USA > Virginia > Sketches of Virginia : historical and biographical > Part 14
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David, the fourth brother of those who came to Holston, was educated for the bar, and practised law a few years in Washington County after it was established. He then married, and removed to what afterwards became the State of Tennessee-was first Federal Judge in the Territory, and when the State was formed he was made one of the Judges of their Supreme Court, and held the office for many years. A year or two before his death, which took place in 1812, he was appointed Federal Judge in the Territory, which afterwards formed the State of Alabama, but died of fever, before he removed his family to the country, in the 62d year of his age.
Robert, the next brother, came to Holston in 1771-when nine- teen years of age, he made his first military campaign, as a volun-
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THE CAMPBELLS OF HOLSTON.
teer against the Shawanee Indians in 1774, as is supposed, in the company of Capt. Wm. Campbell. In the summer of 1776, he again volunteered, joined Capt. John Campbell's company, and acted with distinguished bravery and presence of mind in the battle of the Island Flats." He was also in Christian's campaign in October, 1776-and in 1780, he was an' ensign under Col. Campbell at the battle of King's Mountain, and distinguished himself in that battle. In December of the same year, he performed another campaign against the Cherokee Indians, under Col. Arthur Campbell. His education was not equal to that of his older brothers, nor was his capacity-but he was a brave, active, and patriotic whig, and a man of much energy through life. He acted as a magistrate in Wash- ington County for upwards of thirty years, and until he removed to the vicinity of Knoxville, Tennessee, where he died in 1831, in the 77th year of his age.
Patrick, the youngest brother, performed less military service than the others, and had less capacity. He was a volunteer in the battle of King's Mountain, and performed his duty well. He remained with his father on the farm and inherited it after his death-married-had a large family of children-and in his old age removed to Williamson County, Tennessee, where he died in about the 80th year of his age. He was a good man through life, with indolent habits and very little energy of character.
, Such is a brief sketch of the five brothers, sons of David Camp- bell, and grand-sons of John Campbell, who emigrated from Ireland.
I have named General Wm. Campbell. His father, Charles Campbell, died in Augusta County-and he removed to Holston with his mother and sisters. The oldest, Elizabeth, married John Taylor, from whom Judge Allen Taylor, of Botetourt, and the Taylors of Montgomery County, descended. The second daughter, Jane, married Thomas Tate. The third daughter, Margaret, mar- ried Colonel Arthur Campbell - and the youngest, Ann, married Richard Poston. All had families - and are very respectable.
I intended, before closing the sketch of David Campbell's family, to have spoken more particularly of his two daughters, Margaret and Ann-as they were both remarkable, women, and were both most exemplary Christians and members of the Presbyterian church through life.
Margaret, when a girl of eighteen, accompanied, as I have before stated, her brothers John and Arthur to Holston, and managed their household affairs for two or three years without a murmur, and without, in that time, seeing a single female friend. In two or three years after the removal of her father and mother, she married David Campbell, and in 1781, removed to the country, afterwards forming the State of Tennessee, and in 1784, to the place where her enterprising husband erected first a block-house, and afterwards Campbell's Station. She was a most intelligent, mild, and placid woman ; always thoughtful, and always calm and prepared for every emergency. So conspicuous were these traits in her cha-
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racter, whenever any difficulty occurred, or any alarm took place, she was first looked to and consulted, not only by the women in the block-house and Station, but even by the men.
To show this trait, I will relate one instance. On one occasion, when the frontier was quiet and the men had left the block-house, her husband and a hired man were in the field ploughing among the corn, the Indians fired upon them, but doing no damage, they unloosed their horses and made their way to the house. She heard the guns, and suspecting it was from the Indians, collected her little flock of .. children around her in the house-chained the door-took down a rifle well loaded, and taking her seat calmly awaited the event, expecting every moment to hear the Indians approaching, or the men from the field, if not killed or wounded. In this situation she remained until they arrived. As soon as night came on, they saddled horses, took up the family, and quietly retreated to White's Fort, fifteen miles into the settlements.
