USA > Georgia > Liberty County > History of the Midway Congregational Church, Liberty County, Georgia > Part 17
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This he did from day to day. The congregations contin- ued to increase. The colored people flocked from all the sur- rounding country. In a few weeks he had between two and three hundred followers. A bush arbor was first erected near the junction of the Riceboro and McIntosh roads, under which they met for awhile, but afterwards they removed to
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Mr. Walthour's "Homestead Place," a few miles farther back in the country, where they met every day under two majes- tic live oaks, covering at least a quarter of an acre of ground where they had a box placed termed "The Ark," and into it the people deposited all their money which they had been told was now useless. The people became almost frantic with excitement. The nearest surrounding churches were drawn heavily upon, and for the time even threatened with extinction, as Bell had told them that their pastors were imposing upon them, robbing them and preaching only for money for which he gave them no authority, as he him- self went without money or scrip.
The people became deluded with the belief that Bell was the Christ from his singular appearance, his wonderful knowledge of the scriptures, and also his pretended power to work miracles ; for on one occasion, when walking along the road, said he, to a crowd following him: "Did not Christ, when on earth, convert water into wine?" Hand me half a dollar. He took the money and put it into a tin bucket which one of them had, then shaking the bucket turned it upon the ground, when lo, by a dexterous turn, a dollar rolled out, which was accepted as a genuine miracle by his admiring followers.
His power over them was truly marvelous. Indeed he seemed to have had perfect control, they holding themselves in readiness to do his every bidding. In obedience to his be- hest they ceased working, neglected their farms, sold their goods, and lived together upon the proceeds.
By the middle of August their proceedings became so dis- orderly and riotous, and the community so demoralized, that the sober people, both white and colored, felt that something must be done to arrest the evil, as it had become a standing menace to the continuance of good order, for they had not only abandoned their homes and farms, but many of them had begun to show signs of mental aberra- tion. Whereupon a warrant of vagrancy was sworn out against said Bell. He was arrested by the sheriff and car- ried to Flemington before the magistrate, Captain W. A. Fleming, for commitment trial, He was carried in a buggy,
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guarded by officers and armed men, to prevent disturbance. The negroes followed their Christ, as they termed him, in crowds. Instead of trying him at that time, the magistrate appointed a day for hearing the case at McIntosh station. As the prisoner was carried back, the crowd followed fran- tically shouting, singing and crying : "This is our Jesus, who was nailed to the tree." Before the day of the trial it was thought best to change the form of the warrant from va- grancy to that of lunacy, as it was obvious that Bell was deranged. A jury was accordingly summoned, and upon a formal trial in August, 1889, he was adjudged non compos mentis, and a short while afterwards sent to the asylum at Milledgeville, Ga., where he still remains confined.
After Bell's sentence and before leaving for the asylum, he appointed his right hand man and counselor, Edward James, at that time a magistrate, as his successor, and left every- thing in his hands, with full authority to carry on the gov- ernment till his return which, he said, would be in a very short time. Bell had told the people that his spirit would return and probably in the person and form of a colored man, and as James claimed to have the spirit of Bell, they believed him and were therefore ready to accord him all honor and au- thority, and which he was not slow to receive, and which he resigned his magistracy to accept. For a short time James carried it with a high hand, and issuing orders which were implicitly obeyed. In obedience to his orders the peo- ple continued to cast their silver into the ark, which none of them dared touch, as Bell had assured them that the person touching the same would instantly be smitten of the Lord. Upon David James endeavoring to get his brother Edward away, the people in their fury fell upon one Samuel Carter, who had accompanied him, and beat him quite severely. In a general melee that followed, some outside parties, who were more under the influence of cupidity than feelings of piety, stole all the money and carried it off. Soon after this James was arrested and tried on charge of Lunacy and ad- judged insane and sent to the asylum at Milledgeville, where he died.
Under and in connection with his leadership rose one
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Shadrach Walthour, who, often hearing Bell speak of Solo- mon's greatness, vainly imagined himself to be that person- age, and therefore styled himself as "King Solomon," and by which appellation he was generally recognized. But un- fortunately for this would be king, he was soon arrested un- der the charge of disorderly conduct, and placed in the coun- ty jail at Hinesville, where, while awaiting his trial, he sud- denly and rather mysteriously died. The jailer was thought to be the cause of his death and was afterwards tried under the charge of murder, but was acquitted.
