 
 
 ELD. WILSON THOMPSON. 
 
 Eld. Win. Thompson was one of the pioneer 
 preachers of Missouri, and although not among 
 those who formed Bethel Association, nor living 
 in the state at that time, yet such was his connec- 
 tion with the first Baptist churches in Southeast 
 Missouri, that he merits a place in this history, 
 because of his great work in the Territory. 
 
 He was a descendant of a respectable Welch 
 and English family, the eldest son of Closs and 
 Rebecca Thompson, born Aug. 17th, 1788, in 
 Woodford county, Ky. His ancestors were 
 nearly all Baptists. His first awakening was a 
 baptismal scene ; he fled from the water's edge 
 into an adjoining forest and fell prostrate on the 
 ground. Thick darkness gathered around him, 
 so that he could scarcely see anything, though the 
 sun was shining brightly. Being led finally to 
 consider the mediatori^^l and sacrificial work of 
 Christ for him as a sinner, light shone around 
 about him, and he was filled with joy and peace. 
 He was then only a youth ; when he was about 
 twenty years of age he commenced to preach, or 
 trying to preach, as he called it. However, some 
 of his early efforts were attended with wonderful 
 results. In May, 1810, he was married to Miss 
 Mary Grigg, of Campbell county, Ky., and emi- 
 
50 THE BAFTISTS OF 
 
 grated to Missouri the following year, settling in 
 the neighborhood of Jackson, Cape Girardeau 
 county. For a time he taught school here and 
 preached as opportunity afforded. The inhabitants 
 then lived in small settlements of log cabins. His 
 preaching was well received. A revival in Old 
 Bethel Church was the result. His uncle, Ben- 
 jamin Thompson, was among the converts and 
 subsequently became a minister. The revival 
 continued about eighteen months, and was by no 
 means confined to the limits of the Bethel Church 
 where it commenced; but spread into distant 
 settlements, reaching as far as Colwell settlement, 
 some sixty miles distant. Bro. Thompson says : 
 ♦'During this revival, I baptized 400 or 500 con- 
 verts, some old, some young, some white and 
 some black -, but all professed to be sinners, and 
 to trust in Christ as their Savior." This was a 
 wonderful work for those times and circum- 
 stances. Indeed it would be wonderful even for 
 the present time. About the close of this 
 work of grace, in the years of 1812 and 1813, 
 the Bethel Church numbered 186 members. I will 
 now relate an incident of this great revival time : 
 A negro man named Dick was converted, who 
 then belonged to Judge Green, an avowed infidel, 
 though otherwise a good citizen. Mr. Green for- 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 51 
 
 bade Dick's baptism, ttireatining to wliip liim 
 and sue the men who would baptize him. Thus 
 the matter went on for about three months after 
 Dick's conversion. Still he attended Eld. 
 Thompson's meeting, and finally asked to be bap- 
 tized. 
 
 *'Why," said Mr. Thompson, **are you not 
 afraid of your master?" 
 
 **I got two masters," he replied, **one is 
 greater than the other. My great Master says be 
 baptized, and I wish to obey Him." The bap- 
 tism was performed. The two daughters of 
 Judge Green witnessed it, but decided to say 
 nothing about it to their father, and thus save 
 Dick a whipping. In about two weeks after this. 
 Judge Green, who had been away, returned home 
 in a fine humor; seeing how things looked around 
 his farm and barn, he began to praise Dick in the 
 highest terms, as follows : 
 
 **Dick has always been one of my best ser- 
 vants, the horses shine from his rubbing them 
 early and late, and he keeps everything in the 
 best of order." 
 
 The girls, thinking this a good time to tell 
 about Dick, said, "Fath3r, we can tell you what 
 has made Dick so much better of late." 
 
 **What has?" said he. 
 
02 THE BAPTISTS CF 
 
 *'Why a few weeks ago, w^e were at Bethel 
 Church, at meeting, and Mr. Thompson baptized 
 Dick, and he seemed so happy when they all gave 
 him tlieir hand and called him brother." 
 
 **Did you see Mr. Thompson baptize him?" 
 said the Judge. 
 
 "Yes sir, we saw it all." 
 
 *'Well," said the Judge, ''I wish to God he 
 would baptize all my negroes, if it would make 
 them as good as Dick!" 
 
 Wilson Thompson was ordained to the full 
 work of the ministry some time after he com- 
 menced preaching. His ordination occurred in 
 April, 1812, at the request of Bethel Church, — 
 Elds. John Tanner and Stilly acting as a presby- 
 tery. The following July he was chosen pastor 
 of Bethel Church. In 1813 he removed to the 
 state of Ohio, having spent a little over two years 
 in Missouri. (See Life of Thompson.) 
 
 THOMAS PARISH GREEN. 
 
 Connected with the early history of the Bethel 
 Association was a most worthy minister, who be- 
 came identified with the Bethel Association and 
 its work in the year 1817. We allude to Thomas 
 Parish Green. Few men have done more than 
 he has to build up the Baptist cause in Southeast 
 Missouri. He was born in Chatham county, 
 
SOUTPIEAST MISSOURI. 53 
 
 North Carolina, June 3rd, 1790. In 1807 he 
 emigrated with his father and family to Maury 
 county, Tenn., where, under the ministry of Eld. 
 John Record, he was converted and baptized into 
 the fellowship of the Labanon Baptist Church in 
 the spring of 1812. In 1817 he removed to Mis- 
 souri and settled in Cape Girardeau county, 
 where he resided most of the time until his death. 
 From his entrance upon the work, he became an 
 ardent Sunday-school and Mission worker, for 
 which it is said he met considerable opposition 
 from churches that were tinctured with Anti-no- 
 mianism, opposing both Sunday-schools and Mis- 
 sion work. Amidst all these difficulties, he per- 
 severed until he saw much good resulting from 
 his labors in the Bethel, the first pioneer Associa- 
 tion of the state. He was the author of the reso- 
 lution on Foreign Mission Work adopted by the 
 Bethel Association at its session in 1818. In the 
 years of 1829 and 30, he published the Western 
 Pioneer, at Rock Springs, Illinois. In 1831, he 
 was agent for the American Sunday-school Union 
 for Southeast Missouri. In this work, he 
 travelled extensively, establishing schools and 
 furnishing libraries in the following counties, to 
 wit: New Madrid, Scott, Cape Girardeau, 
 Perry, Madison, St. Francois, Wayne and Stod- 
 
54 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 dard ; for which great work in the interests of the 
 Sunday-school cause, he here has special mention. 
 In 1835, he removed to St. Louis and became 
 pastor of the Second Baptist Church for that 
 year ; during four months of this time, he kept 
 the Bible Tract and Sunday-school Depository in 
 St. Louis. 
 
 Bro. Green was an extraordinary man. Raised 
 without educational advantages, he made himself 
 a scholar, and thereby one of the most useful 
 public servants. The labors of this faithful man 
 of God were most signally blessed, having brought 
 hundreds to Christ in all the different parts of 
 Southeast Missouri. 
 
 Eld. Green died in the triumph of a personal 
 faith in Christ, bearing his sufferings, which were 
 great, with calmness and patience, saying to Eld. 
 John Clark (to whose w^ritings we are indebted 
 for many of the facts concerning him), that for 
 thirty years he had labored in the ministry ; and 
 only regretted that he had not been more faith- 
 ful, although he had from the beginning conse- 
 crated himself entirely to the work, sometimes at 
 great sacrifice , yet he did not regret what he had 
 lost ; and if it was to be done over, he would en- 
 ter the ministry again. In his dying hours, on 
 July 11th, 1843, like one of old, he called his 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 55 
 
 family and friends around his bedside and gave 
 them an affectionate farewell, admonishing them 
 to prepare to meet him in heaven. He died at 
 his home in Cape Girardeau City, Mo. 
 
 LIFE OF ELDER WM. POLK. 
 
 We have followed with pleasure the life sketches 
 of a number of the faithful servants of the Bethel 
 Association; but none is of more importance than 
 he of whom we now write ; one whose home often 
 sheltered us, under whose ministry we were 
 brought up, and by whose hands we were bap- 
 tized into the fellowship of the Church of Christ. 
 Not only does the writer say this for himself, but 
 it is doubtless a truth expressed for hundreds — 
 yea, we may say thousands — in memory of this 
 humble man of God. 
 
 Elder Wm. Polk, this great Southeast Missouri 
 preacher, was for thirty-five years a member of 
 the Bethel Association, and, for thirty years of 
 that time, one of its most influential ministers. 
 He was born in the State of Georgia, January 
 18ht, 1806, and united with the Baptist Church at 
 the age of twenty-three years. He commenced 
 preaching in 1831, -and was married to Miss Mary 
 Sharp, where Arcadia lies in what is now Iron 
 county. Shortly after their marriage they set- 
 tled near Brewer's Creek, Madison county. 
 
56 THE BAPTISTS OP 
 
 where they resided until the death of Elder Polk 
 which occurred Nov. 1st, 1864. Eight children 
 were born to them, seven of whom they raised — 
 five sons and two daughters. 
 
 He was, doubtless, one of the most energetic, 
 and by far the most influential and popular 
 preacher in Southeast Missouri. He was so sym- 
 pathetic, kind-hearted and truly pious, as wellas 
 faithful to all his engagements, that none doubted 
 his high calling. Some writer has said that 
 he always held the public confidence regard- 
 less of sectarian prejudice or political differences, 
 which was, in a measure, unparalleled. The elo- 
 quence or fame of other ministers never drew 
 such crowded houses. 
 
 He was often chosen Moderator of his Asso- 
 ciation and was an able defender of the cause. 
 During the storm of Parkerism, first and last, he 
 served as pastor of most of the leading churches 
 of his Association. Like nearly all of the min- 
 isters of the Bethel Association, he believed that 
 feet-washing, as set forth in St. John, 13th chap- 
 ter, was one of the ordinances of the Gospel, and 
 should be regarded as such. Although he was 
 opposed to the term missionary , he was by no 
 means an anti-missionary in faith or practice, (as 
 was charged by some) but, as was clear to be 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 57 
 
 seen from the sentiment advocated in the Ironton 
 Baptist Journal (of which he was editor and 
 proprietor), he was a progressive man. He 
 started this periodical as a monthly paper in 
 January, 1859, and for about three years con- 
 tinued a successful issue, until it was suspended 
 by reason of the civil war. 
 
 In sadness and shame for our country, we have 
 to say, that this good man was shot from his 
 horse, in front of his own door, by a squad of 
 men dressed in the federal uniform, Nov. 1st, 
 1864. His body was carried to his house by the 
 writer, assisted by Rev. John Martin, Joseph 
 Jones and J. C. Downs, and after preparation 
 was laid to rest in the Bethany Church Cemetery. 
 
 THE MINISTRY OF THE BETHEL ASSOCIATION SINCE 
 THE WAR. 
 
 In the conclusion of this lengthy chapter, it is 
 but right that mention be made of the ministers 
 who shouldered the great responsibilities of the 
 cause of Bethel Association. They were com- 
 paratively young and undisciplined to undertake 
 such a work just at the time when the smoke of 
 battle from the civil war was clearing away. In 
 consequence of this political strife, the member- 
 ship of churches was scattered, and all civil 
 society more or less broken up. With malice. 
 
58 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 hatred and revenge like a dark cloud overshadow- 
 ing all the land, was it not a time to try men's 
 faith, patience and forbearance? Yes, and more ; 
 was it not a time to see who could be the champion 
 for peace, going forth scattering seeds of kind- 
 ness, brhiging order out of confusion, restoring 
 peace to distracted societies and making the land 
 of desolation bloom as the Rose of Sharon? Who 
 could do this and not be charged with impunity 
 to some party ? Indeed it was an hour for effort 
 and great sacrifice, for the sake of seeing return- 
 ing peace once more dawn upon a country 
 shrouded in gloomy despair. 
 
 There were but three of the old ministers of 
 the Bethel Association left, to-wit, Elders Harvey 
 Young, W. Hamilton and Cleavlin. These being 
 old and feeble, the principal labor fell on the 
 young brethren who, though inexperienced in 
 such work, went to work to gather the member- 
 ship of the churches, restore order, and once 
 more get them to meet as brethren in an associa- 
 tional capacity and begin the cultivation of the field 
 which had so long been untouched. These breth- 
 ren were Elders Robert C. Martin, J. C, Perkins, 
 John Martin, Cordeal Horn, David Matkins and 
 Samuel Beird. Not one of the number had served 
 as pastor up to that time, so far as we know, 
 
SOUTHExVST MISSOURI. 59 
 
 with the exception of C. Horn ; but they were 
 looked to, to start and carry forward this work, 
 which they did to the satisfaction of most all of 
 the churches of the Association in a comparatively 
 short time. 
 
 ELDER HARVEY YOUNG. 
 
 Of the old ministers above named, who took 
 part in this work, we will mention Elder Harvey 
 Young, who died at his home a few miles north 
 of Farmington, some two years ago, at the ad- 
 vanced age of eighty-two years. He was a native 
 of Virginia. We are not informed as to his early 
 life and training. He came to this State about 
 forty-five years ago, a licentiate preacher. A 
 few years after, he was ordained to the full work 
 of the Gospel ministry. Although a man of 
 moderate ability, yet he was always ready to do 
 his part when called upon. It is said all his 
 public life was fifty years. 
 
 ELDER JAMES CLEAVLIN. 
 
 In regard to the life of Elder James Cleavlin 
 we are not informed except that he has been a 
 faithful worker for the Bethel Association for 
 probably forty years. He resides at New Ten- 
 nessee Church, St. Genevieve county, at this 
 time, but the infirmities of old age hinder him 
 from farther work. 
 
60 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 ELDERS ROBERT C. AND JOHN MARTIN. 
 
 As Robert C. and John Martin are brothers in 
 the flesh, we mention them together, as a some- 
 what sinofular incidence of brothers working^ 
 together. They are descendents of an old Vir- 
 ginia farnily of Baptists, who came to Missouri 
 in quite an early time, and stopped by the Black 
 River in Reynolds county, shortly after which 
 their father died, leaving their widowed mother 
 with her family to struggle on among strangers, 
 with the adverse circumstances of poverty and the 
 care of helpless children. But a true Christian 
 mother, such as those boys had, knows no bounds 
 to care, anxiety and labor until her family is 
 raised, and, if possible, enlisted for Christ. As 
 she once said to the writer : "I have often prayed 
 that I might raise at least one boy a preacher for 
 Christ." But she lived to realize more than 
 that ; since all her children were converted to 
 Christ, and in place of one, all three of her sons 
 were enlisted as embassadors for Christ. One 
 son, Hudson Martin, died shortly after he 
 acknowledged his calling to the work. 
 
 The other two brothers, Robert C. and Joim 
 Martin have been singularly blessed. They both 
 settled in the neighborhood of Bethany Church, 
 becoming members together. They were trained 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 61 
 
 by the one pastor, Elder Polk, by whom they 
 were both baptized. In the bounds of this 
 church, both began in the ministry, and by its 
 order both were ordained. Both married wives 
 from the same community, who were members of 
 the same church with their husbands. John, the 
 elder, was first married to Miss Mima Wilborn, 
 who died after a few vears. His second marriagfe 
 was to Miss Clementine Downs, daughter of Wm. 
 Downs, clerk of Bethany Church for thirty years. 
 Kobert C. was married to Miss Mary O'Banion, 
 grand-daughter of Elijah O'Banion, author of the 
 famous circular letter of 1841. For twenty 
 years these two brothers have labored harmoni- 
 ously together in the interest of Bethel Associa- 
 tion, for which reason they have been mentioned 
 together. 
 
 ELDER F. B. MATHEWS. 
 
 Residing at Creek Nation, Madison county, in 
 which community he w^as, we think, born and 
 reared, is, at this time, though comparatively 
 young, one*of the most influential and successful 
 ministers of the Bethel Association. Elder F. 
 B. Mathews is a man of moderate education, but 
 is an earnest, impressive speaker. He has con- 
 ducted several important revival meetings with 
 great success to the churches of his charge. 
 
62 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Having served as pastor of several churches in 
 the southern bounds of Bethel Association, he is 
 regarded as among its worthy and faithful ser- 
 vants, friendly to every progressive work. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 63 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE CAPE GIRARDEAU ASSOCIATION. 
 
 At its session in 1824, as heretofore mentioned, 
 the Bethel Association dismissed nine churches to 
 form the Cape Girardeau Association, viz. : Dry 
 Creek, Bethel, Tywappity, Clear Creek, Apple 
 Creek, Ebenezer, Big Prairie, Hebron and Shiloh. 
 
 This second Association in Southeast Missouri 
 was organized at Hebron Church, Cape Girardeau 
 county, by a convention of messengers which met 
 on June 12th, and closed on the 14th, 1824. 
 Among the ministers present, we find the names 
 of Benjamin Thompson, James Williams, Edward 
 Keer, James P. Edwards, Jeremiah Brown, David 
 Orr, Thomas P. Green ; corresponding ministers, 
 Wingate Jackson, James Holbert, John M. Peck. 
 This Association was organized decidedly upon 
 the principle of the Missionary United Baptists, 
 as will be seen by the fact that at its first meet- 
 ing, a resolution was adopted as follows, that one 
 person be appointed in each Church for the pur- 
 pose of carrying into effect the eighth article of 
 the Constitution, which reads thus : 
 
(5l THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 The funds of the Association shall be raised by 
 the voluntary contributions of the churches, or 
 individuals, out of which shall be supplied the 
 expenses of printing the Minutes, expenses of 
 the Clerk, and corresponding members appointed 
 to other Associations ; and the surplus, if any, 
 shall be applied in any way to promote the 
 spiritual benefit of Zion, in the limits of this 
 Association or vicinity. The Association may 
 adopt measures for the purpose of raising contri- 
 butions, which shall be added to the surplus fund 
 for the purpose of enabling ministers to preach 
 to the destitute churches of this body, or where 
 the Association may direct. 
 
 For eight or nine years, these sentiments were 
 carried out unmolested, until Parkerism, or Anti- 
 missionism (the seeds of which had been sown in 
 the Mother Association) began to exhibit its 
 baneful out-croppings in this new body. The 
 result was that, in 1840, the advocates of the 
 original principles withdrew, and formed what is, 
 or was called the New Cape Girardeau Associa- 
 tion ; but which was properly, and is yet, the 
 Cape Girardeau Baptist Association, since those 
 claiming to be the old Association not only 
 changed the Constitution, but entirely destroyed 
 the entire faith and practice of the body, by 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 65 
 
 adopting a new Constitution. The ministers 
 heading this un-Baptistic movement were Jere- 
 miah Brown, Benjamin Thompson, and it is said, 
 but not positively, James Williams. 
 
 From 1840 to 1860 the Association continued 
 a slow but steady progress. Missionaries were 
 kept on the field much of the time. Sabbath 
 School and educational interests were fostered, 
 and means for the promotion of the Gospel were 
 raised according to the original plan so unani- 
 mously agreed upon at its start in 1824. The 
 Anti-mission party rapidly retrograded into 
 oblivion, and has long since become extinct. At 
 this time, 1886, it is almost forgotten ; such is 
 the result of unfaithfulness to God. 
 
 But this faithful Association was soon to be 
 tried as by fire. In 1861 the civil war broke 
 out, and as this Association was located in the 
 counties of Perry, Cape Girardeau, Scott and 
 Mississippi, all bordering on the Mississippi 
 Kiver, along which the munitions of war and 
 troops of soldiers were shipped and scattered to 
 all important points, trouble began, and soon a 
 goodly field, religiously cultivated and blooming 
 with peace and prosperity, was a desolate wasto 
 and a howling wilderness, in which even strong 
 men trembled. Church meetings stopped and 
 
66 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Associations did not meet, with few exceptions. 
 The Cape Girardeau Association held no meet- 
 ings for two years. In 1863, however, messen- 
 gers from eight churches met at Goshen Church 
 and held a short but harmonious session. J. G. 
 Rutter, J. C. Maple, G. W. Coker, J. H. Clark, 
 A. McKelvey, J. Wyatt and T. B. Turnbaugh 
 wer6 the ministers in attendance. From the let- 
 ters, the condition of the field was clearly 
 brought to light. Church meetings had compara- 
 tively stopped ; Sabbath-schools were broken up, 
 and prayer-meetings were scarcely thought of. 
 Most of the ministers either fled or were driven 
 away; leaving a few, however, to tell the affect- 
 ing story. Some churches did not hear a sermon 
 for years, such were the oppressive measures of 
 test oaths and other things. 
 
 ELD. JOHN H. CLARK. 
 
 Under the trying circumstances just mentioned, 
 it is but fitting that we mention Bro. John H. 
 Clark, who, from 1864 to 1867, was the only 
 minister belonojinoj to the Association who did 
 ministerial work in all its bounds. For several 
 years he stood bravely alone in this desert, even 
 in the presence of those who sought the destruc- 
 tion of the cause. 
 
 John Henry Clark, the subject of this sketch. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 67 
 
 was born in London county, Virginia, December 
 12th, 1812. When he was about sixteen years of 
 age he was converted to Christ, together with 
 three of his sisters; was soon after baptized by 
 Rev. W. F. Broaddus into the fellowship of Long 
 Branch Church in his native county. He moved 
 to Missouri in June, 1839, and settled in Cape 
 Girardeau, soon after which he united with the 
 church in that phice. By this church he was 
 licensed to preach in August, 1842, and ordained 
 December, 28th, 1844. Soon after his ordina- 
 tion he was called to its pastorate, but only 
 filled this office a few months, as he was not will- 
 ing to give up his appointment in the country. 
 However, he gave the church in town two Sun- 
 days in the month, until Rev. S. H. Ford, now 
 of St. Louis, succeeded to this pastorate. During 
 Bro. Clark's boyhood, he manifested some taste 
 for the languages and displayed remarkable 
 ability for acquiring them. For a time he 
 preached at a school-house about twelve miles 
 from Cape Girardeau. Seeing no visible results 
 from his labors, he concluded to give this church 
 up ; but being urged by his sister, Mrs. Jordan, 
 to continue; he did so. In 1861, such a deep 
 feeling was manifested, that he concluded to hold 
 k meeting of days and sent for Bro. J, C. Maple. 
 
68 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 They held a meeting, the result of which was 
 that in the old log-house, where he had been work- 
 ing, they constituted a church of thirty members, 
 called Bubble's Creek Church, after the name of 
 the stream near by. To this body he ministered 
 until his death. 
 
 On returning home sick one night from Eben- 
 ezer (nhie miles from the Cape), he said to his 
 wife: **My work is done." This illness was 
 long and painful ; but borne with a patience 
 which astonished all. He bade his family and 
 friends farewell, leaving messages for his 
 churches, and on the 4th of April, 1869, he 
 breathed his last. He was one of the good men 
 debarred by the famous, or rather we should saj- 
 infamous^ test oath^ which hindered him from 
 preaching the Annual Sermon of the Cape Girar- 
 deau Association in 1865. 
 
 We will not detain the readers of this history 
 with biographical sketches of the ministers men- 
 tioned in connection with the organization of this 
 body, since the most of them have been mentioned 
 in the chapter on the Bethel Association, in the 
 sketches of which the nine churches also appear- 
 ing in this orojanization have been referred to. 
 
 Having brieliy alluded to the organization of 
 this body, its practice and progress from 1824 to 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 69 
 
 1865, including an abbreviated reference to the 
 trying circumstances of Aiiti-missionism and those 
 of the war, we will now proceed with the farther 
 progress of this body, in which a new income of 
 ministers and churches are to be mentioned. 
 
 From 1867 to 1870, the Minutes show that this 
 body had regular meetings and that the churches 
 prospered greatly, with an increase of ministerial 
 aid, as well as in the number of communicants. 
 In 1867, G. F. Brayton and J. G. Searer ; in 
 1868, 'James Reid ; and in 1869, J. S. Jordan 
 came into the bounds of this Association. In 
 1867, Jonas Hoffman was ordained ; B. L. Bow- 
 man in 1869 ; and Bro. John T. Ford in 1870. 
 With this increased strength the Association was 
 now prepared for grand work. 
 
 At its session in 1870, an amended Constitu- 
 tion was adopted, which provides that the Asso- 
 ciation shall be composed of life members and 
 messengers sent by the churches. Ten dollars 
 given at one time made one a life member. This 
 plan, not being a constitutional usage of this, or any 
 other district association in Southeast Missouri, 
 proved a failure. We have always thought it 
 better for small ships to keep near to the shore. 
 This unwise step, however, was soon supple- 
 mented by a return to the old or original usage. 
 
70 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 after which prosperity and progress rolled on as 
 before. Six years afterwards, in 1876, the Asso- 
 ciation numbered twenty-nine churches. 
 
 In this year eight or nine churches were lettered 
 off to form the Charleston Association. lu 1878 
 her ministers were T. A. Bowman, John T. Ford, 
 C. B. Ford, J. F. Godwin, Z. A. Hoppas, J. M. 
 Warren and W. IL Welker, with a membership 
 of 557. She had also the usual standing com- 
 mittees on Sabbath-schools, Missions, Religious 
 Literature, Education and Faniily Worship. 
 
 In 1881, the session was held at Cape Girar- 
 deau ; Eld. Joshua Hickman was chosen Modera- 
 tor, and T. A. Bowman, Clerk, There were only 
 twenty baptisms reported this year ; $125.20 had 
 been expended on the field, Bro. T. A. Bowman 
 being the Missionary. 
 
 Now will be mentioned the name, place, date 
 and organization of several of the leading 
 churches: Jackson Church, located in the town 
 of Jackson, was organized in April, 1824, princi- 
 pally of members from the old Bethel Church 
 (the first Church of Christ established west of the 
 great river), organized in 1806, and w^hich built 
 the first house of worship, — a log house. A gavel 
 made from a piece of one of the sills of this 
 house was presented to the General Association, 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 71 
 
 in 1875, by Bro. J. C. Maple, as a memento of 
 this first chui'cii, which is now extinct. Bro. 
 Maple was then Moderator of the General Asso- 
 ciation of Missouri Baptists. 
 
 Cape Girardeau Church was organized in 
 August, 1834, with nine members, by Eld. 
 Thomas P. Green, in the City of Cape Girardeau. 
 It has a neat brick house of worship, and has had 
 for its pastors several of the most learned and 
 eloquent ministers of Southeast Missouri. We 
 mention T. P. Green, W. F. Nelson, J. H. Clark, 
 S. Barber, S. H. Ford, J. S. Green, A. Sher- 
 wood, J. C. Maple, G. F. Brayton, J. S. Jordan 
 and Joshua Hickman. 
 
 Gravel Hill Church was organized in 1879, and 
 was, at one time, one of the strongest churches, 
 numerically, of the Cape Girardeau Association. 
 
 Union Church w\as organized in May, 1832, 
 with eighteen members, and in the same year be- 
 came a member of the Association. 
 
 Pleasant Hill Church, located in Scott county, 
 was organized in 1828. 
 
 Pleasant Grove Church, in Perry county, was 
 organized in 1839. 
 
 Mount Moriah Church, in Scott county, was 
 organized in 1830; Hubble Creek Church, in 
 18 W. 
 
72 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Apple Creek Church, one of the oldest churches, 
 was organized in 1820 ; and was an arm of the old 
 Bethel Church. 
 
 Ebenezer Church, in the big bend of the Mis- 
 sissippi River, Cape Girardeau county, was or- 
 ganized in 1821. 
 
 Goshen Church, Oak Ridge, Cape Girardeau 
 county, was organized in 1841 by Peter Williams, 
 its first pastor. It is at this time one of the 
 largest and most prosperous churches of the Cape 
 Association, having Eld. W. H. Welker as pas- 
 tor, under whose labors it has enjoyed quite an 
 inojathering durino^ 1884 and 1885. 
 
 Hebron Church is a daughter of the Bethel 
 Church, and was organized in 1822, a few miles 
 Northwest of Cape Girardeau. Brethren Thomas 
 P. Green and Thomas Inden were the organizers. 
 Thus bavins: mentioned the leadinoj churches of 
 the Cape Girardeau Association, we will proceed 
 to sketch briefly the lives of a few of the leading 
 ministers now carrying on the cause in this old, 
 but influential body. 
 
 ELDER JOSHUA HICKMAN. 
 
 Eld. Joshua Hickman, now Missionary of 
 Southeast Missouri, under appointment of the 
 Board of the General Association, has, for several 
 years, been identified with the work of the Cape 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 73 
 
 Girardeau Association. Tliis faithful man of 
 God was born in Mason county, Kentucky, 
 March 16, 1826. At the early age of twelve 
 years, he was converted to Christ. Two years 
 after, he was baptized into the fellowship of the 
 church at May's Lick (where he was raised), by 
 A. D. Sears, D. D., of Louisville, Ky. In 
 March, 1850, the church licensed him to preach, 
 and in September, the same year, he entered the 
 Western Theological Institute at Covington, 
 Ky., of which Dr. S. W. Lind was President. He 
 continued there until November, 1851, when he 
 came to Missouri, and spent the winter of 1851-2 
 in St. Joseph, preaching for the First Church of 
 that city. At the call of this church, he was or- 
 dained to the ministry in March, 1852, by Elders 
 W. H. Thomas and Jonas D. Wilson. In the 
 following month he moved to St. Louis and was 
 married to Mrs. Martha Crider on the 25th of 
 December, 1852. Five children were born to 
 them, after which Mrs. Hickman died. He was 
 married again, in January, 1862, to Mrs. Isabella 
 Crouse, of St. Louis county. Bro. Hickman 
 continued his ministry to St. Louis and vicinity 
 for more than twenty-seven years, preaching for 
 different churches. He was Corresponding Sec- 
 retary of the General Association for three years. 
 
74 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 and General Agent for the "Central Baptist" for 
 one year. He then came to Cape Girardeau and 
 accepted the care of the First Baptist Church, 
 since which time he has served as pastor of 
 several of the most influential churches of the 
 Cape Girardeau Association, for which reason we 
 give him mention in this chapter, Bro. Hickman 
 is a judicious and faithful missionary worker. 
 
 ELDER T. A. BOWMAN. 
 
 In connection with the Cape Girardeau Asso- 
 ciation and much of the mission work of South- 
 east Missouri, we mention Elder T. A. Bowman, 
 now pastor at Pacific, Mo. Bro. Bowman is a 
 native of Virginia. When quite young he was 
 converted to Christ and was baptized by Elder 
 James Keid into the fellowship of Goshen 
 Church. Soon after this he felt it his duty to 
 try to preach the Gospel, and feelinoj the neces- 
 sity of a better education for so great a w^ork, he 
 at once started to school and spent about two 
 years in William Jewell College, when we find 
 him in 1878 numbered among the ministers of 
 the Cape Girardeau Association. Shortly after, 
 the Board of the General Association called upon 
 him to take the general work as District Mission- 
 ary of Southeast Missouri. In this work he con- 
 tinued for several years, when he moved to Salem, 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 75 
 
 Dent county, becoming pastor of the church 
 there; from thence to Pacific. He was quite 
 energetic in his work, re-establishing old churches 
 and building new ones in various towns and com- 
 munities in Southeast Missouri. 
 
 ELDER W. H. WELKER. 
 
 Elder W. H. Welker is a native of Cape Girar- 
 deau county. Soon after he united with the 
 Baptist Church, he commenced preaching and 
 was ordained by order of the church. He has 
 been a very earnest and consecrated minister, 
 having served as pastor and as missionary in the 
 bounds of the Cape Girardeau and St. Francois 
 Associations. He is now located at Oak Ridge, 
 Cape Girardeau county, as pastor of the Oak 
 Ridge Church, at this time among the largest and 
 most flourishing churches of the Cape Girardeau 
 Association. Bro. Welker never had the oppor- 
 tunity to obtain a classical education; but by 
 faithful study has made himself an eloquent and 
 pleasant speaker. 
 
 JOHN GODWIN. 
 
 Our young brother, John Godwin, is worthy 
 of mention as being one of the most affectionate, 
 kind-hearted ministers of the Cape Girardeau 
 Association, and, although like many others of 
 Southeast Missouri, he had not the benefits of a 
 
7C THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 finished education, yet, by diligence, he has made 
 himself a useful and acceptable pastor, and is 
 held in high esteem in all the churches and com- 
 munities where he labors. 
 
