USA > Georgia > Liberty County > History of the Midway Congregational Church, Liberty County, Georgia > Part 6
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REV. ROBERT QUARTERMAN.
. Upon the resignation of Mr. Murphy, the eyes of the church were at once turned to Rev. Robert Quarterman, a native born son of the church, who for a number of years had been an acceptable deacon in the same, and who at that time was a licentiate of the Presbytery of Georgia and preaching at Claiborne, Alabama. A man in the prime vig- or and maturity of manhood, with a family, being then in the thirty-sixth year of his age. Having accepted the posi- tion, he was ordained and installed pastor of the church by ยท the Presbytery of Georgia, which met at Midway May 27, 1823, and continued pastor twenty-six years, until his death in 1849, living all that time in the faithful discharge of duty, honored and revered by all, and of whom we will speak more particularly when enumerating the native ministers of the church.
RETREATS AND CO-PASTORS.
As the colony increased, and the localities first occupied in the midst of the swamp lands proving to be unhealthy, dif- ferent settlements began to be formed in the upper and high- er parts of the county, to which the planters would take their families during the sickly months of summer, returning again after frost to their plantations, each going to the re- treat most contiguous and convenient to his farm. Sunbu- ry, being on the Salts, had already become the home of many, at which place a branch church seems to have been organ- ized and supplied by Rev. Reuben Hitchcock, a Congrega- tional minister, and who also had charge of the academy at that place ; but being inconvenient to many by reason of the distance, it was necessary to search for other places contig. uous to the different sections. So we find settlements made at what was first known as the "Sand Hills," some fifteen miles southwest of Midway, afterwards named Walthour- ville, in honor of Mr. Andrew Walthour, a wealthy planter, who first settled the place; and at "Gravel Hill," eleven miles to the northwest, afterwards named Flemington, after
REV. ROBERT QUARTERMAN.
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RETREATS AND PASTORS.
Mr. William Fleming, its first settler, and also one of the deacons of the church. So the people in the neighborhood of Riceboro, on the south, went across Bulltown swamp in- to the edge of McIntosh county and formed a settlement there in the piney woods, some eight miles from the church, and named it "Jonesville," in honor of Mr. Samuel Jones, its first settler. Some few of the families also settled at Can- nouchee Bluff and Taylor's Creek, still further northward and on higher ground ; and later on, after the decline and abandonment of Sunbury, on account of its increasing un- healthiness, at the little village of Dorchester, about half way between Sunbury and Midway church. To these places the people would go during the summer months, but re- turning to their farm homes in the winter; thus the congre- gation became very much scattered. Instead of one, there were three, and part of the time four, of these localities from fifteen to fifty families in them. As might have been antici- pated, on account of the inconvenience and expense of mov- ing so often, many began to remain permanently at these retreats, and soon commenced building academies and after- wards church edifices, and on account of the difficulty of at- tending at Midway, soon began to clamor for services at these other places. The absolute necessity of more minis- ters than one soon became apparent, as in the case of Rev. Mr. Edmonds assisting Mr. Osgood after the establishment of Sunbury. So it was determined to employ a colleague and co-pastor to Rev. Robert Quarterman.
REV. I. S. K. AXSON.
In March, 1836, Rev. I. S. K. Axson, a native of Charles- ton, born October 3, 1813, who had been licensed and or- dained by the Charleston Presbytery in 1834, and who was then and had been supplying the old Dorchester church, South Carolina, for two years, was invited to settle as col- league. He accepted the position, removed to Liberty county, and preached his first sermon at Midway, April 29, 1836, and in connection with Rev. Robert Quarterman, sup- plying the different retreats in connection with Midway. It
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HISTORY OF MIDWAY CHURCH.
not will be borne in mind that at that time there were different organizations, but but simply preaching places, the ordi- nances still being dispensed at Midway. The plan at first being to hold services at that place every Sabbath by one of the ministers, but as the number of families going to these retreats increased, services were held at that church only through the winter months, at least two-thirds of the min- isters' time being given to the retreats. So it being in- convenient for the members to go to that place to have their children baptized, it was agreed that this ordinance be ad- ministered by the pastors at these different retreats, but no such relaxation was ever allowed as to the communion ser- vice, or the reception of members. These were always at- tended to at the old church. There the annual meetings of the society were held, there members were re- ceived, and there, four times in the year, the members from all parts of the county expected to meet for the breaking of bread.
