USA > Georgia > Greene County > History of Greene County, Georgia, 1786-1886 > Part 11
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Dr. H. H. King received the donations to rebuild the church, and this was done and the picture is in this book. The old church had a pulpit and woodwork of solid mahogany with beautiful ceiling and frescoed walls. The pulpit furniture and Bible were gifts from the girls in the Female College. These were saved from the fire and are now in the present church.
Union Meeting House
The Union Meeting House was incorporated by an Act of the Georgia Legislature on Dec. 19, 1828, and the following Trustees were named for the Presbyterians: Charles A. Redd, John Cunningham and Ebenezer Torrance. For the Baptists : Vincent Sanford, Sr., Lemuel Greene and John West. The bell was made in Philadelphia and the people gave articles of silver to be put in the metal for the bell so that it would have a clear and musical tone. The bell was shipped to Savannah by boat, thence to Augusta and brought to Greensboro on a wagon. All revivals were held in August and the Baptists converts were baptized in Richland Creek. Although the Baptists and Presby- terians were the principal denominations who kept the church and worshipped there, at some times, the Methodist and Cath-
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olics were known to have used the church before they had one of their own.
The old Union Meeting House was unusual in that the Baptists and Presbyterians worshipped together there from 1830 to 1859. After that date of January 1859 this church became the property of the Baptist church. This old church was a wooden building and would seat about 400 people. There were two front entrances, and the men sat on the right and the ladies on the left. The side for the men was equipped with foot rests and spit- boxes filled with sand, and were freely used by the "brethern." There was at first a melodian and in 1870 an organ was in- stalled. This church was located on cemetery hill. From 1790 to 1821 Dr. Francis Cummins a Presbyterian minister held services. In 1821 Rev. Jesse Mercer and Adiel Sherwood came to Greens- boro and organized a church, called "The Greensboro Baptist Church of Christ". Jesse Mercer acted as moderator and John West was Clerk with Adiel Sherwood as pastor. Several mem- bers from Shiloh and White Plains Baptist brought their letters to this new church. From Shiloh were: Sarah Terrell, John and Mary West, Vincent Sanford, Rhoda Parish, Cynthia Rools and Elixa Colquitt. From White Plains were: Elizabeth Maddox, Jonathan and Elizabeth Bickers, Lucy and Betsy Bickers from Powellton, Betsy O'Rear from Richland and Adiel Sherwood f om Bethlehem in Oglethorpe Co.
Sherwood and Cummins worked together and built a larger and better church. In 1850, the Presbyterians sold their interest to the Baptists and built a new church on Main Street, which was destroyed by fire in 1869 and the present one built.
The Baptists remodeled the Union Church and built a Baptismal pool at the back which had to be filled with water drawn from a well nearby. One Saturday, the faithful old sexton called Anderson, drew water all day filling the pool for the baptizing on Sunday. On Saturday night some mischievous boys drained the pool and so the baptizing had to be postponed.
Before the Union meeting house was built in 1830 these same churches had used jointly the old Siloam meeting house.
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POWELTON BAPTIST CHURCH
Powelton Baptist church now in Hancock Co. Greensboro Methodist church. Lower left-Marker at Powelton church. Lower right-White Plains Methodist church.
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Greensboro Methodist Church
Greensboro was founded in 1786 and itinerant Methodist preachers preached there, however when Bishop Asbury visited in 1799 there was no Methodist church so he preached in the Presbyterian. Soon a little log church was built on the outskirts of town, which served until Dr. Pierce came and then a better church was built. The first Methodist Conference was held by Bishop Asbury in a large old two story house which in his Journ- al he called "Bush's". The house later was owned by John D. Copeland.
The contract for a new Methodist church was let in Oc- tober 1908 and the first service was held on Sunday Feb. 5, 1911. Rev. W. L. Pierce preached the sermon, assisted by Rev. W. H. Cooper. The pastor was Rev. W. H. Joiner. The build- ing committee were as follows : E. A. Copelan, E. W. Copelan, S. E. Jopling, P. F. Merritt, G. A. Merritt, J. H. McWhorter, J. E. Armor and James B. Park. Dr. J. C. Asbury's home stood where the present parsonage now stands.
