USA > Kentucky > A history of Kentucky Baptists : From 1769 to 1885, including more than 800 biographical sketches, Vol. I > Part 26
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70
t f
at ti
ty
283
James Vickers.
marvelous. He attended the meeting of the General Associa- tion at Louisville, in 1857. Of him, on this occasion, the la- mented A. W. LaRue writes: " Old Bro. Vickers, from North Bend Association, closed up, on one occasion, with one of his peculiar exhortations. Such a flood of tears, and such an old- fashioned shakehands, many people present never before wit- nessed. His remarks were most happy. All were impressed with the true greatness of the man. Some frozen-hearted Christians, who had not shed a tear in twenty years, wept like children. In short, it was a feast to all to hear his simple, melting eloquence."*
But brightas was the escutcheon of this loved and honored minister of Christ, it had one disgraceful stain on it. In the days of his youthful levity, he cultivated an unextinguishable thirst for strong drink. This was a poignant thorn in his flesh during the whole of his subsequent life. He struggled against the demon he had invoked in his youth, with strong crying and tears ; but it occasionally overcame him, even in his old age. His repentance was so earnent and so manifestly sincere, that his brethren, and even the unconverted, cordially forgave him as often as he sinned. He wept freely and confessed his sins, even in his public ministrations, and his audiences always wept with him. He continued to labor with great zeal till within a few hours of his departure. His last work was performed at Twelve-mile church in Campbell county. While engaged in a protracted meeting at that place, he became so unwell that his friends urged him to desist from preaching. But he continued laboring a few days longer, when he was violently attacked with pneumonia. Within a few hours, and before his family could reach him, he fell asleep in Jesus, as it is fondly hoped, Feb. 29, 1860.
ELK CREEK church is the oldest in Spencer county, and the oldest in Long Run Association, except Cedar Creek, at first known as Chenowiths Run. It was gathered by Joshua Morris, then pastor of Brashears Creek church in Shelby coun- ty, and was constituted of ten members, April 27, 1794. It was at first called Buck Creek and was received into Salem Associa- tion the same year it was constituted. It soon afterwards took
*LaRue's Ministry of Faith, pp. 100, 101.
-
1 n S a al
st
1
284
History of Kentucky Baptists.
the name of Buck & Elk-perhaps in consequence of the re- moval of its location, and the constituting of another church in 1799, in an adjoining neighborhood, which took the name of Buck Creek. Salem Association met with Buck & Elk church in 1798. Joshua Carman appears to have been its first pastor. In 1803, Buck & Elk, with 23 other churches, formed Long Run Association. At that time it was the largest church in the new fraternity, except Buck Creek, and contained 149 mem- bers. In 1823, it changed its name to Elk Creek. This name is derived from a small tributary of Salt river, on which the church is located.
Elk Creek church continued to prosper till 1837, when it contained 188 members. At this time it declared non-fellowship with "conventions, theological seminaries and societies that give membership for money." The next year the church withdrew from Long Run Association, and, in 1839, for protesting against this action, 21 members were excluded. These embodied them- selves, claimed the constitution and prerogatives of Elk Creek church, immediately called George Waller to minister to them, and in the fall of the same year, were recognized by Long Run Association, and reported 52 members to that body. Mr. Wal- ler preached to them about nine years, when they reported 87 members. In 1850, the Antimissionary party split up among themselves, and a number of their members joined the Mission- ary church. The Antimissionary faction continued to diminish, and finally dissolved. The Missionary church continued to pros- per, till 1877, when it split into two nearly equal parties, about their pastor, B. F. Hungerford. J. B. Moody was called to take charge of the party that opposed Mr. Hungerford, while the lat- ter continued to preach to his own party. The Moody party was recognized by Long Run Association. The other party has no associational connection, at present (1885).
Of the early pastors of this church, some account has been given of Joshua Carman and Reuben Smith.
JOSIAH HARBERT was pastor of this church, in 1797, but was ejected from the pastorate for some unknown cause, after serving only four months. He was probably dismissed because of a want of ability to fill the place, as no charge was brought against him. Soon after this he moved to what is now Boone county, where he preached the introductory sermon before North
a
285
Fox Run Church.
Bend Association, in 1805. It is believed that he afterwards moved to Indiana.