After the arrest of "King Solomon," the government and leadership were left in the hands of Ellen Roberts, as "Queen Mary," or "Virgin Mary," or "Queen of Sheba," as she was variously styled. And under this appellation, and under her more gentle sway, the affairs of the society were con- ducted until the close.
Upon the removal of Bell all restraint seemed to be re- moved, and such orgies and abominations practiced as hard- ly to be believed. Eyewitnesses say that the picture can hardly be overdrawn. Among other things they were even charged with laying aside the marital vow under the delu- sive idea of having "things in common." But we draw the vail over this part of the proceedings.
With Bell, their Christ, and his deputy, James, both in the asylum; with Solomon, their king, under arrest and held in "durance vile" for misdemeanor, and with several of their prominent leaders hopelessly insane, and the strong arm of the law beginning to assert its authority, the delusion grad- ually fell out of view. Though for a time, it was said, they still had a queen to whom they secretly did homage. The craze, like a passing storm, shook mightily for awhile some of the churches of the neighborhood. The Congregational near by, but especially the two Baptists at Newport, and the Methodist at McIntosh, were for a time considerably brought under the influence of this ecclesiastical maelstrom.
Concerning this delusion we have to say :
1. That Bell was obviously a crazy man, and therefore we are not to be astonished at any of his hallucinations and vagaries.
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2. That while this was the case, it nevertheless cannot but be a matter of considerable astonishment that he ob- tained such a large following, and especially in such a coun- ty, where so much had been done for the religious instruc- tion of the negroes, and it is only on this account that it is worthy of notice, especially as it might, and has been used, as an argument against the work of the churches in behalf of this race.
3. Truth and justice to the sainted dead, to Dr. Jones and his coadjutors, who so faithfully labored for their spiritual welfare demand the statement that very few, if any, of the regular descendants of the old Midway people were led off by the delusion or took any part in those scenes. And this was especially true of those who had lived around the old church, of which Rev. J. T. H. Waite was pastor, and which is now Presbyterian. The same is also true of the Presby- terian church, on the other side, at Riceboro, of which Rev. B. L. Glenn, colored, was pastor. The greatest drain was upon the congregations and churches above enumera ted.
From these two facts we see:
First, the utter unfairness of declaring that the work among the colored people was a failure.
And, secondly, the wisdom of Dr. C. C. Jones and others, in not encouraging the separate organization of the colored people into a separate church of their own. The question of a separate and independent church for the colored people, with only colored ministers and without any aid or over- sight from the white race, under present environments at least, may be regarded as still an open one.
3. A third inference is the entire suitableness of the Pres- by terian form of government for the illiterate and uneduca- ted. The church of Mr. Glenn ( Presbyterian) was not at all disturbed by the commotion, having lost none of its mem- bers, whilst that of Mr. Waite on the other side, lost but a few, and only temporarily. The government of a congrega- tion, by an intelligent board of officers, with an educated minister and well taught and trained elders, is rational and effective, as well as in harmony with the general teachings of the scripture. To leave that government in the hands of
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an ignorant and untrained populace, is to leave it in a state of insecurity, with room for considerable swing in any direc- tion.
4. Our final remark is, that the most astonishing thing in connection with the whole matter is that the scene of these outrageous proceedings was, as already hinted, almost within sight, and under the very shadow of a large flourish- ing institution erected for the colored people. In justice to said institution, however, let it be said :
1. That the teachers were away at the time, having re- turned to the North, whither they go every summer on ac- count of health during the sickly season. Their presence might have done much in way of restraint.
2. Whatever might be said of the church and congrega- tion, I have no knowledge of the fact that any of the pupils of said institution ever took any part in those proceedings.
3. The institution had hardly been in existence long enough to permeate all classes with its refining and eleva- ting influences, as to shield a whole district from such an inroad. The elevation of a people from a state of ignorance and servitude must be necessarily slow. If Bell had deferred his visit till now, he might not have been so successful in se- curing followers.
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HISTORY OF MIDWAY CHURCH.