Bethesda Baptist Church
When Bethesda Baptist Church was organized in 1785, it was known as Whatley's Mill Church, and was in Wilkes County before it was added to Greene in 1802. When the present build- ing was erected in 1818, the name was changed to Bethesda. Jesser Mercer was pastor for a number of years and here he ordained Adiel Sherwood as minister of the Gospel. This splen- did brick structure indicates that this section was populous and wealthy. In the early days of the church, worshippers, fearful of attack by Indians, carried their guns to services.
The Episcopal Church (The Church of the Redeemer)
According to tradition, the first Episcopal services, in Greensboro, were held in the home of Mrs. Phillip Clayton; but the church was built in 1867. (organized 1863). The lot upon which the Episcopal Church was built, belonged to Mr. Hol- comb G. Harper, Mrs. Clayton's father. Mr. Harper sold the
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lot to Mr. Clayton for the sum of $100.00. The deed read to, Phillip Clayton, John C. Carmichael and Phillip Poullain, War- dens and Vestry of the Church of the Redeemer. This deed was dated Feb. 9, 1867, and is recorded in Deed Book S-S. page 296. The deed describes the lot by number as shown on plat of the Town of Greensboro, and recorded in Deed Book E-E. p. 220, in 1812.
Mr. Barnett was the architect who built the church, he lived with Dr. Thomas N. Poullain while building the church. The Church was organized by Bishop Elliott, who was afterwards Bishop of Western Texas.
Miss Gilby, English governess for the children of Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Poullain, contributed $100.00 for the purchase of the lot. Mrs. Poullain was Catherine Potter of Savannah and a member of the church. There were a number of children in the family and she and Miss Gilby wanted a church for them. The money was contributed by various members here and doubtless elsewhere, the Clayton family being among the prominent ones.
Rev. Stephen Elliott, a nephew of Bishop Elliott, was the first minister. Later Rev. Joshua Knowles, a resident of the town, had charge of the church and continued for many years. Mr. Knowles was buried in the church yard. Several refugee families from Charleston and Savannah helped organize the church. The Church of the Redeemer was dedicated by Bishop Beckwith.
(Mrs. Henry T. Lewis supplied the above information, through her son, Mr. Junius Lewis)
Greensboro Catholic Church
In the 1890's a Catholic Church was built here on the lot where Mrs. W. H. Prior now lives. The date of the erection and organization cannot be found, and no one knows when it ceased to function. There was a small membership.
Prior to the War Between the States, the Baptists, Meth- odists and Presbyterian churches all had many colored members, and had their own stewards and deacons and elders of their own
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race who ministered to them separately. Certain Negroes were appointed to keep watch over the morals of the less religious ones, and judging from the minutes of the various conferences they did not hesitate to report on the misconduct of the erring brothers and sisters. Some of these Negroes were highly conse- crated Christians and were devoted to their churches.
Salem Methodist Church
There was old Salem Methodist Church, now extinct, and no records were found.
Hastings Methodist Church
Hastings Methodist, two miles north of Siloam-moved to Siloam.
Wesleyan Methodist Church
Wesleyan Methodist-three miles east of Greensboro.
Oakland Presbyterian Church
Oakland Presbyterian-moved to Penfield, now called Pen- field Presbyterian.
BISHOP JAMES OSGOOD ANDREW AND THE SCHISM IN THE METHODIST CHURCH
A serious division over slavery came at the General Con- ference of 1844. The issue was brought to a head by the mar- riage of Bishop James O. Andrew to Mrs. Ann Mounger Green- wood, of Greensboro, a slaveholding wife. Although the slaves were registered in his wife's name who inherited them from her father, this made the Bishop unacceptable to the Northern Con- ference. After eleven days of debating the issue a motion to suspend the Bishop was passed. This led to the southern Meth- odists organizing the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and espousing the cause of the Confederacy. Of the membership of the Southern church there were 460,000 white members and 124,961 Negroes and 2,972 Indians.
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Mrs. Andrew died in 1854 and the law reinvested the Bishop with his wife's property. The Bishop promptly gave the slaves to Mrs. Andrews' children. There was a Dr. Olin of the north living in New England who had owned slaves but sold them and yet he retained the money. Dr. Capers of the Northern church, a slaveholder had also been appointed to positions of trust.