Mr. Axson continued co-pastor until the death of Mr. Quarterman in 1849, when he became senior pastor, and so remained, greatly beloved and endeared to all till his health failed, being afflicted with a throat trouble, which placed him under the necessity of tendering his resignation. The church, unwilling to accept it, granted him a vacation in 1851, being temporarily supplied by Rev. R. M. Baker, a native of Liberty, and one of her sons. Mr. Ax- son's ill health still continuing, he was in 1852 relieved of duty, with a continuance of his salary, and Rev. John Winn, missionary to the colored people, being employed for half his time during the larger part of the year 1853. Still con- tinuing infirm, in the fall of this year Mr. Axson again ten- dered his resignation, which the church most reluctantly ac- cepted. Being released, he removed to the up country, thinking the climate would be advantageous to his health, and became president of the Female college at Greensboro, Georgia, in 1854, and in addition to his duties, preaching at different times to the churches of Greensboro, Madison, and Washington, till called to the pastorate of the Inde-
REV. I. S. K. AXSON, D.D.
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RETREATS AND PASTORS.
pendent Presbyterian church of Savannah in 1857, which position he ably and acceptably filled till the time of his death.
Dr. Axson excelled as a preacher. The pulpit was em- phatically his throne. He always brought beaten oil into the sanctuary. His invariable custom was to use the manu- script, which was quite acceptable to the people, who had always been trained to that method of delivery, and which he handled with a great deal of skill. Making his home at Jonesville, from six to twenty miles distant from the greater portion of his field, and a hard student withal, it could hardly be expected that he could do much pastoral visiting. They felt amply compensated, however, for the deprivation in the interesting and instructive discourses with which he favored them. As evidence of his pulpit gifts, and at the same time proof of his modesty and deep devotion to his people, it need only be stated, that though receiving flatter- ing calls to larger fields, as Charleston, Macon, and Colum- bus, he invariably declined them all; and it seemed necessa- ry that the hand of affliction should be put upon him in or- der to remove him to a larger field. After a pastorate in Savannah of thirty-four years, universally respected and be- loved, as in his former field, Dr. Axson died there March 31, 1891, in the 79th year of his age. The funeral, though on a rainy day, was largely attended. His remains were buried at Laurel Hill cemetery in that city.
REV. THOMAS SUMNER WINN.
After the failure of Rev. Mr. Quarterman's health in 1847, he was retired as honorary pastor with an annuity of $400, and the church and society met to elect a successor as col- league to Mr. Axson. Several names were put in nomina- tion. After several ballotings, Rev. Thomas Sumner Winn, one of the sons of the church and regular descendant of the first pastor, Rev. John Osgood, was elected, and he entered upon his labors as co-pastor with Mr. Axson in February, 1848.
After the resignation of Mr. Axson, in 1853, Mr. Winn be-
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HISTORY OF MIDWAY CHURCH.
came senior pastor, and being left alone, the church secured temporarily the partial services of his brother, Rev. John Winn, at that time missionary to the colored people.
In 1854 the church elected as colleague to Mr. Winn, Rev., afterwards Dr. D. L. Buttolph, a native of Norwich, N. Y., a graduate of Williams College and Columbia Seminary, and who was then assisting Rev. Dr. Thomas Smyth, pastor of the second church, Charleston, S. C.
Mr. Buttolph had scarcely commenced his labors as co- pastor when Mr. Winn, the senior pastor, the next year, 1855, tendered his resignation, after serving the church ac- ceptably for seven years, and removed to Hale county, Ala- bama, to accept the pastorate of a group of churches, to which he had been called, and which he continued to serve for forty years. The church and congregation of Midway were unwilling to accept his resignation and asked him to withdraw it, but upon his refusal to accede to their request, nothing was left on part of the church but to accept it, which they did with reluctance. Mr. Winn's pastorate ex- tended from February, 1848, to February, 1855. We will speak of his labors more fully on a future page.
REV. THOMAS SUMNER WINN.
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WALTHOURVILLE CHURCH.
CHAPTER VI.
FROM THE DISMEMBERMENT TILL THE DISSOLUTION.
THE DISMEMBERMENT.
The resignation of Mr. Winn was soon followed by an event, which for some time had been foreseen, and which, though necessary, was very much regretted, as it was the beginning of dismemberment of the old church, and too clearly foreshadowing what was to be in the future. That event was the organization of the Walthourville church.
WALTHOURVILLE CHURCH.
