USA > Virginia > Sketches of Virginia : historical and biographical > Part 10
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 | Part 71
"Here, on my heart, the impress lies, The joys, the sorrows of the mind."
What reason have I this day to praise my heavenly father, who is a father to the fatherless, in providing for me such a companion. in life, when my fond fancy would sometimes have led me to choose one that had little or no religion ! Oh ! the goodness of God in pre- venting me then, and at other times, when I had formed schemes to ruining myself. This, my dear children, I would have you care- fully to ponder and beg for direction in before proceeding in such an affair in which your happiness for this world, if not the next, depends. Let the words of the inspired apostle be the moving spring of all your actions :' " the glory of God." But, although I was blest with the best of husbands, (and you the best of fathers,) yet how unbecomingly did I act in that particular ! How often have I dishonored religion by my pride, self-will and self-love! And here, with sorrow, occurs an instance of it. When I was called to a self-denying duty, for the sake of my friends and native place, to come to Pennsylvania, how many excuses did I make to get my shoulders from under the yoke ! and to prevail with my venerable husband not to go! And although he did not consult flesh and blood in the way of duty, yet when the Lord so remarkably smiled upon his labors, I hope I saw my error. This is, and shall be matter of grief to me while I live. Oh ! may it never be a witness against me that I was so unwilling to come to the help of the Lord. Free mercy I plead, and I trust I was made to see and feel that if any man sin, there is an advocate with the Father-Jesus Christ.
My care for your immortal part never left me in the midst of all my own perplexities and fears ; and when I had freedom for myself, your happiness was next to my own. Before your entrance into
ยท 84
REV. DAVID RICE.
the world, (or before you drew the vital breath of life) my concern for you came next, which prompted me at one time to spend some time more than common to implore heaven in your behalf. It pleased God by his gracious influence to smile upon me and encourage my faith and trust for you. Now let this be an excite- ment to you, to be earnest for the salvation of your own souls, and, as it were, to storm heaven-offer violence to your carnal selves. For though none can win heaven by all they can do, yet the com- mand is, "Give all diligence :" he that sows sparingly, shall reap so. Otherwise it shall avail nothing that you have so many petitions put up for you. No doubt David often prayed for his wicked son Absalom, but we do not read of his saving change. It pleased the Lord farther at that time to strengthen my hope in this instance, in that your oldest brother was more than ordinarily solicitous to know what he should do to be saved, and, took all opportunities to converse with such as could direct him the way to heaven. More than ordinarily, I say, because there are too lamentably few that at eight or nine years, are much concerned about the matter. But his sudden and admonishing death, at less than twelve years, may con- vince others that no age nor state is exempted-here I must stop, and mourn now, because I unreasonably grieved for his removal as if the Lord had not a sovereign right to do with all his creatures as he pleased ; which gave birth for every discontented thought, and liberty for Satan with all his artillery of hideous injections to destroy my peace and that submission that became a creature, and much more one that had been the subject of such favors as I trust I was. And though I was at times helped and could sweetly acquiesce in the divine will, yet it was never cured till a greater stroke was felt. And now "distress," as Young observes in the like case, "distress became distraction." And though, as the case was distressing for a father to be removed from being the head of a young family, the eldest not fourteen years, the Lord was pleased, to me a poor sinful creature, to strengthen me in such a way four days before the removal of my dearest friend upon earth ; yet how soon did I lose sight of the promises and grow discontented; and although my temptations were different from the first in the death of my dear son, yet they were as aggravating and as pernicious to religion as the other. Life became a burden: nothing seemed to me more desirable than death, Jonah like, because I had not my desire, insensible of what or how I should die, or of the blessing of life and of the mercy of being with you. Oh ! how little do we know what spirits we are of! And how weak is our strength when we are not able to go with the footmen when left! how should we, if called, be able to resist even unto blood, when left to ourselves ?