Mr. Finley of Ohio, who was a close friend of Bishop Andrews tried to offer a substitute by offering to ask him to resign. Bishop Andrew, several years previously had been left a mulatto girl, Kitty, by an old lady from Augusta as a legacy to see that she was sent to Liberia when she became 19 years old. Kitty would not leave or accept her freedom, so this was another obstacle to the Bishop.
It was Joshua Soule, the Senior Bishop from Maine who stood by Andrew and believed the Bishop was right, although Soule had never owned a slave and was at this time living in Ohio.
Not until more than a half century had passed did the Northern and Southern Methodists reunite. At old Oxford, Ga. now may be seen the grave of the slave girl "Kitty" inclosed in a white paling fence with a notation saying that she was part of the cause of the schism in the church.
In the Cemetery in Greensboro is the grave of Mrs. James O. Andrew whose slaves caused her husband so much trouble. In the Morgan inclosure you will see a beautiful monument to her memory.
MELL'S KINGDOM
In several previous articles I have tried to show how the influence of devout men of the Gospel have influenced the lives of the people of various sections of our county; and the same is true throughout the state of Georgia and the nation. And, while it is not my intention to make comparisons between the moral and religious influence of any of these great preachers who are now living and those who have gone to their reward, I
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think it not amiss to refer to Patrick Hues Mell who impressed a section of Greene and Oglethorpe counties so profoundly that even to this day, they are referred to as "Mell's Kingdom."
In order to fully appreciate the life, character and ministry of Patrick Hues Mell it will be necessary to read his biography written by his son, P. H. Mell, Jr., published by the Baptist Book Concern in 1895. Although Dr. Mell felt called to preach the Gospel, at an early age, it was not until he came to Penfield, Ga., as a teacher in Mercer University, that he was ordained as a full-fledged minister. After becoming a professor at Mercer University, he continued to preach to country churches but his preaching was largely gratuitous. His piety, his eloquence, his sincerity and sound doctrine claimed the attention of the Greens- boro Baptist Church. In October, 1842, they (the Greensboro Baptist Church) requested the brethren at Penfield to ordain P. H. Mell for the ministry in order that he might accept the pastorate of the Greensboro Church. In response to this request the brethren at Penfield met in conference October 29th, 1842, and the following minutes were recorded :
"Moved and carried that the request of the Greensboro church to put Brother Mell forward for ordination be agreed to; and that Saturday before the third Sunday in November be the day; and that the candidate and Pastor elect the Presbytery. The Brethren Brooks, Stokes, Harris and the Pastor were named. Directed the Clerk to give written notice to the Presbytery."
He was duly ordained on the date set, and his credentials were signed by B. M. Sanders, W. H. Stokes and Otis Smith. Dr. Mell accepted the call from the Greensboro church and entered at once upon the work.
The Greensboro church was only a part-time church in those days, and Dr. Mell preached to other churches on the va- cant Sundays although, he was not their pastor. In 1848 he ac- cepted the pastorate of the Bairdstown church located in Greene County, Georgia ; and in 1852 he was also elected to take charge of the church at Antioch, in Oglethorpe County. Finding that these two churches would occupy all of his time he was compelled to resign his pastorate at Greensboro, where he had served con- tinuously for ten years. The brethren at Greensboro, after ac-
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cepting Dr. Mell's resignation passed a lengthy resolution which plainly showed their regret over giving him up.
During the ten years that Dr. Mell was pastor of the Greensboro church he lived in Penfield and taught the boys at Mercer, and a tough job he had with some of them. Nor was all serene among the President and faculty. "Old Pat" believed in, and enforced discipline, and many are the stories told about his catching up with the boys as they planned their carousals, and many a "night party," was broken up by him. On one occasion the boys stole his carriage and pulled it down the hill, a mile or more. When they reached the spot where they intended to leave it, Dr. Mell stuck his head out of the carriage window and said: "Boys, I enjoyed the ride down hill, now, you can pull it back to where you got it."
Dr. Mell severed his connection with Mercer University in 1856. The Presidency of a number of colleges were offered him but he declined them all. On December 12, 1856, Dr. Mell was elected Professor of Ancient Languages by the University of Georgia, which he accepted and entered upon his new duties in Jan. 1857. From that date until his death Dr. Mell served the University as President and Chancellor, however, he con- tinued to serve Bairds and Antioch churches. In March 1887, Dr. Mell was again called by the Greensboro Baptist Church and he accepted the call and served until December of that year. Thus was Greensboro his first and last pastorate.