 REV. JOHX T. FORD. 
 
 Rev. John T. Ford, deceased, is worthy of 
 mention, for though "being dead, he yet speak- 
 eth." He was born in Western Virginia, but 
 came in his early life to Missouri and united with 
 the Baptist Church ; when he soon gave evidence 
 of a call to the ministry. Through the influence 
 of Eev. elames Reid, he entered upon the good 
 work, and though not an educated man, like 
 others already mentioned, he became a faithful 
 and successful preacher. Under his charge many 
 were added to the church, among whom was Rev. 
 W. McDonough, now in the ministr}^ Bro. Ford 
 died at his home in Cape Girardeau count}', Nov. 
 27th, 1883, after long and protracted suffering, 
 which he endured with patient meekness. 
 
 His brother. Books Ford, is now in the minis- 
 try and is a man of a meek and quiet spirit; but 
 of him and other deserving young ministers of the 
 Cape Girardeau Association, we have not the 
 necessary information to give details. 
 
 Thus we conclude the chapter on the Cape 
 Girardeau Association, organized in 1824. It has 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 77 
 
 stood the perils of sixty-two years, evincing all 
 the time the true progressive missionary spirit. 
 Its influence has been greatly felt throughout the 
 field it has occupied in the eastern part of South- 
 east Missouri. It has stayed the cause against 
 Parkerism, which was Anti-nomianism and Anti- 
 missionism combined; and has sustained, from 
 time to time, a strong and influential ministry, 
 many of whom have gone forth to other fields. 
 It has furnished churches for the organization of 
 two other Associations — the Black River and 
 Charleston Associations beinof its daughters. 
 
 Notwithstanding the diminution of its churches 
 in order to form the Charleston Association some 
 two years ago, it yet reports at its last session, 
 in 1885, eleven churches, four ordained minis- 
 ters, a total membership of 424, while ninety 
 baptisms were reported this year. It has always 
 been a faithful friend to Christian education. 
 Many of its members were liberal donors to the 
 Mayfield-Smith Academy, located at Marble 
 Hill, Bollinger county. This Association is a 
 friend to Sabbath-schools and an opponent of in- 
 temperance, as the various resolutions passed at 
 several of its annual meetings speak out against 
 this gigantic evil. Rev. J. C. Hembree, of 
 Marble Hill, Mo., is its efficient missionary at 
 
78 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 this time, 1888, at a salary of $50 per month. 
 He has been quite successful in his labors among 
 the churches in this Association. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI, 79 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE FRANKLIN ASSOCIATION. 
 
 The third Association in Southeast Missouri 
 was the Franklin, a daughter of the old Missouri 
 Association, known as the Missouri District 
 Association — called Friends to Humanity, the 
 same in doctrinal views, but differing on the sub- 
 ject of slavery from the Franklin community. 
 The Franklin Association was organized at the 
 house of J. C. Duckworth, in the year of 1832, 
 Eld. James Williams acting as Moderator. The 
 Association is situated in the counties of Franklin, 
 Washington, and portions of Jefferson, St. Fran- 
 cois, Gasconade and Crawford. This was a large 
 district of about one hundred miles square. The 
 first meeting of this Association was held at 
 Merrimac Church, September 14-17, 1832. It 
 then numbered ten churches, with ten ministers, 
 eighty-two baptisms, and a total membership of 
 374. (See Allen's Register, Vol. I, 1833.) The 
 second meeting convened at Potosi, Washington 
 county, Missouri, September, 1833. This year 
 thirteen churches were represented, with a mem- 
 
80 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 bership of 544. Among the venerable pioneers 
 at this meeting was John Hatchings, who was a 
 member of the Convention in 1820 that formed 
 the Constitution of Missouri. He died a few 
 years ago, at the advanced age of ninety-four 
 years. 
 
 At the tmie of the formation of the Franklin 
 Association there was a strong Anti-mission sen- 
 timent, as many of the old brethren of Southeast 
 Missouri well remember; but the Franklin was 
 decidedly a missionary body, as is shown in the 
 second article of their Constitution, which article 
 is here given : 
 
 ** Churches may be received into this body by 
 application, provided they are sound in the faith 
 and orderly in practice, and will not oppose those 
 who wish to be eno^ao^ed in the benevolent enter- 
 pirses of the day, leaving every member to exer- 
 cise his own free will relative to those institu- 
 tions." Doubtless, this was because of the difficul- 
 ties older Associations had suffered from the 
 Anti-mission influence among them. It is but 
 proper to mention here, that it was within the 
 bounds of this Association that Brothers Wil- 
 liams, Colwell, Carpenter, Stevens, Frost, Brown, 
 AVhitmore and others consecrated their first la- 
 bors to build up the Missionary Baptist cause. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 81 
 
 Most of these brethren have been called home to 
 their reward ; but though they are gone, they yet 
 speak through their labors performed in those 
 early times in ])uilding up the kingdom of God. 
 In 1837, the Association recommended the for- 
 mation of Bible classes in the churches, and 
 raised her voice against the sin of intemperance, 
 by the following resolution : 
 
 Resolved, That this Association recommend to 
 the churches of this body to form a Temperance 
 Society in connection with the church. 
 
 THE PROGRESS OF THE ASSOCIATION. 
 
 The session of 1838 was held with the Fourche 
 a Renault Church. During the early part of this 
 year one of the faithful pioneers had died — Rev. 
 Robert Carpenter — who had been appointed the 
 preceding year to write the Circular Letter. The 
 great controversy with the American Bible 
 Society had just terminated in the formation of 
 the American and Foreign Bible Society. We 
 here give the following resolution adopted by 
 this body, which set forth the high position held 
 by these brethren of the wilderness upon this 
 subject : 
 
 Whereas, The American Baptist Denomina- 
 tion of these United States has been compelled to 
 form the American and Foreign Bible Society in 
 
82 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 order to sustain their roissionaries in publishing 
 faithful transhitions of the Holy Scriptures ; the 
 American Bible Society, through which our de- 
 nomination has been accustomed to aid our 
 Foreign missionaries in the publication of the 
 Word of Truth, having declined any aid in the 
 future to Foreign translations, unless, instead of 
 their being faithfully translated from inspired 
 originals, they are so far conformed to the 
 English Version that all denominations can con- 
 sistently use them in their schools and communi- 
 ties ; thereby cutting off all translations made by 
 Baptist missionaries, who have translated the 
 Greek word baptizo as they conscientiously be- 
 lieve it ought to be translated by a word equiv- 
 alent to immersion; therefore. 
 
 Resolved^ That the translation and distribution 
 of the Word of God among the heathen is an ob- 
 ject of the first importance in Christian effort ; 
 
 Resolved, That sincerely, and in the fear of 
 God, we approve the course pursued by our de- 
 nomination in forming a separate Bible Society 
 to circulate among the heathen the most faithful 
 versions that can be produced, and recommend to 
 the churches and friends of our denomination to 
 aid by their prayers and contributions in this 
 good work. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 83 
 
 This was, decidedly, a God-honoring expres- 
 sion of this Baptist body in those early times. 
 In 1839 the Association numbered twenty-six 
 churches. Thus was she moving onward in the 
 establishment of Christian enterprises. 
 
 In 1846 we find the following resolution con- 
 cerninoj "feet-washinoj" : 
 
 Resolved, That we view the saint's washing of 
 feet as a Gospel ordinance, and do recommend 
 the practice of the same among our churches. 
 
 In 1854 the Franklin Association oriofinated 
 the Southern Missouri Baptist Convention as a 
 missionary organization. The cause for this 
 movement was found in the fact that the General 
 Association of the State held its meetings at too 
 great a distance for the churches of Southeast 
 Missouri to reach them, and, therefore, they 
 could not profit by its benevolent influences. 
 The Convention, however, regarded itself as a 
 co-worker with the General Association ; but the 
 history of this Convention was a brief one. 
 
 In 1856 there was enjoyed a gracious revival 
 of religion throughout the bounds of this Asso- 
 ciation. Old churches were revived ; new ones 
 sprang up, and missionary enterprises were en- 
 larged, and such was the general growth that 
 in about five years the body numbered more 
 
84 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 than twelve hundred members in its churches. 
 
 Mention will now be made of the origin of 
 some of the leading churches in connection with 
 sketches of some of the pastors. 
 
 Black River Church is located on the middle 
 fork of Black Eiver, Reynolds county. It was 
 organized in October, 1833, with twenty mem- 
 bers. It has always been, and is now, a strong 
 church with over one hundred members. In 
 1859 the author was a messenger to the Franklin 
 Association from the St. Francois Church, near 
 Farmington. It was held that year with the 
 Black River Church. It was his first acquaint- 
 ance with this body and its ministers. Elder 
 John Rudy was missionary that year, and Elder 
 Hiram Smith, Moderator. The Association was 
 then a strong, influential body. 
 
 Liberty Church was organized in Washington 
 county, June, 1816, and was then called Bellview, 
 after the name of the valley in which it was 
 situated. At its organization it was anti-mission- 
 ary. Elder Felix Reading was its first pastor. 
 He was succeeded in 1829 by Elder James B. 
 Smith, at which time the church was disbanded 
 and re-organized, when it took its present name. 
 It has been a strong church and has sent forth 
 several able ministers of the Gospel. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 85 
 
 Cotar*s Church is an old pioneer body, located 
 on Cotar's Creek, in Crawford county, and was 
 organized in May, 1829, with ten members. 
 Elder Joseph King was its first pastor. 
 
 Bethel Church is located in Crawford county, 
 eight miles south of Steelville. It was organized 
 in September, 1841, by Elders C. S. D. Caldwell 
 and B. Frost. It was a small but influential 
 body. 
 
 Old Mine's Church was organized in 1834, by 
 Elder James Williams, and is located in Wash- 
 ington county. 
 
 Union Church is probably the oldest church in 
 the Association, having been organized in 1832, 
 by Elders James Williams, T. P. Green and 
 James Cundiff . It is located a few miles north 
 of Farmington, in St. Francois county. Elder 
 Cundiff w^as its first pastor. After a history of 
 fiftj^-four years, it remains a strong influential 
 body. This was the home of two of the most in- 
 fluential lay-members of the Franklin Associa- 
 tion, i. e., the lamented Charles Burkes and the 
 beloved Alexander Jennings, deacon. 
 
 The St. Francois Church w^as organized at the 
 old Pendleton Church-house, six miles southwest 
 of Farmington, St. Francois county. Its con- 
 stituent members were from a community of 
 
SC) THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 North Carolinians, principjilly the Taylor family, 
 who first settled near where Loughboro now 
 stands, in about the year 1851. In 1854 this 
 church was organized by Elder Gentry, ^vho was 
 its first pastor. For a time the author was a 
 member of this church, and it was here that we 
 first heard the sweet melodies of cultivated note- 
 sinuinsr. Of all the churches we ever knew which 
 taught their members the science and beauty of 
 singing by note, this one was the most exemplary. 
 When Elder Wm. Settle w^as pastor, he said, as 
 he was nearinoj the church on one occasion while 
 they were singing, ''That music so sweet and 
 beautiful makes me think myself away to the 
 rest of endless dav." Amonsr those who led in 
 this beautiful service, it is but proper that w'e 
 mention the lamented Elisha Hunt, who went to 
 the "war and never returned ; the musical John 
 Williams and J. Taylor, assisted by the melodi- 
 ous voices of Sisters Hunt and Mar}' Cloud and 
 many others who are worthy of mention, did not 
 space forbid. 
 
 Farmington Baptist Church w^as organized 
 quite recently, at Farmington, an old historic 
 town in Baptist history. It is a small but prom- 
 ising church with Elder J. G. Hardy as pastor. 
 It was in Farmington that the first Baptist 
 
Southeast MissouRt. 87 
 
 families, the Murphys, settled in 1804, who es- 
 tablished the first Sabbath-school west of the 
 great river. 
 
 Bismarck Church is located at Bismarck, an 
 important railroad town in St. Francois county. 
 The church was organized a few years airo by 
 Elder T. A. Bowman, who was then District 
 Missionary for Southeast Missouri, under appoint- 
 ment of the Board of the General Association. 
 Prof. J. S. Gashwiler is pastor of this important 
 place. He has also a fine select school at Farm- 
 ington, where he resides. It is a Baptist school 
 worthy of a large patronage. 
 
 JAMES WILLIAMS. 
 
 This eminent divine, though mentioned by 
 other writers, is worthy of mention in these 
 sketches ; especially in connection with the Frank- 
 lin Association, in which body he labored much. 
 James Williams was born near Lexington, Ky., 
 October 4, 1789, being the eldest son of the family. 
 His parents not being wealthy, he only received 
 a common school education. When quite young 
 he came to Missouri and settled in St. Louis° 
 shortly after which he moved to New Madrid 
 county. Here he purchased a farm, and soon 
 after married Miss Lydia Waller. The earth- 
 quake of 1811 destroyed his property at New 
 
88 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Madrid, and leaving there he settled near Cape 
 Girardeau about the year 1816. At about the 
 same time he entered upon the work of the min- 
 istry. After a time spent here, he moved to 
 Madison county, where, on Sundays, he preached 
 to the people of the surrounding communities. 
 In 1832 he went to Washington county and set- 
 tled on Fourche a Renault Creek, where he soon 
 commenced gathering churches. 
 
 Elder Williams was in the formation of the 
 Franklin Association, and was its first Modera- 
 tor. He was a great revivalist, and a pleasant and 
 eloquent preacher, much beloved by all. He 
 peacefully Avent to his reward and rest in April, 
 1861, at the ripe age of 72 years. 
 
 ELD. JOSEPH RUTTER. 
 
 Eld. Rutter has, for many years, been laboring 
 within the bounds of Franklin Association. He 
 was, I think, a native of Kentucky, in which 
 state he united with the Baptists, and commenced 
 to preach. A few years afterward he came to 
 this state and first preached in the Cape Girar- 
 deau Association about the year 1854 ; shortly 
 afterward he became identified with the Frank- 
 lin, in which body he has spent most of his time 
 since, as a traveling revivalist. He is now more 
 than 70 years of age, having, during his minis- 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 89 
 
 try, baptized more than eighteen hundred per- 
 sons, and is still traveling and preaching. 
 
 ELD. JOHN RUDY. 
 
 The birth-place of this strong and influential 
 8€lf-made man of God, we know not. He was 
 brought up near the town of Farmington, St. 
 Francois county, Missouri. He was converted 
 under the ministry of the great Wni. Polk, and 
 baptized into the fellowship of Colony Church, in 
 the year 1853, or 1854, and commenced to 
 preach; but in consequence of a difficulty in Col- 
 ony Church, brought about by the Know-Kothing 
 question, he was not ordained until he had united 
 with Union Church, of Franklin Association, in 
 Avhich body he has been an active missionary and 
 pastor for many years, with still a promise of 
 usefulness. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 Many other deserving ministers of this Asso- 
 ciation could be mentioned in these sketches. 
 We now conclude this chapter with a summary 
 review. It will now be seen that the Franklin 
 Association has stood for fifty-four years amidst 
 various changes, religious and political, faithful 
 to its progressive integrity. It has sent forth 
 several able missionaries into destitute fields; has 
 advocated Bible and Sunday-school work ; main- 
 
90 The baptists of 
 
 tained Temperance Societies in its churches; 
 advocated the distribution of sound Bible Litera- 
 ture and establishment of whatever benelicient 
 enterprises would, in their judgment, bless 
 mankind ; supporting the various missionary en- 
 terprises of the Baptist denomination at home 
 and abroad. From the annual of the General 
 Association for 1885 we o:ather the followino: 
 statistics: 24 churches, 11 ordained ministers, 
 100 baptisms; total membership, 1507. They 
 believe in an educated ministry, and, therefore, 
 have a fostering care for Christian Education. 
 Thus it is to be seen that the principle and spirit 
 which actuated the fathers who first began this 
 good work is still living in the hearts of the chil- 
 dren. The next annual meeting of this old and 
 venerated body is to be with Union Church, St. 
 Francois county, a few miles north of Farming- 
 ton, the county-seat. 
 
 FARMINGTON COLLEGE. 
 
 As mentioned elsewhere this school is located 
 at Farmington, which is noted for healthfulness 
 and good society. It is now under the auspices of 
 the Franklin and other adjoining Baptist Associa- 
 tions. The school entered upon its second session 
 September 5th, 1887, with prospects of a success- 
 ful future, destined, doubtless, for eminent great- 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 91 
 
 ness and usefulness to the coming generations of 
 the community. It was established September 
 10th, 1883, by Prof. J. S. Gashwiler, who sold it 
 to the Franklin Baptist Association as a Baptist 
 denominational school. It is now under the able 
 supervision of Prof. E. J. Jennings, as principal, 
 who has just closed a successful session. 
 
 PROF. E.J. JENNINGS. 
 
 Prof. E. J. Jennings, son of Alexander Jen- 
 nings, long a faithful and useful member of Liberty 
 Church, St. Genevieve county, Mo., was born 
 in that county, February 20th, 1850. His father 
 being an industrious, economical farmer, trained 
 his son to useful and profitable labor, amidst the 
 pleasant scenery of a good country home and a 
 prosperous and happy family. 
 
 When quite young he entered the common 
 schools of the country, and was a dutiful and 
 studious boy. He attended Hickory Grove Acad- 
 emy, (Tennessee) for a term or more; after 
 which he returned to his native State and entered 
 William Jewell College, in which school he com- 
 pleted his course of studies, and was trained and 
 qualified for a useful professional life. In 1876 
 he was chosen principal of Baskinton Academy, 
 Louisiana, where he remained for three years; 
 after which he occupied a high position in the 
 
92 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Fletcher Academy, of that State, for four years. 
 He was elected President of Farminojton College in 
 1886. JTe was married to Miss Ella Barkly , of Clay 
 county, Mo., October 21st, 1881. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. ^3 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE BLACK RIVER ASSOCIATION. 
 
 The fourth Association in Southeast Missouri 
 was organized in Greenville, county-seat of 
 Wayne county, in November, 1835, with six 
 churches, formerly belonging to Cape Girardeau 
 Association, which had been dismissed for the 
 purpose of forming the Black River Association, 
 viz. : Black River, Cherokee Bay, Columbia, Big 
 Creek, Bear Creek, and Greenville, with a mem- 
 bership of about 180. This Association, like 
 nearly all the old ones of Southeast Missouri, 
 was, at the time of its organization, and is yet, 
 a strong missionary body. A brief account of its 
 history will be given in these sketches in connec- 
 tion with the work and labor of its leading min- 
 isters. 
 
 The ministers connected with its organization 
 were Elders William Mason, S. Winningham, 
 Elder Henry McElmurry, who was chosen Mod- 
 erator, and Sam. L. J. McKnight, Clerk. 
 (Minutes of Organization.) After a few years, 
 
94 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 the ministerial strength was doubled by the com- 
 ing into the Association of Elders Wm. Settle, 
 B. Clark, and N. G. Ferguson. From its or- 
 ganization until 1860, the meetings continued 
 regularly, showing its progress by a steady in- 
 crease of churches and members. The number 
 of its churches had increased from 1833 to 1859, 
 from six churches to twenty-four, with a total 
 membership of more than one thousand commu- 
 nicants. 
 
 This Association was located at the time of ats 
 organization in one of the largest, and, doubtless, 
 one of the most destitute fields in Southeast Mis- 
 souri — extending from the southern part of Madi- 
 son county, southward through Wayne, Stod- 
 dard, Dunklin, and westward into Butler county. 
 This district took in a^ greater part of the swamp 
 wilderness, in the bounds of which were many 
 thousand acres of the most fertile land, which 
 was, at that time, more valuable to the people on 
 account of the game found upon it than for its 
 fertility. Many of the settlers were hunters. 
 This field is, consequently, now held sacred by 
 the remembrance of the toils, sacrifices, labors, 
 prayers, tears and sermons of those brave Chris- 
 tians who spent their best days in laying well the 
 foundations of Gospel truth among this people, — 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 95 
 
 which blessed truth has spread far and wide into 
 ahnost every community in this great field. 
 
 In 1850, fifteen years after its oro;anization, 
 twelve churches were dismissed from its bounds 
 to form the St. Francois Association. These 
 churches were located principally in the northern 
 boundary of this great field. The old Associa- 
 tional body styled itself the Bla('k River Associa- 
 tion of United Missionary Baptists. 
 
 ITS PROGRESS. 
 
 After dismissing these twelve churches, in 1850, 
 to form the St. Francois Association, the diminu- 
 tion of strength was almost replaced in ten years, 
 which brings us to 1860. In this year the Black 
 Eiver Association still numbered twenty-two 
 churches, to which three more new ones were 
 added, having in all 962 members, with fourteen 
 ministers and 125 baptisms reported. 
 
 The Minutes of 1860 give the following inter- 
 esting items : 
 
 Resolved y first. That this Association will not 
 hold in fellowship any church which will tolerate 
 in her members the'practice of selling intoxicating 
 liquors, to be used as a beverage, or who will en- 
 courage in any way the use of intoxicating 
 drinks. 
 
 Second, That we do not recognize any as 
 
96 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 having been baptized, who have received the 
 ordinance at the hands of Pedo-Baptists. 
 
 Third, That a religious education is a powerful 
 aid to piety and zeal in qualifying young men for 
 the Gospel ministry. That it is the duty of the 
 churches to aid such brethren as give promise of 
 usefulness in the ministry and are not able to 
 educate themselves. 
 
 In 1860 Bro. L. L. Stephens was missionary 
 and reported fifty days labor, forty-three sermons 
 preached, fifty families visited, and nine baptisms ; 
 and received $50. During the war period here, 
 a^ elsewhere in Southeast Missouri, but little 
 progress, if any, could be made. But in 1867 the 
 Minutes show that renewed energy was put forth, 
 as in that year eight churches were admitted to 
 the Associational list. Two years later great 
 prosperity was manifested as in this year, 1869, 
 thirty churches were reported on the list, with 
 1,726 members and 338 baptisms. Thus, a truly 
 fine example of religious i^rogress was manifested 
 by this body for a period of thirtj^-four years. 
 
 ITS STANDSTILL. 
 
 From the period last mentioned to 1881, a 
 space of tw^elve years, there seems to have been a 
 general declension and fallinsr off in the churches 
 and members, which seems to have been in con 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 
 
 97 
 
 sequence of unsettled plans and methods of work. 
 But since this standstill period, beginning in 1881 
 to 1882, prosperity began rolling on as before. 
 In 1881 seventy baptisms were reported. 
 
 The ministers represented were David Lewis, 
 J. F. Bibb, W. H. Dial, T. B. Turnbaugh, R. H. 
 Douglas, T. Hogan, W. G. Henderson (licen- 
 tiate), M. V. Baird, L. D. Cagle ; licentiates, J. 
 J. Wester, H. D. Carlin, M. G. Whitaker, J. H. 
 D. Carlin and Bro. Stringer. 
 
 Of the organization and establishment of the 
 different churches of this Association we have 
 not the means of knowing; and therefore will not 
 detain the reader with indefinite information. 
 Neither have we anything but meagre accounts of 
 its first ministers and their work ; and of some of 
 them, nothing at all. So far as we can learn, 
 however, they were all truly pious, consecrated 
 ministers. 
 
 We will mention Elder John W. Brown, of the 
 Black River Association, as having lived in Dunk- 
 lin county in quite early times. He was a man 
 of great faithfulness and deep piety. He died 
 August 13th, 1868, as it is said, in battle. 
 
 Elder L. L. Stephens w^as another of this min- 
 isterial band who had presided in the councils of 
 
98 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 this old Association and labored as missionary. 
 He died in the year 1872. 
 
 Bro. John H. Floyd, a native of Clark county, 
 Mo., was born in 1832. He came with his 
 father's family some years ago to Dunklin 
 county. In 1854 he was converted to Christ and 
 united with the Baptist Church, and in 1858 be- 
 gan preaching. He spent the remainder of his 
 life, with the exception of one year in Texas, in 
 this tield. He was a man of great energy, indus- 
 try and faithfulness ; cultivating a farm for a 
 living, while he usually preached to three or four 
 churches statedly. He would sometimes spend 
 two or three months holding protracted meetings 
 every year. Sometimes he would continue until 
 hardly able to talk. Eternity alone will reveal 
 the toils and sacrifices of such men. He died 
 June 8th, 1874, being then in his forty-third 
 year. 
 
 Right here, where information concerning other 
 deserving brethren of this, as well as other Asso- 
 ciations, is wanting, the author wishes to give a 
 thought to all Baptist brethren who may chance 
 to read these sketches, and that is : 
 
 That we ought to have short biographies of 
 each and every minister of note, containing the 
 time and place of birth, where educated, when 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 99 
 
 converted and baptized, where ordained, etc., etc. 
 Such sketches should be obtained while they are 
 living, either by the churches for which they 
 served as pastors, or by the Associations in which 
 they lived ; and these documents should be pre- 
 served for future history. We know nc.t what 
 time may reveal in the lives of ministers; we all 
 love to look back, through the pages of history, 
 upon the commendable labors and sacrifices of 
 those who have fallen upon the field, battling for 
 the truth. Let none forget that the future may 
 be made all-inspiring by the present. 
 
 The Black River Association is now a strono* 
 aggressive and progressive body, having an able 
 and efficient band of ministers true to the faith 
 and to every good work. The session of 1886, 
 held with the Philadelphia Church, five miles 
 north of Bloomfield, county-seat of Stoddard 
 county, was a harmonious and profitable session. 
 Elder R. H. Douglas Avas Moderator, and Judge 
 R. P. Owens, Clerk. As the Association was 
 very large, it was divided into two districts in or- 
 der to do a more effective work ; in each of which 
 a Mission Board was appointed and $200 pledo-ed 
 for the w^ork. 
 
100 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 ST. FRAXCOIS ASSOCIATION. 
 
 The fifth Association organized in Southeast 
 Missouri was styled the St. Francois Association 
 of United Bapti^^ts Devoted to Benevolent Pur- 
 poses. It was organized October 14th, 1850, at 
 Castor Church, now near Marquand, an important 
 railroad town in Madison count}^ out of a colony 
 of twelve churches which had been dismissed 
 from the Black River Association for that pur- 
 pose. From the name which it bears, we sec at 
 once that it starts out with the combined idea of 
 a missionary body, being ** devoted to benevolent 
 purposes," which was the first characteristic of 
 all the former bodies of the kind hitherto organ- 
 ized in this part of the state. While it has ever 
 been a fixed purpose of all the Associations of 
 Baptists in Southeast Missouri, as well as else- 
 where, to maintain a general union and com- 
 munion of all the churches of each Association, 
 upon principles of sound doctrine and orthodox 
 practice, it has also been the custom to maintain 
 and spread the Gospel in their midst as well as 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. lOl 
 
 elsewhere. Such, therefore, was the object of 
 this Association, and should be the object of 
 every such organization. 
 
 The constituent churches of this body were 
 Mt. Pleasant, Sinking Creek, Webb's Creek, 
 Grassy Creek, Pleasant Grove, Little Vine, New 
 Hope, Perkins' Creek, Little Flock, Big Creek, 
 Cedar Creek and Castor, having a membership of 
 534 members. 
 
 At the first annual meeting, which was held in 
 September, 1851, with Little Vine Church, Madi- 
 son county, Dr. R. P. Paramore was chosen 
 Moderator, Eld. Pinckney Graham, Clerk, and 
 EkLWm. W. Settle, Assistant Clerk. Accord- 
 ing to the Minutes of that year, the following 
 ministers were present : Elds. C. T. Graham, 
 Wm. W. Settle, J. Duncan, I B. Wallace, A. 
 Hughes, R. S. Eaton and S. M. Ranhoff. 
 
 THE PROGRESS OF THE ASSOCIATIOX. 
 
 The object of these sketches is to show the pro- 
 gressive missionary spirit and work of this as w^ell 
 as the other Associations to which we have already 
 alluded. We now proceed to give the missionary 
 progress of this body, the organization and work 
 of the leading churches, with biographical sketch- 
 es of the leading ministers and members, from 
 1851 to 188G — a period of thirty-six years. 
 
102 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 We find from the Minutes, that from 1851 to 
 1860 there was a steady increase in the member- 
 ship of the churches, as well as new churches 
 added to the Association. In this short time the 
 Association had increased to twenty churches, 
 with the addition of nine pastors to its ministerial 
 strength. 
 
 Tiiis Association organized what was called the 
 Southeast Missouri Baptist Convention, which 
 was intended to increase the strength and means 
 for a more active spread of the Gosj^el. The 
 most important meeting of thi?i body was held 
 with the Mt. Tabor Church in the year of 1859. 
 A 2:rand revival meetins: was the result of this 
 missionary convention, and thirteen were added 
 to the Mt. Tabor Church. However, this was 
 only one of the many grand revivals enjoj-ed in 
 many of the churches of this Association from 
 that time until the war ; when there was a cessa- 
 tion in the meetings of the Association for two 
 years. In 1863 the Association convened at 
 Big Creek Church, Madison county ; ten churches 
 only reporting at this meeting, with twenty-two 
 baptisms. 
 
 THE GREAT REVIVAL PERIOD. 
 
 After the strife and confusion of the war had 
 abated, the ministers of this Association com- 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 103 
 
 ttienced preaching with what seemed to be a 
 double portion of zeal and spiritual power ; the 
 result of which was tliat a good revival interest 
 spread all over the entire field. Hundreds were 
 converted and added to the churches; new- 
 churches sprang up in great numbers all over 
 Southeast Missouri, so that in a few years the 
 Association numbered thirty-seven churches, hav- 
 ing a membership of fourteen hundred communi- 
 cants and a corps of sixteen or seventeen ordained 
 ministers and several licentiates. 
 
 The Association now extended over a very large 
 field which included all the southern portion of 
 Madison, all of Wayne, and a greater portion of 
 Bollinger counties. It, therefore, became neces- 
 sary to divide the Association for the convenience 
 of the representatives of the various churches. 
 Accordingly, in the year 187G, twelve churches 
 were dismissed to form the Wayne County As- 
 sociation. This left the St. Francois with 
 twenty-five churches — principally in Madison 
 and Bollinger counties — with nine or ten or- 
 dained ministers and four licentiates. In 1877 
 the session was held with Castor Church, near 
 Marquand, Madison county, on the first day 
 of September. Eld. Joseph Creacy, who had 
 served as missionary that year, reported, at this 
 
104 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 session, tliat he had organized one church, 
 strengthened several old ones, and baptized some 
 sixty converts. At this meeting an Executive 
 Committee was appointed to raise funds and su- 
 perintend the mission work for the ensuing year. 
 Dr. W. H. May field was chosen as General 
 Agent, and the author was employed as Mission- 
 ary. In 1878 the session was held with the Big- 
 Creek Church, Madison count \\ The Associa- 
 tion was much gratified with the report of the 
 Board. The General Agent had done his work 
 well, haying secured means to pay the missionary 
 and procured subscriptions, and money besides, 
 amounting to more than $1100.00 for the purpose 
 of establishing a Baptist Institution of learning 
 at the town of Smithville, Bollinger county, Mis- 
 souri. The work of the missionary above named 
 had been a success. He had given to the work 
 sixty days at $1.00 per day; eighty con- 
 verts had been baptized, and three ne\y 
 churches organized ; besides, he had aided in 
 procuring means for the establishment of the In- 
 stitution before mentioned. The churches organ- 
 ized were Little Whitewater, First Baptist Church 
 of Smithville, and Bethel Church, all in Bollin- 
 ger county. The Smithville Church became ex- 
 tinct in consequence of removing the Institution 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 105 
 
 of Learning, then to be established at Smith ville, 
 to Marble Hill. Mention of this Institution will 
 be made hereafter. 
 
 The churches represented at the Association 
 this year were: Big Creek, Antioch, Castor, 
 Cane Creek, Cedar Creek, Ebenezer, Flatwoods, 
 First Church of Fredericktown, Marble Hill, 
 First Church of Smithville, Hickory Grove, Lit- 
 tle Whitewater, Mt. Carmel, Mt. Pisgah, Mt. 
 Zion, New Prospect, New Salem, Shady Grove, 
 Sylvan, Trace Creek, Twelve Mile, and White- 
 water. 
 
