USA > South Carolina > History of the Presbyterian Church in South Carolina, Vol. I pt 2 > Part 8
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
Mrs. Richardson, after her marriage to George Dunlap, bore him five children, and survived the stormy scenes of the American revolution.
The following is the inscription on his headstone in the northeast corner of the churchyard :
420
DEATH OF MR. RICHARDSON.
[1770-1780.
Volumus et Valemus. Here lies the body of the much lamented Rev. William Richardson, Pastor of the Waxhaw Congregation for 12 years ; and rested from his labors on the 20th day July, of A. D. 1771. Aged 42 years. Rev. William Richardson.
He lived to purpose ; He preached with fidelity ; He prayed for his people ; And being dead he speaks. He left To the amount of £340 Sterg. To purchase religious books for The Poor.
It is not known where the will of Mr. Richardson is on record. Tradition makes him to have bequeathed his planta- tion and eight or ten negroes to Mrs. Richardson, and there she lived and died. To William Richardson Davie he left ample means of completing his education at Princeton, where he graduated in 1776, and of preparing for the ministry in the Scottish universities. He is said to have reached Charleston on his way thither, but to have been deterred from proceed- ing further by the troubles of the times .* The legacy of Mr. Richardson for the distribution of religious books was carried into effect in 1800, when books were procured and put into circulation in the church and congregation.t That Mr.
* Mr. Richardson having died before Davie returned to South Carolina, lie was left to his own discretion in the choice of a profession. He chose that of the law, and commenced his legal studies at Salisbury, N. C. In December, 1777, he threw aside his books and joined a detachment of 1200 men under General Jones, who marched for the defence of Charleston, but proceeded no further than Camden, where they learned their services were no longer needed. In April, 1779, he was commissioned as lieutenant of a company of dragoons, of which Mr. Barnett was captain, but whose age and infirmities compelled him to retire from the field, leaving Davie in command. This troop was attached to Pulaski's Legion, in which corps Davie rose to the rank of major. He was with this corps while stationed at Dorchester, and was wounded in the thigh in the battle of Stono, on the 20th of June, 1779, and fell from his horse, but was replaced and led from the field by a dis- mounted soldier, and so rescued from the hands of the enemy. He acted a conspicuous part in other engagements which belong to a later period.
+ The books bore the following label : " It is desired that no person will offer to sell this book, but as it is freely given, first read it with serious atten- tion and earnest prayer to God for his blessing upon it, as a direction to heavenly wisdom and happiness, and then lend or give it to their friend and neighbor for the same kind purposes. This book is given by the Society in London for gromoting religious knowledge among the poor, agreeably to a
421
FAIRFOREST.
1770-1780.]
Richardson should be possessed of a handsome competence need not be surprising. His expenses were small, living was cheap, and his large congregation, extending over a country reaching some twenty miles from his residence in different directions, freely supplied him with everything needful, and took a laudable pride in supporting a minister so much beloved.
After the death of Mr. Richardson the church was occa- sionally supplied by Rev. Messrs. John Simpson of Fishing Creek, James Edmonds, and Joseph Alexander of Bullock's Creek, who administered the ordinances, baptized the chil- dren, and kept alive the spirit of piety until the year 1778. In the year 1772, after the death of Mr. Richardson, the church had become disconnected with the presbytery of Charleston, and put itself under the care of the Orange presbytery, and looked to this body for supplies .* In the year 1778, Thomas B. Craighead, a probationer of the presbytery, commenced his labors in the Waxhaw church, and was ordained its pastor in 1779.+
The FAIRFOREST CONGREGATION continued to increase in num- bers. For a long time it was regarded as almost the " Ultima Thule" of civilization. But the poetry of its name and the ad- vantages it offered to new settlers attracted attention to it, and tended to its increase. They were not, however, duly organ- ized as a church and congregation till the year 1771, when at their request the Rev. Josiah Lewis ordained elders among them .- (MS. Hist. in hands of Stated Clerk of General Assem- bly.) This Mr. Josiah Lewis had been sent out as a licensed candidate of Newcastle presbytery to supply in the vacancies of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, in 1769, was called by several churches in the following year, and was again sent out in 1770 to labor for nine months. During this mission he seems to have organized this Fairforest church in re- gular form. After this time they were more frequently supplied, on application to Orange presbytery. We learn, from the tes- timony of one who came into the congregation as a lad, ten
legacy left to the society by the will of the late William Richardson of South Carolina, for purchasing bibles and other religious books to be distributed among the poor in America."