During Dr. Mell's pastorates up to the close of the War Between the States, the membership of all his churches were about equally divided between whites and slaves. When the Negroes were freed they organized churches of their own, with the aid of their former masters. However, Dr. John D. Mell, son of Dr. P. H. Mell, tells of a rare instance where one negro deacon of the Bairdstown Church, declined to separate himself from his white brethren. I will quote from Dr. John D. Mell :
He begins his story-"My Father's Negro Deacon."
"I inherited him from my father, Dr. P. H. Mell. In slavery times the negroes all over the South, belonged to the white churches. They had separate seats for them, usually in the galleries, and they always attended the preaching services and church conferences, with the
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whites. They were regular members in good standing. Every church had negro deacons, who served the negro members, just as the white deacons served the white members. In the old Baird's Church, of the Georgia Association, before the Civil War, Louis Edmondson, a young slave, was a member who was converted under my father's preaching, and baptized by him. He was of unusual intelligence and good charac- ter, and was made a deacon. After the war, most of the Negroes left the white churches and organized churches of their own. In rare cases, they stuck to the white churches and refused to go with the colored people. Louis, his wife and daughter, were among those rare cases. They all kept their membership in Baird's Church until they died. Several years after my father's death, I was called to the ministry by Baird's church, where my father was pastor for forty years. One of the first members to welcome me was Louis. He became at once my fast friend, and remained so until his death. I never had a more loyal friend. To the best of his ability he was an humble, faithful and efficient member. He, his wife and daughter were, unless sick, always present at the preaching services. They had a bench in the rear of the church, that was theirs, by common consent, and nobody else ever occupied it. When the communion service, after the white people were served, one of the white deacons waited upon Louis with the bread and wine, and then handed the plate and the cup to him, and he served his wife and daughter with fine grace and dignity. No king on his throne was ever prouder of his office than Louis was of his. It was a rare treat to see him when he was serving as deacon, and to me, it was inpressive and beautiful.
After the death of his wife and daughter he moved away five or six miles from the church and usually walked to preaching services. Every Fourth Sunday, the preaching day, he was entertained by some white member at dinner. I have, many times, been a guest with him at the same house. I ate with the white folks in the dining room, and Louis ate with the colored folks in the kitchen. We both got the same good dinner and the same hearty welcome. The last several months of his life, he was an invalid, and could not come to church. Every week, two of the white deacons went to see him, and very Fourth Sunday we took a collection for him at the regular service. This was the only public collection the church took for any purpose. It had a financial plan that abolished public collections, except for Louis.
I do not believe there was a single person in that community, white or black, who did not have a sincere respect for Louis, and an affectionate confidence in his Christian character. I do not believe I ever preached a sermon, when he was present, that he did not come up and shake my hand, and tell me he enjoyed it. I have an indelible, enchanting recollection of the last time he came to church. After the sermon, he came to me, with tears in his eyes, and with a quiver in his voice, and said to me, "Boss"-that is what he always called me- "Boss", dat was a good sermon you preach. You mind me er you pa
today. You kair me back to dem days wen he talk in dat pulpit. Pear lak I could jes see im and hear im while you talkin. You good preacher, Boss and I loves you. But Boss, now dont git mad wid me. You know Boss, yer kaint preach lak yer pa. "No sir" he said, with deep, wistful sadness in his voice. "Dey aint nobody no more gwine preach lac yer pa."
Louis and I had one ineffible bond between us that nothing in this world could break. He thought my father was the greatest, the
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wisest and the best man he ever saw. And I think so, too. He thought my father was the greatest preacher that ever walked the earth since the days of the Apostle Paul. And I think so, too."
Note: The above lines were written for this Greene County His- torian, by Dr. John D. Mell whom I have personally known for many years and who is widely and greatly beloved throughout the nation, and more especially among Southern Baptists.
OUR "CITY OF THE DEAD" By T. B. Rice
"Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time".