The population of Walthourville, one of the four retreats, having increased considerably, and it being so inconvenient, if not impossible, for the people to go so far (15 miles) to attend upon the ordinances of the sanctuary, it was deemed advisable by the members residing there, to have a separate and independent organization of their own. Accordingly a letter was sent to the session of Midway church, signed by sixteen of the more prominent members, and asking for a separate organization. The letter was written in the spirit of brotherly love, and was answered in the same kind and conciliatory spirit, as appears from the following corres- pondence :
WALTHOURVILLE, March 12, 1855
To the Midway Congregational Society, Brethren and Friends:
The period having arrived, which was deemed by the undersigned a prop- er time for a separation from your ancient and excellent association, we cannot take our farewell of you without expressing our regret and affection. and reassuring you that our action proceeds only from necessities. which are
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HISTORY OF MIDWAY CHURCH.
beyond our control. The great distance of our community from Midway precludes the possibility of a regular attendance upon the administration of the sanctuary. This sad privation is felt particularly by our aged, our youths and our servants ; and the growing prospects of our village demand that we should secure the more constant and permanent influences of pas- toral supervision and Sabbath services. And these important ends cannot be properly attained without the organization of a church and the settlement of a minister in our midst.
Thus you have in a few words our reasons for desiring an association of our own, and we feel persuaded that you will appreciate our motives, and regard our action as a peaceful withdrawal for the most worthy ends. We do not leave you to go far hence into a strange country, but as a branch to be nurtured under the shadow of the present vine, a youthful colony to be cherished by a fostering mother, we feel that in many respects we shall still be one with our parent church ; one in the fond memories, the cherished associations, and the sacred history of the past; one in the commingling dust of our fathers ; one in the kindred efforts to build up the kingdom of our Lord and Redeemer, and to transmit to our offspring an open Bible, a pure gospel, an evangelical ministry, an orthodox creed, and an active and spotless church. In taking leave of you, therefore, we earnestly ask your blessing and best wishes, and that you would unite with us in fervently praying that our separation may be overruled to the benefit of both church- es, and the promotion of pure religion throughout our bounds.
Yours very truly and respectfully,
EUGENE BACON,
J. P. STEVENS,
C. B. JONES,
W. Q. BAKER,
R. Y. QUARTERMAN,
THOS. S. MALLARD.
D. A. MILLER,
G. T. HANDLEY,
JOS. QUARTERMAN,
P. W. FLEMING,
A. S. QUARTERMAN,
WM. F. WAY,
T. W. QUARTERMAN. J. N. MILLER,
H. M. STEVENS,
THOS. QUARTERMAN,
REPLY.
MARCH 25, 1856.
To the Walthourville Church and Society, Dear Brethren and Friends:
Your communication of the 12th of March, 1855, to the Midway Congre- gational Society was duly received and acted upon at our annual meeting of last year. A committee was appointed to respond to your letter, which, from some misunderstanding of the committee, they have failed to do. The undersigned have been appointed at our subsequent meeting to respond to your communication, and to express in an especial manner our sincere re- gret at the apparent neglect. And we would say in the outset, your com- munication has been received in the very kindest spirit in which it was written, and although we exceedingly regret your separation from us, yet your reasons for so doing are good and sufficient, and apparent to us all. and we do appreciate the motives that prompted you to this action; and as
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WALTHOURVILLE CHURCH.
you say, "we do not leave you to go far hence into a strange country, but as a branch to be nourished under the shadow, a youthful colony to be cher- ished by a fostering mother." So we hope we shall ever continue to feel that we are one people. We would therefore bid you God speed and wish to pray that you may become a large and flourishing vine, a pure and Godly church, whose members will feel individually called upon to be actively en- gaged in their Master's cause, to endure hardship as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. And although we may be fighting under different captains and in separate companies, yet we trust we shall be cheered on by the presence of the great Captain of our salvation, until our warfare shall be ended, and we hear the plaudit, "Well done good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
Very respectfully and sincerely we remain your brethren in Christ,
E. STACY, W. E. W. QUARTERMAN, Committee.
Jos. R. BACON,
In accordance with the above request thirty-three of the members of Midway church were dismissed to be organized into a separate and independent church.
Those who were thus dismissed met May 19, 1855, to de- termine what form of government they would adopt, the form of the mother church being Congregational. After a lengthy and exhaustive discussion lasting two hours, the vote was taken which stood: For Presbyterianism, 22; for Congregationalism, 2.
The vote was afterwards made unanimous. Thus the Presbyterian form of government became the government of this new organization.
Upon application to the Georgia Presbytery, the church was organized on Friday, July 27, 1855, by a committee of the Presbytery, consisting of Rev. C. C. Jones, D. D., Rev. John Jones and Rev. D. L. Buttolph. There were also pres- ent as visitors Rev. John Winn, Rev. Donald Fraser and li- centiate R. Q. Mallard.