 The ministers present were : Elders F. M. 
 Holbrook, V. T. Settle, J. C. Hembree, M. Rob- 
 bins, B. L. Bowman, L. W. Revelle, A. Twidwell 
 and H. F. Tong. 
 
 It was at this session that the grand movement 
 was made to accept the proposition (of $1100.00 
 submitted in the report of Dr. Mayfield,) in be- 
 half of the citizens of Smithville, to establish a 
 Baptist Institution of learning at that place, to 
 be under the patronage and supervision of the St. 
 Francois Baptist Association. This was a grand 
 step forward, which will be considered in a fu- 
 ture chapter, in behalf of the Institution, pre- 
 senting to the reader the enterprising spirit of 
 this faithful and progressive body. 
 
10(5 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 The progress of the Association is now to be 
 seen clearly as she marches forward, with mis- 
 sionaries on the field and the appropriation of 
 means for the establishment of Christian educa- 
 tion and the spread of the Gospel among the 
 destitute at home as well as in foreign lands. 
 
 Beginning in 1877, the work of the Associa- 
 tion was, comparatively, in the hands of a new 
 body of ministers. Nearly all of her old min- 
 isters were now gone home to receive the reward 
 of the faithful, after years of toil and suffering 
 under the most adverse circumstances. Through 
 all, they labored to establish this and other Asso- 
 ciations ; for this service they should ever be held 
 in sacred memor}^ In all honor we name the 
 following beloved brethren : Elders Carter T. 
 Graham, L. D. Bennett, T. Langley, A. Hughes, 
 Joseph Crowley, Samuel Farrar, Wm. W. Settle, 
 Pinckney Graham and Joseph Creasy. Their 
 memories will ever be sweet to those who enjoyed 
 the fruits of their labors. 
 
 We will now proceed to give some sketches of 
 the leading churches and ministers above men- 
 tioned : 
 
 The oldest church in this Association is Big 
 Creek. It was organized in May, 1835, at the 
 house of Elder Carter Graham, near Big Creek, 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 107 
 
 Madison county. Elder Henry McElnmrry was 
 its first pastor. He continued with the church 
 four years, when he was succeeded by Elder Car- 
 ter T. Graham, who remained twenty years. 
 Since his death Elder Wm. London has been its 
 pastor most of the time up to 1885. 
 
 The writer's first, acquaintance with the St. 
 Francois Association was at the session held with 
 Castor church in the year 18G8. To us it was a 
 goodly acquaintance, which we will never forget. 
 We were afflicted and worried and a stranger, and 
 no pains were spared by the brethren and sisters 
 of this church to give us comfort. 
 
 The Castor Church w^as organized in the year 
 1845, in the Whitner settlement on Castor River, 
 now Marquand, Madison county, at the house of 
 the venerable Henry Whitner, by Elders Graham, 
 Settle and Eaton. It is now forty-one years since 
 it was organized, but it is jet standing, an appro- 
 priate beacon to those wdio are out of Christ. Of 
 the ministers who served as pastor prior to 1878, 
 doubtless, none were more faithful or worthy 
 than Elders Carter Graham, Pinckney Graham 
 and Wm. W. Settle, who was pastor in 1870, in 
 October of which year he died. After his death, 
 in consequence of the then feeble health of Elder 
 Pinckney Graham, the only survivor of the three, 
 
108 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 the writer was called to the pastorate, where he 
 had the honor of continuing most of the time for 
 seventeen years. Truly can it be said that this 
 church has been a fruitful vine. 
 
 Marble Hill Church when first organized was 
 called Crooked Creek, then Dallas, the name of the 
 town in which it was then located. The town 
 became the permanent county-seat of Bollinger 
 county, and after the war its name was changed 
 to that of Marble Hill ; in consequence of which 
 the church changed its name to that of Marble 
 Hill Church. 
 
 This church was org.anized about the year 1848. 
 Doubtless, Elder George Coker was its first pas- 
 tor, as it appears that he lived near this phice for 
 several years prior to the war. The venerable 
 Wm. Settle was its pnstor in 1869, in which year 
 the writer came to the county, and soon after the 
 death of Elder Settle, became pastor here and 
 continued for several years. 
 
 This church has enjoyed several great revival 
 seasons, but the most remarkable was that under 
 the pastorate of Rev. J. C. Hembree, in the year 
 1883, assisted by Elders T. A. and B. L. Bow- 
 man. More than one hundred were converted, 
 ninety of whom united with the church. Rev. J. 
 S. Gashwiler, A. M., Associated Principal of 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 109 
 
 Mayfiekl-Siiiith Academy, located at this place, 
 is pastor at this time. 
 
 Trace Creek Church was organized some time 
 previous to the war, but at what date we know 
 not. It is located at the head of Trace Creek, 
 Bollinger county. Elders Pinckney Graham and 
 Wm. Settle seem to have been among the first 
 ministers attending this church. It was a some- 
 what weak church at the start, but continued to 
 increase with more or less prosperity for a num- 
 ber of years; but like many others it has had its 
 share of difficulties to encounter, which have 
 tried its faith and patience to the utmost. 
 
 Right here we wish to mention, that while it is 
 truly painful to the feelings of any Baptist writer 
 or historian to have to chronicle any matter of 
 difficulty arising in imy Baptist church, and w^hile 
 we have not so far in these sketches, nor will we 
 iu the future allude to such things so far as 
 giving details is concerned, yet in this instance 
 we feel called upon to give one of the most pecul- 
 iar incidents of church difficulties we have ever 
 met, and which shows the spirit of evil and non- 
 conformity, that may rise in a church, as well as 
 the important right and power of an association 
 of sister churches to Avithdraw from any dis- 
 orderly church, or fraction of a church, when all 
 
110 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 conciliatory means fail to satisfy or restore them. 
 
 CHURCH DIFFICULTY. 
 
 The follosving report of the Committee on 
 the case of the Trace Creek Church is clipped 
 from the Minutes of the St. Francois Association 
 for the year of 1880, which session was held at 
 Smithville, Bollinger county, September 1st, of 
 that year : 
 Dear Brethren: 
 
 AVe, your Committee, submit the following : 
 First, on investigation we find that a difficulty 
 arose between brethren J. C. Hembrce and T. J. 
 Rawls, which they could not settle ; whereupon it 
 occurs that Bro. Rawls brought it to the church 
 for them to settle, from which we gather the fol- 
 lowing facts: First, the church did call a council 
 composed of deacons and ministers of sister 
 churches; said council convened with the church 
 and in their judgment did decide that the charges 
 ao^ainst Bro. Ilembree were not sustained; and 
 that the report of said council was received by the 
 church to be considered at their next meeting, at 
 which time they failed to recognize said report. 
 But upon motion of Bro. Rawls, then acting as 
 plaintive, Bro. Hembree, defendant, was ex- 
 cluded. Now from these facts the following 
 queries arise: First, Did the church do right in 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. Ill 
 
 not considering the opinion of stiid council? 
 Second, Is it right for either party submitting a 
 case before a church to make motions relative to 
 the case? Third, Is it proper or right for said 
 church, upon motion of j^flciintiffov defendant^ to 
 withdraw their fellowship from other brethren 
 and sisters of good standing who cannot acquiesce 
 in the former action of the church? Fourth, Is 
 a church out of order to exclude twenty-five 
 members of good standing by a rising vote of 
 seven, when there are twenty -two members pres- 
 ent in the house, and at the same time? Their 
 Rules of Decorum say that a majority of the 
 members present shall rule. Fifth, Is the church 
 out of order to prefer charges against members 
 without giving them notice that charges will be 
 brought asiainst them ? Now, as reoardin^j the 
 action of the Association concerning the above- 
 mentioned queries, the proceedings show that 
 every one was answered in the negative, and 
 therefore considered to be altogether contrary to 
 Baptist usage ; in consequence of which the dele- 
 gates. Rev. Aaron McKelvey, M. Brinley and M. 
 A. Poe, representing the members who had 
 entered their solemn protest against such unbap- 
 tistic proceedings, Avere invited to seats as the 
 lawful representatives of Trace Creek Church. 
 
112 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 In conclusion, as the reader may wonder what 
 the charo'es were which were brous^ht a^-ainst the 
 said J. C. Hembree, then pastor of Trace Creek 
 Church, it is but proper in his behalf and in the 
 vindication of a faithful pastor, to state the facts 
 as they were represented to the church and Com- 
 mittee first mentioned, which were as folloAVs: 
 
 The said T. J. Rawls, then a leading member 
 of Trace Creek Church, was charged by public 
 opinion of open, base conduct with his sister-in- 
 law to the discredit of his family and the church, 
 which conduct had been mentioned by several 
 faithful brethren to the pastor, who spoke of it 
 to others, who made inquiry concerning it, as a 
 shame and a sin. This Rawls heard of, and thus 
 brought it to the qhurch, attempting to charge 
 Mr. Hembree with having made false statements 
 concerning him which he said he could prove; 
 but which on trial before the church and an able 
 Committee from sister churches, he absolutely 
 failed to do, as was decided by the Committee. 
 
 THE VINDICATION OF MINISTERIAL STANDING. 
 
 Having first mentioned the vindication of the 
 faithful members of Trace Creek Church by the 
 Association, we will here give the vindication of 
 ministerial standing which came up at the same 
 meeting of the Association, which shows the im- 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 113 
 
 portant relation the churches hold, in an Asso- 
 ciational capacity, in protecting themselves and 
 the cause against impostors, as well as unrul}^ 
 factions of churches, as follows : 
 
 *'We, your Committee on Ministerial Stand- 
 ing, are happy to say that all the ministers within 
 the bounds of this Association , so far as we can 
 learn, are in good standing, except Bro. T. J. 
 Mansfield, against whom your Committee have 
 injurious reports from letters and Minutes of the 
 Cumberland Association of Missionary Baptists, 
 held with Union Church, Sequache county, 
 Tenn., September 12th, 1879, from which we 
 quote as follows : 
 
 *The Committee on the State of the Ministers 
 of this Association [Cumberland] beg leave to 
 state that by the blessings of Providence, the 
 ministers of this Association are in good stand- 
 ing, except Elder T. J. Mansfield. The report is 
 that he has been living in adultery with a woman 
 whom he took with himself and family and left 
 this country, which statement corroborates with 
 private letters received, and reports current in 
 this country [Missouri].' 
 
 This report was adopted with the following 
 resolution: Resolved, That we warn all our 
 churches against receiving to their pulpits as pas- 
 
114 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 tor, 01* otherwise, any man or men, who are not 
 under a tongue of good report and well recom- 
 mended." 
 
 Thus is the cause and the ministry vindicated 
 by the Association ; although it is a shame to say 
 that the Rawl's faction of Trace Creek Church, 
 after passing the above resolution, chose or called 
 said Mansfield as their pastor, to the shame of 
 themselves and community, until he again fled 
 from the oflScers of civil law, leaving them to the 
 fate of their disgraceful and unbaptistic conduct. 
 But Trace Creek Church was rescued from shame 
 and fanaticism. They now have a good house of 
 worship, with a respectable membership. The 
 beloved Wm. R. Moore, of Fredericktown, is its 
 pastor. 
 
 LEADING MINISTERS OF ST. FRANCOIS ASSOCIATION. 
 
 We will here briefly review, in connection with 
 the churches of this Association, the lives of the 
 leading ministers who established and built up 
 those churches, as well as others. 
 
 ELD. CARTER T. GRAHAM. 
 
 This devoted minister was a native of either 
 North Carolina or Tennessee; was born Septem- 
 ber 6th, 1800. He came to Missouri and settled 
 in Madison county in October, 1827. He was 
 converted in his thirty-fourth year, and united 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 115 
 
 with the St. Francois Church — being baptized by 
 Elder H. McElmurry in Big Creek, not far from 
 his own door, and only about one hundred yards 
 from the family graveyard, where his body now 
 rests. He was one of the constituent members 
 of Big Creek Church in 1835, and was soon 
 afterwards sent forth into the ministry by the 
 same body, becoming its pastor and remaining 
 with it until his death. Although he was a fron- 
 tier man, with but little educational advantages, 
 yet he was surpassed by few men in natural en- 
 dowments. He was uncompromising in his min- 
 istry, opposed to pulpit affiliation and open com- 
 munion ; but was in favor of feet-washinaj as a 
 church ordinance. He was only what was called 
 a farmer preacher, but was very successful in 
 building up churches, there being but few in 
 Madison county, where he commenced preaching. 
 He generally had charge of four churches, some 
 of them twenty-five miles from his home ; he was 
 faithful to the last. He died October 5th, 1861, 
 having preached his last sermon, which ^vas one 
 of his strongest, at Big Creek, his home church, 
 on September 15th, just twenty days before his 
 death. He was taken sick on the 16th, grew 
 worse, until he gave up the ghost. Though suf- 
 fering greatly, he endured with patience and for- 
 
116 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 titude to the end ; exhorting to the hist his family 
 and friends who came to witness the triumphant 
 death of a Christian soldier, — in his day, one of 
 the most useful men of Southeast Missouri. 
 
 ELD. ANDERSOX HUGHES. 
 
 This man, a native of Tennessee, was born 
 October 6th, 1822, and came with his parents to 
 this country when but a boy. They settled in 
 Wayne county, where he was converted when 
 about twenty years old ; was baptized by Eld. 
 Wm. Settle into the fellowship of the St. Fran- 
 cois Church in 1847. Soon after this he com- 
 menced to preach, and was ordained at Cedar 
 Creek Church. He was a vocal music teacher as 
 well as a preacher, and, therefore, was a great 
 blessing to the churches and communities of the 
 St. Francois Association. He was a great re- 
 vivalist, at the services of which he doubtless con- 
 tracted his last illness. He died November 27th, 
 1863. 
 
 ELD. JOSEPH CROWXY. 
 
 Of this brother we know but little. He was , 
 for a time, a Methodist preacher ; but finally be- 
 came a Baptist, and was ordained by them to the 
 work of the Gospel ministry. After preaching 
 a few years, he died sometime in the year of 
 1865. He w^as, doubtless, a good preacher, as a 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 117 
 
 resolution, giving a high tribute of respect to his 
 memory, was passed at the session of the St. 
 Francois Association the same year, as follows : 
 
 Resolved, That this Association has sustained a 
 great loss in the death of Elder Joseph Crowly, 
 a devoted minister Christ. He was a pious 
 Christian man, and rests from his labors. That 
 it is the Christian duty of the brethren of this 
 Association to see that his widow and minor 
 heirs do not want for the comforts of life. 
 (Minutes of 1865.) 
 
 ELD. WILLIAM W. SETTLE. 
 
 Having been personally associated with Bro. 
 Settle, in connection with Elder Pinckney Gra- 
 ham, during their last years, we could write at 
 great length of their labors of love and grand 
 achievements for the cause of Christ in South- 
 east Missouri, if space would permit. While 
 none are more worthy, yet other deserving min- 
 isters are to be mentioned, which compels us to 
 brevity in these sketches. Elder Settle was a 
 native of Tennessee. He was born April 9th, 
 1809, and was married to Miss Sarah Barnett, 
 daughter of George Barnett, with whom he came 
 to this country in 1833. In 1834 he settled in 
 the southern part of Madison county, and pro- 
 fessed religion ; not long after he joined the church 
 
iia 
 
 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 and commenced to preach. He was ordained by 
 order of Big Creek Church about the year 1839. 
 Shortly after this, he was appointed Missionary 
 for Southeast Missouri and Northern Arkansas 
 by the American Baptist Home Missionary Soci- 
 ety, in which service he spent two years when he 
 settled where Piedmont now stands, in Wa3^ne 
 county. After a few years of faithful labor in 
 this district, in which he established several 
 churches, he removed to Twelve Mile, Madison 
 county, where he again settled, laboring under 
 the disadvantages of opening up a new farm. 
 However, he continued to preach on Sundays, 
 receiving a small remuneration. But he labored 
 and prospered until he arose above want, reach- 
 ing comfortable circumstances. From this point 
 he went forth, a strong mmister, building up 
 churches and establishing the cause of Christ in 
 many communities in Southeast Missouri. It 
 may be said in truth, that among the great 
 preachers who have lived in Southeast Missouri, 
 Elder Settle stood second to none. He was 
 troubled with dyspepsia, in consequence of which 
 he ate no meats or fruit of any kind for twenty 
 years. He died in October, 1870, at the age of 
 sixty-one years, having been in the ministry 
 thirty-one years. 
 
SOUTHEAS-r MiSSOtRt. 119 
 
 ELD. PIXCliXEY GRAHAM. 
 
 Bro. Graham, who succeeded Elder Settle 
 about seven years, was a native of Green county, 
 Kentucky ; was born January 28th, 1813. He 
 came with his parents to Southeast Missouri 
 when but a bov, thirteen years old. At the age 
 of twenty-two, he professed faith in Christ and 
 united with the Big Creek Baptist Church, in 
 Madison county, of which church he was pastor 
 at the time of his death. He was ordained to 
 the ministry in October, 1857, from which time 
 to his death, he was a faithful servant and pastor 
 of churches. He was a good Moderator, and fre- 
 quently presided over the deliberations of the St. 
 Francois Association. 
 
 He held, in common with most of the brethren 
 before him, that feet-washing, as set forth in St. 
 John, 13th chapter, was an ordinance of the 
 Gospel, and should be attended to by all the 
 churches. He was a humble servant, a plain, 
 practical preacher, and a warm exborter ; and 
 was, therefore, instrumental in the conversion of 
 many souls. Bro. Graham did not believe in 
 pulpit affiliations with other sects, or anything 
 else that tended to weaken the Baptist cause. He 
 died at his home in Madison county, July 3, 1877, 
 at the aofe of sixtv-four vears and six months. 
 
120 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 We have thus far mentioned a few of the lead- 
 ing churches and ministers who were in the or- 
 ganization and work of the St. Francois Associa- 
 tion up to the death of Ekler Pinckney Graham, 
 who was the hist of the okl veterans, whose good 
 examples w^ill live long in the memory of those 
 who knew them best. 
 
 JUDGE E. L. GRAHAM. 
 
 Judge Graham was born February 25th, 1834, 
 in Madison county. Mo. In 1854 he professed 
 faith in Christ and was baptized January Gth, 
 1855 into the fellowship of Old Big Creek Bap- 
 tist Church, from which he was a chartered mem- 
 ber into the organization of the Twelve Mile 
 Church, which was organized at or near his home, 
 situated on a beautiful stream called Twelve 
 Mile, in Madison county. He was chosen Clerk 
 of his church in 185(), and has served as Secre- 
 tary and Recorder of the St. Francois Associa- 
 tion most of the time for more than twenty years. 
 In 1882 he was elected Chief Justice of the 
 County Court, of Madison county, the duties of 
 which office he discharged honorably to himself 
 and with fidelity to his constituents and country. 
 When quite young he was married to Miss Mary 
 C. Whitner, daughter of Henry Whitner, of his 
 native county. As a result of this union, he has 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 121 
 
 reared a large and much respected family, most 
 of whom are now grown, and have been reason- 
 ably well educated as well as trained to industry 
 and economy. However, this is only one of 
 quite a number of equally large and much- 
 respected families of this name in Southeast 
 Missouri. 
 
 NEW CHURCHES AND MINISTERS. 
 
 We will now continue our narrative, but with a 
 comparatively new body of churches and minis- 
 ters. 
 
 Twelve Mile Church is located on a stream of 
 that name, near the residence of Judge E. L. 
 Graham, of Madison county, (the efficient Clerk 
 and Recorder of the St. Francois Association.) 
 This is quite on influential body and has enjoyed 
 several good revival seasons. In 1885 it reported 
 a membership of one hundred and one. Elder 
 Wm. R. Moore was pastor. 
 
 Shady Grove, located two and one-half miles 
 northeast of Fredericktown, is quite an old 
 church. We find, as early as 1854, Elder Joseph 
 Johnson, now of Marysville, Cal., was preach- 
 ing to this community. Some time after a 
 church was established. Of its constituent mem- 
 bers old Father Ely Desha was doubtless among 
 the most prominent, as he was Clerk for many 
 
122 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 3^ears ; though only a lay member, he was a good 
 example of faithfulness and piety. He died in 
 the year 1874. L. W. Revelle is a resident min- 
 ister of this communit3^ He has a splendid farm 
 and residence and is therefore able to do much 
 for the cause. He is an able donor to the May- 
 field-Smith Acadeni}'. Elder Joseph Johnson, 
 first mentioned in connection with the Avork of 
 this church, and who resided in what is called the 
 Creek Nation, some eight miles southwest of 
 Fredericktown, was probably the first pastor of 
 this church, having spent about fifteen years 
 preaching in the bounds of the St. Francois Asso- 
 ciation. He was a great revivalist, full of the 
 spirit of exhortation and prayer ; and therefore 
 spent much time in protracted meetings. We 
 here orjve the followinor amusinoj statement of an 
 old Hardshell Baptist brother who did not be- 
 lieve in protracted meetings like these Missionary 
 Baptists held. 
 
 *'Why, sir," said the old Hardshell brother to 
 another of like faith with himself, "if there isn't 
 a stop put to these missionaries" (referring to 
 Johnson's protracted meetings) '*they will soon 
 have the Gospel preached to all the world, and 
 the first thing we know the end will come right 
 here among us." 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. ' 123 
 
 Mt. Carmel Church is located on a high plateau 
 of hind situated between the head waters of Har- 
 rican, Whitewater and Crooked Creek, Bollinger 
 county. The name by which the community is 
 most familiarly called is Yount's Settlement. This 
 church was organized with fourteen members at 
 what was called the Green school-house, in June, 
 1869, by the writer, assisted by Elder Pinckney 
 Graham. The constituent members of this 
 church were principally from Castor Church. Of 
 the leading lay-members connected with the Mt. 
 Carmel Church, Ave mention old Father Jacob 
 Yount, George W. Mayfield and James Hender- 
 son, who was ordained the first deacon, excepting 
 the writer, and wife. Their families constituted 
 the main body of the church at the start. Old 
 Bro. Jacob Yount was among the first to settle 
 here, and has resided where he now lives for more 
 than fifty years. He is truly a pioneer man, true 
 and faithful to principle, ever standing upon the 
 dignity of his word. James Henderson is a 
 native of Tennessee, but has resided in this 
 country for many years. He is a man of meek 
 and quiet temperament, just such as should 
 always be sought to fill the office of deacon. In 
 connection with these leading families, mention 
 should be made of Peter Sb'nkard and family, 
 
124 THE BAPTISTS CF 
 
 who came to this community since the organiza- 
 tion of the church and became leading members. 
 With few exceptions, this is truly a Baptist 
 family. The mother of this family was a true 
 Baptist, and though dead, she *'yet speaketh." 
 
 This was the first permanent Baptist Church 
 ever established in this part of the county, which 
 community had been under the control of the 
 Methodists and Lutherans for more than thirty 
 years. But Mt. Carmel has been a fruitful vine 
 since three other colonies of Baptists have gone 
 out from her borders to establish Baptist 
 churches in adjacent communities. This church 
 has passed through some hard trials in its efforts 
 to disciple unruly members; but, by the grace of 
 God, has always stood together as a body. Not- 
 withstanding fire brands have been cast into the 
 midst, and seeds of discord sown, yet the former 
 would not burn, neither would the latter take 
 root nor grow. Of the eighteen years since the 
 organization of this church, the writer has served 
 thirteen as pastor. Elder Wm. London, of 
 Madison county, is at present its faithful pastor. 
 
 Big Whitewater Church is located on the old 
 historic Bnptist ground which is at the great 
 gushing spring in the extreme northern part of 
 Bollinger county. It was here the grand Wm. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 125 
 
 Polk pla3'ed when but a little boy, some eighty 
 years ago ; and it was here in after years he first 
 preached the Gospel and assisted in establishing 
 the cause which, though weak at this time, is still 
 living. 
 
 Bethel Church was a Mission Church, estab- 
 lished in 1878, w^ien the writer was missionary — 
 the same year that Little Whitewater and other 
 churches were established. It is located at the 
 head of Little Whitewater, some five miles west 
 of Patton, Bollinger county. It was a weak 
 church at the start, but has established itself with 
 a good hewed log house of w^orship, and is hav- 
 ing a heavy increase. Bro. Bennett Hartle, who 
 is a resident minister of this church, was ordained 
 in 1886. The church now numbers somethinsr 
 over thirty members. Elder Wm. London is 
 pastor at this time. Among the prominent 
 members of this church are Joseph Burcham, 
 James Skaggs, and Elder Bennett Hartle. 
 
 It has been mentioned that one of the last 
 works of Elder Wm. W. Settle was to organize a 
 Baptist church at Fredericktown, which he did in 
 January, 1870, assisted by Silas Livermore. 
 This church was called the First Baptist Church 
 of Fredericktown. Elder Settle was chosen pas- 
 tor, and so continued until his death, which 
 
126 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 occurred in 1871; after which, there beino: no 
 house of worship, the church scattered. In June, 
 1872, it was re-organized, with thirteen members, 
 since which time it has been under the leadership 
 of Rev. V. T. Settle, a native of Virginia. It is 
 now established with a commodious house of wor- 
 ship, and numbers some forty members. The 
 session of the St. Francois Association for 1885 
 was held with this church. Eld. V. T. Settle 
 was Moderator. It had then been forty-eight 
 years since a Missionary Baptist Association had 
 gathered at this old historical town. 
 
 New Salem Church is located on Harrican 
 Creek, Bollinger county, six miles north of Mar- 
 ble Hill, the county-seat. It was organized by 
 Elder Monroe Bobbins, assisted by Bev. T. A. 
 Bowman — the year and date is lacking. Elder 
 Bobbins was the first pastor, and so continued for 
 several years. Under his pastorate, the church 
 prospered steadily but not rapidly, building a 
 good house of worship, which was burned down 
 when near completion, supposed to be the work 
 of an incendiary ; but, like the faithful bees when 
 robbed, they soon rallied their forces and rebuilt 
 a second good and commodious house. In 1885 
 they enjoyed a good revival under the leadership 
 of Bev. J. C. Hembree, then the pastor. They 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 127 
 
 now number nearly sixty members. Rev. L. S. 
 Yount was pastor in 1886, this being his first pas- 
 torate. 
 
 ELD. MONROE ROBBINS. 
 
 Elder Monroe Bobbins, a member of the New 
 Salem Church, was a native of Madison county, 
 Missouri, which makes him decidedly a South- 
 missourian, and, like most others of his time, he 
 enjoyed but a limited education. He, possessing 
 a strong will, energy of mind, and studious 
 habits, is, at this time, quite a good, influen- 
 tial preacher. He was converted at a protracted 
 meeting held by the author in the community 
 where the church is located, about the close of the 
 year of 1870. Soon after he commenced to 
 preach, and was ordained at Mt. Carmel, where 
 he then held membership, in the year 1875. 
 Since then he has been a faithful and useful min- 
 ister. After serving as pastor of several churches, 
 he was chosen Missionary of the St. Francois As- 
 sociation for 1885. He brought in a good re- 
 port, having labored 114 days, preached 147 ser- 
 mons, received into the fellowship of the 
 churches, 59 converts and organized two 
 churches ; for which he received $142.50. In the 
 meantime, acting as colporteur of the St. Louis 
 Baptist Publishing Company, of St. Louis, he 
 
128 THE BArTISTS OF 
 
 sold 75 books, and distributed 500 tracts; as a 
 result of this good report, he was continued mis- 
 sionary for 1886. He was a liberal donor to the 
 Mavfield-Smith Academy. 
 
 ELDER JOSEPH HEMBREE. 
 
 Elder Joseph Hembree, a native of North 
 Carolina, came to this State from East Tennes- 
 see, in which State he was living when he was 
 converted to Christ and united with the Baptists. 
 Soon after this he manifested a call to the min- 
 istry and was licensed to preach. Shortly after- 
 wards he left that State for the western part of 
 Missouri, but was detained in Bollinger 
 county, Southeast Missouri, in consequence 
 of the death of one of his children. He first 
 located in what is known as the Flat Woods, some 
 six miles west of Lutesville, where a church was 
 established known as the Flat Woods' Church of 
 which he became a member. It was here in 
 Southeast Missouri where he began his public 
 career. He was ordained by the author, assisted 
 by Elder Elisha Sanders, in the year 1873. He 
 has since been a useful, faithful and energetic 
 servant of Christ, having served as pastor of a 
 number of churches in the St. Francois Associa- 
 tion, prominent among which are Sylvan, Trace 
 Creek, Twelve Mile, "Mt. Carmel and Marble 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 129 
 
 Hill, in which church he holds membership. He 
 has also had charge of the Gravel Hill Church, of 
 the Cape Girardeau Association, and is at this 
 time, 188G, the efficient missionary of that Asso- 
 ciation. Bro. Hembree is a man of a good liberal 
 education ; and having in his charge a large 
 family to care for, he sometimes resorts to 
 school teaching for a livelihood, in which profes- 
 sion he ranks among our best public school 
 teachers. He has borne a faithful part as a donor 
 to, and supporter of the Mayfield-Smith Acad- 
 emy. Finally, he has been tried as by fire, 
 having suffered many hard trials and even unjust 
 persecutions for the sake of the cause ; but the 
 Lord has so far delivered him out of it all and he 
 yet gives promise of years of usefulness. 
 
 ELDER B. L. BO^^^IAX. 
 
 This self-made, but no less efficient, minister 
 was born in Franklin county, Virginia, Jinuary 
 31st, 1837; came to Cape Girardeau county, 
 Missouri, in October, 1853. He was married to 
 Miss Eliza Jane Ford, October 6th, 1856; and was 
 converted under the ministry of Elder James 
 Reid in the winter of 1869, when he united with the 
 Goshen Church ; by the order of this church he 
 was licensed to preach three months after his bap- 
 tism, and one year afterwards was ordained to 
 
130 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 the full work of the Gospel ministry. He served 
 as pastor of the following churches: Goshen, 
 Ebenezer, Oak Kidge, Gravel Hill, and New 
 Bethel of the Cape Girardeau Association. He 
 reruoved to Bollinger county in 1877, and united 
 Avith the Marble Hill Church, which church he 
 served as pastor, in connection with Mt. Carmel, 
 Castor and Trace Creek churches of the St. 
 Francois Association, besides doing more or less 
 missionary work for the Associations above- 
 named. He also served as missionary one year 
 for the General Association of Missouri, includ- 
 ing pastoral work for Morley Church in the 
 Charleston Association. All these services have 
 been performed in the district of Southeast Mis- 
 souri. 
 
 ELDER v. T. SETTLE. 
 
 This hard-workino- and efficient minister is a 
 
 CD 
 
 native of Virginia, being born in Warren county 
 of that State, on the 28th of May, 1823. He 
 completed his scholastic education at Lisbon In- 
 stitute, London county, Virginia ; professed faith 
 in Christ and united with the Baptist Church in 
 May, 1844, and was ordained to the ministry 
 September, 1855. His first pastorate was in 
 Lexington, Va. ; he was afterwards pastor of 
 churches in Amherst, Nelson, Augusta and 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 131 
 
 Rockingham counties. In April, 1872, ho 
 emigrated to Missouri, and settled in Freder- 
 icktown, Madison county, where he has re- 
 sided for more than fifteen years. During 
 this time he has been the constant pastor of 
 the first Baptist Church of Fredericktown, 
 as a result of which the church now has a 
 good, commodious house of worship. Als(>^ 
 he has served as pastor of Des Arc Church 
 in Wayne county, Pleasant Hill in Scott county, 
 and St. Joe in St. Francois county. He has pre- 
 sided over the deliberations of the St. Francois 
 Association several times. He was Moderator 
 when the Association convened with his church at 
 Fredericktown, which was the first missionary 
 body of the kind which had met at that place for 
 forty-eight years. It was a profitable and pleas- 
 ant gathering. 
 