These beautiful lines of the poet Longfellow suggest them- selves as we read what Judge Henry T. Lewis, then editor of the Greensboro Herald, as he strolled through the old Greens- boro cemetery as some sage of the long-ago unfolded to him the accomplishments of some who were buried there - unfortu- nately, he did not reveal the name of his guide, but history and tradition both verify the truthfulness of what he wrote. Quoting from the Greensboro Herald of Aug. 18, 1881 :
"In a stroll with a friend through the Greensboro' Ceme- tery the other day we were impressed with the fact that perhaps very few, if any, counties in the State of Georgia can boast of having furnished to the world a greater number of distinguished and useful citizens than Greene; and no Cemetery in any town the size of ours probably contains the remains of so many who have figured prominently in the early history of this country. Many rich memories cluster around the graves of these repre- sentatives of past generations, who are now sleeping under the sod in our "city of the dead."
Among the first nice monuments that present themselves to view upon one's entering the cemetery is the one erected to the memory of Justice Francis H. Cone. He was born on the 5th of September, 1797, and died at his home here on the 18th of May, 1859. Judge Cone never seems to have aspired much to
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political prominence. He had been a member of the Legislature from this county, and Judge of the Superior Court; and as a Judge and Legislator he probably had no superiors. But his intellectual greatness and his learning as a jurist shone to its greatest excellence during his long professional life at the bar.
Near by is the elegant monument of Hon. William C. Daw- son, who was born on the 16th day of January, 1798, and died here on the 6th day of May, 1856. Many positions of honor and usefulness did he fill, both in the judiciary and legislative depart- ments of the government. He was at one time U. S. Senator from Georgia ; and was a prominent member of that body in the days when intellectual giants constituted its membership.
Not far off is the grave of Col. Y. P. King, who died in 1 Aug. 1868 in the 75th year of his age. For several years he represented this county with ability in the Legislature and one or two State Constitutional Conventions. During Filmore's ad- ministration he was U.S. Minister to Bogota in South America. His last public service, we believe, was rendered in the Consti- tutional Convention held at Milledgeville in 1865. But it would be unpardonable in us to give any extended notice of such men as Cone, Dawson, King and others, whose memories are still fresh in the minds of many of our readers.
In this cemetery is buried Hon. Thomas W. Cobb, whose grave is marked by a plain marble slab. He died the 1st of February, 1830, in his 46th year of age. Notwithstanding he was a comparatively young man when he died, he had filled with marked ability the positions of Judge of the Superior Court, member of the House of Representatives in Congress, and U. S. Senator from Georgia.
Our friend carried us next to the grave of Col. James Fauche, which is unmarked by a monument or tombstone of any kind. From the best information we can get he died in 1835, a very old man. At the time of his death he was living where Judge Simmerman now lives. He is reputed to have been a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and doubtless was.
Gen. Thomas Dawson, brother of Hon. William C. Daw- son, lies buried here. On the slab above his body the fact is
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inscribed that he was the first male white child born in this county. He died on the 26th of February, 1845, about 61 years of age. We next visited the tomb of Dr. Thomas Wingfield, a very imminent physician of his day. He died on the 20th of Oc- tober, 1836, in his 59th year. In the epitaph over his grave, written by Col. King, is a remark which forcibly illustrates the character of the old Doctor :- "His faults were few; his virtues many; and no man took less pains to conceal the one or publish the other."
Dr. James F. Foster was buried here in the month of May, 1861. He was in his 75th year. Dr. Foster was also an emmi- nent physician; and a man of a high order of intellect. The grave which excited as much interest in our mind as any other is the one which marks the last resting place of Joel Early. He died on the 14th of February, 1851, in his 58th year. He was a man naturally of powerful mind; but with it all a very excentric genius. There were apparently conflicting elements in his character. He was very wealthy. At times he was very penu- rious ; then again he was a man of princely liberality. A promi- nent physician of our place (Dr. H. H. King) who was Mr. Early's family physician, tells us that one occasion Mr. Early gave him a draft for $1,000.00, the money to be applied to cer- tain religious and charitable enterprises. The very next day per- haps he was penurious in exacting of a person in a business transaction to the last cent. Many interesting anecdotes are told of Joel Early-enough perhaps to fill a volume.
Joel Early was a brother of Governor Peter Early. The latter's remains lie buried on the convict farm in this county. (Governor Early's remains have since been removed to the Greensboro cemetery, and re-intered by the side of his brother Joel) .
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