Holston Methodism

HOLSTON METHODISM. (0 THOMAS WILKERSON HOLSTON METHODISE FROM ITS ORIGIN TO THE PRESENT TIME. By R. N. PRICE. VOLUME II. From the Year 1804 to the Year 1824. Nashville, Tenn., Dallas, Tex.: Publishing House of the M. E. Church, South. Smith & Lamar, Agents. 1906. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1906, By R. N. Price, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. PREFACE. By the favor and energy of the Holston preachers three thousand copies of Volume I. of "Holston Methodism" have been sold. Volume I. has paved the way for Volume II. The latter has over the former the merit of bringing the history nearer to our times. The annals proper of this volume do not come further this way than 1824; but the volume is largely biographical, and many of the men sketched died in our times—instance, Samuel B. Harwell, who 'died in 1874. These sketches, therefore, make this volume somewhat modern. I had hoped to get into this volume the sketches of String- field, Fulton, S. Patton, and Sevier ; but these must be de- ferred to Volume III. The sketches of these men necessarily introduce the subject of the rise and progress of the higher education in Holston, and notices of the controversies which agitated our people in the past—namely, the Arian, the Radi- cal, and the Calvinistic controversies. This fact will make Volume III. the most important and interesting of the series. Whether Volume III. shall ever see the light depends on whether the sale of Volume II. is sufficiently encouraging. I am not exclusively responsible for the delay in the is- suance of the present volume, as the committee advised a season of delay, and as for some reason the Publishing House has seen cause to add further delay; but I must credit the House with great care in the typesetting and the mechanical work generally. An ancient painter, being twitted with the tardiness of his work, replied : "I am painting for eternity." Let us hope that our tardiness will redound to the usefulness and permanency of the work. Our principal trouble is the financial question. A history so local and so denominational must necessarily be limited in its circulation, and the income from it must necessarily be meager; but I am willing to suffer want and embarrassment, it I may but rescue from oblivion the noble men and women who in the wilderness, amid savage beasts and more savage (v) VI HOLSTON METHODISM. men, planted the Methodism which we now enjoy, and if, through these humble pages, I may but assist in reviving and maintaining the martyr spirit which actuated them. If genius, eloquence, abundant labors, sublime powers of endurance, dogged perseverance, a wonderful unselfishness, a quenchless, love of souls, and a burning zeal for God^s glory entitle men and women to historic recognition, then the men and women of Holston deserve to be commemorated. R. N. Price. Morristown, Tenn., June 25, 1906. —— CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. John Adam Granade. Page. Admitted into the Western Conference—His Eccentrici- ties—His Autobiography;—Birth—Is a School-Teach- er—His Spiritual Troubles—Goes to Tennessee—Is Powerfully Converted—Begins to Exhort—Joins the Methodists—Is Authorized to Preach—Interrupts a Dancing Party—Loses His Way in the Mountains and Canebrakes—Receives Baptism—Is Admitted into the Western Conference—Is Appointed to Greene Circuit Great Success—Is Appointed to Holston Circuit—Has Great Ingatherings—Takes Members of Gov. Sevier's Family into the Church—Is Transferred to New River Circuit—Preaches at John Carr's—Studies Latin—Is Appointed to Hinkstone Circuit, in Kentucky—Locates, Studies Medicine, and Marries—Dies—An Estimate of His Character I CHAPTER II. Sketches of Preachers. Nathan Jarratt—Jacob Young Admitted into the West- ern Conference—Appointed' to Wilderness Circuit Travels ^Clinch Circuit—Passes the Wilderness—Bish- op Asbury Reproves a Swearer—Young's Unfavorable Account of the Inhabitants of Powell's Valley—His First Round on Clinch Circuit—His First Quarterly Meeting—His Birth and Parentage—His Conversion Joins the Church—Enters Conference—His Death Had Received the Degree of D.D.—Bishop Morris's Estimate of Him—James Douthit—Thomas L. Doug- lass—Is a Great Revivalist—Personal Description of Him—Samuel Douthit—His Birth—His Homes—Dr. Isaac Douthit—Dresses the Wounds of H. C. Neal 20 (v") —— viii HOLSTON METHODISM. CHAPTER III. and Peggy Dow. Lorenzo Pag e . Dow's Birth and Parentage—Conversion—Applies Un- successfully for Admission into the New England Con- ference—Is Rejected the Second Time—Stevens's Un- favorable -Estimate of Dow—Finally Admitted—His First Circuit and His Great Usefulness Thereon—Ap- plies for Permission to Go to Sea for His Health; Re- quest Denied—Is Appointed to Essex Circuit—Leaves His Work and Goes to Europe—Returns and Is Ap- pointed to Duchess and Columbia Circuit—Visits Geor- gia—Dropped from the Roll of the Conference Preaches in Knoxville—Preaches in Buncombe County, N. C.