The following are the persons signing the petition to the Presbytery, and who were at that time constituted into a church :
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HISTORY OF MIDWAY CHURCH.
NAMES.
Mrs. Thos. Quarterman, Miss Mary E. Miller,
Mrs. S. H. Quarterman, Mrs. E. R. Winn,
Miss H. A. Quarterman, Mrs. Mary Bacon, Mr. Thos. Quarterman,
Miss C. C. Quarterman, Mrs. Sarah S. Way, Mr. Eugene Bacon,
Mrs. James N. Jones, Mrs. Lydia Laing, Mr. David A. Miller,
Mrs. Harriet S. Handley, Mrs. S. M. Quarterman, Mr. Joseph N. Miller,
Mrs. Jane A. Fleming, Mrs. Sarah J. Way, Mr. Robt. Y: Quarterman
Miss L. Matilda Baker, Mrs. Sarah M. Walthour, Mr. A. S. Quarterman,
Mrs. S. L. Quarterman,
Miss C. Kallender, Mr. Thos. S. Mallard,
Mrs. M. R. Miller,
Mrs. C. A. Fleming,
Mr. T. W. Quarterman.
Dublin, Ludy, Servants of David A. Miller.
Lilly,
The following were the officers chosen :
RULING ELDERS.
W. Q. Baker, Thomas S. Mallard.
DEACONS.
David A. Miller, Thomas W. Quarterman.
The first meeting of the Session was held July 28, 1855, and the first communion on Sunday, July 29, 1855.
PASTORS.
The church was supplied by the Rev. John Jones till the end of the year. On January following, (1856) Rev. R. Q. Mal- lard, a native of Liberty county, then a licentiate of Geor- gia Presbytery and temporarily supplying the church at Midway, was ordained and installed their pastor, and so continued to fill the position till October, 1863, when he was called to the pastorate of the Central church at Atlanta. After a short supply by the Rev. R. Q. Way, the Rev. N. P. Quarterman became pastor, and so continued from July, 1866, to April, 1870, when he was called to take charge of the Anderson Presbyterian church, Savannah. He was suc- ceeded by Rev. J. W. Montgomery, who supplied the church from January, 1871, to April, 1890. He was succeeded by Rev. E. W. Way, who filled the pulpit from December, 1891, to April, 1895, when he resigned the field and removed to Gainesville, Florida. At the time of his resignation the membership of the church numbered seventy-five.
Miss H. A. Newell,
Mr. W. Quarterm'n Baker
REV. JOHN FABIAN BAKER.
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HISTORY CONTINUED.
HISTORY OF MIDWAY CHURCH CONTINUED.
REV. JOHN F. BAKER.
After the resignation of Rev. T. S. Winn in 1855, Mr. But- tolph was left the sole pastor of Midway church ; and although the Walthourville people had withdrawn, and the field thus largely curtailed, there was still a necessity for a colleague, as there yet remained four different preaching places, viz .: Flemington, Jonesville, Midway and Dorchester, the latter place coming rapidly into competition with Midway on account of its nearness and health, thus furnishing a permanent abode for the citizens in that portion of the county. The church there- fore gave a call to Rev. John F. Baker, a native of Liberty county, and son of Mr. John O. Baker, a former deacon of the church, and a graduate of Princeton. Mr. Baker ac- cepted the call and entered upon his labors November, 1855, but remained but about six months, after which he ten- dered his resignation and removed to Virginia ..
REV. FRANCIS H. BOWMAN, D. D.
The church thus being again left with but one pastor, en- tered into another election for a co-pastor with Mr. But- tolph. Rev., afterwards Dr., Francis H. Bowman, son of Rev. Francis Bowman, D. D., former pastor of Greensboro, Georgia, church, was chosen. He accepted the position and thus continued co-pastor with Mr. Buttolph for three years, from 1856 to 1859, when he resigned his charge, and after a short time at Greensboro, Alabama, accepted the pastor- ate of Augusta church, Mt. Sidney, Va., in 1861, where he labored till 1869, when he resigned his position to accept a call to the First Church, Memphis, Tenn., where he labored till his death from yellow fever, October 6, 1873.
Mr. Bowman was a native of Charlottesville, Virginia, where he was born July 9, 1833, connected himself at four- teen years of age with the church at Greensboro, Georgia, of which his father was pastor, graduated at Oglethorpe col-
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HISTORY OF MIDWAY CHURCH.
lege in 1850, taught school one year at Mt. Zion academy, and after two years at the University of Virginia and one year at Princeton, was licensed in the fall of 1856, by the Presbytery of Hopewell and soon after ordained and be- came co-pastor at Midway.