* Narrative by John Davis.
t The first elders of Waxhaw church were Robert Ramsay, died before 1800; Jolin Steplienson, died July 17, 1785, aged 67; Robert Dunlap, died De- cember 14, 1773, aged 65; Robert Davis, died before 1774 ; Samuel Dunlap, died April 5, 1791, aged 70; Jolin Latta, died January 9, 1795, aged 68; Henry White.
422
FAIRFOREST.
[1770-1780.
years of age, in 1776, that the church edifice at that time was a spacious log building, standing on the eminence where the western wall of the old cemetery now passes, and that it had the appearance of having been built some ten or fifteen years before. The elders were James Mayes, James McIlwain, Wil- liam Patton, Joseph Kelso, and John Davidson. Other heads of families were George Story, Anthony Story, the widow of James Means, William Means, Richard Saye, William Hodge, George Park, John Park, and Arthur Park (the latter removed the same year to Kentucky), Andrew Mayes, Robert Harris, Nicholas Harris, Mrs. Kennedy, a family named Shaw, Thomas Barron, Patrick Harbison, John Thomas, sen., John Thomas, jun., Josiah Culbertson, Samuel Culbertson, Thomas Hayney, Jolin Elder, Robert Faris, James Crawford, Edward Denny, James Elder, Samuel Clowney, James Faris, John Thomp- son, Arthur Simpson, William Simpson, and the widow Arm- strong. These families, and perhaps others, were connected with the congregation when the Declaration of Independence was made. Some Presbyterian families are known to have resided within the bounds, and to have removed elsewhere prior to that event. Among them were Joab Mitchell, father of the late Mrs. Angelica Nott, a family named Dugan, and one named Foster.
The church remained without a pastor during the ten years of which wenow treat. Its religious life was maintained by a dil- igent attention to family religion, and by " society meetings," which were meetings for prayer, praise, catechising, and read- ing the holy Scriptures and approved sermons. Rev. John Simpson visited it occasionally after his settlement at Fishing Creek, in 1774; James Edmonds also, who had become con- nected with Orange presbytery previous to May, 1774. The Rev. Joseph Alexander at one time made arrangements to settle within its bounds and divide his labors between it and Nazareth congregation, but it was ordered otherwise, and he was only an occasional supply. In 1778 the Lord's supper was administered here for the first time by Mr. Simpson and himself.
The American Revolution was agitating this whole country during this decennium, but though members of the church and congregation were serving their country under arms previous to 1780, the war was not brought to their own doors until after the fall of Charleston. Richard Saye, however, fell at the siege of Savannah, 22d September to the 20th of October, 1779, leaving his widow, Mary Hodge, and several young children, to go through the perils and hardships of following
423
UNION .- FISHING CREEK.
1770-1780.]
years. She, however, put her trust in God, and like a true woman and true Christian, as she was, addressed herself to her work. With a little friendly aid from neighbors and friends she reared and educated her family. Before the close of the century she removed with them to Georgia, where she died in June, 1830, having been a communicant of the Pres- byterian church for a period of seventy years. Her descend- ants are now scattered through that country which extends from Black river, South Carolina, to the Pacific ocean, and so far as is known, breathe the spirit which animated the people of Fairforest in 1780 .- (MS. Hist. by Rev. James H. Saye.)
The churches of INDIAN CREEK and GRASSY SPRING .- About the year 1768 the people here on Indian Creek formed a so- ciety and built a meeting-house, of which body the church of Grassy Spring was a branch. The Rev. Messrs. Roe, Close, Duffield, and Campbell visited and preached to them in suc- cession until 1773, and ordained elders. From this time the visits and ministerial labors of the Rev. (afterwards Dr.) Jo- seph Alexander were frequently afforded and enjoyed .- (MS. Hist. of the Second Presbytery of South Carolina, prepared by Rev. J. B. Kennedy and Dr. Waddel, by order of the Pres- bytery.)