—Crosses the Alleghanies—Preaches at Newport Witnesses the Jerks—Preaches at Sevierville—Preaches at Maryville—John Johnson and the Jerks—Dow Visits the Quakers—His Opinion of the Jerks—Visits Vir- ginia and Preaches in Various Parts of the Holston Section Thereof—His Numerous Namesakes—Anecdote of His Stopping at the House of Mr. Pogue, in Greene County, Tenn.—An Object Lesson of the Possibility of Falling from Grace—The Lady with a Red Shawl Sermon at Reisterstown, Md.—Eccentric Conduct at Brookville, Ind.—Sermon and Eccentric Conduct at Covington, Ky.—Dow Simulates the Day of Judgment A Personal Description of Dow—An Estimate—Peggy Dow—Dr, Anson West's Unfavorable Estimate of Dow—His Estimate Criticised—Too Much Red Tape Dr. George G. Smith and Dow's Impressions—Jones, the Historian of Mississippi Methodism, on Dow Dow's Labors in Mississippi—First Camp Meeting Southwest of Tennessee—Dow Cooperates with Jacob Young in Mississippi—Dow's Effectiveness as a Preach- er—Receives the Blessing of Sanctification—Nicholas Snethen and Dow 30, — ——— CONTENTS. IX CHAPTER IV. From 1804 to 1807 Sketches of Preachers. p The Western Conference of 1805—Numbers in Society on the Holston District—Admissions on Trial—Holston Appointments—The Bishops Pass through Holston Asbury Complains of a Lack of Opportunity for Private Prayer—He' Complains of Moses Black for Marrying a Girl of Fifteen—The Bishops Stop with William Neil- son, and Breakfast with Rev. Mr. Newton—They Go to South Carolina—The Stubblefields at County Line Conference of 1806—Numbers in Society in Holston Admissions on Trial—Holston Appointments—Asbury Enters Holston Country from the Valley of Virginia Preaches at Mahanaim—Lodges with William Nel- son—Sermon in Memory of Bishop Whatcoat—The Bishop and His Companions Lost—Camp Meeting on Turkey Creek—Conference of 1807—Numbers in So- ciety in Holston—Admissions on Trial—Appointments for Holston—The Bishop Passes through Holston to South Carolina—John Watson—Joab Watson—Wil- liam Ellington—Thomas Lasley—Sketch of Bishop Whatcoat—Ralph Lotspeich—George C. Light—John Crane 74 CHAPTER V. Thomas and Sarah Wilkerson. Wilkerson's High Standing—His Fields—In the Presid- ing Eldership—Appointed to Abingdon Station—Birth His Conversion—A Psychic Phenomenon—Enters the Traveling Connection—A Baptism of the Holy Ghost He Passes the Wilderness—On Holston Circuit—Be- comes Connected with the Great Revival—He Locates and Marries—His Second Marriage—Sketch of Mrs. Wilkerson—William Williams and Sarah, His Wife, Profess Religion—Her Strong Attachment to Her Son- in-Law, Thomas Stringfield—Her Death—Mr. Wilker- — ——— X HOLSTON METHODISM. Page, son's Third Marriage—An Estimate of Mr. Wilker- son—He Passes the Wilderness Alone—He Preaches a Powerful Sermon at the General Conference—His Death—He Disposes of His Slaves by Will 9§ CHAPTER VI. From 1807 to 1810 Sketches of Preachers. General Conference of 1808—Conference at Liberty Hill Numbers in Society—Admissions on Trial—Holston Appointments—Two New Circuits—Nashville in 1808 Bishop Asbury Visits Green Hill—A Regulation on Slavery—The Bishops Pass the Wilderness—Breakfast at West Point—They Evangelize South of the French Broad—Bishop Asbury at Buncombe C. H.—Confer- ence of 1809—A Conference of Magnificent Distances Numbers in Society in Holston—Admissions on Trial Holston Appointments — Saltville — Asbury Passes through Holston—Henry Boehm—Read's Chapel—The Bishop Gives Composing Drops to Mr. Barnard in Buncombe County—Visits Asheville—The Late Heze- kiah Barnard and Wife—James Patton—Early Camp Grounds in Giles County, Va.—Conference of 1810 Numbers in Society in Holston—Admissions on Trial Holston Appointments—The Bishops Pass through Holston—Stop at Asheville—Thomas Milligan—Learner Blackman—Appointed to Russell Circuit—His Subse- quent Fields—Blackman's Opinion of Granade—Revises His Opinion of Western People—Goes to Natchez, Miss.—Becomes a Chaplain under Jackson—Mr. Black- man Described—His Studious Habits—His Marriage His Tragic Death—Mrs. Blackman—Caleb McCloud Miles Harper—Expelled from the Church—Returned to the Church without Contrition—Harper as a Preach- er—Isaac Lindsey—Is Murdered—Murderer Punished James King—William Young—Moses Black—Anthony Senter 113 — — CONTENTS. XI CHAPTER VII. From 1810 to 1813 Sketches of Prominent Local Preachers. Page# Conference of 181 1 —The Conference Divided into Ohio and Tennessee Conferences—The Extent of Each Numbers in Society in Holston—Admissions on Trial Holston Appointments—Membership of the Whole Connection—Asbury Goes Direct to Georgia—Delegates from the Western Conference to the General Confer- ence of 1808—The First Delegated General Conference, That of 1812—The Delegates from the Western Con- ference—The Big Four—The Reunion at Nicewander's Meetinghouse—Robert W.

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