This excellent lady died, with cancer in the breast, in 1799, at the age of fifty-one, universally beloved and regretted, and lies buried in the Presbyterian Church burying ground near Campbell's Station. What I have written is communicated by Mrs. Campbell, her youngest daughter, and who was one of the children in the block-house.
Ann the youngest daughter married Archibald Roane, a young lawyer who came from Pennsylvania, and commenced the practice of his profession in the territory afterwards Tennessee. He was, I always understood, a descendant of the Rev. Mr. Roane of Lan- caster County, who taught in the Neshaminy Academy after Ten- nant left it. He first came to Liberty Hall in Rockbridge, I think, and then went to Tennessee. He was a man of fine talents and most exemplary in every respect, and was one of the first Judges elected to the Supreme Court, after the State was formed. In 1801 he was elected Governor of the State -- served one term of two years, and was again made a judge, which office he held until his death in 1814. His widow soon after followed to the grave four as promising children as were ever raised in any country, two sons and two daughters - all grown and carried off with consumption - all this she bore with humble Christian fortitude, and ended her own life in the house of her eldest son Dr. James Roane at Nashville, in - 1831, in the 71st year of her age.
The other branches of the family of John Campbell the ancestor, removed from Augusta County, very early in the settlement of the western country -some to' Kentucky and some to West Tennessee. Patrick, a younger brother of Charles, and uncle of Gen. William Campbell, went to the, south of Kentucky, and has left. numerous and most respectable descendants.
I will enclose you, in a few days, an account of the battle of King's Mountain, prepared from the official report of Cols. Camp- bell, Shelby and Cleveland, and from the testimony of eye-witnesses. A silly jealousy on the part of some of the officer's who partook in
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that victory and of their friends, has induced a perversion of some of the facts, so that the public has never yet seen an entirely correct account. You must accept the foregoing, my health not permitting me to labor very much.
Yours most respectfully, DAVID CAMPBELL.
Rev. Charles Cummings.
Until his residence in Lancaster County, Virginia, little is known of the early life of the Rev. Charles Cummings, the first minister of the gospel on the Holston. An Irishman by birth, he in early manhood emigrated to America. . Whether his classical education was completed before, or after, he left Ireland is uncertain; the time of his emigration is equally unknown. He resided for a length of time in the congregation of the noted James Waddell, D. D., in Lancaster County, Virginia. The Carters, Gordons and others in that congregation were in the habit of employing, as teachers, young gentlemen, of classical education, from the mother country. A number of these became ministers in the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Cummings appeared before Hanover Presbytery at the Stone Meeting House in Augusta, May 3d, 1765. The records say, "the Presbytery intend to encourage Mr. Cummings and appoint him a discourse on the words - Be not desirous of vain glory -to be de- livered at discretion ; and that he stand extempore trials." This " discretion" was granted probably on account of the distance he must travel to meet the Presbytery. In November 1765, he met the Presbytery at Providence, Louisa County. On the 7th, the re- cords say, at the house of Mr. Todd, Mr. Charles Cummings de- livered a discourse from Galatians 5. 26, according to appointment, and an exegesis on this question - Num justificamus sola fide - which the Presbytery sustains as part of trials : And having ex- amined him on' his religious experience, in the Latin and Greek lan- guages, Rhetoric, Logic, Geography, Philosophy, and Astronomy, they sustain his answers to the several questions proposed on these subjects, and appoint him a sermon on Rom. 7th, 9th, and a Lec- ture on the 23d Psalm, 1st-4th, to be delivered at our next, as popular trials.". Mr. Samuel Leak at the same time underwent similar examinations and had similar popular trials assigned him.