 Little Whitewater Church was organized with 
 fourteen constituent members in 1878, when the 
 author was missionary of St. Francois Associa- 
 tion. It was the result of a revival meeting held 
 at the Bollinger school-house, in the neighbor- 
 hood adjoining to where the church is no\^ per- 
 manently located, and at what is now called May- 
 field, in Bollinger county. This was doubtless 
 the first great revival ever held by Baptists in 
 
132 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 this community, which had been first settled in 
 1804 by the Bollingers, a family from North 
 Carolina. Thus three quarters of a century had 
 passed and this field had never been permanently 
 occupied by the Gospel cause. This church is a 
 progressive, working body, occupying a good 
 house of worship, which is nearly completed. It 
 is located near the residence of old brother Geo. 
 W. May field, on a site he gave to the church. 
 They now have a regular pastor and a live Sun- 
 day-school which is well attended. The author 
 has had the honor of serving this church most of 
 the time for the last nine j^ears, when it has in- 
 creased from fourteen to sixty-one members. 
 Among the most prominent members of this 
 church we w^ill mention the following: old Bro. 
 Geo. W. Mayfield, his wife and sons, Eman- 
 uel Mayfield, M. D., Steven Mayfield, M. D., R. 
 S. Mayfield, squire and post-master at this place, 
 Jefferson Mayfield, M. D., and other grand-sons, 
 Thomas James and A. Punch. 
 
 GEO. W\ MAYFIELD. 
 
 Old Bro. Mayfield and wife were mentioned as 
 constituent members in the organization of the 
 Mt. Carmel Church ; but when the Little White- 
 water became established at their own home, they 
 removed their membership and became identified 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 133 
 
 with it; hence their connection with its history. 
 Old Bro. Mayfield has been a citizen of this com- 
 munity nearly all his long and useful life, having 
 resided at this place since he was two years old. 
 He was the j^oungest of a large family, which 
 came from North Carolina and settled here in 
 very early times. He has reared one of the 
 largest and most respectable families of the com- 
 munity—seven sons and one daughter. Of his 
 sons all are members of the Baptist Church ex- 
 cept one, who, though not a member of an}^ 
 church, is a good citizen and ranks among the 
 best farmers in the communitv. His daughter 
 and son-in-law, residing in another community, 
 are members of the Methodist Church South. In 
 point of intelligence and moral progress they are 
 worthy of mention as no ordinary family, con- 
 sidering their chances; for while others with 
 equal chances, both in means and opportunity, 
 have wasted their time and means and are at this 
 time only moral wrecks, unfit for society in this 
 life, and still less for that which is to come, 
 these noble sons are to them and to the world, 
 grand examples. They have sought the religion 
 of Christ and found it ; education and found it ; 
 position and found it; in fact, everything they in 
 righteousness sought for, they found. Five out 
 
134 TIIK BAPTISTS OV" 
 
 of the six members of the church have gone forth 
 as graduates of the medical }orofession. Dr. AV. 
 H. May field, now of St. Louis, has served two 
 terms as Professor of Materia Medica, in the St. 
 Louis School of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. 
 A. J. Mayfield, now post-master at Lutesville, 
 Mo., is one of the best physicians in the county, 
 while all are comparatively successful. 
 
 Brethren James and Punch with their families 
 are faithful workers in the church and Sun- 
 day-school for which the}' are worthy of mention 
 in this sketch. Rev. L. S. Yount, of Mt. Car- 
 mel, is pastor at this time, this being his second 
 pastorate. 
 
 Pleasant Hill Church is situated on the border 
 of the Mingo Swamp, in the southern part of 
 Bollinger county. It was organized in 1883, or 
 1884, by Rev. James P. Revelle and others. Bro. 
 Revelle was chosen its first pastor. A house of 
 worship is in course of building at the old Revelle 
 homestead, which may be mentioned as an old 
 historic Baptist ground, since as far back as 
 1816, we observe the name of E. Revelle in con- 
 nection with Thomas Johnson and others, as 
 delegates from a church then c.illed Turkey 
 Creek Church — located somewhere in the above- 
 named communitv — to the first Baptist Ccnven- 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 135 
 
 tion looking to the formation of the first Baptist 
 Association west of the great river, which meet- 
 ing was held with the Bethel Church, Cape Girar- 
 deau county, in the fall of 1816, when the Bethel 
 Association was organized. As to the date of the 
 organization of the Turkey Creek Church, we are 
 not informed, but it was doubtless among the 
 first in the wilderness of Missouri Territory ; 
 neither can wo say how long it continued faithful 
 to the principles of the United, or Missionary, 
 Baptist faith. But it is known that in after 
 years it became an Anti-mission body, embracing 
 Parkerism and Anti-npmianism, after which it 
 seems, fi:om some cause, to have borne the name 
 of Dry Creek Church, as the following amusing 
 sequel will show the name of the church and the 
 doctrine advocated : One, Thomas J. Revelle, a 
 Baptist minister of Dry Creek Church was ex- 
 cluded for advocating that God made the devil, 
 while the church at the same time advocated that 
 the devil was self-existent, and that God would 
 save his own elect children ; but those who were 
 not his chosen elect were the children of the 
 devil and therefore would have to suffer the in- 
 evitable consequences. This Anti-mission idea is 
 now about extinct, and upon its ruins is estab- 
 lished the truth of the Gospel, in the organiza- 
 
136 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 lion of the Pleasant Hill Church, of which the 
 faithful James P. Revelle is pastor. The church 
 now numbers thirtj^-seven members. 
 
 JAMES p. REVELLE. 
 
 This beloved young preacher was born in Bol- 
 linger county and brought up in this old historic 
 community. He received a good common school 
 education ; professed faith in Christ and was bap- 
 tized into the fellowship of Shady Grove Church 
 by Elder Joseph Johnson, soon after which he 
 felt it his duty to preach. After a few years he 
 was ordained, by order of the Shady Grove 
 Church, to the full work of the ministry ; since 
 this time he has been a useful, influential servant 
 of Christ, having served as pastor of several dif- 
 ferent churches. 
 
 WM. R. MOORE. 
 
 This well-loved young preacher is a native of 
 Tennessee. He came to this state with his 
 father's family when but a boy, and settled with 
 them in the neighborhood of Shady Grove 
 Church, near Fredericktown, in which place he 
 now lives. When quite young, he professed re- 
 ligion and w^as baptized into the fellowship of 
 Shady Grove Church, by Elder Johnson, about 
 the year 1867. Subsequently, he felt it his duty 
 to warn sinners to repentance, and was ordained, 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 137 
 
 by order of Shad}^ Grove Church, by the author, 
 assisted by Elder Wm. London, in December, 
 1882; since which time he has proven himself to 
 be a faithful and studious minister, and now 
 ranks among our most svorth}^ pastors. He has 
 had the care of several churches, and is, at pres- 
 ent, pastor of Twelve Mile, Castor, and Trace 
 Creek Churches. He lives at P^redericktown, 
 Madison county, and is a much respected citizen. 
 Ebenezer Church is located at the head of 
 Twelve Mile, a small stream tributary to the St. 
 Francois River, about eight miles south of Fred- 
 ericktown, Madison county. It was organized 
 by F. M. Holbrooks and others, in the year 1874. 
 It is near the home of the beloved Wm. London. 
 It is somewhat a weak church; but has built a 
 house of worship, and is still moving on with a 
 gradual increase. It now numbers forty-two 
 members, with T. McClintock, pastor. Bro. 
 McCliiitock came from the Methodists to the 
 Baptists, and thus far has been a faithful, ener- 
 getic young minister. 
 
 ELDER WM. LOXDOX. 
 
 This brother is a resident minister of the 
 Ebenezer Church, and is much esteemed for his 
 faithful Christian integrity and faithfulness to his 
 charges. He has been in the ministry about 
 
lo8 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 twenty years, and has served quite a number of 
 churches. We will mention Twelve Mile, Pisgah, 
 Beulah, Big Creek, Shady Grove, Ebenezer, 
 Bethel, Mt. Car m el, and others. He, like many 
 others in Southeast Missouri, had but little op- 
 portunity to obtain an education, and has not the 
 power following a classical training; but, having 
 a realizing trust in the Spirit of Christ when try- 
 ing to speak, he is a warm exhorter, full of 
 prayer, and of spiritual power. He has accom- 
 plished considerable good in leading souls to 
 Christ, having held several important revival 
 meetings. 
 
 Having mentioned nearly all of the leading 
 churches and ministers that have been in- 
 cluded in this long and tedious chapter, we 
 close it with the apology that most of those 
 churches and ministers have shown themselves so 
 faithful in their devotion to sustain, by their 
 prayers, sympathy, and gifts, the enterprise of 
 establishing the Mayfield-Smith Academy, a 
 school under the patronage of the St. Francois 
 Association, in which their children and friends 
 can enjoy the benefits of a Christian education. 
 They have otherwise been faithful in giving to, 
 and sustaining, the missionary work at home and 
 abroad. As others had heretofore been men- 
 
SOUTHEAST MlSSOrilt. loU 
 
 tioned, it would have been an unpardonable par- 
 tiality which could not be indulged. 
 
 THE PROGRESSIVE WORK OF THE ASSOCIATION. 
 
 We will now proceed w ith the onward progres- 
 sive work of the Association. In the Minutes 
 for 1886, the following ministers and churches 
 were represented: Bethel, Big Creek, Beulah, 
 Brush Creek, Castor, Ebenezer, Fredericktown, 
 Friendship, Hickory Grove, Little Whitewater, 
 Marble Hill, Mt. Carmel, Mt. Pisgah, Mt. Leb- 
 anon, Mt. Pleasant, New Salem, Pleasant Hill, 
 Sylvan, Shady Grove, Twelve Mile, Trace Creek, 
 Whitewater and Bollinger's Mills, in all, twenty- 
 three, with a total membership of 1136 ; 81 bap- 
 tisms reported this year from the churches, and 
 two new churches were received. 
 
 The ministers represented this year were : 
 Wm. London, Uriah Jamison, Y. T. Settle, 
 Joseph Hembree, T. McClintock, M. Bobbins, 
 L. AY. Revel le, James P. Revelle, Wm. R. Moore, 
 D. W. Graves, J. S. Gashwiler, L. S. Yount, 
 Leonard Welker, and H. F. Tong. 
 
 EDUCATIONAL ENTERPRISE OF THE ASSOCIATION. 
 
 It will be remembered that at the session of 
 the Association held with Bioc Creek Church, 
 Madison county, 1878, the Association accepted 
 a proposition from the citizens of Smithville, 
 
140 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Bollinger county, for $11,000, to commence the 
 work of establishing an institution of learning to 
 be under the supervision of the St. Francois 
 Baptist Association, as submitted in the report of 
 Dr. W. H. Mayfield, Financial Agent of th 
 Association for that year. (Minutes of 1878, 
 page 5.) On page 7 of the same Minutes, we 
 find the following as a supplement to the above : 
 
 *'Bro. Mayfield, having read a communication 
 from the citizens of Smithville, offering as an in- 
 ducement, in money and pledges, $1,100, for the 
 establishing of an institution of learning at that 
 place, which should be under the control and 
 management of the St. Francois Baptist Asso- 
 ciation ; the proposition w^as unanimously ac- 
 cepted and adopted, and additional pledges were 
 taken to the amount of $242.50, making a total 
 of $1,342.50, with the following resolution : 
 
 Resolved, That this Association accept the 
 proposition made by the citizens of Smithville, 
 through Bro. W. H. Mayfield, to erect a college 
 building at that place, to be owned and controlled 
 by the St. Francois Baptist Association, and that 
 Brethren W. H. Mayfield, J. Q. A. Wbitner aud 
 E. L. Graham be appointed by this Association 
 to solicit the co-operation of all the Baptist 
 Associations of Southeast Missouri ; and that the 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 141 
 
 said Committee proceed, as soon as practicable, to 
 erect suitable buildiiigs in, or near, said town for 
 the use of said school ; expcndiiioj such moneys in 
 the erecting of said buildings as they may be 
 able to secure ; and that said Committee be 
 authorized to appoint such agents as may be 
 necessary to carry on the work. The college to 
 be under the management and control of a Board 
 of Trustees appointed hy this Association. The 
 deed of the property shall be made to them 
 in trust for the St. Francois Association. 
 They shall take charge of all the property of the 
 Institution ; elect its teachers ; exercise a general 
 supervision over all its affairs, and make report 
 of the condition, of the school at each annual 
 meeting of the Association. Said Board for the 
 present year shall consist of three members from 
 this body, and one from each of the following 
 Associations, to-wit : Wayne county, Cape Girar- 
 deau, Cane Creek and Franklin. Any member 
 is eligible to be a trustee who will actively en- 
 gage in the interest of the school." 
 
 The following brethren were appointed, viz. : 
 John F. Sitze, W. H. Mayfield, of St. Francois 
 Association ; E. P. Settle, of Wayne county 
 Association; Alexander Jennings, of Franklin 
 Asaociation; H. H. Williams, of Cape Girardeau 
 
142 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Association; and William Sparkman, of Cane 
 Creek Association. Thus it is to be seen that 
 the St. Francois Association laid the foundation 
 of one of the greatest and most useful enter- 
 prises hitherto engaged in by any Baptist Asso- 
 ciation in Southeast Missouri. Its name was de- 
 cided upon by a Convention of Baptists held at 
 Smithville in the year 1879, which unanimously 
 resolved to adopt the name of Mayfield-Suiith 
 Academy, in honor of W. H. Maytield, M. 
 D. and Henry Smith, M. D., of Smithville, 
 who were among the first movers in this grand 
 enterprise at that place. At the session of the 
 Association held with Mt. Carmel Church the 
 same year, this name was submitted and adopted, 
 which name it has borne since that time. 
 
 At the session held with the Baptist Church at 
 Smithville, in September, 1880, the Board in- 
 formed the Association that the Building Com- 
 mittee was compelled to suspend operations on 
 the building for want of means ; and that the 
 school at that place under the supervision of 
 Prof. T. W. Tate, which had been in session five 
 months, had to suspend farther operations for 
 want of support. In consequence of which re- 
 port a resolution was adopted instructing the 
 Board to seek bids for its location elsewhere, 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 143 
 
 that might be more favorable to the support of 
 the enterprise. In accordance with these in- 
 structions, arrangements were soon made to re- 
 move and establish the Institution at Marble Hill, 
 the county-seat of Bollinger county. It w^as 
 commenced in the year 1881. Thus, the uncom- 
 promising spirit and faithfulness of energy, 
 against all obstacles to the contrary, were Avon- 
 derfully manifested by the leading brethren of 
 the Association, and proved a most significant re- 
 buke' to all faltering dispositions throughout 
 Southeast Missouri, as will appear from the re- 
 port of the Board at the session held with the 
 First Baptist Church of Fredericktown, in Sep- 
 tember, 1885, which is here given. The Board 
 of Mayfield-Smith Academy, for the St. Francois 
 Association, take great pleasure in reporting to 
 your honorable body : 
 
 That after a long and arduous struggle, they 
 can now show you your long-wished- for School 
 Building — a building for which we are all thank- 
 ful, — and one which the best judges phice in 
 value at $8,000 or $10,000. Your Trustees have 
 labored unceasingly to accomplish this object, 
 though it cost them many long trips and late ses- 
 sions, day and night, to accomplish it. 
 
 We are humiliated to know that in the desper- 
 
H4 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 ate struggle to complete the l)uilding, some of 
 our brethren have had to throw their homes and 
 property on the altar to make the enterprise a 
 success ; but with the exception of a small 
 amount, the school is absolutely free from debt. 
 This was a gratifying report, and was adopted 
 with an accompanying resolution instructing the 
 Trustees to procure a charter for the Institution. 
 
 As a memorial to them, we here give the names 
 of the leading brethren, who so faithfully dis- 
 tinoruished themselves in the establishment of this 
 Institution : 
 
 Wm. H. Mayfield, M. D., Hon. F. M. Wells, 
 Hon. John W. Revelle, Rev. J. C. Hembree, 
 Rev. Monroe Robbins, John F. Sitze, Henry 
 Whitner, A. J. Mayfield, M. D., John Q. A. 
 Whitner, David Cheek, Rev. H. F. Tong, Wilson 
 Warner, Eld. Levy W. Revelle, E. L. Graham, 
 Francis Graham, A. McKelvey, M. D., Michael 
 Brinley, Jefferson Powell, Henry Cheek, Enoch 
 Robertson, F. C. Shell. 
 
 These were the chief Baptist donors, while 
 many others, too numerous to mention, gave 
 liberally according to their means. Of those 
 who were not Baptists, we will mention the fol- 
 lowing : 
 
 Hon. Moses Whybark, Hon. Frank Kinder, 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 145 
 
 Hon. B. F. Stevens, Hon. Marion Snyder, Dr. 
 Jacques, M. D., George Clark, David Lutz, 
 Henry Smith, M. D., of Smithville. Besides 
 these, many other friends, not Baptists, in the 
 bounds of the Association, gave liberally ; but we 
 have not their names. We wish we could give 
 the names of brethren and friends of other Asso- 
 ciations, whose means aided us much. But as 
 we cannot, we will say that the most liberal help 
 from other Associations came from the Cape 
 Girardeau and Black Kiver Associations, for 
 which we tender our most humble thanks. 
 
 LOCATION OF MAYFIELD-SMITII ACADEMY. 
 
 This location of the Academy is most desir- 
 able, as it is in a most healthful and retired 
 part of the country, in an industrious community, 
 amidst a society of growing intelligence, morality 
 and refinement, and where churches and Sunday- 
 schools are numerous and well attended. Marble 
 Hill and Lutesville, within a short distance and 
 full view of the Academy, are pleasant towns on 
 the Southeast branch of the Iron Mountain Rail- 
 way, 133 and 1-3 miles from St. Louis, and 
 thirty miles by railway from Cape Girardeau on 
 the Mississippi. These towns, with their advan- 
 tages of being reasonably healthful, having good 
 society, being surrounded by beautiful scenery 
 
116 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 and free from much of the seducing idleness, im- 
 morality and vice found in the larger cities, make 
 this rising and prosperous institution one of the 
 most desirable schools for seekers after educa- 
 tion in all Southeast Missouri. It is adapted to 
 the educational needs of both sexes. Board can 
 be obtained here, doubtless, as reasonably as any- 
 where else. 
 
 The site of the Academy has been well chosen. 
 The building — a magnificent brick, 30x60, and 
 two stories high — crowns one of the most beauti- 
 ful eminences, over-looking the quiet and pleas- 
 ant towns of Marble Hill and Lutesville, and the 
 beautiful valley and stream which intervenes. 
 The eyes of the beholder may also feast on the 
 magnificent scenery of the surrounding hills 
 which rise one above the the other, until they 
 seem to fade away in the beautiful sky far be- 
 yond ; the whole presenting at once a panorama, 
 lovely, picturesque and sublime; and therefore 
 calculated to arouse the holiest emotions of the 
 soul, lifting the eyes up from Nature to Nature's 
 God. 
 
 Two successful sessions have been taught, be- 
 ginning in the fall of 1884 and ending in Septem- 
 ber, 1886, under the supervision of Prof. D. W. 
 Graves, Principal, Miss Ida M. Price and Miss 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 147 
 
 H. M. Settle— grand-daughter of Elder Wm. 
 Settle — teachers of the Primary and Intermediate 
 Departments. Eighty-three pupils were enrolled 
 the first session; the second session, ninety-nine. 
 The third session opened with renewed hope, and 
 now has 115 pupils enrolled. Encouraged by the 
 addition to the faculty of Prof. J. S. Gashwiler, 
 late President of Farmington College, and an 
 able and experienced educator, the school gives 
 evidence of decided success. For much of the 
 above information regarding the school and its 
 location, we are indebted to Prof. D. W. Graves, 
 in the Second Annual Catalogue, pp. 11 and 12. 
 The Trustees are, Rev. H. F. Tong, President, 
 Marquand, Mo.; Dr. Wm. H. Mayfield, Secre- 
 tary, St. Louis, Mo. ; F. M. Wells, Treasurer, 
 Marble Hill, Mo. ; John W. Revelle, Lutesville ; 
 R. E. Robertson, Marble Hill ; members of St. 
 Francois Association, and Col. H. H. Williams, 
 Jackson; E. P. Settle, Greenville, and A. S. 
 Jennings, Farmington. The last three were from 
 Cape Girardeau, Wayne and Franklin Associa- 
 tions. 
 
 BIOGRAPHY OF THE FIRST PRINCIPAL OF THIS 
 ACADEMY. 
 
 In connection with the opening of the school 
 at Smithville, already alluded to, it is but proper 
 
148 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 that mention be ojiven here of the self-sacrificino: 
 labors of Prof. T. W. Tate and wife, who came 
 from North Liberty, Mo., to take charge of the 
 school at its first session. 
 
 Prof. Tate was, I believe, a native of Ken- 
 tucky, but was principally educated in this State, 
 and is truly a scholar as well as a high-toned 
 Christian gentleman. Mrs. Tate is also a fine 
 scholar and a faithful Christian lady, and there- 
 fore well qualified to take charge of any Christian 
 school. Their ability was well tested in the 
 patient toil and sacrifices they endured during 
 their short stay in this uncultivated field. Bro. 
 Tate was ordained here to the full work of the 
 Gospel ministry, by order of the Baptist Church 
 at Smithville, while the author was pastor. 
 Shortly after he was called to this pastorate, 
 which was his first, and in which he proved his 
 efficiency for the work. During his short stay, 
 and under his ministry, there was a great awaken- 
 ing among the people, and some fourteen, or 
 more, converts were added to the membership of 
 the church. He is now the successful pastor of 
 the East Sedalia Baptist Church. We will here 
 mention to his honor that it was under his pious 
 influence, while teacher at Smithville, that Rev. 
 H. S. Tong, a brother of the writer, was con- 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 149 
 
 verted to Christ and united with the church, being 
 baptized by the writer who was then pastor of 
 the church. Shortly after this young brother — 
 now at rest — but then one of the most faithful 
 students of the school, feeling it his duty to call 
 sinners to repentance, was licensed by order of 
 Ml. Carmel Church, and went forth as a minister 
 and colporteur by order of the St. Francois Asso- 
 ciation, for the year 1881; the result of which 
 we^give from his report submitted to the Asso- 
 ciation while in session at Marble Hill, in Sep- 
 tember of that year, as shown from the Minutes 
 now before us: total amount of sales, $823.85; 
 miles travelled, 3,250; number of volumes sold, 
 593 ; tracts distributed, 3,000; number of pam- 
 phlets, 225. For this grand and unprecedented 
 report, a unanimous resolution Avas adopted, 
 recommending him to the patronage of the Amer- 
 ican Baptist Publication Society, of Philadelphia. 
 In this work he spent a little over three years, 
 when he was called to his reward on hi^h. He 
 always expressed the greatest regard for Prof. 
 Tate and wife, who led him in the rudiments of 
 Christian education. 
 
 It is truly painful for me to conclude this 
 chapter by mentioning his last work and death ; 
 but as a worthy tribute, I submit the followino- : 
 
150 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 **After three years of service in this work, 
 Bro. H. S. Tong made his last report, soon after 
 which he died, June 13th, 1884. Among those 
 who have fallen at their post was our brother, H. 
 S. Tong, who deserves more than passing notice. 
 He was a young man of great promise, of whom 
 we entertained great hopes. But in the midst of 
 his usefulness he was taken up higher. His min- 
 istry was brief, but very marked and earnest. 
 He made it his meat and drink to work for the 
 Master." Rev. B. L. Bowman, Chairman of 
 Committee on Obituaries. See Minutes of 1884. 
 
 This report av/akened a deeper interest in the 
 colporteur work than had ever been before, until 
 many hundred families now have Bibles, Testa- 
 ments and religious literature, which would 
 probably not have been obtained otherwise. 
 
 PROF. DAVID W. GRATES. 
 
 Prof. David W. Graves is a native of Virginia. 
 He was born in Pittsylvania county, of that State, 
 February 28th, 1837; but wheu three years old 
 his father moved to Missouri and located in Mont- 
 gomery county, where he opened up a large 
 farm — engaging in stock-raising extensively — 
 soon accumulating a large estate. It was hert,- 
 the subject of this sketch was brought up. He 
 received his early education from private schools. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 151 
 
 as public schools had notj^et been organized. He 
 was indebted, more than to any one else, fot his 
 early education] to his uncle, D. N. Norvlin, who 
 w^as a finished scholar, and who kept a private 
 school in the community for years. His educa- 
 tion was completed at William Jewell College 
 and the University of Missouri, graduating at the 
 University in 1862. He was married to Miss 
 Julia A. Crockett, daughter of Rev. Dr. N. M. 
 Crockett, March 18th, 1863. He united with the 
 Baptist church when about 18 years of age, and 
 was ordained to the work of the Gospel ministry 
 in February, 1865. Since then he has served the 
 following churches as pastor : Zion, Liberty, 
 Lentro, Middleston, Troy, Oak Ridge, Little 
 Whitewater, and others temporarily. He has 
 also had charge over, and taught in, the following 
 high schools: LaGrange College, Kentucky; 
 Montgomery College, Missouri; Graves' Acad- 
 emy, at Smithville ; Graves' Academy at Patton, 
 Mo. ; and is now President of the Mayfield-Smith 
 Academy at Marble Hill, Bollinger county, Mo. 
 Bro. Graves is a zealous, faithful worker, a plain, 
 practical preacher ; an able and efficient teacher, 
 possessing a meek and quiet disposition. He is 
 much loved and respected by all with whom he 
 comes in contact. Through his sacrificing efforts 
 
152 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 the Mayfield-Smith Academy now ranks as one of 
 the most successful schools in Southeast IMissouri. 
 
 PROF. J. S. GASHWILER. 
 
 This vounoj teacher is a native of Missouri. 
 He was boru at the residence of his grand-father, 
 Rev. J. W. Gashwiler, near Troy, Mo., May 29, 
 1849. His father havinoj died in California when 
 he was but two years old, he was brought up by 
 his orrand father. His ancestors on his father's 
 side were of German extract. His mother was a 
 Virginian, and was of Scotch descent; her maiden 
 name was Mary Reid. He received his early 
 education in the common schools of the times, 
 until the breaking out of the war which hindered 
 him for a season from entering higher schools. 
 Near the close ©f the war, he entered Steven's 
 Commercial College, St. Louis, Mo., where 
 he stayed until the war closed, after which 
 he entered the State University and there 
 continued through the years of 1867 and 
 18G8, when he entered a select school at his 
 home for one year. He then went to Cen- 
 tral College, where he remained five months ; 
 after this he went with his uncle to the Indian 
 Nation, spending probably a year. Return- 
 ing home he taught school for a year, when he 
 entered Mt, Pleasant College, remaining there 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 153 
 
 four years (with the exception of a few months 
 spent at Central College), and graduated June 
 19th, 1874. He was married to Miss Mary 
 Louise Harris, daughter of Mr. Harrison Harris, 
 formerly of Virginia, an accomplished and 
 scholarly Christian lady, from Cambridge, where 
 he had been teaching the public school. He 
 moved to Brownsville and established a high 
 school ; but his stay here w^as short on account of 
 the bad health of his family. From here he 
 went to Marshall, from which place he was called 
 to the Professorship of Belleview College, Wash- 
 ington county, Mo. He went from here to 
 Farmington, connty-seat of St. Francois county. 
 Mo., and established the Farmington College, 
 September 10th, 1883, which was a flourishing 
 school, with 112 pupils enrolled. Having sold 
 out this Institution to the Franklin Baptist Asso- 
 ciation, he engaged as partner wuth Prof. D. W. 
 Graves, in the Mayfield- Smith Academy, at Mar- 
 ble Hill, Bollinger county. Mo., and entered 
 upon his duties in that school, September 6th, 
 1886, the opening of its third session. 
 
 He was ordained to the work of the Gospel 
 ministry by order of Liberty Church, Washington 
 county, Mo., on Dec. 25th, 1881. In 1882 or 
 1883, he became the successful pastor of the 
 
154 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Baptist Church at Bismarck, Mo., and at this 
 time is pastor of the church at Marble Hill, Mo. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 155 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE CANE CREEK ASSOCIATION. 
 
 This Association was organized in the year of 
 1857, and is the sixth Association in Southeast 
 Missouri. It was formed of a colony of five 
 churches dismissed from the Blacli River Asso- 
 ciation the same year. Like all the other Asso- 
 ciations mentioned, it was a missionary body 
 from the start, evidence of which fact is shown 
 by its name — Cane Creek Association of United 
 Missionary Baptists. It did not make any very 
 marked progress at the start, in consequence of 
 the war, which broke out soon after its organiza- 
 tion. In 1866, after the war. Elder Timothy 
 Reaves submitted a good report of missionary 
 work done by him that year in the bounds of the 
 Association — having baptized over eighty persons 
 and organized five new churches. This Associa- 
 tion is a border Association of Southern Missouri 
 and Northern Arkansas. At the time of its or- 
 ganization it embraced a very large field in But- 
 ler, Carter, and Ripley counties in Missouri, 
 Clayton and Randolph counties in Arkansas, It 
 
156 , THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 has been a progressive and influential body, since, 
 in seventeen years from its organization, it had 
 increased to twenty-two churches, with about 700 
 members. The Missouri churches were Bethel, 
 Cane Creek, Friendship, Good Hope, Poplar 
 Bluff, Liberty, Little Black, Lidian Creek, Hope- 
 well, Mt. Pleasant, Zion, Smith's Cliapel, Zora, 
 and Mt. Pleasant No. 2. 
 
 The following facts, taken from the Minutes of 
 the several meetings of this body, will be here 
 briefly mentioned : 
 
 1. They recommended Baptist Sabbath-schools 
 in every church. 2. Baptist literature for relig- 
 ious reading. 3. Alien baptisms rejected. 4. 
 That they believe in the spread of the Gospel, 
 and therefore require their ministers to preach on 
 missions. 
 
 Of the ministers of this Association, we know 
 but little at this time, as it, like many other 
 bodies of the kind, has preserved but little infor- 
 mation respecting its ministers. However, the 
 following, taken from the Minutes of 1867, we 
 will quote in memory of Bro. \Vm. H. Keaves : 
 
 ^'Resolved^ That this Association has sustained 
 a great loss in the death of our much esteemed 
 and beloved brother, Elder Wm. H. Keaves, who 
 departed this life on the 8th of December, 1866. 
 
SOUTHEAST 3IISS0URI. 157 
 
 He died in the full triumphs of faith, in the fifty- 
 third year of his age." 
 
 From the Minutes of 1885, we gather the fol- 
 lowing summary: 
 
 There were 16 churches reported ; 9 ordained 
 ministers ; 29 baptisms ; and a total membership 
 of 452. We are informed that in the year of 
 1867, a new Association was formed, called the 
 Western Missouri Association, with a member- 
 shijD of 180 members; but we have no access to 
 any Minutes from which to gather details. As 
 this is located principally in Arkansas, and adds 
 no special importance to the History of South- 
 east Missouri, w^e will close the chapter on the 
 Cane Creek Association. 
 
158 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 JEFFERSON COUNTY ASSOCIATION. 
 
 This was the seventh association organized in 
 Southeast Missouri, and was mainly composed 
 from churches from the Franklin Association. 
 A convention of delegates from six churches met 
 at Bethlehem Church, Jefferson county, October 
 8th, 1853, and organized the Jefferson County 
 United Baptist Association; Rev. James Williams 
 presided at the meeting. We find, at the first 
 annual meeting, like most of the older bodies of 
 this kind, that they showed, by the resolutions 
 passed, the true spirit of progressive work — by 
 recommending to the churches the importance of 
 Sunday-schools, temperance and mission work. 
 We will not detain the reader by referring to the 
 various meetings, but suffice it to say that in the 
 course of some twenty-eight years, the six 
 churches had gathered to their aid fourteen other 
 churches, with an aggregate membership of thir- 
 teen hundred. Hence, no arguments are neces- 
 sary to prove the onw^ard march of this body. 
 
 Of the churches and leading ministers of this 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 159 
 
 Association, we will mention Bethlehem and 
 Swashing, of Jefferson county and Calvary 
 Church in Franklin county, as doubtless the old- 
 est and most important in the organization of this 
 Association. 
 