UNION CHURCH (formerly BROWN'S CREEK) .- Religion seemed greatly to revive about 1770, especially among the Baptists, and great harmony prevailed between them and the Presby- terians. Additions were made to the Union congregation by the immigration of several families of the same religious sen- timents with themselves. They continued to enjoy the public means of grace, not statedly but occasionally, until the com- mencement of the Revolutionary war. Although surrounded by loyalists, the members of this little society took an early, unanimous, and decided part on the side of liberty. They endured indescribable hardships from the Indians on the one side, and the British and loyalists on the other. Through the confusion of the times there was almost an entire destitution of the ordinances of the gospel here till the close of the war.
FISHING CREEK .- Previous to 1700, or as early as this date, there were at least two congregations and two places of wor- ship. The most ancient of these was now called Lower Fish- ing Creek, and the more recent, Upper Fishing Creek. The convenience of the inhabitants, whose settlements were ex- tending themselves, and the growing congregation, led to this new arrangement. Lower Fishing Creek embraced in the
424
REV. JOHN SIMPSON.
[1770-1780.
bounds of its congregation the northeast corner of Chester district, and was separated from Waxhaw church by the Ca- tawba river. Upper Fishing Creek was higher up the stream from which the church is named, and is the one now known as the Fishing Creek Church. It was organized about the year 1770. The new church soon eclipsed the original organiza- tion. After the death of Mr. Richardson, in 1771, the two congregations on Fishing Creek united in a call to Rev. John Simpson. The piety and noble character of this minister of Christ entitle him to a place in the memory of his country- men.
Mr. Simpson was born in the State of New Jersey, in 1740. His parents were Presbyterians of Irish descent, and he was educated strictly in accordance with the training which con- scientious parents of this church gave their children. After receiving at his father's hands a good English education he commenced a course of classical study, engaging in teaching meanwhile to procure the means. In 1765 he entered Princeton college, marrying during the same year Miss Mary Remer, to whom he had some time previously become attached. Pur- suing his studies with diligence, he graduated with high honor in 1768. After two years spent in the study of theology he was licensed by the presbytery of New Brunswick in 1770, at Easton or in its vicinity, where he preached for some two years. In 1772 he was appointed by the synod of New York and Philadelphia, in connection with Caleb Wallace of the same presbytery, to supply six months in Virginia and Caro- lina, beginning in the fall. He removed his family, thien con- sisting of his wife and three children, to Philadelphia, and travelled southward, preaching as he journeyed, till he reached the neighborhood of Upper and Lower Fishing Creek (after- wards called Richardson, from its founder). He spent seven months on this mission in the South, mostly in the Fishing Creek congregations and others in that portion of the State. Mr. Wallace did not at this time fulfil his mission. But in the following year Mr. Simpson and Mr. Wallace were appointed anew (Minutes, pp. 434, 439, 448), and on the 20th of Sep- tember, 1773, Mr. Simpson left Philadelphia with his family, and arrived at Fishing Creek on the 26th of November following, after a journey of seven weeks. He immediately took charge of the two churches, and the labors of his first year resulted in the hopeful conversion of many souls. He was ordained on the 6th of April, 1774, by the presbytery of Orange, at its meet- ing at Poplar Tent, North Carolina. The presbytery of Orange
425
PSALMODY.
1770-1780.]
had been set off from the presbytery of Hanover in 1770. He was present as a member of the synod of New York and Phil- adelphia, which met on the 18th of May in that year. Soon after this his connection with the church of Lower Fishing Creek was dissolved, though he continued to preach to the congregation occasionally till the Revolution. He took the Bethesda church, York district, under his charge in connec- tion with Upper Fishing Creek, from which it is distant about ten miles, and continued the joint pastor of the two churches upwards of sixteen years.
The first ruling elders in the church of Upper Fishing Creek, in which congregation Mr. Simpson resided, were Samuel Neely, John Latta, and Robert Lusk. 'The most active of these was the elder first named. He was distinguished for his piety and his untiring interest in the welfare of the church. The other elders were " good men and true."
The ministry of Mr. Simpson was peaceful and harmonious for the most part, save the troubles which arose from the war of the Revolution, in which he shared very prominently, as we shall hereafter show. The question of psalmody being the only other disturbing element.