At Tinkling Spring meeting house, April 17th, 1766, Mr. Cum- mings delivered a sermon on Rom. 7. 9, and Mr. Leak one on Acts 13. 26, according to appointment, which were sustained as parts of trial. Mr. Leak also delivered a lecture on John 3. 1-8, and Mr. Cummings one on Psa. 23. 1-5, which were also sustained. These two candidates were examined on some points in divinity ; and gave satisfactory answers to the questions proposed therein. On the next day the candidates were licensed, and directed, "to spend their time till our next, in the vacancies in Augusta, Albe- marle and Amherst." > At Cub Creek Oct. 15th, 1766, three calls were put in for Mr. Cummings. One from Forks of James, now
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Lexington and Monmouth, one from D. S. in Albemarle, and one from Major Brown's meeting house in Augusta. This last he ac- cepted ; "and Messrs. Black, Craig, Brown and Rice, with as many other members as can attend, are appointed a Presbytery to meet at Major Brown's meeting house, the first Wednesday of March next, to receive the trials of Mr. Cummings - viz. a sermon "on Rom. 10. 4, and a lecture on the 3d Epistle of John throughout, as preparatory to ordination ; and if they see fit, to ordain and instal him ; at which Mr. Craig is appointed to preside." The ordination did not take place, only one of the committee named, Mr. Black, attending at the appointed time and place. By order of Pres- bytery, the ordination took place on May 14th, 1767, the Rev. Messrs. Sankey, Craig, Brown and Rice, with Elders George Mof- fat, Alexander Walker and John M'Farland being present, Mr. Craig presiding. In April 1772, he applied for a dismission from that Church, on account of its inability to support him. "Both parties avowing that as the only reason for dissolution of the rela- tions." The Presbytery granted the request, and then recom- mended to Mr. Cummings to take a tour through the vacancies, and commended him to the brethren of Orange Presbytery, should he travel in their bounds. He also was recommended by the Presby- tery at its fall session, Oct. 1772, at D. S., to supply eight Sabbaths on Green Briar and in Tygart's Valley. At Brown's meeting house June 2d 1773, a call was presented to Presbytery by Samuel Ed- monson, a candidate, from the congregations of Ebbing Spring and Sinking Spring on Holston, for the services of Mr. Cummings, which he accepted. There is no word made of any installation services being appointed or performed. The call was prepared to be presented at the sessions of Presbytery held at Tinkling Spring, in the pre- ceding April, but the presentation was delayed until the intermedi- ate meeting in June.
While residing in the Northern Neck, he was united in marriage with Miss Milly Carter, daughter of John Carter of Lancaster County. Being in the congregation of Dr. Waddell, it is probable that he pursued his theological studies under his care. In his early ministry he became possessed of a valuable library ; and appears to have been devoted to his work as a minister of the gospel. His call from the Holston, was signed by one hundred and twenty heads of families, all respectable men, many of whom afterwards became distinguished ; a fact as remarkable as true.
The following sketch is from the pen of the ex-Governor of Vir- ginia, David Campbell. Having accepted the call, he removed with his family, purchased land in the neighborhood of where Abingdon now stands, and settled upon it. His first meeting house at Sink- ing Spring, was a very large cabin of unhewn logs, from eighty to a hundred feet long, by about forty wide; and it stood about the middle of the present grave yard. It was there for some years after the second meeting house was built, and had a very remark- able appearance. Mr. Cummings was of middle stature, about five
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feet ten inches high, well set and formed, possessing great personal firmness and dignity of character. His voice was strong and had great compass ; his articulation was clear and distinct. Without apparent effort he could speak to be heard by ten thousand people. His mind was good without any brilliancy. He understood his own system well ; spoke always with great gravity, and required it from all who sat under the sound of his voice. He could not tolerate any movement among the congregation after preaching commenced. He uniformly spoke like one having authority, and laid down the law and the gospel with great distinctness as he understood them. When he came to Holston, he was about forty years of age.