 Bethlehem Church is one of the oldest pioneer 
 churches of Jefferson county. It was organized 
 in the year 1829, by the pioneer ministers, James 
 Williams and Lewis Williams, who were probably 
 the first Baptist ministers to establish the cause 
 of Christ in Jefferson county. For many years 
 the Bethlehem Church was a leading church of 
 the Franklin Association. We will not dwell on 
 the history of James Williams in this chapter as 
 he was mentioned in connection with the chap- 
 ter on the Franklin Association, to which we 
 refer the reader. 
 
 Swashing Church must be mentioned in con- 
 nection with the work of James Williams, having 
 been organized by him, aided by Elder W. 
 Stevens, a contemporary, in 1843. It is located 
 about two miles from DeSoto. 
 
 Calvary Church is situated in Franklin county, 
 not far from the Jefferson county line, south. It 
 was organized by Bro. Lewis Williams, in 1829, 
 when he became its first pastor. 
 
 In connection with this church we will mention 
 
IGO THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 David Stites, as one of its first pastors, and a 
 contemporary of James and Lewis Williams. He 
 was a native of Virginia, and served as a soldier 
 in the war of 1812. He came westward to Ten- 
 nessee, from thence to Missouri, and settled first 
 in St. Louis county, in quite early times. From 
 here he went to Franklin county, soon after which 
 he commenced his public life by exhortation aud 
 prayer. His wife taught him to j-ead. He be- 
 gan preaching soon after this, and truly can the 
 author sympathize with him, since their lots w^ere 
 similar. In preparing our little sermons, or 
 gathering religious knowledge, our lamplight — 
 that all can now enjoy — was a light made of dry 
 sticks in the fire-place, after a hard day's work in 
 the field, or in the woods, chopping. Such was 
 his lot aud such was my lot. We, and many 
 other pioneer brethren could truly commune to- 
 gether now, while our more favored brethren of 
 the present time have, we are thankful to say, 
 railroads to travel on, gas lights to read and 
 preach by ; yet doubtless we counted not our 
 hardships too much for the glory of God. This 
 beloved brother spent many years in poverty and 
 great afflictions. At one time, when he lost his 
 dear wife, he was left with eleven children to care 
 for. He distributed them among friends, and 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 161 
 
 went forth, traversing the mountains and valleys, 
 from Franklin county to Arkansas, as a mission- 
 ary, proclaiming the Gospel of peace to the des- 
 titute of that region. 
 
 As I write, my heart rises up in thankfulness 
 for such venerated couraofe and faithfulness. 
 This father in Israel finished his labors in Gentry 
 county about the year 1857. 
 
 Of the present ministers of this Association we 
 have but little knowledge. It must suflSce to say, 
 that they are a faithful, consecrated body of min- 
 isters. The reports of this year, 1885, show a 
 large ingathering of members in the churches. 
 There are nineteen churches reported on the list, 
 ten ordained ministers, and one hundred and 
 twelve baptisms, with a total membership of 
 1,209. $239.00 were expended for mission 
 work. 
 
 Thus we can have an idea of the faithful, pro- 
 gressive work of this old and consecrated body, 
 during the thirty-three years since its organiza- 
 tion. 
 
162 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 CHAPTER Vm. 
 
 WAYNE COUNTY ASSOCIATION. 
 
 This Association was the tenth organized in 
 Southeast Missouri, and is principally situated in 
 Wayne county, though extended somewhat into 
 the adjacent counties. It was organized at 
 McKenzie's Creek Church, at Piedmont, Wayne 
 county, Missouri, in October, 1875, by a colony 
 of twelve churches dismissed from the St. Fran- 
 cois Association for that purpose, in September 
 of the same year. The churches were, McKen- 
 zie's Creek, Phillipi, Oak Grove, Good Hope, 
 Black River, Bethel, Lebanon, Logan's Creek, 
 Big Lake Creek, Mt. Pleasant, Liberty Hill, and 
 Pleasant Grove. The ministers officiating in the 
 organization were Elders Mark A. Taylor, A. R. 
 L. Meador, J. W. Wilson and David Sheets, as- 
 sisted by Isaac Lane, of Concord Association, 
 and S. W. Marston, D. D., of St. Louis, Mo. 
 It was also organized upon the principle of the 
 United Baptists and accordingly set to work. Its 
 progress w^as somewhat hindered at the start by 
 an Anti-mission element among them which still 
 
SOUTHEAST 3IISSOURI. 1G3 
 
 exists to some extent, though much improvement 
 has been made in the way of contributing to the 
 various mission works, and which was, no doubt, 
 brought about through their acquaintance with 
 the Central Baptist, American Baptist, and other 
 Baptist periodicals scattered among them. 
 
 From the Minutes of 1882, one of which is be- 
 fore us, we gather the following facts : 1. The 
 district mission work of the Association was 
 urgently recommended. 2. Home and foreign 
 missions. 3. Reports on family worship, tem- 
 perance and ministerial education were read, ap- 
 proved and recommended. The following, which 
 should have been the first of these items, was 
 offered by Bro. E. P. Settle, previously, in 1878 : 
 
 Resolved, That we accept the proposition of 
 the St. Francois Association, to aid in building 
 an institution of learning at Smithville, which in- 
 stitution is now located at Marble Hill, Bollinger 
 county, Missouri. 
 
 PROGRESS OF THE W^AYNE COUNTY ASSOCIATIOX. 
 
 In the 3^ear of 1882, 26 churches were reported 
 on the list which was more than doubling the 
 number during the short space of seven years, 
 representing an aggregate membership of 931, 
 with 92 baptisms. The number of ordained min- 
 isters are not given; but in the present year, 
 
164 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 1885, A. R. L. Meador, Joel Meador, W. P. 
 Kime, Wm. Graham, Samuel Beard and N. O. 
 Sowers, are the leadhig ministers of this body. 
 Bro. N. O. Sowers, serving as a colporteur and 
 missionary, is doing a good work. As most of 
 the churches are comparatively new, and there- 
 fore have a history to make, we will not detain 
 the reader with any detailed accounts of their or- 
 ganizations, as our information is too meagre to 
 be satisfactory. We are led here to suggest that 
 each Association should have a historical and sta- 
 tistical secretar}^ who should, from time to time, 
 compile and preserve such facts and information 
 as would tend to promote the historical informa- 
 tion of each church and leading ministers of the 
 Association. 
 
 Of the ministers of the Wayne County Asso- 
 ciation, who have fallen at their post, we men- 
 tion the beloved Mark A. Taylor and Jesse B. 
 Wallis. 
 
 Rev. Mark A. Taylor, the leading spirit in the 
 organization of the Wayne County Association, 
 and, who, as a leading minister, spent his last 
 days in its service, was born in Lee county, Vir- 
 ginia, January 2, 1826, in which county he lived 
 thirty years. In March, 1854, he was married to 
 a Mifes Warsen, and two vears after, started to 
 
SOtJTHEAST MISSOUni. 165 
 
 the state of Texas. On reaching Wayne county, 
 they stopped to rest a few days, and, as a result, 
 finally located in what is now called Piedmont, 
 Wayne county, Missouri, where Mr. Taylor 
 opened up a store and sold goods up to the time 
 of the civil war. He professed religion in Vir- 
 ginia in the year 1854. Whether he united with 
 the Baptist church and commenced preaching in 
 that state, we are not informed. He was or- 
 dained by the order of Sinking Creek Baptist 
 Cliurch, (now extinct), Reynolds county, Mis- 
 souri, in the year of 1857, from which time he 
 spent the residue of his useful life in the work of 
 the ministry, proving himself a useful and ex- 
 emplary pastor of a number of churches in the 
 bounds of the St. Francois and Wayne County 
 Asssociations, as well as a missionary, in which 
 role he did a good work. One event of his life 
 is specially worthy of mention : When he was 
 about ten years old, he procured forty-five cents 
 in money, which he gave for a Bible, and read it 
 through and through, while other boys spent 
 their time in sports and plays. He thus fitted 
 himself in this way for a usefulness he doubtless 
 thought not of • but added to this fact, he ob- 
 tained a liberal education, which, with his strong 
 and vigorous intellect, made him a workman. 
 
\\\{) THE BAPTISTS or 
 
 who needed not to be ashamed. He was among 
 the first men of Southeast Missouri to advocate 
 (Christian education and ministerial culture ; for 
 this reason he was a contributor to the William 
 Jewell College. It was the author's privilege to 
 know him personally, as a truly pious and godly 
 minister of Jesus Christ, held in high esteem In- 
 all his brethren, both in the St. Francois Asso- 
 ciation, in which he once held membership, and 
 in the Wayne County Association, in which he 
 last lived. He had accumulated a respectable 
 living, and left a good home for his grief-stricken 
 family, when he gave up life on earth for a home 
 in o-loiv, October 31, 1879. He was the founder 
 of the Baptist church in Greenville, the count}-- 
 seat of Wayne county, in which he lived and 
 died. 
 
 ELDER JESSE WALLIS. 
 
 This aged veteran, who lived for many years 
 in Wayne county, is worthy of mention as a pio- 
 neer minister of Southeast Missouri. He had 
 held membership in the Black River, St. Francois 
 and Wayne County Associations; the latter being 
 the field in which he did his last work. Bro. 
 Wallis was born in Christian county, Kentuckv, 
 September 12, 1799. He emigrated to Missouri 
 in 1818, professed faith in Christ in 1830, and 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 1G7 
 
 was baptized into the fellowship of Black River 
 Baptist Church, Stoddard county, Missouri, the 
 same year, by Elder Henry McElmurry. He 
 was ordained to the ministry of the Gospel, in 
 1831, by Elders McElmurry, B. Paramore and 
 John Ferguson ; and for fifty -five years he was a 
 successful laborer, in the bounds of the Black 
 River, St. Francois and AVayne County Associa- 
 tions. In this field it is said that he was instru- 
 mental in the establishment of forty-six churches, 
 besides building up many declining ones. He 
 did this, no doubt, at a sacrifice unprecedented 
 by any other minister of Southeast Missouri, tak- 
 ing wages of none — it has been said that he never 
 received more than $30.00 for all his labors. He 
 was somewhat eccentric in his wnys, but possessed 
 an agreeable temperament, and a quick and ready 
 mind. He exerted a good influence over all 
 with whom he came in contact. Though not a 
 graduate in learning, he was a strong self-made 
 man of no ordinary ability. He died at his home 
 in Wayne county, April 15, 1886, at the great 
 age of 86 years, 5 months, and 13 days, after 
 having lived there for fifty years. Oh! what a 
 glorious life of usefulness ! 
 
 We would love to mention other deserving 
 brethren who have, doubtless, fallen at t^eir 
 
168 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 posts, but information is lacking concerning their 
 lives. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 169 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE CENTRAL MISSOURI AND CONCORD ASSOCIA- 
 TIONS. PENNY WISE AND HIS REPLIES. 
 
 '*Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gos- 
 pel to every creature," says the Bible. 
 
 **Amen, provided they pay their own ex- 
 penses,'' replied Penny Wise. 
 
 * 'It it more blessed to give than to receive," 
 says the Bible. 
 
 * 'It is more blessed to receive than to give," 
 replies Penny Wise. 
 
 *'Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth 
 out the corn," says the Bible. 
 
 "It saves the corn to muzzle the ox," replies 
 Penny Wise. 
 
 *'He that soweth bountifully, shall reap 
 bountifully," says the Bible. 
 
 *'It is a waste of precious seed," replies Penny 
 Wise. 
 
 *'He that hath pity on the poor, lendeth unto 
 the Lord," says the Bible. 
 
 **I don't like the security," replies Penny 
 Wise. 
 
170 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 "Distribute to the necessity of saints," says 
 the Bible. 
 
 *'Let them take care of themselves," replies 
 Penny Wise. 
 
 "The laborer is worthy of his hire," says the 
 Bible. 
 
 "Let others pay him," says Penny Wise. 
 
 "The love of money is the root of all evil," 
 says the Bible. 
 
 "I love the root," replies Penny Wise. 
 
 "Distribute and communicate," says the Bible. 
 
 "It doesn't pay," replies Penny Wise. 
 
 "God loves a cheerful giver," says the Bible. 
 But Penny Wise gives grudgingly. Does the 
 Lord love Penny Wise? 
 
 THE CENTRAL MISSOURI ASSOCIATION. 
 
 The Central Missouri Association, the eighth 
 organized in Southeast Missouri, was organized 
 at Mt. Pleasant Church, on Black River, in Rey- 
 nolds county, in 1858, from a colony of eight 
 churches dismissed from the Bethel Association 
 at its session previously held the sume year with 
 New Hope Church, St. Francois county. The 
 churches were Mt. Pleasant, Big Creek, Pleasant 
 Grove, White Oak Grove, Sugar Tree Grove, 
 Mt. Gilead, Mt. Zion and Locust Grove. 
 
 The Minutes of this vear show that Elders 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURt. 171 
 
 Wm. Polk, Harvey Young and James Eitter, 
 deacon of Pendleton Church, volunteered to 
 assist in the organization of this new body, which 
 they did. The new Association adopted the 
 Articles of Faith held by the Mother Church, ex- 
 cepting that they recognized feet-washing as set 
 forth in the 13th chapter of St. John, as an article 
 of faith. This w^as, so far as we know, the first 
 Association in all Southeast Missouri, to adopt 
 an article of faith on this subject, recognizing it 
 as an ordinance of the Gospel. However, this 
 was the opinion held by the ministers and most 
 of the members of the churches of the Bethel 
 Association, from which these churches came, 
 though not expressed in any published article of 
 faith, so far as we ever knew, until since the 
 civil war. Two or three other Associations, in- 
 cluding the Bethel, have since done so, as will be 
 seen in their respective chapters. 
 
 The churches of the Central Missouri Associa- 
 tion were principally located in the counties of 
 Iron, Dent, Reynolds and Washington, and were 
 more or less intermixed with the churches of. 
 Bethel and Franklin Associations. The most im- 
 portant epoch in the history of this body was in 
 the years of 1867 and 1868. In the year 1867 
 it had 13 churches, reporting 165 baptisms. Its 
 
172 THE BAPTISTS O^ 
 
 leading ministers up to this time were Elders 
 Nelson Adams, Isaac Lane, David Adams, Clanos 
 Adams, G. W. Bay and P. McCracken. The 
 total membership for this year was 528. At this 
 session several churches were said to be dismissed 
 to form a new Association of the Ministers of 
 Central Missouri. Nelson Adams, among its old- 
 est servants, was doubtless among the most in- 
 fluential in the whole body. The others, named 
 Adams, were his sons, and, so far as we know, 
 they were faithful to their charges, as were prob- 
 ably the rest of the ministers of this Association. 
 This body has never taken any, or at least 
 much, interest in the missionary or other progres- 
 sive work. As it is natural, sometimes, among 
 many large families to find some drones, so is it 
 with some of the Associations of Southeast Mis- 
 souri, where, w^e are sorry to say, there are some 
 drones. 
 
 THE CONCORD ASSOCIATION. 
 
 The tenth Association orojanized in Southeast 
 Missouri was the Concord. It was a daughter of 
 the Central Missouri, mentioned in the report of 
 this chapter, and was organized with four 
 churches represented, which had been dismissed 
 from the Central Missouri at its session in 1867. 
 The Concord was organized in December of the 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 1 73 
 
 same year. The churches were Bethlehem, Big 
 Creek, Mt. Ziou and Pilgrim's Kest. The Arti- 
 cles of Faith adopted were the same as held by 
 its mother Association, It is situated in the 
 counties of Madison, Iron and parts of Reynolds 
 and shannon. Its name is the Concord Associa- 
 tion of United Baptists. The reader will observe 
 this term, United Baptists is a general term 
 among Baptists in Southeast Missouri. It is a 
 distinguishing title of the Bethel Association — 
 the mother of all the Associations in Southeast 
 Missouri — and many of us are proud of it, as it 
 carries us back to our Virginia fathers, who have 
 proven themselves a progressive missionary peo- 
 ple, carrying out the spirit of the English Baptist 
 fathers, from whom they have continued the ex- 
 ample of progressive missionary work. 
 
 The second session of this body was held with 
 the old Big Creek Church, mentioned in the 
 chapter on the Bethel Association, in October, 
 1869. One church was admitted this session. 
 
 This Association has had some curious experi- 
 ences in matters of correspondence with other 
 Associations. At its first session it opened cor- 
 respondence with the St. Francois and Franklin 
 Associations, and also offered correspondence 
 with the Bethel, its grandmother, but was refused 
 
174 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 on the orround that the Concord was an illeojal 
 organization, because some of its churches had 
 not obtained letters of dismission from their 
 mother Association, the Central Missouri, which 
 then had correspondence with the Bethel, its 
 grandmother. 
 
 Thus was the faithfulness of a mother Associa- 
 tion manifested in preserving Baptist usage in 
 the organization growing out of another. Its 
 churches should petition their mother Association 
 for dismission by letter at a regular session for 
 such purpose, and if granted, then proceed to or- 
 ganize. 
 
 The correspondence with the St. Francois and 
 Franklin Associations was soon lost or dropped, 
 as we see by an action taken at its second session. 
 Correspondence with the Franklin was dropped 
 because it had no article of faith on the subject 
 of feet-washing. The reader will be amused to 
 know that the Bethel, its grandmother, had no 
 articles of this kind, prior to the organization of 
 the Concord. The St. Francois stopped its cor- 
 respondence on account of these illegal proceed- 
 ings. 
 
 But the Concord still lives, and here are some 
 more of its proceedings : At the session in 1872, 
 we find the following : On motion, that the As- 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 175 
 
 sociation withdraw from the Mt. Nebo Church 
 for violating United Baptist faith. Now, whether 
 the church named had violated United Baptist 
 faith in general, or any particular article, is not 
 stated, which should have been in justice to the 
 accused church. Second, that we prefer charges 
 against Elder A. J. Vance, and, upon authority 
 of the evidence in the case, declare his creden- 
 tials void, until he acquits himself of the charges. 
 Now, they may have had, positive reasons 
 for grave charges against Elder Vance ; but 
 in justice to him and the cause, as in the case of 
 the church above mentioned, they should have 
 specified the charges, as no court, ecclesiastic or 
 otherwise, does less. 
 
 In the year of 1885, this Association numbered 
 18 churches, 6 ordained ministers, and reported 
 15 baptisms, with a total membership of 400 : 
 but no Sabbath-schools or otherwise practical 
 Christian work, are mentioned, as we have so far 
 seen, in the work of this body. 
 
176 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE CHARLESTON AND NEW MADRID ASSOCIATIONS. 
 THE CHARLESTON ASSOCIATION. 
 
 This Association is the eleventh Association of 
 the regular order of Baptists in Southeast Mis- 
 souri. It was organized in the year of 1876, in 
 Scott county. The churches forming this Asso- 
 ciation were from the Cape Girardeau Associa- 
 tion — the number is not given — and had been dis- 
 missed the same year to form a new Association 
 for convenience. The reader may understand 
 the order of this Association by the first and sec- 
 ond articles of its constitution, which is here 
 given. **1. This Association shall be called the 
 Charleston Baptist Association, and shall be 
 auxilliary to the Baptist General Association of 
 Missouri. 2. The object of this Association 
 shall be to promote the preaching of the Gospel 
 and the spread of Divine truth in our bounds." 
 From these facts they start with all the possibil- 
 ity of a progressive missionary body. They 
 adopted the articles of faith held in general by 
 all missionary Baptists. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 177 
 
 From the Minutes of the fifth animal session 
 now before us, we gather the following named 
 churches and communities: Concord, Bethany, 
 Big Prairie, Blodgett, DiehL^tadt, Hopewell, 
 Morley, Mt. Moriah, New Hope, New Provi- 
 dence, Rich woods and Sylvan, now called Oran, 
 with a total membership of 309 members. We 
 observe that the Charleston Church, which is one 
 of the largest and most flourishing churches of 
 the body, was not on the list of 1882. The min- 
 isters present were I. E. Anderson, J. M. Pres- 
 son, W. B. Richnrdson, T. Dickerson, W. R. 
 Rainbolt, W. C. Darby, and J. M. Allen. They 
 reported 56 baptisms this year. By the Consti- 
 tution the following Committees were formed to 
 report annually: On Sunday-schools, Finance, 
 the State of the Churches, Home Missions and 
 Religious Literature. 
 
 This Association occupies an important field in 
 the counties of Scott and Mississippi, through 
 which, at this time, there are raih'oads runnin^y 
 north and south, east and west, establishing along 
 their lines many railroad towns, which are of 
 growing importance to the entire field, not only 
 as shipping points for the valuable products 
 raised from the rich, alluvial soil, through which 
 these railroads run, but they constitute centres 
 
178 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 of inliuence, education and wealth. We doubt 
 not these brethren will turn all this to good 
 account in due time. 
 
 As many of the churches have been mentioned 
 in connection with the Cape Girardeau Associa- 
 tion, we will not detain the reader any farther. 
 We have no special information regarding the life 
 work of their ministers, but they seem to be a 
 faithful, consecrated band of workers. 
 
 THE NEW MADRID ASSOCIATION. 
 
 This is the twelfth and latest organized mis- 
 sionary body of the kind in Souteast Missouri. 
 It was organized in 1883 ; consequently but little 
 can be given concerning it or its churches. We 
 are not informed as to w4iat church or place it 
 was organized. Bro. T. Hogan, of New Madrid, 
 was Moderator. Six churches were represented, 
 with ten ordained ministers. Thirty-six baptisms 
 were reported at the first annual meeting, with a 
 total membership of 274. This new body occu- 
 pies an important field in the vicinity of New 
 Madrid, New Madrid count}^ one of the oldest 
 settled communities in Southeast Missouri, in 
 which some of our most worthy Baptist pioneers 
 have lived. Through this new organization, we 
 trust this field will be fully occupied and 
 thoroughly cultivated. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 179 
 
 ELDER I. E. ANDERSON. 
 
 As one worthy of special mention in connection 
 with the early work of the Charleston Associa- 
 tion, we mention this venerable servant of Christ. 
 Bro. Anderson is a native of Virginia, born in 
 Washington county, of that State, June 1st, 1820. 
 His parents died wlien he was but a child ; conse- 
 quently he received but little education, and was 
 therefore brought up as a son of toil and hard- 
 ship. In 1845, under the ministry of Elder John 
 Baldwin he was converted to Christ at Cairo, 
 III. From here he went to Ballard county, Kv., 
 and became a member of tho North Ballard Bap- 
 tist Church, by order of which church he was 
 licensed to preach in 1847. From there he went 
 to Pulaski county. 111., and united with the Shiloh 
 Baptist Church. By the order of this church he 
 was ordained to the full work of the Gospel min- 
 istry in the year 1852. He came to Missouri in 
 1859, and settled in Scott county, where he re- 
 sided until 186 1, when the war broke out, and he 
 volunteered in the Southern army, acquitting 
 himself as an honorable soldier to the close of the 
 war. He then returned home only to find him- 
 self completely broken down. For a time he 
 lived elsewhere, and gathered means as best he 
 could until 1877, when he returned again for per- 
 
lyO THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 mauent settlement in Scott county, where he has 
 smce resided. 
 
 We have mentioned that he had no education, 
 and true it was under the circumstances. But 
 having a strong intellect and a decided will, when 
 he came to manhood's estate, he learned to read, 
 and with faithful application of mind and heart 
 he became so studi< us that now, in his 67th year, 
 he stands before his brethren of the Charleston 
 Association as one of their strongest ministers, 
 worthy and respected. He was the first and sec- 
 ond Moderator of that body, having built up seven 
 of its churches. He was principal in the ordina- 
 tion of three of its ministers. Such has been the 
 life of one whose faith has been well tried and not 
 found wanting in either doctrine, precept or 
 example. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 181 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 GENERAL BAPTISTS, OR FREEWILLS ; ALSO INCLUD- 
 ING A SKETCH ON CAMPBELLISM. 
 
 The Liberty Association of General Baptists, 
 or Freewills, in Southeast Missouri, was organ- 
 ized in the year of 1861 ; we are not informed as 
 to the church or place. It is known that the Hog 
 Creek Church, now called Mt. Zion, and other 
 churches in Bollinger and adjoining counties — 
 which belong to the St. Francois, and probably 
 some other associations of the regular order of 
 Baptists — were led into Freewillisni through the 
 influence of one John D. Bobbins, a leading min- 
 ister of the St. Francois Association. He had 
 embraced the Freewill sentiment in about the 
 year 1860, and publicly advocated the same ; for 
 this he was withdrawn from the St. Francois 
 Association the same year, — the Regular Order 
 of Baptists declaring him out of order, and as 
 such, his credentials were null and void. He 
 was published in the Minutes of 1861 as not in 
 order as a minister of the Baptist denomination. 
 But the Hog Creek, or Mt. Zion Church as it is 
 
182 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 now called, and j^robably a few others which he 
 had led into this ism (so we are informed) made 
 a pretentious move of legalizing his credentials 
 then null and void received from the reofular 
 order of Baptists, to suit the same, which the 
 reader will see was a great inconsistencj^ as will 
 appear from their faith^and practice — the leading 
 sentiments of which we here give a synopsis : 
 
 In the first place, the reader will observe that 
 if one did go out from the regular order of Bap- 
 tists, his articles of faith do not differ materi- 
 ally, excepting in a few important points. For 
 the information of those Avhom it may concern, 
 we will here give the 12th and 13th articles of 
 their faith, which demonstrates the main differ- 
 ence. (See Articles of Faith, in Minutes of Oc- 
 tober, 1885.) 
 
 ARTICLES OF FAITH OF THE FREEWILL BAPTISTS. 
 
 ^'Article 12. — AVe believe that the Lord elesus 
 Christ is the door unto the Church, and that bap- 
 tism is a duty in answer to a good conscience. 
 
 '* Article 13. — We believe that the Lord's peo- 
 ple are one in Him, therefore should be one at 
 His Table." 
 
 Li the seventh article of their faith, we find 
 that Baptism, the Lord's Supper, and the Wash- 
 ing of Feet, are held as ordinances of Jesus 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOtRT. 183 
 
 Christ, appointed in the Church, and none but 
 true believers are the proper subjects ; and that 
 the only proper mode of baptism is immersion. 
 
 From this, it is clear to the eyes of sound 
 reason and common sense that this seventh article 
 completely upsets the 12th and 13th, mentioned 
 above, for the simple reason that if none but 
 true believers are to partake of the benefits of 
 these ordinances appointed by the church (espec- 
 ially if immersion is the only proper mode of 
 baptism by which the answer of a good conscience 
 is obtained), how is it that the unimmersed 
 Pedoes can obtain an answer to a good con- 
 science, and, therefore, bo recognized as either 
 true believers or proper subjects for the Lord's 
 Table in the Church of Christ? It is certain that 
 light is wanting here. But if the Lord's people 
 are one in Christ, without regard to the senti- 
 ment of the seventh article, the Church of Christ, 
 with all the ordinances given to it by Him, is 
 forever set aside, and in truth, amounts to noth- 
 ing according to this practice. 
 
 Their Rule of Government, as an Association 
 is much the same as that held by the Baptists in 
 general, except that their deacons and licensed 
 preachers have the right to baptize in the absence 
 of the pastor. 
 
184 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 From the Minutes of the Twenty-fourth Annual 
 Meeting of this body, we gather the followinor 
 statistics : Thirteen churches were reported on 
 the list, with ten ordanied ministers and 492 
 communicants. 
 
 They seem to take but little or no interest in 
 educational or missionary enterprises ; but in jus- 
 tice to them, the following items may be given : 
 
 Resolved, That each male member donate from 
 one to ten dollars for the benefit of broken down 
 ministers, widows and orphans. 2. That it is 
 the duty of members to urge the Sabbath-school 
 cause, and organize the same in their churches. 
 3 That it is the duty of members to hold family 
 prayer in their families. 4. That it is not be- 
 coming a church member to visit saloons and par- 
 ticipate therein. 
 
 CORRESPONDENCE . 
 
 This body holds correspondence with the fol- 
 lowing Associations of General Baptists : New 
 Liberty, West Liberty, and Tennessee Associa- 
 tions. The West Liberty Association is located 
 in Wayne county, Mo. No statement is made as 
 to the location of New Liberty nor the Ten- 
 nessee ; neither have we any statistics respect- 
 ing these bodies. The West Liberty, in Wayne 
 county, however, is of quite late origin. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 185 
 
 In the <*Missouri Baptist History,'' by Bro. 
 R. S. Duncan, mention is made of what is called 
 the Missouri Association of General Baptists, or- 
 ganized in 1866, and situated in Ozark county, 
 Missouri, in the southwestern part of the state. 
 Article 11 of their Constitution provides that the 
 Association possess appellate jurisdiction in all 
 matters of difficulty arising in the churches. In 
 1870 it had nine churches, 352 communicants, 
 and 2 ministers. Also, mention is made of what 
 is called Big Creek Association of Freewill Bap- 
 tists, situated in Texas and adjoining counties. 
 
 They hold baptism to be immersion, the Lord's 
 Supper to be administered to all true believers, 
 the washing of the saints' feet to be an ordinance. 
 They are iv\x\j free-ioilled, as the twelfth article 
 of their faith declares : *'We believe that the will 
 of man is free, irresistible, controlled by no other 
 power, it being a self-controlling power," and 
 truly this is Freewillism. 
 
 In addition to the Annual Meeting of the Asso- 
 ciation they hold quarterly meetings, somewhat 
 after the Methodist style. This body was organ- 
 ized in 1870 or 1871. At its second session held 
 in 1872 it numbered 18 churches, with 502 com- 
 municants. Of its ministers nothing is said, ex- 
 cepting of the evangelist, for 1872, Elder B. C. 
 
18G THE BAI>TISTS OF 
 
 SteveiLs, whose report we give as follows: 
 
 Miles travelled, 1,128; families visited, GO; 
 sermons preached, 53; ministers ordained, three, 
 and four deacons ; constituted one church, and 
 administered the Lord's Supper four times. 
 
 Expenses : — Expense for fare, 75 cents ; for 
 horse-shoeing, $3.00; money received, $1.10: 
 f>;oods, one handkerchief, 15 cents, and two pieces 
 of tlat tobacco, 10 cents. 
 
 If it was not that this report is a step in ad- 
 vance of the Freewills or General Baptists of 
 Southeast Missouri, we would have a great deli- 
 cacy in giving it mention in these sketches ; it 
 having no relation to the Regular Order of Bap- 
 tists, it cannot be regarded as a Baptist institn- 
 tion. 
 
 SKETCH OF CAMPBELLISM. 
 
 There is a sect calling themselves Christians, or 
 Disciples, properly known as Campbellites. The 
 founder and author of this new reformation was 
 one Alexander Campbell, of Bethany College, 
 Kentucky. Several organizations of this society 
 may be found in Southeast Missouri. They hold 
 to immersion for baptism, and are charged with 
 teaching the doctrine of baptismal regeneration, 
 which secures pardon and remission of sins to 
 those Avho forsake their sins, believing and con- 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 187 
 
 fessing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The 
 fair statement is, that the person forsaking their 
 sins, believing and confessinor that Jesus Christ is 
 the Son of God, can, by obedience to this com- 
 mand, secure pardon and remission of sins, with- 
 out which obedience there is no promise. So it 
 is properly remission of sin by obedience to 
 baptism, and not remission by baptism, as is 
 charored. But as this sentiment is about as 
 tenable as the Romish heresy of baptismal re- 
 generation taught by Catholic priests, that, b}^ 
 confession, penance, prayers, and the sacrament 
 of baptism, pardon, and remission of sins are 
 obtained, we cmnot give it sanction in these 
 sketches as a Baptist institution ; especially as 
 Alexander Campbell and his adherents were with- 
 drawn from th9 Baptist denomination, as being 
 in error in this sentiment which they would not 
 renounce. 
 
188 THE BAPTISTS CF 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 GENERAL MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS. THE TONG 
 
 FAMILY. WILLIAM TONG. 
 