When Mr. Simpson first settled at Fishing Creek, and for some time after, the congregation used Rouse's version of the psalms solely in their public worship. To this they were at- tached, not only from habit and the sacred associations they had long connected with the words of the version, but they learned to defend this exclusive use by the assertion, that no divine warrant was to be found authorizing any psalmody to be used but the psalms of David in a perfectly literal version, which, though wrongly, it was alleged the version of Rouse is, for there can be no perfectly literal version of even rythmic poetry from one language into another, in which number and measure is attempted. And there is neither rhyme nor measure, as is well known, in the ancient poetry of the He- brews. When Mr. Simpson introduced Watts' Psalms and Hymns, as he did early in his ministry, he was met by an al- most universal opposition. All clung to the old version, and looked upon Watts as they would upon an enemy in their midst who was determined to lead them astray. "Hence," says Mr. Stinson, "during his stay with the people of some eighteen years, Mr. Simpson only succeeded in using Watts half the day."-(MS. Hist. from Materials by D. G. Stinson, Esq., So. Pres. Rev., vol. vi.) The Rev. J. B. Davies, subse- quently the pastor of this church, dates thie controversy on
426
DUNCAN'S CREEK .- CATHOLIC.
[1770-1780.
psalmody at a period subsequent to Mr. Simpson's removal from this church, and says that the feelings and prejudices of those who opposed the measure were not duly consulted ; nor were those temperate and conciliatory methods adopted which were necessary to preserve confidence .- (Historical Sketch of the Churches in Bethel Presbytery, Southern Christian Herald.) Simultaneously with the controversy on the subject of psalmody was another on the subject of church music. With the new psalmody the attempt was made to introduce new tunes in addition to the " old twelve." Among these twelve were Old Hundred, Dublin, Isle of Wight, London, Mear, Bangor, and others of that class. The new tunes were vio- lently opposed, numbers frequently leaving the house when a new tune was attempted to be sung. But gradually this op- position ceased, and new tunes were sung at pleasure. Oppo- sition was made, too, for a long time, to carrying the different parts of music instead of the simple air to which they and their fathers had been accustomed. This opposition at length wore out, and the various parts of the tune came eventually to be sung without causing any displeasure. The custom had prevailed of "lining out" but one line at a time in singing. The attempt to change this custom also met with strong .op- position, which was very gradually overcome.
The stormy period of the Revolutionary war swallowed up every other controversy. The church and congregation of Lower Fishing Creek, especially, became sadly divided between the Whig and Tory parties, and this with other causes laid the foundation of its decline.
The church of DUNCAN'S CREEK, during the ten years from 1770-1780, was supplied by James Creswell, John Harris, and Joseph Alexander, down to the period of the Revolution, and, according to the local tradition, to its close .- (MS. Sketch of the Church of the Second Presbytery of South Carolina, by a Committee of the same appointed in 1802; MS. of E. F. Hyde, compiled in 1850.)
CATHOLIC CHURCH .- The account we gave, pp. 297 and 336, was taken from a brief sketch in the archives of the General Assembly, which makes Rev. William Richardson to have gathered it in May, 1759, and to have supplied it one-third of his time till his death in 1771. He also gave to it its name, hoping perhaps it might embrace all the Presbyterian brother- hood who found their home in that neighborhood, whether of the original church or the Reformed. Rev. J. B. Davies and others represent it to have been formed in 1770 by the emi-
427
REV. JAMES CAMPBELL.
1770-1780.]
grants from Virginia and Pennsylvania and others, who applied to Mr. Richardson for gospel ordinances, and were told that if they would build a house he would preach for them on a week- day, his Sabbaths being occupied under the orders of presby- tery. The meeting-house was accordingly built, a log-house seated with hewn puncheons, and Mr. Richardson preached to them on Mondays once in three months.