The following incident in connection with his death will be interesting :
Being pastor of the First Church in Memphis, Tennessee, at the time of the yellow fever in that city, he bravely remained at his post with his people till himself was stricken with the disease. A most remarkable incident hap- pened in connection with his funeral. It was the wish of many of his peo- ple that the services should be held in the church, but fortunately wiser counsels prevailed, it not being considered prudent to have a gathering of the people in the stricken district. So the body was borne directly to the cemetery, and whilst it was being lowered into the grave the whole plastered ceiling of the church fell in, crushing everything beneath. Had the people gone to the church, the result would have been most disastrous. Dr. Bow- man was much beloved by his people in Memphis. The church edifice was burned about 1878, and in rebuilding the people put in a memorial window, upon which are inscribed these tender words : "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend."
After the resignation of Mr. Bowman, the society at its next annual meeting in March, 1860, elected Rev., after- wards Dr. Donald Fraser, as co-pastor, but he declined the call, thus leaving Mr. Buttolph the third time sole pastor of the church, which position he continued to fill till the seces- sion of the state and the war which soon followed, and even to its close. As the country was in such a purturbed state and so soon convulsed with the tread of contending armies and so many of her sons engaged in the deadly strife, noth- ing further was done towards securing a co-pastor, Mr. Buttolph supplying the whole field as best he could. Upon that portion of the country, however, being overrun by the Federal army, a complete estoppel was, for the time being, put upon the church services, and followed with a general demoralization till the close of the war, the unhappy conse- quences of which only added greater impoverishment and distress to previous disaster.
REV. FRANCIS H. BOWMAN.
69
COMPLETE DESOLATION.
COMPLETE DESOLATION.
Of the complete desolation that followed upon this inroad upon the quiet and peaceable homes of this people, it is truly sad to write. With freedom from the presence of an inva- ding foe, till nearly the close of the war, it was theirs to ex- perience all the concentrated bitterness of it in a few weeks. Just preceding the fall of Savannah December, 1864, Kilpat- rick's whole division of cavalry in its circular swing, made the old church, with its sacred precincts, their camping ground for six weeks, with the usual accompanying destruc- tion, terror and alarm, private houses being rudely entered, provisions all taken, silverware stolen, horses and stock carried away, and general plunder ; fine carriages converted into wagons, by cutting off the upper portions, to bear off slaughtered meat. So great was the consternation and alarm that it became quite common for ladies not to change their dress at night during the entire stay of the Federal army, not knowing at what hour their homes might be in- vaded. The corner stone, laid December 6, 1852, for a mon- ument in commemoration of the early settlement of the col-
ony, was unearthed and rifled of its contents. The South- ern Florida & Western railroad, running through the country from Savannah to southwestern Georgia, having been cut, all the supplies for miles around the church having been ta- ken, with every horse gone, and all the beeves, and pigs and chickens consumed by the Federal soldiers, the people with nothing left and no horses to go after anything, were re- duced to the greatest straits. In some instances the desti- tution was so great that they were compelled to visit some of the abandoned camps of the Federals and gather up the shattered corn left upon the ground where the horses had been fed. There were but two things that saved them from utter starvation : the one was the barns filled with corn in the district known as "the Desert," a small but rich section, surrounded with "Blue Clay" swamp, which the Federal soldiers undertook to cross, but miring into it with their ponderous wagons, they thought it best not to undertake a
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HISTORY OF MIDWAY CHURCH.
second trip. The other was that the rice raised' on several of the farms were still standing in the ricks, which the ne- groes assured their visiting friends would choke their horses if fed upon it, and as they had "no way to hull it," as they said, these were left untouched. These fortuitous circum- stances left some things for some of the people at least to feed upon. But I forbear speaking further on this subject.
I cannot, however, let this opportunity pass without pay- ing a deserved tribute to the fidelity of the colored people of Liberty county. Like their brethren throughout the entire south, many of them displayed the greatest devotion to their masters. Instead of forsaking them in the time of their virtual imprisonment, when they could leave their homes only at the risk of life and destruction of property, these people, like the ravens of old feeding Elijah, would go out in search of, and regularly bring them meals, whence they knew not, and without which kind service, it is hard to tell to what straits they would have been reduced. Let this and all similar acts of the colored people never be forgotten, but sink deep into the hearts of the Southern people.
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