It pleased God in about a twelvemonth after, to remove my youngest son Isaac, which brought my sin to remembrance in caring so unsuitably in the last dispensation. My grief for his removal, as to myself, was not probably as much as it should be, for, at that time, I thought nothing could make another wound, but as I concluded it
1
85
REV. DAVID RICE.
was for my sin that he was removed from all hopes of usefulness ; every affliction throughout that time appeared but small compara- tively-in comparison to the other two. But my God strengthened and upheld me through all my difficulties, and made me taste the sweetness of his promises and rely upon them with a firm confidence that my Maker was my husband, and that he had betrothed me to himself in 'judgment and in righteousness, and that I was still and should be the care of a kind Providence in all respects, as glory to his great name, we have been. This has been my refuge in all my difficulties that unavoidably will arise in a world of sin and temp- tation, and from contracted circumstances, as being the alone head of a family as to your support which has been always redressed better than I could ever think it would. And now, my dear chil- dren, I have given you some brief sketches of my life, and I wish. it had been with less imperfections. I may with more justness call it out-breakings, but that the riches of free grace might be mani- fested to the greatest of sinners. As to my comforts or sweet manifestations of God's love in Jesus Christ and out-goings of soul, I have shunned to make much mention of, though my consolations have been neither few nor small ; blessed, forever blessed be his holy name. And farther, as my eternal state is not decided and I am yet in a world of sin and temptation, I thank my God I enjoy, at times, peace and serenity of mind and a good degree, and that I trust I am not deceived as to the state of my soul. And now, my dear children, may we be so happy through the riches of free grace in Christ Jesus, to meet at last at the right hand of God when He makes up his jewels, and be able to say, here am I and the children that God has graciously given me. Amen.
If I should be judged by any of you so hard, as that I wanted to set myself off in your esteem, I think there is nothing in this relation that can give birth to such a surmise, as I told you in the beginning that I could not somehow get peace or satisfaction, as I looked upon it as a duty undone not to speak a few words to you after I could not speak after the manner I now do, and as I had often sifted the impulse, so when I was sick, March, 1763, when it pleased a gracious God to restore me again to you, I promised in my mind, as I think I wanted my life should not be altogether use- less to you every way that I could, to attempt your good and com- fort ; and oh ! that I may be enabled as long as life lasts, to do some little for God's glory, as I have done to dishonor that religion I have professed. And now, my dear children, I can't conclude with more striking words than the words of your dying father; and may they ever be as a monitor to you, to see to it, that none of you be want- ing, which I would now reinforce; and that you may be kept from evils that youth are exposed to, especially vain, light company, and even those that may be possessors too, for all have not grace that may make a large possession, and of such you may be in greater danger than of others. Therefore, live near God, and every day seek direction how to conduct your life, and grace to live the life
86
REV. DAVID RICE.
1
of faith and mortification of sin. And now that you may be directed and conducted. through this ensnaring world and be made meet for the inheritance of the saints in glory, is the desire of your mother that has always desired your eternal happiness. F. B.
P. S. This covenant was made, or to the same effect, in the year 1731, (it was lost, and this is now the reason of my renewing it in writing), in the same month, if I remember right, that I now renew it. O happy day, when for some few days after, I was often, at my worldly employment, made to say, in the language of the blessed apostle, that I knew no man after the flesh. A heaven upon earth I then enjoyed, sin, I thought, had got a greater blow than I found soon after, to my cost, it wholly had. But I trust this day it had its beginning which will be perfected in glory at last.
Aug. 14th, 1763 .- O thou eternal and ever blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who is the searcher of all hearts, thou knowest my sincerity, and what I am now about to do, and what thou hast commanded me to do; thou art a present witness to this solemn transaction of my soul, which I am now about to renew-even a cove- nant dedication of myself, my soul, my body, and all I have or pos- sess, to be at thy disposal. It was thy free grace, through thy dear son, that first inclined my heart to fall in with this only method of escape from deserved wrath, through the alone merits of Jesus Christ, my only Saviour, and I do now here ratify the sacred obligation that was made for me in baptism, and that I trust I have solemnly and sincerely and voluntarily entered under, and sworn with the symbols of Christ's blood in my heart. I desire to present myself, with the deepest abasement, sensible how unworthy I am to come before the holy majesty of heaven and earth in any act of service; and were it not that I am invited by the name of thy dear Son to trust in his perfect righteousness, I might indeed tremble to take hold of thy covenant. I do this day, with the full consent of will, surrender myself to thy disposal, to be ruled and governed in such manner as shall answer the purposes of thy glory. I leave future events to thy management. Command or require of me what thou wilt, only give me strength to perform, and I shall cheerfully obey. And although I have, in a thousand instances, broken my solemn engagements in times past, and my treacherous heart has turned aside from thee, yet I do now earnestly implore thy Holy Spirit to assist me for the time to come, with more steadfastness to perform my vows. May I be safely conducted through life. As by thy power alone I shall be able to stand, let no temptation to sin, no allurement to the world, no attachment to flesh and blood, nor death nor hell force me to vio- late my sacred engagements to be thine. Oh, let me never live to apostatize from thee. O my dear glorious Creator, why didst thou em- ploy thy thoughts from all eternity for me ? Why was I not with some of my species, left to all the vice my nature was inclined to ? Why did thy Spirit strive with me so long, and even after, I trust, I had tasted of thy love in pardoning so guilty a wretch as I am,
87
JAMES CRESWELL-CHARLES CUMMINGS-SAMUEL LEAKE.