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At this time the Indians were very troublesome, and continued to be so for several years ; and generally during the summer months, the families for safety were obliged to collect together in forts. The one to which he always carried his family was on the land of Capt. Joseph Black, and stood on the first knoll on the Knob road, south of Abington, and on the spot where David Campbell's gate stands. In the month of July, 1776, when his family were in the fort, and he with a servant and wagon and three neighbors were going to his farm, the party were attacked by Indians, a few hundred yards from the meeting-house. Creswell, who was driving the wagon, was killed at the first fire of the Indians, and during the skirmish the two other neighbors were wounded. Mr. Cummings and his ser- vant-man Job, both of whom were well armed, drove the. Indians from their ambush, and with the aid of some men from the fort, who hearing the fire, came to their relief, brought in the dead and wounded. A statement has been published in a respectable histori- cal work,' that on this occasion Mr. Cummings lost his wig. I speak from the information of an eye-witness when Mr. Cummings came into the fort, in saying that the story has no truth in it.
From the time Mr. Cummings commenced preaching at Sinking Spring, up to about the year 1776, the men never went to church without being armed, and taking their families with them. On Sab- bath morning, during this period, it was Mr. Cummings' custom, for he was always a very neat man in his dress, to dress himself, then put on his shot-pouch, shoulder his rifle, mount his dun stallion, and ride off to church. There he met his gallant and intelligent con- gregation, each man with his rifle in his hand. When seated in the meeting-house, they presented altogether a most solemn and singular spectacle. Mr. Cummings' uniform habit, before entering the house, was to take a short walk alone whilst the congregation were seating themselves ; he would then return, at the door hold a few words of conversation with some one of the elders of the church, then would walk gravely through this crowd, mount the steps of the pulpit, deposit his rifle in a corner near him, lay off his shot-pouch, and commence the solemn worship of the day. He would preach two sermons, having a short interval between them, and go home. The congregation was very large, and preaching was always well attended. On sacramental occasions, which were generally about twice a year,
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the table was spread in the grove near the church. He preached for many years, and until far advanced in life, to one of the largest, most respectable, and most intelligent congregations ever assembled in Western Virginia. His congregation at Ebbing Spring was equally respectable and intelligent, but not so large. It included the families at the Royal Oak, and for twenty miles in that direc- tion. The meeting-house was built in the same manner as that at Sinking Spring, but not so large.
Mr. Cummings was a zealous whig, and contributed much to kindle the patriotic fire which blazed forth so brilliantly among the people of Holston in the war of the Revolution. He was the first named on the list of the Committee of Safety for Fincastle County. And after the formation of Washington County, 1776, he was chair- man of the Committee of Safety for that County, and took an active part in all its measures. Mr. Cummings died in March, 1812, in about the eightieth year of his age, leaving many and most respect- able descendants. He was a sincere and exemplary Christian, and a John Knox in his energy and zeal in support of his own church. He never lost sight of his object, and always marched directly up to it with a full front. He performed a great deal of missionary labor through an extensive district of country, beyond his own large field. The fruits still remain. He was a Presbyterian of the old stamp, rigid in his Calvinistic and Presbyterian faith, strict in the observance of the Sabbath, and faithful in teaching his children and servants the Catechism. In the expedition against the Cherokees, in 1776, Mr. Cummings accompanied the forces from the Holston, and preached at the different stations now included in the State of Tennessee ; and in this way he was the first minister of the gospel in that State.