CHAPTER XII.
SPECIAL EVENTS -- REVIVALS.
Though not in the habit of holding protracted meetings, yet the church has frequently been visited with the out- pouring of the Spirit and precious seasons of revival. The following account of some of these revivals is from the pen of Rev. T. S. Winn, a native of the county, and for seven years co-pastor of the church :
STEWART STATION, ALA., Jan. 14, 1895.
Dear Bro. Stacy :- Some few weeks ago you wrote me, asking of me some account of the previous seasons of revival of religion that had occurred in my day, in connection with the old Midway church, of Liberty county, Ga. I have thought over the matter and will give you a brief statement of some of the facts as my memory can recall them.
1. The first of those "seasons of revivals" of which I have any distinct recollection occurred at Midway about 1827, the pastor, Rev. Robert Quarterman, being assisted, I think, by Dr. Joseph Stiles, then in the prime of his manhood. Be- ing then a little boy and not an eye witness, I will tell it as reported to me by some of the older ones of the community . It was spoken of as a meeting of uncommon power, bring- ing into the church such persons as Messrs. John B. Mallard, Samuel Spencer, Sr., Ezra Stacy, Rev. James Dunwoody, and many others, who afterwards led very useful lives.
Among the persons greatly moved by that meeting was a relative of mine, who was so much troubled that for months it was feared by his friends that he would lose his balance of mind. In the midst of it he visited my mother, and in the
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silent hours of the night on his bed he obtained a hope of salvation through Christ. Arousing the family he sent a half mile distant for Mr. Thomas Mallard, an aged deacon of the church, to come and hear the glad tidings, "and there was joy in that city." I was then a little boy lying on my bed, and not understanding the import of what was going on around I witnessed the most touching scene of my life. It reminds me of "Paul and Silas at midnight in the prison of Philippi singing praises unto God." To my youthful mind, it seemed mysteriously wonderful and sublimely beautiful. This people in those days were greatly in earnest and made no child's play of religion. In speaking of the meeting many years after, I heard Mr. Stiles tell of two deadly enemies meeting in the aisles of the church in the presence of the con- gregation embracing and becoming reconciled.
2. The second one of those revivals of religion, and this one under my own observation, occurred at Walthourville, then a branch of the Midway congregation, probably about the year 1832. That meeting was begun by Mr. Stiles, and in a week or so after was renewed by Rev. Daniel Baker, D. D., and finally closed by Rev. Josiah Law, of the Baptist church. In all, it must have lasted several weeks, and was a mighty outpouring of the Spirit's influence. I can think of such persons as Messrs. John E. Ward, Peter Winn, Augus- tus Bacon, Patrick H. Mell, Charles West, jr., Josiah Dun- ham, of Darien, and many other promising young men, who were professedly converted. Several of them became minis- ters of the gos pel or occupied other high positions in life. Its influence on the village was very happy. The meeting lasted several weeks. The exercises began every day with a sun- rise prayer-meeting at the church.
3. The third one of these revivals of religion was at Mid- way in December of the same year, when the pastor, Mr. Quarterman, was assisted at least in the first part of the services by such ministers as Rev. Horace Pratt, Messrs. Engles, and Dwight, of middle Georgia, Rev. Samuel Law, (Baptist), and by Rev. S. J. Cassels, who did most of the preaching. Mr. Cassels was then in the bloom of youthful vigor, and preached with energy, pathos, eloquence, and
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holy zeal, as I have never seen surpassed. It began as a simple three days' meeting, but so great was the interest soon manifested, that many sent home for provisions and bedding and camped on the ground, the only such meeting ever held at that place. No where else have I ever seen such religious interest as was manifested on that occasion. From early dawn to elevén o'clock at night it was prayer, praise, exhortation, and preaching, either in private tents or in the public sanctuary. The very ground to me seemed holy. I remember one cold night the whole congregation were on their knees, supplicating mercy for themselves and others, excepting myself, then a little boy, and three gentlemen, who said they were "waiting for feeling." We four would have gladly joined the host, but "Satan hindered." There I learned what a sad thing it is to be in a small wrong minor- ity left out in the cold-how painful. We certainly were not a happy minority. "One shall be taken and the other left."