who so often has crucified the Lord of Glory afresh, that even then that prayer was for me if upright : "Father forgive them." And now, may I, with humble trust and confidence, say, my Beloved is mine, and his desire is towards me, and therefore it is that my desire is towards him. Heaven and earth, and woods and vales, and all sur- rounding angels witness for me, that I am devoted to Thee, and when I will falsely or presumptuously deviate from this solemn engage- ment, let my own words testify against me. And now, O thou Al- mighty God, may this covenant made on earth, (though by a sinful ~ creature) be ratified in Heaven, through the merits of Jesus Christ. And when the solemn hour of death comes, strengthen me to rely on Jesus, who, I trust, has strengthened me to renew and make this covenant ; and let me remember this day's transaction to the last moment of my life. 7 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is in me, who has crowned thee with loving kindness and tender mercies. With humble trust do I now subscribe my name to it. FRANCES BLAIR.
JAMES CRESWELL, the 17th member, pursued his studies for the ministry, while teaching school in Lancaster County, for Col. Gordon and a few neighboring gentlemen. Being highly esteemed, he was presented to Presbytery at Cub Creek, Oct. 6th, 1763, and was licensed at Tinkling Spring, May 2d, 1764. In October, 1765, at Lower Hico, in North Carolina, he opened with his trial sermon, the Presbytery met to ordain him; and on Thursday, the 6th, was ordained by Messrs. Todd, Henry, and Pattillo, a committee ap- pointed for the purpose. He commenced his ministry with high expectations. But in a little time fell into improprieties, like Mr. Wright; and like him passed from usefulness and honor through obloquy to forgetfulness.
Rev. CHARLES CUMMINGS, the 18th, finds his place with the history of the settlement of Holston, in this volume.
Rev. SAMUEL LEAKE, the 19th member, has left no memo- rials of his early life. He met the Presbytery convened at Hico, North Carolina, Oct. 3d, 1765, for the ordination of Mr. Creswell, and was taken under their care. Mr. Todd having previously given him some parts of trial, they were, by consent of Presbytery, ex- hibited, and approved. Other parts were assigned him. He passed his final examination, and was licensed at the same time with Mr. Cummings, April 18th, 1766, at Tinkling Spring. The examination of these young men was full and particular. Mr. Leake was popu- lar as a preacher. In October, 1768, he accepted a call from Sandy River, Dan, and Mayo, and preparations were made for his ordination, at Sandy River Meeting House, on the first Wednesday of the succeeding April. At Tinkling Spring, April 12th, 1769, the records say, that the order for a Presbytery at Sandy River to ordain Mr. Leake having failed, and he having become convinced that he could not "perform his duty without intolerable fatigue,"
1
88
DAVID CALDWELL-JOSEPH ALEXANDER-THOMAS JACKSON.
the Presbytery "did not think it expedient to oblige Mr. Leake to settle there against his will. Upon this Mr. Leake returns their call." He accepted a call from the Rich Cove and North Garden, Albemarle County. Mr. Thomas Jackson having accepted a call from Cook's Creek and Peeked Mountain, in Rockingham, Mr. Leake was called on for his trial sermon for ordination, and he and Mr. Jackson both delivered the lectures assigned, these trials being approved, a Presbytery was appointed to be held at Cook's Creek for the ordination of both, May 3d, 1770, Mr. Craig to preside, and Mr. Brown to preach the ordination sermon. His pastorate was short, being brought to its end by his death, Dec. 2d, 1775. His children grew up in the congregation, and were agreeably married and settled, possessing the amiable disposition of their father. He was succeeded in his office by William Irvin, and he in turn by James Robinson. Mr. Robinson married a daughter of Mr. Leake, Mr. Andrew Hart another. A large proportion of the very numc- rous descendants have been pious possessors of religion. The bless- ing of God has rested on his house; the Lord has chosen from it ministers of his sanctuary.