 The reader will excuse this sketch as this given 
 in compliance with the wishes of many who have 
 thought it but fitting that a short historical 
 sketch of this, one among the largest families of 
 North America, and one which has borne a special 
 part, morally, socially and politically, in the 
 pioneer work of Southeast Missouri, from the 
 very earliest settlements down to the present 
 time. The patriarch of the Tong family was 
 William Tong, a native of Maryland, born near 
 the city of Baltimore, August 9th, 1756. He 
 received only a common education, such as could 
 be obtained at the common schools of the times. 
 At twenty-three years of age he entered the ser- 
 vice of his country as a volunteer soldier at the 
 breaking out of the Revolutionary war. Amid 
 the hardships and trying circumstances common 
 to all the American soldiers of that war, he sur- 
 vived the seven years struggle — taking a part in 
 the battle of Brandy wine and other battles, re- 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 189 
 
 turning home at last to enjoy, for many years, 
 the liberty he had fought so hard to secure to his 
 country. 
 
 My grandfather was married twice, by which 
 two unions twenty-six children were born to him, 
 thirteen sons and thirteen daughters whom he 
 raised to be men and woman. Each wife had 
 thirteen children. His first wife was Miss Eli- 
 nor Ford; the second, Miss Elizabeth Thomas; 
 both were from his native State. Grandfather 
 served as an apprentice at the shoe-maker's trade, 
 in which profession he gained a fine reputation. 
 Politically he was a Jeffersonian, and was a 
 gifted and eloquent talker, which gift seems to 
 descend to his entire posterity ; for if any person 
 ever met a Tong, and didn't meet a talker, we 
 have that fact to learn. 
 
 A few years after his second marriage he left 
 his native State for the great West coming by 
 way of Kentucky, in which State he stopped for 
 a time and settled in what is called the New Pur- 
 chase ; but by reason of a defective title to his 
 land claim, he left there and came to the Terri- 
 tory of Missouri in the year of 1820, sixty-seven 
 years ago, and settled on Little St. Francois 
 River, near St. Michael, now Fredericktown, 
 county-seat of Madison county, Missouri, in 
 
190 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 which community he spent the residue of his life, 
 bringing up his family, and as a pioneer citizen 
 bearing his part, morally, politically, and 
 socially in building up the common-wealth of his 
 newly adopted State, which was then admitted 
 into the Union — 1821. The religion of the 
 family was of the Episcopalian order, but after 
 coming AYest, they, for the most part, identified 
 themselves with the Southern Methodist Church. 
 After living to the great age of ninety-one 
 years, grandfather went to visit some of his chil- 
 dren living in Illinois, and there died, February 
 8th, 1848, and was laid to rest as a faithful sol- 
 dier and citizen of the United States of America. 
 
 HENRY DAVEDGE TONG. 
 
 Henry Davedge, called Henry D. Tong, my 
 father, was the eleventh of thirteen sons, and 
 was the only one who became a Baptist ; not- 
 withstanding that during the stay of the family 
 in Kentucky, a son was born whom the}' called 
 John Baptist Tong, on account of the following 
 amusing circumstance which took place while the 
 family was on the road from Maryland to Ken- 
 tucky. The carriage in which grandmother and 
 some of the smaller children were riding was up- 
 set while crossing a small river, and all went 
 under. Strong help being at hand, they were 
 
SOUTHEAST 3IISS0URI. 191 
 
 soon rescued, and no harm done except that all 
 had received a good duckmg. In a few weeks 
 after they reached Kentucky this son was born, 
 and when it came to giving the name, the old 
 nurse, a colored woman belonging to the family, 
 said: "I has de naming ob dat boy." *'And 
 what is it?" said one. *«Why, we will call him 
 John Baptist, after de providence ob de Lord, at 
 de crossing ob dat big river, where dey all got 
 ducked so." The name was consented to, and 
 he was ever after called John Baptist Tong. 
 
 I win not detain the reader more than to state 
 that as the descendents of this family were well 
 adapted to pioneer life, they went forth from 
 their old home, Madison county, scattering among 
 the several states and territories of the oreat 
 West as farmers, mechanics, merchants, mill- 
 builders, and miners, bearing their parts in 
 opening up the resources of the country in which 
 they lived. I am thankful to say, as a general 
 rule, they maintained for good government, 
 education, morality and religion, without which 
 no country can long exist. 
 
 As mentioned elsewhere, my father, Henrj^ D. 
 Tong, was the only one of the family who united 
 with the Baptists. He professed faith in Christ 
 when about eighteen years of age and was bap- 
 
192 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 tized into the fellowship of the Providence Bap- 
 tist Church, near Fredericktown, by the beloved 
 Win. Polk; from this time on till the close of his 
 life, he would pray in public and exhort sinners 
 to repentance. He died in Ripley county, in 
 18fi5, and was laid to rest in a cemetery on 
 Buffalo Creek, a few miles west of Doniphan, 
 county-seat of Ripley county. He was twice 
 married ; first, to Miss Minerva Allen, of Madison 
 county ; second, to Miss Elizabeth Woods, of 
 St. Francois county. By these two unions, 
 eleven children were born to hira, the writer being 
 the only child by the first marriage. 
 
 A young preacher once asked me what he 
 should do to make a man of himself and honor 
 God. I said, as I want to say here to all young- 
 preachers : 
 
 * 'Cross the Alps a few times amidst the wintry 
 blasts of hardships, poverty and disappointments, 
 and you will return a polished shaft, having sub- 
 dued all your evil passions — selfishness, bigotry 
 and pride ; with this grand experience you will 
 become a man and honor God and the cause as 
 doubtless you would not under any other train- 
 ing. At least this is my experience." 
 
 AN ANECDOTE. 
 
 I once knew a boy, the son of a minister, who 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 193 
 
 would gather his playfellows, boys and gu*ls, 
 together in the shady nooks of the woods and 
 preach to them occasionally. They called him 
 the boy preacher. One pleasant summer even- 
 ing when this "boy preacher" was about thirteen 
 years old, he was holdino^ a meeting for the bo3^s 
 and skirls of his neighborhood ; and after he had 
 ended his discourse, thinking that the meeting- 
 was not finished without giving an opportunity 
 * 'for joiners to join the Baptist church," as he 
 called it, he gave the invitation as usual, when a 
 girl about his own age came forward, and to 
 carry out the fun demanded baptism. This was 
 consented to by all. They went to a creek near 
 by and both went down into the water. The girl, 
 being a Methodist, had never seen any one im- 
 mersed; the boy, coming from a Baptist family, 
 had never seen any one sprinkled. Of course 
 she thought he would only throw water in her. 
 face ; and the reader may imagine her surprise 
 upon being plunged to the bottom of the water, 
 making a complete immersion. This circum- 
 stance occurred a few miles south of where the 
 city of Ironton now stands. The year folio wing- 
 that boy professed faith in Christ, then in his 
 fourteenth year, and four years after, united with 
 the Baptists and commenced preaching. Having 
 
194 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 left that community, he saw his candidate no 
 more for fifteen years. When he met her again, 
 a widowed mother and an humble Christian, she 
 said to him, *'I guess you haven't forgot our bap- 
 tismal scene?" *'No," said the boy. *'Well," 
 continued the lady, with tears rolling down her 
 cheeks, <'I hope we both understand it all right 
 now; since that time I professed a hope, and 
 have long since been a Baptist right, and I*m 
 told you have been a Baptist minister fifteen 
 years." He answered, "Yes ma'am." 
 
 IMPORTANT ITEMS OF THE SEVEN DISPENSATIONS, 
 
 OR AGES OF THE WORLD. THE FIRST 
 
 AGE OF THE WORLD. 
 
 The first age of the world, from Adam to 
 Noah, and the time of the flood, is 1856 years. 
 In the beginning of this age, God created the 
 heavens and the earth, after which man was 
 created in God's own image. Man then falls 
 from his first state, but is promised a Savior 
 from the seed of the woman. After Adam and 
 Eve were cast out of Paradise, children were 
 born to them. From this time, mankind began 
 to multiply upon the face of the earth. As man 
 was now sinful, his heart was set to do evil con- 
 tinually, for which God destroyed the world by 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 195 
 
 water, which came upon the earth when Noah 
 was six hundred years old. 
 
 THE SECOND AGE OF THE WOKLD. 
 
 The floods cease, and Noah, with his family 
 and all the creatures he carried with him, come 
 out of the ark. Noah offers the first burnt- 
 offering to God that was made after the flood. 
 God then makes a covenant with Noah and his 
 seed, promising to never again destroy the world 
 by water. In token of this covenant, he places 
 a rainbow in the clouds. From the flood of 
 Noah unto Abraham's departure from Chaldea 
 were four hundred and twenty -two years and ten 
 days. 
 
 THE THIRD AGE OF THE WORLD. 
 
 From the departure of Abraham, from Ur in 
 Chaldea, unto the departing of the children of 
 Israel was four hundred and thirty years. In 
 this age, when Abraham was seventy-five years 
 old, God commanded him to enter upon the Land 
 of Canaan, which God had promised to give unto 
 his seed for a possession ; and that in his seed, 
 which was Christ Jesus our Lord, all the fami- 
 lies of the age should be blessed. 
 
 THE FOURTH AGE OF THE WORLD. 
 
 This was the period when the children of Irsrael 
 departed out of the land of Egypt — four huu- 
 
196 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 dred and thirty years from the time of the first 
 pilgrimage of their ancestors (Jacob and his 
 family), when they went into Egypt in conse- 
 quence of the famine in Canaan. Upon the 14th 
 day of the first month, which was May, the Pass- 
 over was instituted, and upon the 15th of the 
 same month, at midnight, the first-born of Egypt 
 were all slain. Pharoah makes haste to send the 
 children of Israel out of Egypt, being six hun- 
 dred thousand on foot, men besides children. 
 They came to the Red Sea, which divided, and 
 they crossed over on dry land. Pharoah and his 
 host, in pursuing them, was overthrown by the 
 waters coming together again. On Mount Sinai, 
 in the wilderness, the first national law given to 
 mankind was given to the children of Israel. 
 This law was written by the finger of God on 
 tables of stone. 
 
 THE FIFTH AGE OF THE WORLD. 
 
 Solomon lays the foundation of the temple in 
 the forty-eighth year after the departure of the 
 children of Israel out of Egypt. In this age, the 
 children of Israel departing from the law of God 
 and falling into sin, were carried captives into 
 Babylon for seventy years. 
 
 THE SIXTH AGE OF THE AVORLD. 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar, proud of his victories over 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 197 
 
 Egypt and his conquests over the Jews and the 
 people of other countries, and boastful of the 
 magnificence of his buildings, became distracted 
 and was driven from the society of man to spend 
 seven years among the beasts of the field, after 
 which time his understanding returns, and he 
 humbly acknowledges the power of Almight God. 
 Also, Alexander the Great, w^as born in this age, 
 and lived to be the conqueror of the world, over 
 which he reigned as monarch six years and ten 
 months, when he died from the use of strong 
 drink. In this age was the empire of the Roman 
 Caesars, forty-nine years before Christ. This 
 was the ruling power when Jesus came into the 
 world. At the close of this age, John the Bap- 
 tist was born, six months before Christ. 
 
 THE SEVENTH AGE OF THE W^ORLD. 
 
 This age began with the birth of Christ, the 
 Savior of mankind, who, as it is said, in the full- 
 ness of time, was born of the Virgin Mary, at 
 Bethlehem, called the City of David. 
 
 When He was about twelve years of age, he 
 began His public ministry, and when about thirty 
 years old, he was baptized of John in Jordan, 
 after which he commenced to preach His own 
 ever-living Gospel — the Gospel of the kingdom 
 of Heaven, and established His own Church, 
 
198 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 which was to stand to the end of time. For the 
 redemption of the world, he suffered and died 
 under the reign of Pontius Pilate, Governor of 
 Judea ; was buried and rose again the third morn- 
 ing; forty days after His resurrection, He 
 ascended to Heaven, having commissioned His 
 disciples to *»go teach all nations, beginning at 
 Jerusalem," etc., etc. This put an end to all 
 legal sacrifices under the law of Moses, which 
 prefigured this great event and established forever 
 the Gospel Dispensation, — the Seventh Age, or 
 last dispensation of time, in which dispensation 
 we now live, and which has now reached 1886 
 years A. D. As coming events are casting their 
 shadows before us, what I say unto one, I say 
 unto all, Watch, for we know not when the Son 
 of Man cometh. 
 
 GENERAL SUMMARY OF THE SEVEN AGES OF THE 
 
 AVORLD FROM THE CREATION TO THE YEAR 
 
 1887, OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA. 
 
 First: From Adam to Noah and the flood 
 .... 1856 years. 
 
 Second: From the flood to the departure of 
 Abraham from Chaldea .... 422 years and 10 
 days. 
 
 Third: From Abraham's doparture from 
 Chaldea to the departure of the children of Israel 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 199 
 
 from Canaan to Egypt 430 years. 
 
 Fourth : From the going forth of the Israel- 
 ites from Egypt unto the first building of the 
 temple .... 480 years. 
 
 Fifth : From the first building of the temple 
 unto the captivity of Babylon, are .... 419 
 years and 6 months. 
 
 Sixth : From the rebuilding of the temple and 
 City of Jerusalem unto the coming of Christ, are 
 .... 483 years. 
 
 Seventh: The Christian Era, from the Birth 
 of Christ to December 25th, 1887, making the 
 grand total from the Creation of the World to 
 this period .... 5,980 years, 6 months and 10 
 days. 
 
 The estimated population of the earth is 
 1,462,000,000, divided as follows: Caucasian 
 or White, 600,000,000; Mongolian, 600,000,000; 
 African or Black, 250,000,000; Copper colored, 
 12,000,000. 
 
 These peoples are estimated to speak 3,064 
 languages, and to profess about one thousand dif- 
 ferent forms of religion. 
 
 THE RELIGIOUS DIVISIONS OF THE WORLD. 
 
 According to Schem the statistics are as follows : 
 All Christian denominations, including Baptists, 
 Roman Catholics and all, number 388,000,000. 
 
200 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 According to the Year Book of 1888, the num- 
 ber of Baptists in the world are 3,506,719 ; in 
 the United States, 2,917,315, and in the State of 
 Missouri, 117,654. Leaving out the Baptists, 
 who are not to be reckoned as Protestants, and 
 there are left 85,000,611 Protestants. This 
 leaves a total of those still in heathenism, 
 817,000,080. 
 
 BAPTIST CONTRIBUTIONS AND INVESTMENTS. 
 
 The amount of Baptist contributions for benev- 
 olent purposes in the United States for the year 
 1884 was $6,996,105. The amount invested in 
 Theological Schools in the United States was 
 $3,832,505. In other colleges and schools, 
 $15,215,037, making a total of $19,047,542. 
 
 ANALYSIS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT. 
 
 Books in the Old Testament, 39; chapters, 
 929; verses, 32,214; words, 592,439; letters, 
 2,728,100. Books in the New Testament, 27; 
 chapters, 260; verses, 7,959; words, 181,253; 
 letters, 838,380. 
 
 The middle chapter and the shortest in the 
 Bible is the 117th Psalm; the middle verse is 
 Psalm 118:8. The middle book of the Old 
 Testament is Proverbs; the middle verse is 
 2 Chron. 20 : 17 ; the shortest verse is 1 Chron. 
 1:1. The middle book in the New Testament is 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 201 
 
 2 Thessaloiiians ; the middle chapters are Romans 
 13 and 14 ; the middle verse is Acts 17:17; the 
 shortest verse is John 11: 35. The 19th chapter 
 of 2 Kings and the 37th chapter of Isaiah are 
 said to be both alike. The 21st verse of the 
 7th chapter of Ezra has all the letters of the 
 Alphabet in it except the letter /. The foregoing 
 general summary and statistics are comparatively 
 accurate and reliable, having been gathered from 
 the best authors and staticians of the Nineteenth 
 Century. 
 
202 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 CHAPTER Xm. 
 
 BAPTIST PERIODICALS. 
 
 Having concluded the historical sketches of 
 the Baptist Associations, churches and ministers 
 of Southeast Missouri, we will now proceed to a 
 review of Baptist journalism. We will not de- 
 tain the reader with a general account of the 
 various efforts put forth to establish Baptist 
 periodicals or journals at different times and 
 places in the State, except those of the most im- 
 portance to the Baptists of Southeast Missouri. 
 
 It will be remembered that the first Baptist 
 journal established in Southeast Missouri was the 
 "Ironton Baptist Journal." This was started in 
 the city of Iron ton, Iron county, Mo., by Elder 
 Wm. Polk, editor and proprietor, in the year of 
 1859; but in consequence of the breaking out of 
 the war in 1861, its publication was suspended, 
 and upon the death of its faithful proprietor in 
 1864, it ceased to exist. Since this, no other 
 effort has been made to establish another Baptist 
 periodical, so far as we know, in Southeast Mis- 
 souri. But we are thankful to state for the good 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 203 
 
 of the Baptists of Southeast Missouri as well as 
 the Baptist brotherhood of the entire State, that 
 in the year of 1868 *'Tlie Central Baptist," so- 
 called by reason of the consolidation of what was 
 known as the * 'Missouri Baptist Journal," pub- 
 lished at Palmyra, Mo., by J. H. Luther and E. 
 M. Ehodes, proprietors, and *'The Record," pub- 
 lished by A. A. Kendrick, at St. Lonis, Mo., 
 was established. This was one of the most im- 
 portant denominational Baptist papers in the 
 State. It was not until about the year 1872 that 
 it was introduced to the Baptists of Southeast 
 Missouri, since which time it has been read with 
 great profit by many leading Baptists of that 
 vicinity, aud has proved a wonderful factor in 
 the development of practical religious thought 
 and activity in church work as well. It has 
 been a source of great strength to the weak and 
 of comfort to the feeble. It has broken down 
 the middle walls, or partition lines, existing 
 ^ere and ^/lere among the Baptists of the State. 
 It opened the eyes of those who were blinded bv 
 superstition and ignorance to the importance of a 
 practical application of principle to duty ; affect- 
 ing a more general acquaintance among the Bap- 
 tists of all parts of the commonwealth ; imparting 
 general information upon Baptist doctrines and 
 
204 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 seDtiment; giving knowledge of what the Baptists 
 were from Apostolic standpoints, what they had 
 done and suffered in the past, and w4iat they must 
 do in the future to glorify God, honor them- 
 selves and the cause of Christ. I can truly say 
 that such has been the blessed result of the 
 noble and successful career of the ** Central Bap- 
 tist" since its introduction to Southeast Missouri, 
 and as such I commend it to the faithful con- 
 sideration of every Baptist family in all the fields 
 to which it may go. 
 
 This valuable paper has been successfully issued 
 during the pastlnineteen years. I will mention 
 its chief editors : J. H. Luther was the first edi- 
 tor from May, 1868, to May, 1875; during the 
 first half of which time it reached a circulation of 
 eight thousand. Then the sole proprietors, for a 
 time, were W. Pope Yeaman, p. D., and 
 Rev. Willy J. Patrick, when Bro. Patrick retired 
 leaving it in the hands of Dr. Yeaman, who con- 
 tinued it until October, 1877. In this year it was 
 turned over to Rev. Wm. Ferguson as proprietor 
 and editor. He had the eflicient aid of Rev. J. 
 E. Armstrong as Associate editor. In 1882 Bro. 
 Ferguson sold *'The Central Baptist" to Rev. 
 W. H. Williams, under whose able management 
 the paper has steadily continued with increased 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 205 
 
 usefulness and widespread circulation throughout 
 the great West. 
 
 REV. WM. H. WILLIAMS. 
 
 We will now give a short sketch of Rev. W. 
 H. Williams, present editor of the "Central Bap- 
 tist." He is a native of Virginia, and became 
 identified with the Baptists when quite young. 
 Having professed faith in Christ, he was baptized 
 into the fellowship of the First Baptist Church 
 of Richmond, Va., in March, 1854. He gradu- 
 ated from Richmond College in 1861 ; and in the 
 same year spent a session in the Southern Baptist 
 Theological Seminary. The war coming on, he 
 enlisted and was chaplain in the Southern army 
 for nearly four years, when he became the effi- 
 cient and faithful pastor of several important 
 churches. His first pastorate was the church at 
 Fredericksburg, Ya. After this, he spent two 
 sessions in the Southern Baptist Seminary ; at 
 the close he received his diploma as a full gradu- 
 ate of that institution. Soon after, he was called 
 to the pastorate of the First Baptist Church of 
 Charleston, South Carolina, in 18G8. Then he 
 became pastor at Stanton, Virginia, and next at 
 Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Here he spent five years, 
 when he took charge of the church at Charlottes- 
 ville, Virginia; from which place he came to St. 
 
206 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Louis, Missouri, to enter a field of great useful- 
 ness, though a field of labor and trial for Christ's 
 sake. 
 
 THE AMERICAN BAPTIST. 
 
 This able Baptist periodical, as the polemic and 
 historical paper, has been a wonderful instrument 
 in the establishment and confirmation of Baptist 
 principles throughout the state of Missouri, as 
 well as other fields to which it has gone. It gives 
 special attention to ecclesiastical history, clearly 
 demonstrating the Baptists to be the only Chris- 
 tian community which has stood, preserving- 
 purity of faith and practice, from the Apostolic 
 age to the present time. *'The American Bap- 
 tist" is bold to expose the false interpretations 
 of the Scriptures, which are constantly being ad- 
 vocated in opposition to Baptist claims. In these 
 particulars, it has filled a very important place in 
 Missouri and the AVest generally. It has con- 
 firmed the weak in the faith and added strength 
 to the strong; while many opposers have been 
 brought to the truth as it is in Christ, through its 
 faithful Gospel teaching. The "American Bap- 
 tist" is a large eight page paper, issued weekly, 
 under the management of D. B. Ray, Editor-in- 
 chief, aided by an able staff of editors. It first 
 made its appearance in LaGrange, Missouri, Jan- 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 207 
 
 uary, 1875, under the name of the "Baptist Bat- 
 tle Flag." The place of publication was removed 
 from LaGrange to St. Louis, in 1877, where it is 
 permanently located. In July, 1879, its name 
 was changed to that of the "American Baptist 
 Flag," and in December, 1887, it assumed the 
 present name of the "American Baptist." Its 
 success has been very remarkable, having reached 
 a circulation of more than 14,000, which is the 
 largest circulation, considering its age, of any 
 Baptist paper in the denomination. 
 
 Dr. T. M. Colwell, of Mt. Yernon, New York, 
 was added to the editorial staff in 1887. Also, 
 Eider J. F. Colwell became the Associate editor 
 in 1887. In February, 1888, the "Baptist Ban- 
 ner," of Mt. Vernon, Illinois, became consoli- 
 dated with the "American Baptist," and the able 
 editor, Elder "\V. P. Throgmorton, became the 
 Southern Illinois editor, with Elder J. J. Midkiff, 
 of Cobden, Illinois, as field editor of the South- 
 ern Illinois department. Also, the name of Eld. 
 C. N. Ray has been prominently associated with 
 the paper since its beginning, as field editor and 
 correspondent. With the present able corps of 
 editors, there seems to be a grand future for the 
 success and usefulness of the "American Bap- 
 tist." 
 
208 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 ELDER D. B. RAY. 
 
 Elder D. B. Kay is a native of Hickman 
 county, Kentucky. He was born March 30th, 
 1830, and, in 1844, professed faith in Christ, and 
 was baptized into the fellowship of Little Obion 
 Church by Elder Willis White. He began to 
 preach in 1854, and was ordained to the full work 
 of the ministry in 1856, from which time, mitil 
 1870, he gave his whole time to the work in west 
 Kentucky and Tennessee. He served several 
 churches as pastor, but spent a large part of his 
 time in Associational Mission work, and in special 
 revival work in various states. Thousands were 
 brought to Christ under his labors. In 1869, 
 Elder Ray became associated with Dr. A. S. 
 Worrell, of Lexington, Kentucky, on the staff of 
 the **Baptist Sentinel," a monthly periodical. 
 In 1873 he removed to LaGrange, Missouri, and 
 became pastor of the church at that point. In 
 January, 1875, he began the publication of the 
 '^Baptist Battle Flag," which was afterwards re- 
 moved to St. Louis. He removed with his family 
 to St. Louis in 1880, where he now resides. 
 
 Eld. D. B. Ray was mostly educated in Clinton 
 Seminary, West Kentucky. He taught school for 
 several years before entering the ministry. He 
 has engaged in about fifty public discussions with 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 209 
 
 the representatives of the various religious de- 
 nominations, especially with the leaders of the 
 Campbellite and Methodist denominations, in 
 which he has been regarded as very successful in 
 the exposure of error and the support of Bible 
 truth, as held by Baptists. Also, Elder Ray has 
 spent much of his time in special revival work. 
 He is the author of a valuable publication called 
 the ''Text Book on Campbellism," which has 
 reached ten editions, and is regarded as having 
 done more to stop the progress of the Campbellite 
 heresy than any other publication. Also, he is 
 the author of that very valuable publication 
 called the "Baptist Succession," which has 
 reached its thirteenth edition. Two oral discus- 
 sions which he has held, one with the Campbellites 
 and the other with the Dunkards, have been pub- 
 lished in book form. 
 
 ford's christian repository. 
 This able monthly, an eighty-page magazine 
 edited in St. Louis, by Dr. S. H. Ford and his 
 wife, Mrs. S. E. Ford, designed to fill the place 
 between the newspaper and the book, is doubt- 
 less one of the most popular religious magazines 
 published in the great West. It has been read 
 with great pleasure and profit by many thousands 
 of Baptists especially throughout the State of 
 
210 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Missouri. It was first published in Louisville, 
 Kj., with John L. Waller and Chas. D. Kirk, as 
 editors. In the commencement of its third year, 
 Dr. Ford became associate editor, and in Jan- 
 uary, 1856, became sole proprietor. In July, 
 1871, the first number of this splendid magazine 
 was issued from St. Louis,, with headquarters at 
 the Baptist Depository. The editor then said ; 
 *' After ten years of suspense, consequent upon 
 the civil war troubles, this periodical is again]_sent 
 forth into the world of thought and work. It 
 seeks to occupy as in former years its own pecul- 
 iar sphere. Its aim is to supply a place, which, 
 so far as its conductors are aware, is not filled 
 by any other journal. It addresses itself to each 
 member of the household, and its pages will be 
 filled with matter worthy of being preserved." 
 Therefore, as it asks the generous co-operation of 
 the press, of the ministry, of the brotherhood 
 and sisterhood of the Baptists, we do most 
 heartily give it mention in these sketches as 
 worthy of the patronage of every Christian family 
 in the land. The Family Department, conducted 
 by Mrs. Sally R. Ford, is especially attractive 
 and interesting to the general reader. [This 
 sketch is partly taken from <*The Christian Re- 
 pository," 1871, Vol. XI., page 78. J 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 211 
 
 NATIONAL BAPTIST PUBLISHING COMPANY. 
 
 This Compauy was organized thus : 
 '*Oii the 16th of January, 1878, David B. Ray, 
 James B. Weber and John M. Robinson asso- 
 ciated themselves together under the appelhition 
 of the St. Louis Baptist Publishing Company, 
 located in the city of St. Louis. 
 
 By the articles of association, the objects for 
 which said Company was formed, were declared 
 to be the transaction of a general book and job 
 printing business, the publication and sale of 
 books, pamphlets, tracts and periodicals. In his 
 preface to the aforesaid articles of association, 
 the president says : *'The vast Hood of affiliating 
 literature which is overflowing the land, makes 
 the establishment of our Publishing Company a 
 necessity. Latitudinarianism and no-churchism 
 is becoming the order of the day. It is the de- 
 sign of our Publishing Company to give neither 
 aid nor comfort to an alien Gospel or alien 
 churches. It will oppose alien baptism, alien 
 communion, alien ordination and an alien pulpit. 
 While others publish a diluted, mixed or per- 
 verted Gospel, it will be the province of our 
 Company to publish the truth, the whole truth, 
 and nothing but the truth, concerning the Gospel, 
 kingdom and ordinances of Jesus Christ." 
 
212 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 The authorized capital stock of the company 
 is $15,000, divided into six hundred shares of 
 $25 each. 
 
 January 19, 1878, the Company was duly char- 
 tered, and became a body politic and corporate, 
 under the name as given above. In June, 1881, 
 the Company ** purchased the stereotype plates 
 and the entire stock of books of the Baptist Pub- 
 lishing House of Nashville, Tenn., and removed 
 them to St. Louis, Mo. This purchase embraced 
 the standard works of the old firm of Graves, 
 Marks & Co., of the Southern Baptist Sunduy- 
 school Union, and those once owned by the Sun- 
 day-school Board of the Southern Baptist Con- 
 vention, as well as the stock of plates and books 
 once owned by the Southern Baptist Publication 
 Society at Memphis, Tennessee.'' 
 
 Including the foregoing purchase, the company 
 now owns the stereotype plates and copyrights 
 of more than one hundred religious and denomi- 
 national books, also about forty tract plates, the 
 original cost of all of which was more than 
 $35,000. 
 
 The Constitution of this Publishing Company 
 has been so changed that there are seven in the 
 Board of Directors instead of three ; and in the 
 name, St, Louis has been changed to National ^ 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 213 
 
 SO that the name of the Company is now The 
 National Baptist Publishing Company. Its rooms 
 are located at 1111 Olive street, St. Louis, Mo. 
 D. B. Kay has been the President of the Com- 
 pany from the beginning. For Bibles, Testa- 
 ments, and all kinds of reli odious and denomina- 
 tional literature, including Sunday-school libra- 
 ries, papers, Teachers, Quarterlies and other 
 helps, address the National Baptist Publishing 
 Company, at the above-named address. 
 
 HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS IN MISSOURI, 
 BY R. S. DUNCAN. 
 
 Of all the different books published in Mis- 
 souri, no matter how important the subject, not 
 one is of more importance to the whole Baptist 
 family than Duncan's * 'Missouri Baptist His- 
 tory." Hundreds, yes, thousands of brethren 
 and sisters, who are at this time quite young, 
 doubtless read it with pleasure. How much more 
 must the veterans of the cross, who have borne 
 the heat and burthens of pioneer life, in estab- 
 lishing the standard of truth and holiness, rejoice 
 in perusing its blessed pages as a sweet memorial 
 of the past — renewing in their minds and hearts 
 sacred memories of the faithful soldiers and 
 watchmen who have long since fallen on the 
 battle field and gone to their just rewards. Such 
 
214 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 is the spirit and purpose, in part at least, of this 
 splendidly arranged and well executed work. Let 
 us think over the olden times of the pioneer 
 settlements — the crude log cabin, its old-fashioned 
 fire-place, its bright light of blazing sticks, the 
 little window by which grandfather and grand- 
 mother sat, the old log church-house, the pleas- 
 ant spring and shady nooks near the old church 
 where the thirsty pilgrims drank and rested, and 
 lust, but not least, the good old preachers in the 
 stand, praying, preaching and exhorting the 
 frontier men to seek the heavenly country and 
 the living fountain of life in Christ Jesus. Yes, 
 these facts loom up in glittering beauty on the 
 pages of this book, besides what has been accom- 
 plished in the past one hundred years in the 
 wilderness of the great West. Its author says 
 that its purpose is to preserve from oblivion the 
 memory of men and of institutions ; to record on 
 the pages of history the important events of the 
 rise, progress and results of Baptist sentiments in 
 Missouri, once the battle-field of soul liberty and 
 freedom, and where the final blow to Papal 
 supremacy in the United States was struck. 
 This purpose, together with the knowledge of its 
 contents mentioned above, and the conclusive 
 fact that it was written by a native-born Mis- 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 215 
 
 sourian — a self-made man, trained in the school of 
 the same pioneer life — makes it a desirable book 
 to be owned and kept by every Baptist family in 
 this great State. 
 
 Its author, Bro. R. S. Duncan, was born in 
 Lincoln county, Mo., April 27th, 1832, and is 
 now in the fifty-fifth year of his age. In 1851, 
 he was converted to Christ, and baptized into the 
 fellowship of Zion Baptist Church, Montgomery 
 county, by the venerable James F. Smith. In 
 1855, Bro. Duncan was ordained to the Gospel 
 ministry. He w\is soon called to the pastoral 
 work, in which capacity he has faithfully served 
 many churches. In the year of 1869, he was 
 chosen Agent for Missouri of the Foreign Mission 
 Board of the Southern Baptist Conventioii, which 
 place he has filled and still occupies with great 
 faithfulness. In 1858, he commenced to gather 
 the material which formed the subject matter of 
 the aforesaid book. The log school-house, with 
 a few weeks of school in the winter were his only 
 opportunities for obtaining an education ; but in- 
 spired with a commendable ambition, he has 
 come forth as few would have done under similar 
 circumstances. For this reason we mention him 
 in these sketches. 
 