Fox RUN church, located in the northern border of Shelby county, was gathered by John Whitaker and Joshua Morris, by whom it was constituted at the house of James Hogland, Jan. 26, 1794, of the following persons : Jesse Buzan, Eliza Buzan, James Hogland, Mary Hogland, Wm. Metcalf, Hester Metcalf, James Metcalf, Thomas Metcalf, Mary Teague, Milly Long, Robert and Jane Loudon, Joseph and Margaret Ervin and one other. Not long after their constitution, William Marshall be- came a member and preacher among them. He preached eter- nal justification and refused to preach the gospel to sinners. The church would not receive his doctrine. This irritated him, a difficulty ensued, and the minister who had been so wonder- fully successful in Virginia, was excluded from fellowship, after which he remained out of the church till his death. This church probably joined Salem Association the same year it was constituted, where it remained till it entered into the constitution of Long Run Association, in 1803. At this time it embraced a a membership of only twenty-seven. In 1812, it reached a membership of sixty-five. During the Campbellite disturbance, it was reduced from 153, to about ninety. In 1839, it joined Sulphur Fork Association, to which it reported a membership of seventy-eight. From that time the church has had a grad- ual increase. In 1880 it reported 156 members. It is now located in Eminence in Henry county. Of the preachers early connected with this church, sketches of John Whitaker, Wil- liam Marshall and Joshua Morris have been given.
ALAN McGUIRE was the most distinguished preacher within the present bounds of Sulphur Fork Association, in his day. He was probably the immediate successor of William Marshall as preacher in Fox Run church. He was born in Pennsylvania, Aug. 21, 1768. His father was poor, and raised a large family of children, which he was, of course, unable to educate. Alan had the advantage of three months schooling, and was taught his father's trade. However, by close application, he became a fair English scholar and an excellent pensman .*
In April, 1788, he emigrated west, and settled in Lexing-
* I am indebted to the Chris. Rep. for many of these facts.
1
e th
t r e t
286
History of Kentucky Baptists.
ton, Ky. Here he became partner in the first tailor shop estab- lished in that town. He was an industrious, sober and honora- ble young man, and succeeded in his business. In 1795, he was married to Mary, daughter of Robert Forbes, an early emigrant from North Carolina to Bryant's station. This woman made him an excellent wife.
In 1798, he moved to Henry county, and settled in the woods, about two miles south of the present village of Smith- field. Soon after this he became interested about the salvation of his soul. In 1801, he professed faith in Christ, and was baptized by Isaac Malin into the fellowship of Drennons Ridge church.
On the 26th of September, 1802, Alan McGuire and ten others were constituted a church, calledEast Fork, by Isaac Ma- lin and John Dupuy. This church was probably gathered princi- pally by the labors of Mr. McGuire, who had been liberated to exercise his gift, by the church on Drennon's Ridge. He was ordained to the ministry, and called to the pastorate of East Fork church, the same day it was constituted. This position he occupied till 1826. The church prospered under his ministry, and has continued to the present time a respectable body. It is a member of Sulphur Fork Association, and was long under the pastoral care of E. G. Berry. A few years past, this church moved its location to Smithfield on the railroad. Into its fel- lowship, the late John A. McGuire, long a prominent preacher in Sulphur Fork Association, and afterward pastor of the Bap- tist church in Monroe, Louisiana, was baptized by his father, in 1810.
Alan McGuire was called to Fox Run church early in his ministry Here he baptized, among others, in 1810, Samuel Vancleave who became a valuable preacher. Mr. McGuire was also, at different times, pastor of the churches at Eighteen Mile, Pigeon Fork, New Castle, Union Spring and Sulphur Fork. To the latter he was called in 1809. In this church his success was very remarkable. Within a few years be baptized about forty, and in a revival in 1817, he baptized into the fellow- ship of this church 165, within a period of about six months. Among these wes Peter H. Vories, who was ordained to the ministry in 1820, and died in 1825.
Mr. McGuire labored much in the fields of destitution, and among the young churches in the surrounding counties, often
287
Alan McGuire.
making long circuits in company with John Taylor, William Kellar, James McQuaid, sr., George Waller and others. On his return from one of these tours, he was relating to his wife what great things the Lord had wrought by him and his fellow- laborers. "I saw Brother Waller," said he, "baptize a little boy not bigger than our John." John A., their son, who was only ten years old was sitting by. "I thought," said John A. McGuire in speaking of the circumstance, after he had been preaching the gospel sixty years, "if it was necessary for that boy to have religion, it was also necessary for me to have it, and from that time, I did not cease to pray, till I found peace in Jesus Christ."
