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HOLSTON METHODISM REV. THOMAS STRINGFIELD. HOLSTON METHODISM FROM ITS ORIGIN TO THE PRESENT TIME. By R. N. PRICE. VOLUME III. From the Year 1824 to the Year 1844. Nashville, Tenn.; Dallas, Tex.: Publishing House of the M. E. Church, South. Smith & Lamar, Agents. 1908. Entered, according to Aet of Congress, in the year 190S, By R. N. Pkice, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. PREFACE. The tardiness with which the successive volumes of this work have been issued has evidently abated somewhat the interest of preachers and people in it; but this tardiness has grown out of circumstances which I have not been able to control. There is more official matter in this volume than in its predecessors, making it a little less racy than the oth- ers; but the official matter used is of considerable historic value. Thus while the volume is heavier than the others as to entertaining qualities, it is also heavier as to historic importance. The chapters on Stringfield, Fulton, Patton, Sevier, Brownlow, and the General Conference of 1844 are chapters of general interest and thrilling import, not on ac- count of ability in the writing, but on account of the in- trinsic value of the matter recorded. I owe my Church an explanation for dwelling so much at length upon the life of Senator Brownlow. It is my busi- ness to record history, not to invent it. A Methodist preach- er who lived as long as Brownlow did, was constantly be- fore the public, took an active part in theological and eccle- siastical controversies, was so gifted and was such a pro- digious laborer, must necessarily have made much history, which could not be ignored by an honest historian. But I confess that in the chapter on Brownlow I have been some- what influenced by motives of policy; for I happen to know that Brownlow -is one of the men whom people wish to read about. Also I confess to some partiality for Brownlow in spite of his many and great faults, because he and his family were always my friends. On that account my notice of the man may be more kindly than it ought to be. Again, I have always had more respect for outspoken and even violent men than for the oily-tongued and smiling hypocrite, who betrays you with a kiss and smites you in the fifth rib. In the fourth volume, if I write it, I will bring the his- tory down to the present date. Much of the matter for this volume is yet to be collected. If the preachers and the peo- (v) VI HOLSTON METHODISM. pic patronize the third volume liberally, and aid mc in the collection of historic items, I hope to be able to make the fourth volume even more interesting than either of its prede- cessors. The labor of compiling and writing these volumes bears pretty heavily upon a man of my age ; but I bear the burden cheerfully, and realize a holy joy in the privilege of helping to perpetuate the memory of the good men and women who founded Methodism in this hill country and contributed their influence to the cause of Christian civili- zation. R. N. Price. Morristown, Term., March 19, 190S. — — CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Thomas Stringfield and His Times. Page.„ Stringfield's Rank in Holston History—His Ancestry Early Religious Convictions—His Early Educational Advantages—His War Experience under General Jackson—Licensed to Preach—Admitted into the Ten- nessee Conference—His First Circuit—Various Ap- pointments—Editor of the Southwestern Christian Ad- vocate—Agent of the American Bible Society—His Superannuation—Marriage—Heads a Committee to Consider the Establishment of a Conference School New Market Selected as the Site of the School Stringfield Appointed Agent of the School—The School Begun—The Manual Labor System Resolved Upon The Manual Labor School Removed to the Site of Emory and Henry Collge—Stringfield's Advocacy of a Theological School The' Western Arminian Es- tablished—Its Removal to Knoxville—The Holston Messenger— Stringfield One Year Editor of the Knox- ville Enquirer— Stringfield a Controversialist—The Winchester Controversy—Hopkinsianism—The Rog- ersville Controversy—The Central Virginia Controver- sy— Stringfield Charged in Conference with Dealing in Negroes—Death of Mrs. Stringfield—Second Mar- riage—Delegate to the General Conference of 1844— Refuted Slanders—Stringfield as a Preacher—His Lit- erary Labors—His Children 1 CHAPTER IT. Creed Fulton and His Times. His Ancestry—His Conversion—Admitted into the Ten- nessee Conference—His Different Pastoral Charges His College Agencies—The First Trustees of Emory (vii) ———-- Vlll HOLSTON METHODISM. Page. and Henry College—The First Professors of the Col- lege—Charles Collins—Collins's Debate with Dr. Ross —Fulton's Return to the Pastoral Work and His Labors as Presiding Elder—Strawberry Plains High School—Fulton the Chief Founder of Emory