216 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 FATHER JOHN CLARK, THE METHODIST OTHER 
 
 MINISTERS. 
 
 The first Methodist Society, so far as we can 
 learn, was organized in Cape Girardeau county, 
 near Jackson, the county-seat, in 1807 — which 
 was the year following the first permanent or- 
 ganization of the Baptists — but by whom we are 
 not informed. However, Father John Clark was 
 the first Methodist preacher, and from the infor- 
 mation at hand, was doubtles, the first preacher 
 other than Roman Catholics to set his feet on 
 the western shore of the great river and preach 
 the Gospel to the few scattered settlements of 
 pioneer Baptists then in the territory of Mis- 
 souri, for which reason we mention him, and also 
 because of his sino^ular life and reliorious charac- 
 ter. 
 
 He was a native of Scotland, being born near 
 Inverness, — which was once regarded as the capi- 
 tol of the South highlands of Scotland,— the 29th 
 of November, 1758. He received a liberal edu- 
 cation. His parents, being strict Presbyte- 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 217 
 
 rians, were particular in having the classics, 
 Mathematics and their Church Catechism taught 
 to their children in the parish schools. He took 
 a great aversion to the classics. In about the 
 year 1786, he came to the state of Georgia and 
 settled near the Savannah river. It was here 
 under the ministry of Elders John Major and 
 Thomas Humphries that he united with the 
 Methodist church. In 1791 he was received on 
 trial as a preacher, and served on the Eichmond 
 circuit, in the region of Georgia three years, 
 when he was ordained deacon by Bishop Asbury. 
 Bro. Clark always had a great veneration for 
 John Wesley as a reformer of the Church of 
 England, but was truly Scriptural in his religious 
 views, and therefore learned from the New Tes- 
 tament that a church was a local society, and 
 that all discipline should begin and end in such 
 society or church. From these views, it is cer- 
 tain that he looked upon the Episcopal mode of 
 church government, given by the authority of a 
 conference of bishops and ministers as not 
 founded on Scripture, and was therefore trying 
 to lord it over God's heritage, the Church. In 
 consequence of these views, in 1795 he severed 
 his relations with the Methodist Conference, and 
 in 1796 left for the great West on foot, by way 
 
218 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 of Kentucky, where he stopped for a tune. He 
 linally reached Illmois, where he made his home — 
 if home he had at all, as he never married— with 
 Capt. Joseph Ogle, or James Lemonson. He 
 visited Missouri in 1798 ; at this time ho was re- 
 garded as an Independent Methodist, though in 
 sentiment he was a Baptist, which sentiment he 
 vindicated in the year 1803, when he became a 
 Baptist officially in the following singular man- 
 ner. He had found an Independent Methodist 
 preacher by the name of Talbot, who, like him- 
 self, had became dissatisfied with his Methodist 
 baptism. A meeting was appointed, Talbot bap- 
 tizedClark, and in return, Clark baptized Talbot 
 and several others. Some ten years after this 
 Clark became regularly connected with the Bap- 
 tist denomination. [See his history called 
 * 'Father Clark,'' page 238.] He was, therefore, 
 the first pioneer preacher of Missouri, making 
 his first visits in the St. Louis district of the 
 State. He was so faithful that it is said that he, 
 at one time, actually travelled all night to reach 
 his destination, reaching the place in time to 
 preach, having travelled sixty-two miles. He 
 died in the year 1833, at the ripe age of seventy^ 
 five years. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 219 
 
 REV. WM. D. HAMILTON. 
 
 Rev. Wm. D. Hamilton is a native of St. 
 Francois county, Missouri. He was born Febru- 
 ary 4th, 1818, which makes him at the ripe age 
 of seventy years. There were no schools nor 
 scarcely any books suitable for children to study, 
 as was the case in those early times; so he 
 learned his letters, which were made by the 
 teacher out of scraps of paper and pasted on a 
 cedar board. When thirty-one years old he pro- 
 fessed religion and united with the Pendleton 
 Baptist Church, near which he now resides. In 
 the year 1849 he commenced preaching and was 
 ordained by order of this church in the year of 
 1852. Elders Wm. Polk and eTames Cleveland 
 v^eve the Presbj'tery. For twenty years he was 
 more or less engaged in the pastoral work. At 
 this time, however, he has retired to his pleasant 
 home, caring for his aged companion, who has 
 passed through a great ordeal of afflictions, which 
 she has borne with patience and meekness, while 
 waiting for the rest beyond. 
 
 REV. JAMES F. BAKER. 
 
 This young preacher was born at Fulton, 
 Arkansas, July 7th, 1846. He professed faith 
 in Christ and united with the Mt. Zion Church, 
 October 20th, 1869. By order of this church he 
 
220 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 was licensed to preach April, 1871. In April, 
 1872, he was ordained to the full work of the 
 Gospel ministry. He has served as pastor of 
 fourteen different churches; was missionary of 
 Franklin Association for a term of five years; 
 and though never a graduate of any theological 
 school, he is quite an able preacher, and now 
 resides in the town of Farmington, St. Francois 
 county. 
 
 REV. J. C. PERKINS. 
 
 Rev. J. C. Perkins is a native of Shelby 
 county, Kentucky. He was born September .30th, 
 1831. He came with his parents to this state 
 when about two years old, and settled in St. 
 Francois county, where he was brought up. 
 When about twenty-two years of age, he pro- 
 fessed faith in Christ, and was baptized into the 
 fellowship of the Colony Baptist Church by the 
 beloved Wm. Polk. By the order of the same 
 church, he was first ordained to the office of dea- 
 con ; and sometime after to the full work of the 
 Gospel ministry. He has since been a faithful 
 helper among the churches of the good old Bethel 
 Association. He resides on a farm a few miles 
 east of Farmington, and is loved and respected 
 for his zealous, but meek and quiet life. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 221 
 
 ELDER \VM. S. HUFF. 
 
 This gifted young preacher, now pastor of the 
 Old Pendleton Baptist Church, one of the oldest 
 of the Bethel Association, is a native of Benton 
 county, Alabama, being born February the 23rd, 
 1854. 
 
 He moved with his parents to Missouri in the 
 spnng of 1866; professed faith in Christ, and 
 united with the United Baptist Church at Big 
 Creek, Iron county, Missouri, 1873. By order 
 of this church he was set apart to the work of the 
 Gospel ministry in the year 1875. Having had 
 but little educational advantages in his youthful 
 days, and desiring to become better qualified for 
 his work, he attended the Farmington Baptist 
 College a part of two sessions, commencing at 
 the advanced age of thirty-one years. His labors 
 have been confined to pastoral service, which 
 have been effective and useful among the churches 
 of the Concord and Bethel Associations, with the 
 promise of increasing power and usefulness in 
 the future. 
 
 REV. JOHN HUFF. 
 
 This young minister, a younger brother of 
 Elder Wm. S. Huff, was born in Lafayette 
 county, Alabama, February 22d, 1859. He came 
 to Missouri with his parents in the year 1866. 
 
222 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 He professed religion and united, in the year 
 1879, with the Big Creek Baptist Church, to 
 which his brother belonged, in Iron county, Mis- 
 souri. He attended the Baptist College in Wayne 
 county, Missouri, in the year 1881, and part of 
 1882, and the State Normal School the close of 
 1882, and part of '83. In April, 1888, he was 
 ordained to the work of the Gospel ministry, by 
 order of the Pendleton United Baptist Church, 
 St. Francois county, Missouri ; and is therefore a 
 promising gift of the Bethel Baptist Association 
 of Southeast Missouri. 
 
 ELDER F. M. SHAUSH. 
 
 This promising young brother is a native of 
 Mason county, Missouri, but was principally 
 brought up in Randolph county. He was born 
 October 31st, 1858 ; was converted and baptized 
 into the fellowship of Bethlehem Baptist Church 
 the fourth Sabbath in October, 1883, under the 
 ministry of Elder J. F. Smith, of Mexico, Mo. 
 After this, he began his first work in prayer- 
 meetings and Sunday-schools until the following 
 August, when he preached his first sermon, in 
 Boone county, where he labored in a protracted 
 meeting with great success. At the close he re- 
 turned home and engaged in a meeting with his 
 home church, Bethlehem, Audrain county. Mo., 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 223 
 
 which resulted in many conversions. This church, 
 seeing the great zeal and earnestness for the sal- 
 vation of sinners manifested by the brother, at 
 once licensed him to preach at their regular 
 meeting in August, 1884. Feeling the need of a 
 better preparation for this great work, he entered 
 the William Jewell College, September 9th, 1884, 
 where he spent three years, one of which he 
 preached to Little Platte county. For conveni- 
 ence, in July, 1887, he moved his membership 
 from Bethlehem Church, Audrain county, to 
 Centralia, Boone county. In the fall of this 
 year he entered the Southern Baptist Seminary 
 at Louisville, Ky. In consequence of an attack 
 of nervous prostration, he had to give up his 
 course of study and return home. Shortly after 
 this he assisted Centralia and Sturgeon Churches 
 in two revival meetings which resulted in twenty- 
 five accessions to the church. The following 
 spring he was called to the care of DeSoto Bap- 
 tist Church for half of his time ; also Bismarck 
 and Bellview Churches each one-fourth of the 
 time. In consequence of this necessity of pas- 
 toral service, by order of his home church, at 
 Centralia, Mo., he was set apart to the full work 
 of the ministry, April 23rd, 1888, The Presby- 
 tery consisted of Elders J. F. Smith, J. S. 
 
224 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Jesse and W. K. Wigginton, of Mexico, Mo., 
 E. Silver and j5. G. Hardy, of Centralia, Mo. 
 On the following evening he was married to Miss 
 Ejither E. Rambaugh, of Centralia, and soon 
 after left for his new field of labor in Southeast 
 Missouri, stopping at Bismarck, St. Francois 
 county, where he now resides, in a most impor- 
 tant field for a young man. 
 
 REV. J. N. B. HEPLER. 
 
 This gifted young preacher was born in Rock- 
 bridge county, Va., July 13th, 1858, and came to 
 this State in 1879. He professed faith in Christ 
 and united with the Methodist Church, South, 
 in the year 1880, and commenced preaching. 
 Becoming dissatisfied with his baptism in 1882, 
 he united with the Baptist Church at Curry ville. 
 Pike count}', Mo., being baptized by the Rev. W. 
 J. Patrick; in September of the same year he 
 was ordained by order of this same church to the 
 full work of the Gospel ministry. 
 
 He received his education at Richmond Baptist 
 College in his native State ; he was married to 
 Miss Linnie Jamison, of Pike county, Mo., in 
 1881. They now reside in Farmington, South- 
 east Missouri. He has the pastoral charge of the 
 Baptist church at that place as well as Union, 
 Bonne Terre and Ironton Churches. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 225 
 
 ELDER T. L. BRASSWELL. 
 
 This promising young minister was born in 
 Clinton county, Ky., October 2(3th, 1849. In 
 the year 1865 he professed faith and united with 
 the Hopewell Baptist Church, Allen county, Ky. 
 From this place he came to Missouri, coming by 
 way of Tennessee, where he stopped for a time. 
 He reached St. Francois county. Mo., in 1878, 
 where he stopped and located. Soon after, in 
 the year 1879, he was ordained to the work of 
 the Gospel ministry, and was soon engaged in the 
 active work of a pastor as well as in missionary 
 work, having served some twelve different 
 churches as pastor, and two years as missionary 
 of the Franklin Baptist Association. He now re- 
 sides in Iron county, and is still engaged in pas- 
 toral work. 
 
 STATISTICAL STATEMENTS. 
 
 In conclusion of the sketches of the Associa- 
 tions and ministers of the Regular Order of Bap- 
 tists in Southeast Missouri, we here submit the 
 following statistics, as gathered from the Minute 
 Reports of 1885 : 
 
 Associations 12 
 
 Number of Churches 191 
 
 Number of Ordained Ministers. . . 150 
 Baptisms for that Year 931 
 
226 
 
 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Total Number of Communicants. . .11 302 
 For the reader's convenience in referring to 
 the date of the organization of each Association, 
 we give the following names and dates in Alpha- 
 betical order: 
 
 1. Bethel Association. . .ors^anized 1816 
 
 2. Cape Girardeau. 
 
 3. Franklin. . . 
 
 4. Black River. . 
 
 5. St. Francois . . 
 
 6. Jefferson . . 
 
 7. Cane Creek. . 
 
 8. Central Missouri 
 
 9. Concord S. E. . 
 
 10. Wayne County. 
 
 11. Charleston . . 
 
 12. New Madrid. . 
 
 1824 
 1832 
 1835 
 
 1850 
 1853 
 1857 
 1858 
 1867 
 1875 
 1876 
 '883 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 227 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE BAPTIST SANITARIUM — DR. WM. H. INIAYFIELD 
 AND MRS. ELLEN MAYFIELD. 
 
 Ill all former Baptist Histories, written at dif- 
 ferent times and places where Baptists have lived 
 and labored, honorable mention has been made of 
 their great schools, colleges, universities, semi- 
 naries and academies for the moral, mental and 
 physical culture and development of all who 
 might become interested in a Christian education. 
 But nowhere in all the world has history men- 
 tioned the establishment of a single Sanitarium. 
 It is, therefore, with pleasure unequalled by no 
 other interest that we mention in The History of 
 Southeast Missouri, a Baptist Sanitarium, an in- 
 stitution w4iere the impotent and afflicted of 
 nearly all classes (except in contagious diseases) 
 can avail themselves of all the advantages that 
 the medical fraternity affords, 
 
 THE ONE BAPTIST SANITARIUM IN THE WORLD. 
 
 The great Baptist denomination, numbering in 
 the United States alone 2,917,315, and filling the 
 
228 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 earth with its pure teachings of the Scripture, has 
 only one Sanitarium. 
 
 The denomination supports ministers, mission- 
 aries, seminaries, colleges, orphan's homes, and 
 other beneficent and benevolent institutions; but 
 only one hospital. "Why is this? Baptists, as a 
 body, are neither stingy nor poor. They give 
 liberally to the support of hospitals, Protestant 
 and Catholic. This is as it should be, since oth- 
 ers have to care for our sick. 
 
 LOCATION. 
 
 On the loth of Septeml)er, 1887, the Baptist 
 Sanitarium, located on the corner of Bell and 
 Taylor Avenues, St. Louis, Missouri, ^Yas for- 
 mally opened. The building is a beautifully 
 constructed drab brick, two stories high, with 
 basement rooms and furnace, and eleven large 
 rooms and halls, all well ventilated. The situa- 
 tion is high, commanding a view of the city. The 
 spacious grounds, with their carpet of green, 
 shaded by forest trees and evergreens, are 
 an invitation to repose. To one, who is accus- 
 tomed to seeing the tall, dirty, brick buildings, sur- 
 rounded by high walls in the city, used as a home 
 for the sick, such a place seems more like a 
 dream than a happy reality. The location is all 
 that could be desired, removed from the smoke 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 229 
 
 and dust of the city. It can be reached from the 
 heart of the city for five cents — the Locust street 
 Cable car and its extension carrying passengers 
 to the gate in twenty-five minutes. It is under 
 the management of Dr. W. H. Mayfield, M, D., 
 a Professor in the College of Physicians and 
 Surgeons, and a graduate of the St. Louis Medi- 
 cal Colleore. He is also a reofular member of the 
 St. Louis Medical Society. He is a man of great 
 faith and piety, and undertook this work as a 
 divinely appointed duty. Mrs. W. H. Mayfield 
 is the Matron. She is a Christian woman of ex- 
 cellent standing. Physicians, matron and nurses 
 have given their services free. How like the 
 blessed Master is that man or woman who sacri- 
 fices all in the service of humanity. Healing 
 soul and body was His mission on earth. Re- 
 ligious services are held in the institution. There 
 have been bright conversions among patients and 
 visitors. Certainly God's blessing is on the work. 
 
 HEALING THE BODY. 
 
 Since the opening of the Sanitarium, 111 
 patients have been admitted. The majority of 
 them were Baptists; but none have been turned 
 away. Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Pres- 
 byterians, unbelievers, and infidels have been 
 treated. Boarding patients have come from Mis- 
 
230 THE liArTI>TS OF 
 
 souri, Illinois, Arkansas, Kansas, Texas and 
 Montana. An average of live patients a day havo 
 been treated, making over 1,000 who have been 
 treated, exclnsive of those boarding in the institu- 
 tion. 
 
 The cures effected in the short history of the 
 Sanitarium attest especial Divine favor. Diseases 
 treated have been from the most trifling ailments 
 to the most serious. One remarkable case must 
 be mentioned : Miss Eliza Poe, aged 38, of Cof- 
 feysburg. Mo., has suffered sixteen years with 
 rheumatism and arthritis — the knees being com- 
 pletely anclosed at right angles — and has not 'oeen 
 able to walk for sixteen 3'ears. She is now able 
 to walk and the present points to complete restor- 
 tion. The case o:oes on record as one of rare ex- 
 ception. 
 
 OWNED BY THE DEXOMIXATIOX. 
 
 The Sanitarium does not belong to an individ- 
 ual. It belongs to the denomination. So far, 
 it has cost the denomination nothing over the 
 rent of the building which has been paid by sub- 
 scriptions of l)rethren, citizens of St. Louis and a 
 few subscriptions from the country. No special 
 appeal to the Baptist brotherhood has been made. 
 The different departments have been furnished 
 bv donations. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 231 
 
 A SUPERIOR ADVANTAGE. 
 
 One peculiar advantage to the patient is that 
 the medical fraternity of the city are in heart 
 sympathy with the institution, rendering their 
 assistance when called. 
 
 TESTIMONIALS. 
 
 Dear Bro. : God bless you in your good work. 
 
 G. L. Black. 
 
 Liberty, Mo. 
 
 Dear Bro. : May God prosper you. 
 
 Wiley J. Patrick. 
 
 Bowling Green, Mo. 
 
 Dear Bro. : May God open the hearts of his 
 people to give to this worthy object. 
 
 Geo. Bolsher. 
 
 Columbia, Mo. 
 
 Dear Bro. : Why not ask every preacher for 
 $5.00. I send $5.00 for the preachers' ward. 
 
 ^. O. Sowers. 
 
 Salem, Mo. 
 
 Dear Dr. : The Sanitarium has been near my 
 heart ever since it came into existence, even be- 
 fore it had a name and a local habitation. I 
 deeply sympathize with you and your dear wife 
 in your earnest and arduous labors. The Bap- 
 tists have never turned their attention to the care 
 of the sick, but in time, when this good work is 
 
232 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 fully presented to them, they will give it a noble 
 support, I believe. For the present it is a work 
 of faith (as every good work is a work of faith). 
 May God lead you on in his way and give you the 
 sympathy and aid of His people. 
 
 J. P. Greene, 
 Pastor Third Baptist Church. 
 
 St. Louis, Mo. 
 
 Dear Bro. : My people are feeling a great 
 deal of interest in your noble work. 
 
 W. M. Harris, 
 Pastor Delmar Avenue Baptist Church. 
 
 St. Louis, Mo. 
 
 I speak, as a witness, cheerfully attesting the 
 great good which has been done by the Baptist 
 Sanitarium, and its promise for the future if 
 aided by the prayers and gifts of God's people. 
 
 Nannie Ray. 
 
 St. Louis, Mo. 
 
 Dr. W. H. Mayfield. — Dear Bro.: I have 
 been'conversant with the Baptist Sanitarium from 
 the day of its organization. It is the child of 
 tears and prayers. It affords an asylum to dis- 
 tressed and afflicted Baptists and is accomplishing 
 a work both for the bodies and souls of our suf- 
 fering brotherhood which only the arithmetic of 
 Heaven can compute. It deserves the prayers, 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 233 
 
 the sympathy and the hearty co-operation of the 
 Baptists of this entire country. 
 
 Fraternally, Wm. H. Williams. 
 
 St. Louis, Mo. 
 
 Dear Bro. : It affords me unalloyed pleasure 
 to state that, after being at the Baptist Sanita- 
 rium for over two months, I can most heartily 
 commend it for its humanitarian and Christian 
 work. Dr. Mayfield, the Physician in charge, is 
 peculiarly suited to this character of work, be- 
 lieving as he does that Providence has clearly in- 
 dicated this as the work of his life. Dr. May- 
 field has in the person of his wife a most compe- 
 tent coadjutor. The importance of the work 
 done by the Sanitarium can hardly be over- 
 estimated. It is a standing proclamation of the 
 words, **As oft as ye do it unto the least of these 
 my little ones, ye do it unto me." 
 
 L. S. Piker, 
 Pastor Fourth Baptist Church. 
 
 St. Louis, Mo. 
 
 The work of the Sanitarium is one that must 
 appeal to all Christians. It demands and should 
 receive Baptist support. C. H. Moscrip, 
 
 Pastor Park Avenue Mission. 
 
 St. Louis, Mo. 
 
 Baptist Sanitarium collection for missions re- 
 
234 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 ceived. I think it (like the widow's mite) is 
 large in the eyes of the Master. May God bless 
 you in your noble work. Fraternally, 
 
 G. W. Hyde. 
 
 Lexington, Mo. 
 
 I have collected $12.00 for a cot in the Baptist 
 Sanitarium. My people are feeling a great inter- 
 est in your noble work. Wm. Harris, 
 
 Pastor Delmar Avenue Church. 
 
 St. Louis, Mo. 
 
 Dear Bro. : Our brother Glover, who recently 
 visited your city, became very much mterested in 
 your institution, he, Geo. H. Laughlin and I 
 send you $15.00. Yours very truly, 
 
 H. P. Williams. 
 
 New York City. 
 
 I realize that our benevolence, aiming first at 
 the spiritual needs of our fellowmen, should 
 secondly embrace their material distresses. To 
 provide for the sick and suffering is a duty we 
 have never appreciated and to have a Baptist 
 Hospital or Sanitarium is not only a noble object 
 but an imperative duty. I trust all will help in 
 this noble enterprise. J. F. Cook. 
 
 LaGrange College, Mo. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 235 
 
 DR. W. H. MAYFIELD. 
 
 In connection with the beginning and final es- 
 tablishment of the Mayfield-Smith Academy at 
 Marble Hill, and the Baptist Sanitarium in St. 
 Louis, it is right that mention be made in these 
 sketches of AYm. H. Majfield, M. D. It will 
 be remembered that his name appeared when the 
 rest of the large and influential Mayfield family 
 were mentioned in connection with Little White 
 ^Yater Church, located on Ichards' Creek, Bol- 
 linger county. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was born January 
 18th, 1852. Like the rest of his family he was 
 trained to farm labor, industry and economy. 
 His educational advantages in early life were 
 limited, as in many districts there were no 
 schools, and a term of three months during the 
 year was the most in any district, with no graded 
 nor high school near. 
 
 When eighteen or nineteen years old young 
 Mayfield left home, with his father's permission, 
 determined to seek an education. At this time 
 he could only read and write, and had but little 
 knowledge of arithmetic. He entered the Car- 
 rollton Institute, located in St. Francois county, 
 from which place he returned with a compara- 
 tively good business education. He then entered 
 
236 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Fruitland Normal Institute, Cape Girardeau 
 county, Mo., where he was prepared for 
 teaching, after which he taught eight pub- 
 lic school terms. He finally settled at Smith 
 ville, and engaged in mercantile business 
 for a few years. He was married to Miss Ellen 
 Sitze, of Madison county, May 10th, 1874. She 
 was a daughter of Bro. John F. Sitze, of that 
 county, a much respected citizen and faithful 
 member of Castor Baptist Church. When about 
 sixteen years old he professed faith in Christ and 
 was baptized into the fellowship of Castor 
 Church, where his parents then belonged, a dis- 
 tance of twelve miles from home. 
 
 After his marriage, he continued his business 
 at Smithville until 1877. In September of this 
 year he was appointed general financial agent of 
 the St. Francois Association, to solicit means for 
 its missionary work, and retired from business 
 that he might give himself wholly to this im- 
 portant woi-k and his chosen medical pursuits 
 and studies^ under Henry J. Smith, M. D., resi- 
 dent physician at Smithville, Bollinger county, 
 Missouri. 
 
 The subject of Christian education was at this 
 time in agitation among the Baptists of South- 
 east Missouri. The previous year the author had 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 237 
 
 been appointed missionary of the St. Francois 
 Association for the year 1878, beginning his 
 work in October, 1877. In the spring of 1878, 
 he introduced to the people of Smithville the im- 
 portance of establishing a Christian institution of 
 learning in and for Southeast Missouri, stating 
 that the community giving the best inducements 
 might have the honor of its location in their 
 midst. 
 
 The importance of these suggestions was imme- 
 diately perceived by the quick and active mind 
 of Dr. Smith, who had already been impressed 
 with this work by his student, Dr. May field, who 
 had, with his devoted wife, been praying to God 
 to open up the way. The whole plan seemed to 
 be made clear to their minds one morning near 
 the dawn of day, and after careful consideration, 
 and prayer and thanksgiving to God, they made 
 it known to Dr. Henry J. Smith, a Presbyterian, 
 who, in the meantime, feeling himself impressed 
 with the importance of this matter, had called to 
 see them. After hearing their statements he en- 
 thusiastically encouraged Dr. Mayiield to proceed 
 at once. Dr. Maytield immediately drew up a 
 proposition in the form of a subscription list which 
 was soon signed by a large num])er of the citizens 
 of Smithville, which was submitted for their con- 
 
238 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 sideration the September following, at the time 
 of the meeting of the St. Francois Association. 
 In this work, as well as in the missionary work, 
 he displayed great energy and faithfulness, as 
 was shown in his report to the Association at the 
 session held with Big Creek Church, Madison 
 county, September 1st, 1878. The report made 
 a showing of more than 11,100,00 raised by sub- 
 scription and moneys paid in for this enterprise. 
 It was thus that he began to display those 
 noble qualities of soul and mind which gave him 
 hio^h rank amonor the younoj men of Southeast 
 Missouri. He has never stopped nor faltered in 
 his devotion to this enterprise, notwithstanding 
 his personal sacrifice of means, his long trips 
 without any salary, his sleepless nights, — all this 
 accompanied by the adverse opinions of others 
 and sad disappointments. But he never stopped 
 until he, like others, saw the travail of his soul, 
 finally, in the erection and establishment of a 
 splendid brick structure on a beautiful eminence 
 at Marble Hill, the county-seat of Bollinger 
 county. This building has a capacity for 200 
 students, and is estimated to be w^orth, at least, 
 '^000, all paid. This was only the sequel to 
 jne of the high aims and noble ambitions per- 
 vading his soul. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 239 
 
 After three years of arduous study, he gradu- 
 ated with honors from the St. Louis Medical Col- 
 lege, shortly after which he was chosen Professor 
 of Materia Medica and Diseases of Children in 
 the St. Louis College of Physicians and Sur- 
 geons, which position he has filled wdth fidelity 
 and ability. From this high position, he sought 
 to establish a Baptist Sanitarium in the City of 
 St. Louis, for the relief and benefit of suffering 
 humanity. This is, to-day, the only institution 
 of the kind, under Baptist supervision in the 
 world. It is located on Taylor and Bell Avenues. 
 Doubtless, a more useful or consecrated life to 
 the cause of Christ and humanity has not been 
 found in these, the later days of the Nineteenth 
 Century. 
 
 MRS. ELLEN C. MAYFIELD. 
 
 Mrs. Ellen C. Mayfield, wife of Dr. W. H. 
 May field, St. Louis, and matron of the Baptist 
 Sanitarium of said city, is deserving of honorable 
 mention among the noble women of our faith. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was born the 7th of 
 September, 1858, and was the daughter of the 
 late venerable and beloved John F. Sitzes, of 
 Castor Valley, Marquand, Madison county, Mis- 
 souri. 
 
 On the 10th of May, 1874, she was married to 
 
240 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Dr. Mayfield, to whom she has been a faithful 
 helpmeet and wise counsellor. Shortly after her 
 marriage she professed faith in Christ and was 
 baptized by Elder H. F. Tong into the fellowship 
 of the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, Bollinger 
 county, Missouri. 
 
 Sister Mayfield is a woman of faith in prayer 
 and in her work of many cares as matron of the 
 Sanitarium, she is often in communion with 
 Him in whom all fullness dwells.. 
 
 Her early education was principally obtained 
 in the common schools of the country. But after 
 the establishment of the Mayfield-Smith Academy, 
 she shared in the educational advantages of that 
 institution, while under the able supervision of 
 Prof. T. W. Tate. This was, doubtless, the 
 ground-work of what seems to be her life-work — 
 matron of the Baptist Sanitarium. Her work is 
 a peculiar one, requiring in a large measure the 
 exertion of heart and head. Few are found like 
 this, willing to give up the sanctities of family 
 and home life for the benefit of the sick and 
 afflicted. For such sacrifices and faithfulness, will 
 not the *' well-done" plaudit be heard from the 
 King of Glory, saying unto her, '^Inasmuch as 
 you did it unto the least of these, my bi-ethren,ye 
 did it unto me. Enter unto the joys of thy Lord.'* 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 241 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 The arduous but pleasant task which the author 
 has undertaken in gathering the material and com- 
 piling for the press this volume, with its various 
 historical sketches of the churches, associations, 
 leading ministers and lay brethren, is now 
 finished. These brethren have figured in the 
 grand conflict for truth and religious liberty for 
 themselves and their children in Southeast Mis- 
 souri during a period of nearly one hundred 
 years. Besides those contained in this book, 
 mention conld be made at great length of the 
 heroic fathers in the dark ages before them, yes, 
 even from the days of the apostles, whose faith- 
 fulness sealed their lives to Christ for the truth's 
 sake ; but we have not space in this conclusive 
 address except to refer the reader to their example 
 which lives after them. I cannot close this task, 
 however arduous it has been, without a suggestive 
 hint of the great and important duties involving 
 upon us, their children, which are so vastly 
 spread out before us by their noble, self-sacri- 
 ficing examples and lives. 
 
242 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 Their labors of love for the cause of truth and 
 religious liberty, that they might honor Christ 
 and glorify God as well as to transmit to their 
 children, unimpaired, the cause they loved so 
 well, seems to have been so signally blest of God, 
 amidst all the persecutions and trials of the past, 
 that we cannot doubt but what they have proven 
 themselves to be His chosen people, faithful to 
 His commands and zealous for good works, with 
 a firm and realizing trust that His Word should 
 not return void, but accomplish that for which it 
 was sent. These examples urge us to go on in 
 the conflict until the darkness of superstition and 
 ignorance has passed and the cause of truth shall 
 shine upon all the phices of the earth ; until 
 God's people shall come forth terrible as an 
 army in battle array, with flying banners, and 
 yet as beautiful as the sun when he shineth in all 
 his strength. Therefore, let us go on unto per- 
 fection in the good work, seeking to bring to the 
 cause every available means which God has given 
 to our hands ; not laying foundations for the re- 
 formation of the Church of Christ as has been 
 done by the Romish Church, and was attempted 
 by A. Campbell in the Baptist and Protestant 
 churches. But, considering our origin from 
 Christ and the Apostles, let us go forth as our 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 243 
 
 fathers have done, with the sword of the Spirit, 
 which is the Word of God, conquering and to 
 conquer until there shall be but one fold and one 
 Shepherd which is Christ Jesus. 
 