In 1826, Alan McGuire resigned all his charges in Ken- tucky, and moved to Boone county, Missouri. Here he was pastor of Columbia, Cedar, and other churches, and labored actively in the ministry, till 1834. At this date he Was attack- ed with disease of the lungs of which he died, Mar. 30, 1835. Two of his sons, John A. and Levi became Baptist preachers. The former labored with much success, many years in Ken- tucky, and then moved to Monroe, Louisiana. The latter was a respectable preacher among the Anti-missionary Bap- tists of Missouri. J. M. McGuire, who preached some years among the churches of Sulphur Fork Association in Kentucky, and is now a prominent preacher in Boone county, Missouri, is a son of Levi McGuire, and a grandson of the famous old pioneer, Alan McGuire.
SAMUEL VANCLEAVE, was the first preacher raised up in Fox Run church. Introductory to a very brief sketch of his life, it may be allowable to direct the reader's attention to the romance of Indian warfare at the period of Mr. Vancleave's set- tlement in Kentucky.
Daniel Boone made the first permanent settlement on the soil of Kentucky, in the summer of 1775, at Boonesborough in Madison county. In January, 1778, he and 27 others were cap- tured by the Indians, while making salt at Bluelick, and carried to Detroit. He remained a prisoner till the following June, when he escaped, and reached Boonesboro' on the 20th of that month. When he got back to the fort, he found that his wife, supposing him to have been killed by the Indians, had taken all their plunder, on pack-horses, and returned to her father's in
288
History of Kentucky Baptists.
North Carolina. Col. Boone was too much occupied in defend- ing his little colony, to go after her immediately. But when the Indian troubles were temporarily allayed, he went to North Carolina after his family, in the summer of 1780. On his re- turn to Kentucky, in the fall of the same year, he conducted a company of emigrants. Among these were his brother, Squire Boone, and two of his (S. Boone's) wife's brothers, nam- ed William and Benjamin Vancleave, and their families. These three families settled at Lynn's station on Little Bear- grass, a few miles from the Falls of Ohio. The Vancleaves were Presbyterians, and were in the habit of attending preach- ing near the fort, on Sundays. On one of these occasions, they were surprised by a company of hostile Indians. Those who had horses mounted them with all speed. Sally, a daugh- ter of William Vancleave, attempted to get up behind a young man to whom she was engaged to be married. Just as she had gotten her breast across the horse, an Indian warrior seiz- ed her, dragged her from the horse, and split her head open with his tomahawk. The rest of the party reached the fort in safety.
After remaining at Lynn's station about 18 months, Ben- jamin Vancleave moved to what is now Shelby county, and settled on Bullskin creek, where he spent the rest of his days.
Samuel Vancleave, son of the last named, was born in N. Carolina, on the Yadkin river, about the year 1765. He came with his parents to Kentucky, in 1780. He was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Ahijah Woods, and settled near his par- ents. About three years after his marriage, while assisting his father in building a house, he and a young man by the name of Huron went to the woods to cut some poles for raf- ters. Idly knocking on a large tree with the pole of an ax, they attracted the attention of some Indians, who soon surround- ed them. Huron had said he would die before he would be cap- tured. As soon as he saw the situation, he flew to a sappling, locked his hands around it, and awaited his fate. The Indians attempted to pull him loose, but failing to do so, they killed him with their tomahawks. Vancleave attempted to escape by running, but was soon captured.
The Indians carried him to the shore of Lake Michigan. Here he met with a young man of the name of Scott, who had
289
Samuel Vancleave.
been captured in Chio. They spent about eight months to- gether in the Indian camp. When they had so far gained the confidence of the Indians as to be allowed to hunt, unattended, they made their escape. After traveling several days and nights, they reached the Ohio river near the present site of Cincinnati. Scott turned eastward in search of his home, and Vancleave crossed the river and traveled westward in search of his family, whom he found at his father's.