I remember Mr. John Dunwody as especially active as an exhorting layman ; and old man Sharper, the colored preach- er, was not idle. Assembling his people under a bush arbor he thundered forth the law and the gospel by day and by night. It was one of the most remarkable revivals, I pre- sume, that ever occurred in Georgia. Mr. Cassels, who seemed to be the leading spirit there, accomplished probably the greatest work of his life. Its influence on the county was most favorable. For years after, there seemed to be a silent work of grace going on all of the time. At that meeting such persons as Messrs. S. M. Varnedoe, John Jones, Miss Hannah West, Miss Susan Wilson, Dr. J. H. Hardee, R. Q. Way, Joseph W. Bacon, and Dr. J. M. B. Harden, with a great many more of like sort were brought into the fold of Christ ; some of the n, mar be all, shining bright to the end of life.
4. The fourth revival took place at Flemington, proba- bly about the year 1836, under the ministrations of Rev. Robert Quarterman, senior pastor of the church, then resi.l- ing at that place, when such persons as Mr. T. Q. Cassels, Col. Artemas Baker, Capt. Moody, Mrs. Sarah Baker, Miss Mary Bacon, Miss Mary Quarterman, and a goodly num-
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ber of other important ones were brought into the kingdom of Christ.
That revival was deep, pungent, powerful, and lasting; though it was noiseless, and hardly heard of at the time be- yond the precincts of the village. It began and continued under the ordinary means of grace, and was purely a work of divine power, with very little of human agency visible. It continued more or less for a whole year, and probably called forth not a single extra public service. I doubt very much if the village of Flemington has to this day lost the hallowed influence of that precious season of unusual grace. It made them notable for spirituality as a branch of the large Midway congregation.
5. The fifth of those special seasons of revival, of which I have a distinct recollection occurred at Walthourville again under the preaching of Dr. Stiles. Its influence seemed to have been confined mostly to the young ladies of Miss Pyncheon's school, the boys and young men, in the main, standing aloof and sometimes opposing and ridiculing.
I remember one Sabbath night Dr. Stiles, after preaching, held in the church an inquiry meeting for the interested ones, which was attended only by the young ladies, the boys and wild young men standing about the doors of the church making many disparaging remarks. Mr. Stiles, I presume, hearing all that was said, through others, the next night in the conclusion of his sermon, left the pulpit and standing on the bottom step in a few feet of where the youngsters were congregated, repeated to them all that had been said, and then poured on them a volume of the most scathing rebuke I ever listened to, all to the delight of the congregation in general, but to the terror of the boys. Fired with holy in- dignation and love for souls, he gave them a tongue lashing that they never forgot. Sitting myself amongst them, though in truth innocent, I never felt so guilty in my lite. The address was about fifteen minutes in length, but it seemed to me to have been more than fifteen hours. It was like one of John Randolph's scathing congressional lash- ings of his opponents in the halls of the National Assembly. In short, it withered all before it. Self condemned, I never
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after that night, heard one of the youngsters make a com- plaint or utter a disparaging remark about the great divine. They were too badly wounded to show fight.
The meeting was happy in its results on the young la- dies, bringing many of them "to a knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus," as Miss Drusilla Louis, Miss Mary W. Manning, and others of like character. That was the last sermon I heard from Dr. Stiles. He left the village next morning, but not before taking the fort, and so far as I know never returned to preach in the county until sent there twenty-two years after as an evangelist, by the Synod of Georgia. He too, like Mr. Cassels, did a great work for Liberty county, perhaps more than any other of his day. His converts were everywhere. I remember many of his sermons to this day, through a lapse of sixty-five years. He certainly signalized his departure from us by his tongue lashing of the boys in the corner of the church, a place then familiarly known as the "Bull pen." "The young bullocks, long unaccustomed to the yoke" were tamed that night. Like Samson of old, his last was his greatest work.
That meeting, I think, was in 1834 or 1835. The im- pression which that man left on my youthful mind, from his numerous ministrations in the Midway congregation was, that he was a prince among preachers, the most consecrated and holy, the most unselfish and noble minded, and the greatest intellect that the United States ever produced. And nothing has since occurred to change my opinion. Peace be to his ashes.