Rev. DAVID CALDWELL, the twentieth minister, was received from New Brunswick Presbytery, Oct. 11th, 1767. A biography of much interest was published by his successor in office, Mr. Caru- thers. A chapter embracing his life may be found in the Sketches of North Carolina.
Rev.' JOSEPH ALEXANDER, the twenty-first member, pro- duced to Presbytery, at the Byrd in Goochland, Oct. 11th, 1767, credentials from the Presbytery of New Castle, of his licensure, and of his having received and accepted a call from Sugar Creek, North Carolina, together with a recommendation for ordination. He was ordained at Buffalo, Guilford County, North Carolina, by the Pres- bytery met to instal Mr. Caldwell. His useful life was given partly to North Carolina, and principally to South Carolina.
Rev. THOMAS JACKSON, the twenty-second member, was re- ceived a licentiate from New York Presbytery, Oct. 6th, 1768, at Mr. Sankey's meeting-house, in Prince Edward. Being recom- mended by Presbytery and the Synod, to the Presbytery of Donegal or Hanover, he chose to be under the care of Hanover ; and Synod having recommended that he be ordained as soon as possible, a lecture and a sermon were appointed him to be delivered at the Spring meeting. At Tinkling Spring, April 12th, 1769, he opened the Presbytery with his trial sermon. He delivered his lecture in company with Mr. Leakc, and having accepted the call from Peeked Mountain and Cook's Creck, he was ordained in company with Mr. Leake at Cook's Creek, on the first Wednesday of the succeeding May. He was a successful minister, and much beloved by his charge. The people had much difficulty in fixing the places of his
89
REV. WILLIAM IRWIN - HEZEKIAH BALCH.
preaching. Cook's Creek, Linvel's Creek, Peeked Mountain, and Mossy Creek, all wanted a Sabbath in the month; and some com- plained that Cook's Creek got more than her share from her loca- tion. His race was shorter than that of his companion in ordina- tion, Mr. Leake. He died May 10th, 1773.
Rev. WILLIAM IRWIN, the twenty-third member, was taken on trials at Tinkling Spring, April 13th, 1769; and licensed at the house of George Douglass, in the Cove congregation. Having accepted a call from Rockfish and Mountain Plains, he was ordained at Rockfish, April 9th, 1772. After Mr. Leake's death, in 1775, he preached for a length of time at the Cove. He was for some years Stated Clerk of Presbytery. In the intercourse of life his manners were pleasant; in the pulpit solemn. He made careful preparation for the exercises of the sanctuary. Amiable in disposi- tion, delicate in health, he never put himself forward or affected to take the lead, in matters of Church or State. The latter part of his life was much perplexed by a difficulty brought upon him, for some trivial matters, by members of his congregation. How great a fire a little matter may kindle, may be seen by perusing the numerous pages of the record of the protracted trial before the Presbytery, written out in the beautiful penmanship of Lacy. There is proof that an amiable man may be driven frantic by the pertinacity of well-meaning indiscreet members of his church. In his defence, Dr. Waddell delivered a speech which, for argument, pathos, sarcasm, point, and flowing eloquence, surpassed, in the opinion of his young friends, all his other efforts in public. For a number of years before his death, Mr. Irwin had his residence in the Cove congregation, but through infirmity declined the pastoral office, and ceased to preach some years before his death.
Rev. HEZEKIAH BALCH, the twenty-fourth 'member, a licentiate of New Castle Presbytery, after preaching with accept- ance for some time in the wide bounds of Hanover, was received by the Presbytery, and ordained in March, 1770. He emigrated to Tennessee, and holds a place in the political and civil history of that State.
Orange Presbytery formed.
The Presbyterian ministers in North Carolina having increased to six in number, proposed the erection of a new Presbytery, by the name of Orange, having the Virginia line on the north, and indefi- nite boundaries south and west. To this the brethren in Virginia did not object. A petition sent to the Synod in May, 1770, signed by David Caldwell, Hugh M'Aden, Joseph Alexander, Henry Pat- tillo, Hezekiah Balch, and James Creswell, asking for a Presbytery to be constituted, was granted; and the signers were erected into a
90
TIMBER RIDGE.
Presbytery, the first meeting to be at Hawfield's, the first Wednes- day of September. The Synod added to the list the name of Hezekiah James Balch, from Donegal, a man famous for the part he took in the Mecklenburg Declaration, in 1775.
CHAPTER VII.
TIMBER RIDGE.