Mr. Vancleave was an industrious, energetic man, and ac- cumulated some property. Bnt he was excessively fond of revelry, and openly professed to be a Deist. This greatly grieved his pious parents. He continued his wild career till about the year 1809. While engaged in building a brick resi- dence for himself, he talked much about a big ball, which he intended to have as soon as his house should be finished. One day, while talking with his workmen on his favorite sub- ject-the ball-he laid a course of brick, and started to dance back to the other end of the scaffold. When he got about the middle of the scaffold, he seemed to hear a voice repeating distinctly in his ear the words: "Thou fool ! this night shall thy soul be required of thee !" He came down from the scaf- fold and walked into his house, trembling like Belshazzar. He sent for his parents and friends, expecting to die that night. For several days he was so overwhelmed with a sense of his great wickedness, that he could not eat or drink. His friends became greatly alarmed about him. But finally he found great peace and joy in a vivid sense of pardon through Jesus Christ. In April, 1810, he was baptized into the fellowship of Fox Run church by Alan McGuire. In the following December, he was licensed to exercise his gifts.
After a short probation, he was ordained to the full work of the ministry, and, after preaching a few years in Shelby, and the adjoining counties, moved to Putnam county, Ia. Here he spent the remainder of his days in zealous and efficient la- bor in the gospel.
It was probably not far from the year 1840, when, on his return from a preaching appointment, he was overtaken by a violent storm. He was riding a spirited young horse. The animal became frightened and dashed suddenly under a tree that had fallen and lodged just over the road. Mr. Vancleave
290
History of Kentucky Baptists.
was hurled violently to the ground. Some friends hurried to him and raised him up. But his neck was disjointed, and his spirit had already flown .*
WILLIAM FORD, a member and deacon of Fox Run church, was one of the earliest settlers of what is now Henry county. He was born in South Carolina, January 25, 1753, received a liberal English education, studied the art of surveying, and adopted it as his profession. In early life he was married to Casandria Ford of Maryland. This amiable young lady was well fitted for the wife of a pioneer. She had passed through the fiery ordeal of frontier life and savage cruelty. When she was about 12 years old, the Indians made a sudden attack on her father's dwelling, and killed both of her parents. She received a deep wound in her head from the stroke of a tomahawk, and was carried off a prisoner. After being carried about with the Indians, about ten days, and suffering much from the severity of her wound, and the cruelty of her captors, she was recognized by an old Indian who had "eaten salt"' at her father's cabin. He purchased her, and returned her to her friends.
Some years after his marriage, Mr. Ford moved to Ken- tucky, and remained a short time in Van Cleave's Station on Bullskin, in Shelby county. He then moved to what is now Henry county, and settled near the present site of Eminence. He united with Fox Run church, and became one of its dea- cons. At the formation of Long Run Association in 1803, he was chosen its clerk, a position he filled nine years. He was an excellent citizen, and was quite prominent among the pioneer Baptists. He died in 1835.
WILLIAM W. FORD, son of the above, was born in South Carolina, May 18, 1785, and came with his parents to Kentucky, in very early times. He received only such an education as the children of the western colonists usually obtained. He could "read and write and cipher a little." In the 21st year of his age, he won the heart of Elizabeth, daughter of Elder John Metcalf. Her parents opposing the match, the young couple "ran away" and were married, January 13, 1806. Not long after his marriage, he obtained hope in Christ, and was bap- tized into the fellowship of Fox Run church, by Alan McGuire.
*Recollections of Daniel Harris,
291
William W. Ford.
Soon after this, he took a letter of dismission and joined Six-mile church, in Shelby county. In 1810, he was chosen a deacon of that church, and was much impressed with a sense of its being his duty to preach the gospel. But he was of a timid disposition, and the wife who had manifested her dis- obedience to her parents by marrying him against their wishes, in turn used all her influence to keep him in disobedience to his Master. But the chastening of the Lord finally prevailed, and he was licensed to preach in April, 1824, and ordained the following August.
Mr. Ford was now past the fortieth year of his age. He felt that he had lost much time, and gave himself very actively to the work of the Lord. In a short time he was one of the most popular and useful preachers in Franklin Association. In 1828 he was elected moderator of that body. In this capacity he served the succeeding four years. This was during the stormy period of the Campbellite schism.
Mr. Ford was pastor of four churches, during most of his ministry. Among those he served in that capacity were Six- mile, Fox Run, Buffalo Lick, Indian Fork, and Brashears Creek. Like other active pastors of his generation he did much mission work .* He died at his home in Christiansburg, in full assurance of hope, June 30, 1841.