6. I will mention another precious season, not so fruit- ful in immediate results, but pleasant to contemplate. In the summer of 1838 Messrs. S. J. Cassels and the saintly and lovely George Howe, being on a visit to friends in the coun- ty, commenced a meeting in Walthourville, Messrs. Quar- terman and I. S. K. Axson, D. D., being then co-pastors of the Midway church. In their beautiful discourses they gave us 'a feast of fat things.' On Sabbath night of the meeting Mr. Cassels preached one of his most interesting sermons from a text in John 3:12. After the close of the services my old friend and kinsman, Mr. Thos. W. Fleming, hastened to
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the pulpit and entreated with tears in his eyes that the meeting be continued, for the benefit of his own unconverted kindred according to the flesh. The ministers were willing to go on, but on consultation with some of the older mem- bers, it was deemed advisable to stop just there. I have often thought it was a happy opportunity left unimproved. They stopped where they ought to have begun, for the gen- eral interest was beginning to be very great. Many of the dry bones in the valley were being stirred. I remember that mine were in a quiescent state, and the stopping of the. meeting was somewhat of a relief to some.
But if the voice of the preacher was silenced, the work of the Spirit went on. Impressions then made, under the after ordinary means of grace, brought a goodly number of the unconverted into the kingdom of Christ; such as Mrs. John B. Barnard, Mrs. Jesse Cooper, Mrs. Mary Leonard. There was a general noiseless religious awakening throughout the community that told in time. The precious seed sown yield- ed its fruit in God's own way and time.
7. But I can not stop yet. There is another great work of grace to tell of in connection with the old church of our fathers. In the month of December, 1841, Messrs. Quarter- man and Axson, still co-pastors, held a meeting at Midway, in connection with their fall communion season, which re- sulted in glorious things. It was but little, if any, inferior in fruit to the campmeeting of 1831. It shook the strong- holds of Satan, bringing into the church such old veterans_ as Col. William Maxwell. Capt. Joseph Jones, Mr. Irwin Rahn, John Andrews, Joseph M. Quarterman, and many no- ble ladies. People were so enthused, that during the meet- ing they seemed loth to leave the place after the services of the day were closed. I saw scores of them standing around the church door in a drizzling rain talking of the great things God had done for them and theirs. One might go into the graveyard during the intermission of services and he would see ladies in little groups falling on their knees in prayer. At the next communion in February, 1842, including the colored people, there were between fifty and sixty accessions to the church. In this meeting the pastors, aided chiefly by
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HISTORY OF MIDWAY CHURCH.
Rev. C. C. Jones, D. D., did the preaching for the occasion.
Previous to this, Midway as a preaching station was rather lagging behind. It had begun to be a question if it were not better to remove the church to some of the villages in the county. But that meeting reinstated her in the affec- tions of the people, and restored the departing prestige of olden times, which she held to the close of the civil war. The centripetal force prevailed over the centrifugal, and Midway again stood erect in her position of solemn grandeur among the churches of the world.
8. From that time to the fall of 1848, I cannot recall any season of special revival in the church. But at the close of the year last named there was a meeting of great interest at Midway, and many additions were made to the church, un- der the preaching of Messrs. B. F. Burroughs and S. J. Cas- sels. It was considered a precious season. Mr. Cassels then wasting away by the consumptive fever, preached as a dying man to dying men, and greatly moved the masses. It was his last effort in connection with protracted meet- ings on earth, and it was well done.
9. Some time about the year 1852 or 1853, the senior pastor of the church, Rev. I. S. K. Axson, D. D., was laid aside and hindered from preaching by a serious protracted affection of the throat. All the responsibilities of the large church falling on the shoulders of the junior past or,1 he was naturally intimidated and began casting about on the right and left looking for help. Just then, in the nick of time, ap- peared in our midst Rev. Daniel Baker, D. D., then living in Texas. It was a return to his native home after an absence of seventeen years, then in the sixty-third year of his age, with his eye undimmed and his natural force unabated. Ever ready to preach, he was at once put into service, and, in the course of about two weeks preached every day and night in all parts of the congregation, at Midway, Dorchester, North Newport, (Baptist) Walthourville and Flemington.
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