 For these claims, dear brethren, we have, cer- 
 tainly, the most encouraging reasons, a few of 
 which I will here mention : 
 
 The reformation of the Roman Catholic 
 Church, which began successfully in the Sixteenth 
 Century, having introduced a principle of reaction 
 and thought, which has since been unders-oine' 
 great expansion as is to be seen clearly from all 
 sides, inasmuch as thinking men everywhere, of 
 the Romish as well as all Protestant sects, which 
 have their origin from Rome and not from 
 Christ, are now busily engaged in examining 
 their foundations and tracing them to their 
 origin, only to be surprised upon finding them to 
 be far short of a connection with Christ and his 
 Apostles. Holding as they do the sentiment of 
 the old reformers, that nothing is to be believed 
 or admitted in religion, which cannot be sustained 
 by the light of the Word of God and sound rea- 
 son, with such views and such inquiries after 
 truth, are they not thereby forced to abandon the 
 doctrines and traditions of men; asking for a 
 system of faith and practice which will stand the 
 
244 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 strongest test of research and criticism — desiring 
 to walk in the old paths? Thus it is that inde- 
 pendent inquiry proceeds gravely to question all 
 forms of religious principles and dogmas, wish- 
 ing to know who holds the keys of true Chris- 
 tianity. It is not unreasonable to suppose that, 
 as we profess to walk in that way according to 
 the Word of the Lord, many will embrace our 
 2:)rinciples of faith and practice as those which 
 nearest resemble primitive Christianity. The 
 practice of infant baptism, sprinkling and pouring 
 for baptism, is declining and dying away among 
 our Pedo-baptist brethren. We may confidently 
 infer that great accessions to our ranks will soon 
 be made. They will learn that men are not born 
 Christians until they are born again of the Spirit, 
 and that they cannot be made Christians by sim- 
 ple obedience to Church ordinances, such as bap- 
 tism, being placed in the care of god-fathers and 
 god-mothers, nor by the Lord's Supper, confes- 
 sion and penance. They will learn that member- 
 ship in a Baptist Church implies an acknowledge- 
 ment of experimental religion for each individual 
 as a prerequisite to all church privileges. This 
 excludes infant membership and all formularies 
 for religion, teaching the person to first become 
 a Christian, then, with the love of obedience to 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURX. 245 
 
 the commands of Christ, he begins the duties of 
 a Christian believer. These sentiments, we, as 
 Baptists, should earnestly advocate. Nor is this 
 sufficient. We should teach that membership in 
 a Baptist Church implies piety and holiness of 
 life, the object of which is to keep the unity of 
 the Spirit in the bonds of peace by a cultivation 
 of godliness and a holy character which will 
 throw its influence abroad, inviting others to 
 share in the faith and holiness of the primitive 
 churches, thereby drawing them to God,— train- 
 ing them by a course of spiritual education for 
 usefulness in this life and the enjoyment of the 
 life to come. 
 
 All this cannot be accomplished except through 
 a progressive, spiritual religion, which is to be 
 seen and read of all men. I mean personal re- 
 ligion ; for, while orthodoxy is necessary in faith 
 and practice, it will not insure spiritual power 
 without a daily living likeness to Christ, which is 
 the saving efficacy of our principles and influence. 
 This is true, especially as there are sects that 
 have success in gathering members without these 
 attainments, but why? Because of the worldli- 
 ness that is natural in their constitutions and the 
 possession of church privileges by natural descent 
 which more or less secures only a carnal member- 
 
246 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 ship. The Baptists depend altogether for success 
 and numerical strength upon the prevalence of 
 true godliness in their members ; for if these 
 spiritual requisites are lacking in us, then those 
 seeking spiritual life and blessings will go else- 
 where in search for them — so far as the church is 
 concerned — and our future progress will be 
 darkened by clouds of disgrace and failure. 
 
 Then, with what eagerness should we engage 
 to promote Christian piety and zeal among our- 
 selves ! Oh ! how closely should we cling to the 
 cross of Christ, watching, guarding against all 
 tendencies to lower the standard of the principles 
 so faithfully maintained b}^ our feathers and now 
 entrusted to our care. Oh! brethren, for these 
 principles should w^e not watch and labor and 
 pray? Our brethren in the ministry, who are the 
 undei'-shepherds of the flock, should strenuously 
 guard against lowering the standard of the Gos- 
 pel, by not substituting a pleasing essay for plain 
 Gospel preaching, and by not attempting to lead 
 the services of the church b}^ any mere dead 
 formality. They should seek to be spiritually- 
 minded in all things pertaining to the service of 
 the church especially in the pulpit. Preach 
 Christ always with the power and demonstration 
 of the Spirit! With these characteristics and 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 247 
 
 vigilant observance of the laws of discipline, so 
 that the purity of the churches is being main- 
 tained — each member becomes a living epistle 
 through life, known and read of all men — we may 
 expect a grand success ; and it is with these con- 
 siderations that I most cheerfully conclude the 
 arduous task of this w^ork, which has engaged my 
 time and means for two long years with much 
 care, anxiety and solicitude for the encourage- 
 ment of my brethren in Southeast Missouri. 
 Notwithstanding which, I am forced to believe, 
 from the history of tlie past, that there is a great 
 future for the Baptists ; and, I may say, it is our 
 duty to prepare for it. Doubtless, thousands of 
 souls are looking out from obscurity and dark- 
 ness, seeking for the living God, asking our guid- 
 ance in their search for truth and life, freedom of 
 conscience, and the right of reading for them- 
 selves, which has been outraged and trodden upon 
 by the tyrants of the earth. They will continue 
 to call upon us to assert their rights in the future 
 as in the past ; and while we are thus beckoned 
 to this holy war, let us not forget that it is our 
 glory — a glory in which no Protestant can claim 
 a share, as, before the Sixteenth Century, during 
 which time the Protestants may have had some 
 glory, our fathers long before that time, 
 
248 THE BAPTISTS OF 
 
 then and since wielded the sword of the 
 Spirit with hands which have never been 
 reddened by a brother's blood because he 
 desired to feast upon the principles of the 
 living God. Oh, our martyred fathers and 
 mothers! for the cause of truth, burnt, be- 
 headed, strangled, or drowned in almost every 
 European land at the beginning of the Reforma- 
 tion. As yet, many of them are unknown to 
 fame ; although their Christian heroism was so 
 grand, that they bid us, by their noble deeds of 
 suffering for the truth, display a zeal befitting 
 the privileges and opportunities we now enjoy, 
 by a faithful consecration of ourselves, our 
 meanS; and our lives to the cause by establishing 
 churches, charitable institutions, Christian edu- 
 cation and Christian benevolence in every part cf 
 the world. 
 
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 249 
 
 BEHOLD THE SETTING SUN. 
 
 BY H. F. TONG. 
 
 Farewell, my dear reader, now that you are done 
 The reading of a book, so curiously begun ; 
 For the cause of the truth that I have loved so well, 
 I began this work, on which now I love to dwell. 
 
 For many weeks and months and years 
 
 I've seen the setting sun, 
 And in the darkness of the hour 
 
 My race seemed nearly run ; 
 But still I gladly lingered on — 
 
 To work, to toil, to pray, — 
 Hoping that in the future years 
 
 I'll find a restful day. 
 
 Farewell, dear reader, this book to you I leave, 
 Given as a legacy from our older fathers. 
 Who have suffered more than I, but who are resting 
 Now in Heaven, far above the sky : 
 For now their sun is set, this life they know no more, — 
 Weep not, dear Christian mourner, for they will rest for- 
 ever 
 Where there is no setting sun, nor fading moon, nor 
 
 stars. 
 Then behold the setting sun, dear reader, and think, 
 "Is the darkness near, when I must quit this mortal life, 
 And before my God appear to answer for the deeds 
 I've done, while on this terrestrial sphere?" 
 
250 THE BAPTISTS CF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. 
 THE CHRISTIAN'S FUTURE HOME. 
 
 I soon shall drop this mortal coil, 
 
 I know my time draws nigh ; 
 When freed from earth I'll tread the soil 
 
 Of that city built on high. 
 
 Life's warfare closed, the victory won, 
 
 My hea^y cross laid down ; 
 I'll hear the joyful words, *'Well done— 
 
 Receive thy promised crown." 
 
 Xo cares disturb that peaceful realm, 
 
 No waves of sorrow roll, 
 To break and bruise and overwhelm 
 
 The blood-bought happy soul. 
 
 No discord there, no note of woe, 
 
 No bitter tears nor strife, 
 But as the years eternal go, 
 
 The soul finds newer life. 
 
 Close by the Lamb for sinners slain, 
 
 I'll joyful take my place, 
 And shout hosannas to His name. 
 
 Who saved me by His grace. 
 
 With God the Father, God the Son, 
 
 With God the Spirit, Three, 
 No tongue can speak the glories won — 
 
 This is glory for me. 
 
 Selected. 
 
APPENDIX. 25 
 
 APPENDIX.' 
 
 I. AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY, ST. 
 LOUIS BRANCH HOUSE, 
 
 This may, very properly, be enumerated 
 among the Baptist institutions of Missouri, not- 
 withstanding its ownership is in the society 
 named, and it is designed and managed alike for 
 the benefit of the denomination in all the states 
 and territories to which its work and influence 
 may go. But Baptists of the city of St. Louis, 
 foreseeing and believing that such an institution 
 as this, located permanently here, at this chief 
 central metropolis of the great valley of the con- 
 tinent, would not only prove a useful agency to 
 the building up of the cause at home, but for ex- 
 tending and strengthening it over the State and 
 the wide country beyond, wisely accepted a prop- 
 osition made by the American Baptist Publication 
 Society, through its Board in Philadelphia, to 
 the Baptists in St. Louis, and raised and paid 
 over to that society the sum of $5,000. This se- 
 cured the permanent establishment of a branch 
 house of the society here, for the sale of the 
 
252 APPENDIX. 
 
 society's publications and of Baptist literature 
 generally, as well as to constitute a center from 
 which colporteurage and Sunday-school work for 
 the Mississippi Valley and beyond should be con- 
 ducted. Baptists of this field may , therefore, prop- 
 erly be considered as part proprietors of the insti- 
 tution, inasmuch as they have vested as well as 
 beneficiary interests in it. And no one small in- 
 vestment made by Missouri Baptists has probably 
 ever done move for the advancement of our gen- 
 eral cause in the State and beyond than has this. 
 Rev. G. J. JoHNSOX, D. D., who, for five years 
 previously, had served the Publication Society as 
 its western secretary from another point in the 
 field, was now called to St. Louis, and, in addi- 
 tion to the duties of secretary for the benevolent 
 and missionary work of the society, was made its 
 business agent and depositary to conduct the 
 branch house. About the first of November, 
 1868, the Baptist Book Depository of St. Louis 
 was formally opened, with public ceremonies, in- 
 cluding addresses by Eev. John H. Luther, D. 
 D., then editor of the Central Baptist, Drs. A. 
 H. Burlingham and A. A. Kendrick, and others, 
 then pastors in St. Louis. Four most reputable 
 lay brethren, also, all of whom had given the most 
 
APPENDIX. 253 
 
 liberally for the enterprise — but are now all so 
 soon dead and gone — Marshall Brotherton, Wm. 
 M. McPherson, Thos. Pratt and Daniel B. Gale- 
 were present and participated. The Central 
 Baptist, always true to the movement, and the 
 other Baptist papers of the field, by their efficient 
 advocacy, gave wide advertisement of the house, 
 and thus it8 business early commenced. The 
 sales, however, for the first four months, only 
 aggregated $2,356.38 ;but the next year 1869-' 70, 
 showed a grand increase, it now footing up for 
 twelve months, $24,373.75 ; the next year, 
 $32,562.83; the next, $32,920.96; then $30,- 
 851.53 ; and the next the jubilee or fiftieth year 
 of the society and the fifth of this branch, reach- 
 ing the largest aggregate of sales it has ever 
 attained, to-wit : $36,140.72. The continued 
 and increasingly *'hard times," that have since 
 followed and oppressed all the financial affairs of 
 the country, have measurably affected the busi- 
 ness of this branch, so that its sales have not, for 
 the last five years, aggregated so largely as in the 
 jubilee year. And still the material interests of 
 the branch have not weakened. The area of its 
 trade has been constantly widening and the con- 
 fidence of the denomination in it, and the convic- 
 tion of its indispensableness to our interests as 
 
254 APPENDIX. 
 
 Baptists, have been unceasingly growing and 
 strengthening. And — what can, perhaps, be said 
 of no othei* branch house of the society — this has, 
 from the first, steadily paid its expenses and also 
 added meanwhile somewhat to its capital, so that 
 its stock and all its means of usefulness have, 
 since the opening, been much enlarged. 
 
 In ten years its sales aggregated over $300,000 
 and the grants, though mainly issued from the 
 parent house in Philadelphia, passing through 
 this branch on the way to the beneficiaries, have 
 footed up, for publications alone, at least $25,000. 
 In all, during the first ten years of its existence, 
 through this branch fully one-third of a million 
 of dollars of Baptist literature has gone forth to 
 bless the world. 
 
 Sometimes a single tract, costing but one cent, 
 or a pamphlet, costing only five cents, has been 
 the means of the conversion of a soul, or the 
 opening of the eyes of a mistaken disciple to see 
 the errors of Pedoism. 
 
 Wonderful has been the influence of this more 
 than $325,000 w^orth of literature going out in 
 Bibles, Testaments, tracts, pamphlets, bound vol- 
 umes large and small, libraries, Sunday-school 
 papers, etc., etc., all over Missouri and Southern 
 Illinois, and Kentucky, and Iowa, and Kansas, 
 
APPENDIX. 255 
 
 and on and on to the north boundary, to the Paci- 
 fic, to the Gulf, and eastward to the AtUmtic. 
 
 But the dissemination of a Scripture literature 
 is not all of the work done in connection with this 
 branch and the district of which it is the centre 
 and headquarters. In the ten years, by contri- 
 butions of individuals and churches of the district, 
 $50,000 have been collected for the support of 
 the benevolent and missionary work of the society* 
 such as grants of publications, for colporteurage 
 and Sunday-school work. To this amount the 
 parent society has always added, at least, as much 
 more in appropriations for this work, and for the 
 support of the secretary and colleclins^ agents, 
 making $100,000 in all, expended here in this 
 service during the first ten years of its life. 
 
 As many as twenty-five colporteurs and Sunday- 
 school missionaries have at a time been at work 
 within the boundaries of this district, receiving 
 their supplies from, and making the regular 
 reports back to this branch. 
 
 After a little more than twelve years' connec- 
 tion with the Publication Society, as its district 
 secretary, over seven of which St. Louis had 
 been his headquarters and during this last period 
 he had also served as depositary and had charge 
 
256 APPENDIX. 
 
 of the branch house, Dr. »Tohnson resigned these 
 positions, and for nearly three years gave himself 
 to an educational agency for Shurtleff College; 
 but is again connected with the society at the 
 parent house in Philadelphia, as its general mis- 
 sionary secretary. Of his varied work and the 
 extent of his usefulness, while in our field, we all 
 well know. 
 
 Upon the retirement of Dr. Johnson, January 
 1st, 1876, the only one thought of as successor 
 to fill the place of depositary, to have charge of 
 the branch house and conduct the business of the 
 society, was Mr. Lewis E. Kline, who, for seven 
 years, had already served here under his prede- 
 cessor, as chief clerk and book-keeper of the 
 branch, and who had always been found compe- 
 tent and trustworthy. Under his able manage- 
 ment, the past six years, the business has ad- 
 vanced prosperously and successfully, increasing 
 in volume and in field of operation. 
 
 To follow a man with Dr. Johnson's reputation 
 was no small matter, and required rare business 
 tact ; and further, since his retirement, there 
 being really no district secretary — and hence no 
 one in the field — it was a hard task to keep up the 
 business, much more to increase it, but Mr. Kline 
 
APrE>Dix. 257 
 
 proved himself fully competent to the task. 
 Without the usual collegiate preparation for such 
 work, being wholly a self-made man, by active, 
 persevering and strict attention to business, and 
 often under the most adverse circumstances, he 
 has succeeded far beyond the expectations of the 
 most sanguine; much of the time doing the work 
 of two men ; always at his post, not having been 
 out of the store one day from 1871 to 1877 in- 
 clusive, and only twenty-three days in eleven 
 years, and twelve of these were caused by sick- 
 ness brought on by overwork. Such has been 
 this man's devotion to the interests of his 
 patrons ; and by these methods he has done a 
 most wonderful work through the St. Louis 
 branch house of the American Baptist Publication 
 Society. By straight-forward, fair and square 
 dealing he has passed tlirough storms and fires 
 untouched by any of said influences; in fact, *'by 
 virtue of his course he is a monument and a 
 model of patience, perseverance, pluck and dis- 
 creet judgment," and is deservedly one of the 
 most universally popular, and the most highly es- 
 teemed of business men in the Baptist denomina- 
 tion in the West. 
 
 Rev. D. T. Morrill, of St. Louis, for a few 
 
258 APPENDIX. 
 
 months succeeded Dr. Johnson as district secre- 
 tary for the benevolent department, for the col- 
 lecting of funds from the churches for missionary 
 work, but soon returned to his preferred work 
 as pastor. 
 
 Upon Bro. Morrill's retirement, Rev. C. E. W. 
 Dobbs, D. D., of Bowling Green, Kentucky, was 
 appointed, who also retired in a few weeks, be- 
 fore he had fairly begun the work. Since then, 
 January, 1877, Mr. Kline has been acting as dis- 
 trict secretary ; although not actively prosecuting 
 this department of the society's work, he has se- 
 cured some handsome donations and bequests, so 
 that while this department has not been actively 
 cultivated, it has not altogether gone by default. 
 
 **0n May 1st. 1882, the depository was moved 
 into the new 'Baptist Headquarters,' in the Dor- 
 ris Block, No. 1109 Olive Street, which is only 
 five squares due north of the Union Depot. The 
 entire building has been leased by Mr. Kline, 
 and the American Baptist Publication Society 
 occupies the first floor, which has been elegantly 
 and tastefully fitted up for its purpose. The 
 Central Baptist ofhce is on the second floor front 
 rooms. On the same floor may be found the 
 office of the Rev. S. W. Marston, secretary of 
 
APPENDIX. ?59 
 
 the Home Mission Society ; and also the office of 
 Ford's Christian Repository. The third floor of 
 the building has been generously donated by Mr. 
 Kline to the use of the Ministers' Conference, 
 Ladies' Missionary Society Rooms, &c." (From 
 Ford's Christian Repository, June, 1882.) 
 
 Altogether, *' Baptist Headquarters," No. 1109 
 Olive Street, St. Louis, are conveniently arranged 
 and admirably located and suited to the ends of 
 their establishment ; and the Baptists from any 
 part of the Mississippi Valley will find both pleas- 
 ure and profit in visiting them. 
 
260 
 
 APPENDIX 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 2(;i 
 
2<)2 
 
 APPENDIX 
 
 VI. THE BAPTIST SAMTARIUM. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 ^Cu 
 
 VII. DR. W. H. MAYFIELD. 
 
264 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 VIII. MRS. W. H. MAYFTELD. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 2C)5 
 
 IX. AMERICAN BAPTIST PUB- 
 LICATION SOCIETY. 
 
2<J<1 CONTENTS. 
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 ^VITH A GFNKnAL INDEX. 
 
 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Preface 
 
 I— III 
 
 Introductory, by W. H. Mayfield 
 
 IV— X 
 
 Chapter I. 
 
 
 Early Settlements of Southpu-t Mis- 
 
 
 souri 
 
 1 -4 
 
 First Baptist Settlements 
 
 5 
 
 Defense of the Doctrine of Soul Liberty 
 
 G 
 
 Elder John Clark 
 
 t 
 
 Elder Thomas Johnson 
 
 8 
 
 David Green 
 
 9 
 
 First Baptist Church 
 
 10 
 
 Hardships of First Families 
 
 11 
 
 Bethel Church the First Permanent 
 
 
 Organization 
 
 12 
 
 The First House of Worship 
 
 13 
 
 A Memento, by Dr. Maple 
 
 14 
 
 The Murphy Family 
 
 18 
 
 The First Association ConTention 
 
 19 
 
 The First Gathering to Form an Asso- 
 
 
 tion 
 
 21 
 
 Sketch of Barron, Belleviewand Provi- 
 
 
 dence Churches 
 
 23 
 
 Elders Farrar, Street, Edwards, and 
 
 
 St. Francois Church 
 
 24 
 
COSTESTii. 267 
 
 PACK. 
 
 Constitution of the Bethel Association 25 
 Foreign Missions 2i\ 
 Progress of the Bethel Association 27 
 Churches Dismissed to form an Asso- 
 ciation in Arkansas 28 
 Eider Street^s Residence 29 
 Constitution of Pendleton Church, its 
 
 First Pastors, etc. 30 
 
 Crooked Creek Church and David Orr "1 
 
 The Orr and Bailey Anecdote '^'2 
 The Prayer of New Hope and Little 
 
 Flock Churches '>r> 
 Hepzebah Church unites with the Asso- 
 ciation, Wingate Jackson its First 
 
 Pastor U 
 
 Jackson and the Methodist Preacher 35 
 
 Obediah Scott . 36 
 
 New Hope Church and its First Pastors 37 
 The Faith and Order of the Bethel 
 
 Association Considered 38 
 Correspondence with the Little Piney 
 
 Association 39 
 Bethany Church the Home of the r>e- 
 
 loved Polk 40 
 The Name "United*' the Point of 
 
 Rallying 41 
 
 Parkerism 42 
 Salem and Colony Churches, and Peter 
 
 Williams 43 
 
 Secular Letter 44 
 
 Progress of the Bethel Association 45 
 
 Feet-washinff 46 
 
2fi8 CONTENTS. 
 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 The Itinerant Work of the Association 
 
 47 
 
 Her Sunday-school Work 
 
 48 
 
 The Bethel a Fruitful Vine 
 
 49 
 
 Elder Wilson Thompson 
 
 50 
 
 The Revival Period 
 
 51 
 
 Dick's Baptism 
 
 52 
 
 Thomas P. Green 
 
 53-54 
 
 Life of Elder William Polk 
 
 55 
 
 He Believed in Feet-washing 
 
 66 
 
 The Ministers of the Bethel after the 
 
 
 War 
 
 67 
 
 The Elder and Younger Ministers 
 
 58 
 
 Harvey Young and James Cleavland 
 
 59 
 
 Robert C. and John Martin 
 
 60 
 
 Elder B. F. Matthews 
 
 61-62 
 
 Chapter II. 
 
 Cape Girardeau Association 63 
 Parkerism in Cape Girardeau Associa- 
 tion 64 
 Trials of the Civil War 65 
 Elder John H. Clark 66 
 His Life Sketch 67 
 The AVork and Progress of Cape Girar- 
 deau 68 
 Its Amended Constitution 69 
 Jackson Church . 70 
 Cape Girardeau, Gravel Hill, L^nion, 
 
 Mt. Moriah and others 71 
 Elder Joshua Hickman, His Birth- 
 place and Training 72 — 73 
 
 Elder T. A. Bowman 74 
 
 Elders W. H. Wilkes and John Godwin 75 
 
CONTENTS. 21')!) 
 
 I'ACiE. 
 
 John T. Ford 76 
 Progress and Success of CajDe Girar- 
 deau Association, its Conclusion 77 — 78 
 Chapter III, 
 
 The Franklin Association 79 
 
 Her Manner of Receiving Churches 80 
 
 Progress of the Franklin Association 81 
 
 Her Resolutions on Bible Matters 82 
 
 Feet-washing 83 
 
 Black River and Liberty Churches 84 
 Cotars, Bethel, Old Mines, Union and 
 
 St. Francois Churches 85 
 
 Farmington Church 86 
 
 Bismarck and James Williams 87 
 
 Elder Rutter 88 
 
 Elder John Rudy 89 
 
 Farmington College 90 
 
 Prof. E. J. Jennings 91 92 
 
 Chapter IV. 
 
 Black River Association 93 
 
 Its Location 94 
 
 Its Progress 95 
 Its StandstilL Of its Ministers and 
 
 churches 96 
 
 Elders Brown and Stevens 97 
 
 John Floyd and Biographical Sketches 98—99 
 Chapter V. 
 
 The St. Francois Association 100 
 
 Its Constituent Churches and Ministers 101 
 
 Southeast Baptist Convention 102 
 The Revival Period, and Territory 
 
 Occupiod 103 
 
270 CONTENTS. 
 
 
 PAS«. 
 
 Its First General Financial Agent 
 
 104 
 
 Its General Movement 
 
 105 
 
 Sketch of Aged Ministers and Church- 
 
 
 es, Big Creek 
 
 106 
 
 Castor Church and its First Pastors 
 
 107 
 
 Marble Hill Church 
 
 108 
 
 Trace Creek and its Trials 
 
 109 
 
 Report of Committee on its Difficulty 
 
 110 
 
 Report Considered 
 
 111 
 
 Charges Against T. J. llawls 
 
 112 
 
 Standing of Ministers 
 
 113 
 
 Sketches of Leading Old Ministers 
 
 lU 
 
 Carter T. Graham 
 
 115 
 
 Elders Huse and Croley 
 
 116 
 
 Elder William Settle 
 
 117 
 
 His Place of Settlement 
 
 118 
 
 Pinckney Graham 
 
 119 
 
 Judge E. L. Graham 
 
 120 
 
 New Churches and Ministers, Twelve 
 
 
 Mile and Shady Grove 
 
 121 
 
 Elder Johnson and the Hard-Shell 
 
 
 Baptist 
 
 122 
 
 Mt. Carmel Church and Location 
 
 123 
 
 Big White Water Church 
 
 124 
 
 Bethel and Fredericktown Churches 
 
 125 
 
 New Salem Church 
 
 126 
 
 Elder M. Robins 
 
 127 
 
 Elder Joseph Ilembree 
 
 128 
 
 Elder B. L. Bowman 
 
 129 
 
 Elder V. T. Settle 
 
 130 
 
 Little White Water Church 
 
 131 
 
 G. W. Marfield 
 
 183 
 
CONTENTS. 271 
 
 
 ?AGE 
 
 The Mayfield Family 
 
 133 
 
 Pleasant Hill Church 
 
 134 
 
 Dry Creek Church 
 
 135 
 
 J. P. Revelle and W. R. Moore 
 
 136 
 
 Ebenezer Church and Elder London 
 
 137 
 
 Our Apology 
 
 138 
 
 Progress of the St, Francois Association 
 
 139 
 
 Proposition for the Mayfield-Smith 
 
 
 Academy 
 
 140 
 
 Its Committee Appointed 
 
 141 
 
 The Work Suspended at Smithville 
 
 142 
 
 Removal to Marble Hill 
 
 143 
 
 Leading Donors 
 
 144 
 
 Location of the Academy 
 
 145 
 
 Site of the Academy 
 
 146 
 
 Its Trustees 
 
 147 
 
 Prof. T. W. Tate, First Principal, 
 
 
 Teachers 
 
 148 
 
 Rev. H. S. Tong, Colporteur 
 
 149 
 
 Prof. D. W. Graves 
 
 150 
 
 His Education and Work 
 
 151 
 
 Prof. J. S. Gashwiler, His Education 
 
 
 and Work 
 
 152—153 
 
 Chapter VI. 
 
 
 Cane Creek Association, and its 
 
 
 Formation and Progress, W. H. 
 
 
 Reaves 
 
 155—156 
 
 New Associations Formed 
 
 157 
 
 Chapter VII. 
 
 
 Jefferson County Association 
 
 158 
 
 Bethlehem, Swashing and Calvary 
 
 
 Churches 
 
 159 
 
272 CONTEXTS. 
 
 FJL.GE. 
 
 David Stites 160 
 
 Present Ministers of this Association 161 
 
 Chapter VIII. 
 
 Wayne county Association, its Pro- 
 gress 162—163 
 Of its First Leading Ministers 164. 
 Elder Mark A. Taylor 165 
 Rev. Jesse Wallis 166 
 His Labor, Faithfulness and Sacrifices 167 — 168 
 Chapter IX. 
 
 Central Missouri and Concord Asso- 
 ciations, with Pennywise and his 
 replies 169—170 
 
 The Central Missouri, when Organized 
 
 and AVho by 171 
 
 Concord, the Tenth Organized 172 
 
 Its Churches and Location 173 
 
 Its Experience in Correspondence 174 
 
 The Curious Dealings with a Church 
 
 and Mnister 176 
 
 Chapter X. 
 
 Charleston and New ISIadrid Associa- 
 tions 176 
 The Field of the Charleston Associa- 
 tion 177 
 The New Madrid 178 
 Elder I. E. Anderson, of the Charles- 
 ton Association 179 
 Its First Moderator 180 
 Chapter XI. 
 
 General or Freewill Baptists 181 
 
CONTENTS. 273 
 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Their Peculiar Faith and Practice 
 
 182 
 
 Their Rule of Government 
 
 183 
 
 Their Correspondence 
 
 184 
 
 R. S. Duncan's Account of Freewillism 
 
 
 in Southwest Missouri 
 
 185 
 
 Sketch of Campbellism 
 
 186 
 
 It is not a Baptist Institution 
 
 187 
 
 Chapter XII. 
 
 
 General Miscellaneous Matters, the 
 
 
 Tong Family 
 
 188 
 
 William Toug, His Great Family 
 
 189 
 
 Henry D. Tong and John Baptist Tong 
 
 190—192 
 
 An Anecdote 
 
 193 
 
 Important Items of the Seven Dispen- 
 
 
 sations of the World 
 
 194 
 
 Second, Third and Fourth Ages of the 
 
 
 World 
 
 195 
 
 The Fifth and Six 
 
 196 
 
 The Seventh 
 
 197 
 
 General Summary of the Seven Ages 
 
 
 of the World, from the Creation to 
 
 
 the year 1887 
 
 198 
 
 The Estimated Population of the Earth 
 
 
 and Their Religious Divisions 
 
 199 
 
 Baptist Contributions and Investments 
 
 200 
 
 And Analysis of the Old and New Tes- 
 
 
 taments 
 
 201 
 
 Chapter X HI. 
 
 
 Baptist Periodicals 
 
 202 
 
 Central Baptist 
 
 203 
 
 Its Chief Editors 
 
 204 
 
 Rev. Wm. H. Williams 
 
 206 
 
274 CONTENTS. 
 
 
 PAGK. 
 
 The American Baptist 
 
 206 
 
 Additions to its Editorial Staff 
 
 207 
 
 Elder D. B. Ray 
 
 208 
 
 Ford''s Christian Bejyository 
 
 209 
 
 Its Aim and Purpose 
 
 210 
 
 The National Baptist Publishing Com- 
 
 
 pany 
 
 211 
 
 Date of its Charter 
 
 212 
 
 History of Missouri Baptists 
 
 213 
 
 The Spirit and Object of the Book 
 
 214 
 
 Its Author 
 
 215 
 
 Chapter XIV. 
 
 
 Father John Clark, the Methodist, and 
 
 
 Other Ministers 
 
 216 
 
 His Education and Religious Character 
 
 217 
 
 How He Became a Baptist 
 
 218 
 
 Wm. D. Hamilton and Baker 
 
 219 
 
 Rev. J. C. Perkins 
 
 220 
 
 Elders Wm. S. Huff and John Huff 
 
 221 
 
 Rev. F. M. Shoush and His Ordination 
 
 222 -223 
 
 Elder J. N. B. Hepler 
 
 224 
 
 Elder T. L. Braswell 
 
 225 
 
 The Alphabetical Order of the Asso- 
 
 
 ciations 
 
 226 
 
 Chapter XV. 
 
 
 Baptist Sanitarium, Dr. AYm. H. May- 
 
 
 field and Mrs. Ellen May field 
 
 227 
 
 Location of Sanitarium 
 
 228 
 
 Healing of the Body 
 
 229 
 
 Owned by the Denomination 
 
 230 
 
 Testimonials 
 
 231—234 
 
 Wm. H. Mayfield, M. D. 
 
 235—238 
 
CONTENTS. 275 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Mrs. Ellen C. Mayfield, Matron 239—240 
 
 Chapter XVI. 
 
 Conclusive Remarks of the Author 241 — 248 
 
 Behold the Setting Sun 249 
 
 The Christian's Future Home 250 
 
 Appendix. 
 
 I. American Baptist Publication 
 
 Society 251—269 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 II. G. W. Mayfield. III. Mrs. Polly 
 Mayfield 260 
 
 IV. John T. Sikes. V. Mayfield- 
 
 Smith Academy 261 
 
 VI. The Baptist Sanitarium 262 
 
 VII. Dr. W. H. Mayfield 263 
 Vni. Mrs. W. H. Mayfield 264 
 IX. American Baptist Publication 
 
 Society 265 
 
 Table of Contents 266—275 
 
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