and Henry College—Appointed Agent of the Manual La- bor Enterprise in 1834—Great Success in Alabama His Great Popularity as a Preacher in Alabama—The Crawford Farm Chosen as the Site of the Agricultural School—The Farm Bought and Building Begun Protest of the Trustees of Holston Seminary against the Removal of the Agricultural College to Virginia The Name of the Institution—-Discontinuance of the Agricultural Feature—Fulton's Educational Work in Georgia—Fulton as a Man and as a Preacher— Wiley, Harlow, Longley, and Davis, First Professors in Em- ory and Henry College—College Agents Who Divide Honors with Creed Fulton in Establishing Emory and Henry—The First Stewards of the College—Mr. Ful- ton's Marriages—His Domestic Relations—An Esti- mate of Fulton as a Preacher—His Peaceful Death Mrs. Fulton and Her Children 50 CHAPTER III. Sketches of Preachers. Josiah B. Daughtry—Fields of Labor—Rev. William Gar- rett's Good Opinion of Him—A Prayer for Rain— The Omnipotence of the Prayer of Faith—Daughtry a Revivalist—William S. Manson— His Fields of Labor— His Fall—George Atkin—Admitted into the Ohio Con- ference—Transferred to the Tennessee Conference Stationed in "Abingdon Town"—Editor of the Knox- ville linquircr—Joint Editor with Stringfield of the Western .Irminian and Christian Instructor— His Lit- erary Attainments—His Sons, Samuel and Thomas Thomas Atkin, Editor of the Asbeville News—Lewis S. Marshall—Admitted into the Tennessee Conference —Location and Admission into the Holston ConVr- ence— Agent of Holston Academy—A Presiding Elder —— CONTENTS. IX Page. —Secretary of Holston Conference—Died in the . West—James Dixon—Fields of Labor—Appointed to Knoxville and Greeneville Station—A Remarkable " Man—Controversy with the Rev. Dr. Isaac Anderson —Stricken with Apoplexy—Died in the Insane Asy- lum at Nashville—David Adams—His Birth and Edu- cation—Admitted into the Tennessee Conference Fields of Labor—His Marriages—His Children—His Thirst for Knowledge—His Gifts as a Preacher William P. Kendrick—His Handsome and Attractive Person—His Astonishing Success as a Preacher Dr. McFerrin's Estimate of the Man—A Fighter of Calvinism—Character Arrested for Selling a Negro Kendrick's Pluck—Location—Chaplaincy in the Con- federate Army—James Cumming—Admitted into the Tennessee Conference—Versed in Dogmatic Theology —Author of a Book on Calvinism—Went Over to the Methodist Episcopal Church—Unfortunate Action of the Conference in Regard to Mr. Cumming—Dr. Brun- ner's Kindly Mention of the Man—David B. Cumming —Why He Joined the Methodist Church—Six Preach- ers Out of Nine Brothers—Fields of Labor—Organ- izer of the First Methodist Church in Asheville Missionary to the Cherokees—A Member of the Indian Mission Conference—A Delegate to Two General Con- ferences—A Paralytic Stroke—His Marriage 78 CHAPTER IV. Sketches of Preachers. William Patton—Parentage—His Early Education—Mar- riage—Joins the Presbyterian Church—Becomes a Methodist—Admitted into the Tennessee Conference His Pastoral Charges—Mental Troubles—Transferred to the Missouri Conference—A Conservative on the Question of Slavery—Collides with the "New Lights" —A Hemorrhage—Desists from Preaching and Teaches Near King's Saltworks—Violated Wesley's Rule in Preaching Too Long and Too Loud—Published— a Sermon—A Delegate to General Conference "Hur- ——A X HOLSTON METHODISM. rah for Gincral Jackson !"—Takes a Part in the Rad- ical Controversy—Lewis F. Cosby—George R. Barr, D.D.— Mr. Patton Travels Asheville District—An Es- timate of the Man—Chairman of the Committee That Drafted the Constitution of Emory and Henry College —Transfers to ihe Missouri Conference—Mrs. Patton —George Home—Admitted into the Tennessee Con- ference—Fields of Labor—Agent of Holston College Dates of Birth and Death—His Ancestry—A Reviv- alist—Marriage and Location—While in the Local Re- lation Evangelizes Extensively——An Attack of "Gold Fever"—Mr. Home as a Writer "An Essay on Cer- tain Points of Divinity"—Mental Balance Not Per- fect—James G. H. Speer—Admitted into the Tennessee Conference — Pastoral Charges — Marriage — Wielded the Pen of a Ready Writer—John Kelley—Admitted into the Tennessee Conference—A Member of the Holston Conference, and Later of the Missouri Con- ference—Mr. Kelley's Ancestry—Llis Fields of Labor in Holston—Dr. McFerrin's Estimate of the Man Marriage—Conducted the Funeral Services of Bishop McKendrec—William C. Graves's Recollections of Mr. Kelley— Mrs. Margaret Lavinia Kelley—Place of Birth —Bishop Fitzgerald's Eulogistic Mention of Her Her Ancestry—Her Education—Conversion—Estab- lishes a Sunday School and Builds a Church— Pioneer in Missionary Work— She Secures the Estab- lishment of a Home for Fallen Women— "Itinerants' Rest"—Her House an Orphanage—A Great Reader Prayer that God Would Call Her Oldest Grandchild lo Missionary Work—Her Distinguished Son, D.