Mr. Ford 'was, at first a Hyper-Calvinist, but afterwards adopted the views of Andrew Fuller. He was very familiar with the Bible, and though uneducated, his language was good, and he was an easy, fluent speaker. He was tender and persuasive in his address, and often wept freely when speaking of the love of God, the sufferings of Christ, or when exhorting sinners to repent.
JOHN C. FREEMAN was called to the pastorate of Fox Run church, in 1860. He baptized fifty-three the first year of his pas- torate.
Mr. Freeman was born in Anderson county, Kentucky, October 14, 1832, graduated at Georgetown College, in 1857, was licensed to preach at Salem church in Shelby county, (where he had been baptized by N.C. Beckham, in Nov., 1846,) in July, 1854, and ordained in June, 1858, to the pastoral care of Old
#He labored much among the destitute.
292
History of Kentucky Baptists.
Clear Creek church, in Woodford county. In 1860, he was called to Fox Run church, where he served four years. He has since been pastor of several country churches around Lex- ington, near which he now (1885) resides on a farm, and preaches to Bryant's church, in Fayette county.
BULLITTSBURG is not only the oldest church on the Ohio river below Cincinnati, but it has been from an early period, one of the largest and most influential country churches in the State; for it is strictly a country church, notwithstanding its name. It has been in the very front rank in advocating home and foreign missions, theological education and other benevolent enterprises, ever since the days of Absalom Graves.
About 1793, a colony of some dozen or more families crossed over an unbroken wilderness of some eighty miles in breadth, from the settlements on Elkhorn to the bank of the Ohio, in what is now Boone county and formed a small settle- ment. They were mostly from Clear creek, in Woodford county. Among them were seven Baptists, one of whom, Lewis Deweese, was a licensed preacher. Most of them had been mem- bers of Clear Creek church, and the faithful John Taylor, did not neglect to look after these lambs of his fold. Joseph Red- ding, of Great Crossing also went among them.
Bullittsburg church was constituted in June, 1794, by Joseph Redding and John Taylor. The following persons were in the constitution: Lewis Deweese, John and Elizabeth Hall, Chichester and Agnes Matthews, and Joseph and Leannah Smith.
The following April, John Taylor moved to this new settle- ment, and united with the church. Soon afterwards, George Eve, a good preacher, and a number of others moved from Vir- ginia, and united with the young church. The fraternity grew in number, but only from immigration. 6 During the first five years of its history, only one person was baptized for its fellow- ship, and he was excluded two months after he was baptized.
This was a season of deep gloom in religious circles all over Kentucky. Meanwhile, the unconverted around Bullittsburg were deeply immersed in the popular amusements of the day, and especially in what they then called frolicking. John Taylor who was the principal preacher at this place, speaking of that period, says: "I had never been so thoroughly cowed down by
293
Bullittsburg.
discouragement through the course of my ministry, as now, though it had been in action for twenty-five years, and really thought I had better be dead than alive; for I felt as if satan had gotten the mastery where I lived. So that I could say from my soul, 'Woe is me that I sojourn in Meshech, and that I dwell in the tents of Keder.'" But the morning star was about to rise and disperse the gloom. At the June meeting, in 1800, four were received for baptism. The revival spread over the settle- ment like fire in a dry prairie. It continued about two years, during which 152 were added to Bullittsburg church by baptism, and a large number by letter; so that while Dry Creek church had been constituted of members dismissed from it, in July, 1800, it reported to Elkhorn Association, in 1802, 197 mem- bers. It was one of nine churches which formed North Bend Association, in 1803. Of this body, it has continued a leading member to the present time. In 1811, another extensive re- vival occurred in the bounds of the church, during the contin- uance of which, 170 were added to its number, swelling its mem- bership to 319. The next revival which occurred in this church was in 1817, when it received 165 by Baptism, increasing its membership to 395. Again, in 1824, a revival resulted in 118 additions.
Bullittsburg has enjoyed an almost uninterrupted course of prosperity. She lost only three or four members by the Camp- bellite schism, and about a dozen by the Antimission schism. Her records show that during the first seventy-eight years of her existence, she received by baptism 974, colonized eight churches, licensed twenty-seven of her members to preach the gospel, and ordained fourteen ministers .* She has had connected with her, about forty ministers, brief biographical sketches of only a few of whom may be added here. Of John Taylor and Joseph Redding sketches have already been given.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.