ROCKBRIDGE County, Virginia, received her first white inhabitants in the year 1737. In the fall of that year, Ephraim M'Dowell and his wife, both advanced in years, with their sons James and John and daughter Mary, and her husband James Greenlee, were on their way from, Pennsylvania, the landing-place of emigrants from the British dominions, to Beverly's Manor. Whether the parents were born in Scotland, and in early life emigrated to Ulster County, Ireland, or whether Ireland was their birth-place, is left in doubt. The advantageous offers made by Beverly to obtain settlers for his grant, in the frontier wilderness, were circulated in Pennsylvania, and not unknown in Europe. Allured by these, James M'Dowell the son, had in the preceding summer, visited the Valley of the Shenandoah, and raised a crop of corn on the South River. The family of emigrants winding their way to the provision thus made ready for their winter's support, had crossed the Blue Ridge at Wood's Gap, and were encamped on Linvel's Creek for the night. A man calling himself Benjamin Burden, presented himself at their encampment, and asking permission to pass the night in their com- pany, was cheerfully made partaker of their food and fire. As the evening passed on in cheerful conversation, he informed the family that his residence was in Frederick County, where he had obtained a grant of land from the Governor, in the bounds claimed by Lord Fairfax, the Governor contending that the Blue Ridge was the western boundary, and Fairfax claiming the Alleghenies ; that the Governor had promised him another grant of 100,000 acres, on the head waters of the James River, as soon as he would locate a hun- dred settlers ; and that to induce settlers to locate on his expected grant, he would give to each of them one hundred acres of land, upon their building a cabin, with the privilege of buying as much more as he pleased up to a thousand acres, at the rate of fifty shil- lings the hundred acres. In the course of the conversation, he learned that John M'Dowell had surveying instruments with him and could use them. After examining them carefully, he made propo- sitions to M'Dowell to go with him and assist in laying off his tract, offering him, for his services a thousand acres, at his choice, for
91
TIMBER RIDGE.
himself, and two hundred acres, each, for his father and brother and brother-in-law ; for which he would make them a title as soon as the Governor gave him his patent; which would be when a hundred cabins were erected. The next day John M'Dowell went with Mr. Burden to the house of Col. John Lewis, on Lewis Creek, near where Staunton now stands; and there the bargain was properly ratified. From Mr. Lewis's they went up the valley till they came to North River, a tributary of the James, which they mistook for the main river, and at the forks commenced running a line to lay off the proposed tract. M'Dowell chose for his residence the place now called the Red House ; the members of the family were located around, and cabins were built. The neighborhood was called Tim- ber Ridge, from a circumstance which guided the location. This part of the valley, like that near the Potomac, was mostly destitute of trees, and covered with tall grass and pea-vines. The forest trees on this Ridge guided these pioneers in their choice and in the name. Burden succeeded in procuring the erection of ninety-two cabins in two years, and received his patent from the Governor bearing date, November 8th, 1739. This speculation, not being profitable, soon passed from the hands of the company, which was composed of Burden, Governor Gooch, William Robertson and others, and became the sole property of Mr. Burden.
This Benjamin Burden was an enterprising man from New Jersey. The records of the court, in the famous land case, arising from the grant, speak of him as a trader visiting extensively the frontiers. His activity, and enterprise, and success, enlisted the favor of the Governor, who was desirous of securing a line of settlements in towns or neighborhoods, west of the Blue Ridge, both to extend his province, increase the revenues, and render more secure the counties east of that Ridge; and he obtained a patent bearing date Oct. 3d, 1734, for a tract of land on Spout Run in Frederick County, called Burden's Manor. Tradition says, that a young buffalo, caught by him in Augusta in the Gap that still bears that name, and taken to Williamsburg as a present to the Governor, had some influence by its novel appearance, in calling the attention of Governor and Coun- cil to that part of the frontiers. The speculations entered into by the Governor, Burden, Robertson and others contemplated grants to the amount of 500,000 acres. Benjamin Burden died in 1742. His will bears date the 3d of April of that year, and was admitted to record in Frederick County. His widow gave her son Benjamin, power of attorney dated March 6th, 1744, to adjust all matters con- cerning the grant in Rockbridge. At first from his youth and want of experience and the business habits of his father, the heir and agent was met with coldness and suspicion. But showing himself favorable to the inhabitants in not hastily demanding payments of debts ; and granting some patents promised by his father, but for some reasons held back, he soon became very popular; married the widow of John M'Dowell, and lived on Timber Ridge till some time
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.