Soon after Mr. Richardson's death-says an old account in the hands of the stated clerk of the General Assembly,-in the year 1772, says another-Rev. James Campbell of Cape Fear- then a member of Orange presbytery, to which he had removed his relations from the old presbytery of South Carolina-in his travels through the State came to this settlement, and being called by this congregation in conjunction with the congre- gation of Purity, became their pastor, and continued to serve them for the space of twelve months. Mr. Davies says for three or four years. With him agrees Mr. Stinson, who says he baptized Zachariah Hicklin, born in 1777, and William Hicklin, born in 1780, so that he probably preached here from the spring of 1776 to some time in 1780, unless these baptisms were performed on a casual visit. Two elders were chosen and ordained, viz., Abram Miller and Thomas Garret. The latter was converted under the ministry of Mr. Richardson and was baptized by him. He was a man of many virtues and great influence, and was called, says Mr. Stinson, " the head" of Catholic. Mr. Campbell had then been in the ministry some fifty years, and his age and infirmities rendering him less acceptable to the people, he returned to North Carolina, where he died on the Cape Fear in 1781. The congregation being destitute of preaching, the Rev. William Martin, a covenanter minister, who had come from Ireland a few years before, was invited to occupy the pulpit. Mr. Davies dates the ministry of Mr. Martin in this church in 1775 or 1776, others in 1773. The other account says it was soon after Mr. Campbell's removal. Mr. Davies says Mr. Martin preached in the con- gregation two or three years and was then dismissed for intem- perance. His adherents built a house of worship about two miles east of Catholic, where he continued his ministry till the house was burnt by the British and Tories in 1780. The tra- dition in the McDill family is that their grandfather, Thomas McDill, and David McQueston were elders in Ireland, and assisted at the first communion held at Catholic. They subse- quently became members of Hopewell, an associate Reformed church some eight miles west of Catholic. There is a discrep-
428
PURITY .- LITTLE RIVER.
[1770-1780.
ancy in the statements as to whether Campbell or Martin came first in order. The accounts sent up to the General Assembly put Campbell first. The other account says he preached one year, and then left because of the dissatisfaction of the people ; that they then continued almost destitute until the presby- tery of South Carolina was set off from the presbytery of Orange. About the time of Mr. Martin's coming to preach among them, and for years afterwards, there was a wonderful addition made to the number of inhabitants within the bounds of the congregation by emigrants from Ireland. But the in- flux of these emigrants tended rather to weaken than to in- crease the strength of this congregation. Some were Cove- nanters, a few were Seceders, and some were what were called "New Lights," who entertained those loose and latitudinarian views of doctrinal truth which had prevailed to such a degree in Scotland and Ireland.
PURITY CHURCH is situated nearly in the centre of Chester district, about two miles from the court-house, borders upon the congregation of Catholic church, and has been united with it under the same pastorate in times past. It was originally known by the name Bull Run. As a congregation it presented to the presbytery of Orange a call for the labors of. James Campbell, which call he accepted in connection with one from Catholic congregation. He remained with Catholic one year and with Purity one year and six months, according to the statement we have before rehearsed. After the removal of Mr. Campbell the congregation continued in a very broken and crippled state, owing greatly to the war, nor did it at all revive until the return of peace.
LITTLE RIVER CHURCH, in Laurens district, near the line of Newberry, continued to be served during the early part of this period by Rev. James Creswell, who also labored in the congregation of Duncan's Creek, in the northeastern part of the district, and in Fairforest church, in the edge of Union. He was an occasional preacher at Rocky Creek, now Rock church, Abbeville, till the time of his death. He was licensed by Hanover presbytery at Tinkling Spring, May 2d, 1764, and ordained at Lower Hico, North Carolina, October 6th, 1765. He settled near Island Ford on the Saluda. Mr. Tennent, in his journal, August 24th, 1775, speaks of him also as minister at Ninety-Six. He was a man of more than ordinary activity in his calling, if we may judge from the pulpits he filled, their distances apart, and the large number of carefully-written ser- mons left at his death. These were kept by his son in perfect
.
429
REV. JAMES CRESWELL.
1770-1780.]
preservation for more than half a century, and at last were destroyed by those mischievous enemies of old manuscripts, the rats. A few exist, not much mutilated, in the hands of his grandson, D. Creswell, of Eutaw, Alabama, written in a small, compact, and beautiful handwriting, and in an easy and schol- arly style. In the memorable tour of William Henry Dray- ton and Rev. William Tennent, Mr. Tennent preached at Little River, August 25th, 1775, to a large and concerned audience, and afterwards spoke for two and a half hours on the subject which then agitated the people. He spoke of this congrega- tion as the centre of the opposition in Fletchall's (a wealthy and influential Royalist) regiment. While in this region Mr. Creswell's house was for some days Mr. Tennent's place of rendezvous.
Mr. Tennent also preached, August 27th, at Ninety-Six, from Nehemiah, ii. 3-" Let the King live forever ; why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are con- sumed with fire." It is easy to see how this text could have been made the occasion of patriotic appeals which should have moved the hearts of the men of that day.
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.