Mr. Cummings had some trouble on the subject of Psalmody. That fruitful subject of debate, which should be sung in public worship, the version of Rouse or of Watts, interested his people ; and caused the first and only disturbance in his large charge. He was in favor of using Watts. At a meeting of the Presbytery of Hanover, in. Bedford County, October, 1781, a complaint from some members of both congregations of his charge, Sinking Spring and Ebbing Spring, came under consideration. It was resolved that the malcontents on that subject be dismissed from his pastoral care, when all arrearages were paid up. And as different congregations were in trouble on this subject, Presbytery-" Recommend to all their members that much care be taken to preserve the peace and harmony of particular churches, in their attempts of this nature (introducing Watts' version); and especially that they take particu- lar pains to inform the minds of the people as fully as possible upon the subject, and that they gain the approbation of the elders, and of the people of the particular church where such Psalmody is de- sirable, before it be prosecuted to a decided practice. Still, how- ever, reserving to each member the right.of conscience in particular cases as prudence shall direct." The uneasiness in his charge not
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being settled by this act of Presbytery, Mr. Cummings asked the next year, at Timber Ridge, May 23d, to be released from the pastoral charge of the two congregations. As a peace measure, it was granted. Mr. Adam Rankin, licensed in the fall of 1782, visited the Holston, and became the earnest defender of the exclusive use of Rouse's version in the worship of the sanctuary. In a few years he became the leader of a schism of the church on the subject of Psalmody. The history of that schism occupies many pages in Davidson's History of the Presbyterian Church in Kentucky. In a little time the controversy died away on the Holston; and Mr. Cummings continued to preach the gospel with spirit while his strength lasted. In the congregation on the Holston, both versions were used by compromise. In May, 1784, in reply to the petition from some members of the Sinking Spring and the Knobs congrega- tion-Presbytery "give it as their opinion, that there will be no danger in attending upon the word preached by Mr. Cummings, or any other regular member of our Presbytery ; and recommend it to them to lay aside prejudice and party spirit, so that they may hear him, and other supplies that may be sent them to their spiritual advantage." In many congregations in Virginia, the singing was performed on the Sabbath, and other public occasions, from both versions, by agreement ; the Psalms and Hymns for a certain part of the day were from Rouse, and the other part from Watts.
At Falls Meeting House, May 22d, 1783, this minute was made : "The western members of this Presbytery requested our concur- rence in soliciting Synod to constitute them into a distinct Presby- tery, it being so exceedingly inconvenient for them to attend Pres- bytery at such a distance. Presbytery concur accordingly, provided they can procure another member. At the same meeting of Pres- bytery, on May 21st, Mr. David Rice was dismissed from his con- gregation in Bedford County, and accepted a call from Kentucky. In May, 1785, a request was made to Synod by Messrs. Hezekiah Balch, Charles Cummings and Samuel Doak, that a Presbytery to be called Abingdon, be formed, embracing the territories of the present States of Tennessee and Kentucky. By act of Synod this was formed. In the arrangement of Synods and Presbyteries to consti- tute a General Assembly, the Presbytery of Abingdon was divided to form two Presbyteries-Messrs. Cummings, Balch, Casson, Doak and Houston to be the Presbytery of Abingdon, and be a constituent part of Synod of the Carolinas ; and Messrs. Rice, Craighead, Ran- kin, McClure and Crawford to be the Presbytery of Transylvania, and form part of the Synod of Virginia. By this arrangement Mr. Cummings ceased to be connected with a Virginia Presbytery, and continued a member of Synod of Carolinas until the year 1802, when the Presbytery was transferred to the Synod of Virginia, hav- ·ing parted with the greater portion of her original area to form other Presbyteries.
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BATTLE OF KING'S MOUNTAIN.
Montcalm, Dec. 1, 1851.
DEAR SIR-Iconcluded this morning to copy for you an account of the battle of King's Mountain, but before commencing took down your volume of Sketches of North Carolina, and read over Gen. Graham's account of it-and I confess I have read it with a good deal of sur- prise. There are one or two small errors in the general account, but it is substantially correct. But when the troops are about to go into action, the Washington regiment from Virginia is lost sight of, and although it is admitted in the account that Col. William Campbell was selected to command in chief, he is lost sight of too, and Col. Shelby is made the conspicuous commanding officer. Even he and Sevier are made to receive the surrender. Now, as to this last point, I can state to you that Col. David Campbell, of Campbell's Station, Tennessee, a man whose character for truth and integrity stands as high as any man who was in the battle, furnished a state- ment in his life-time of what he was an eye-witness-and in that statement he declares that he was within a few steps of the British officer, Capt. De Poisture, when he surrendered, and that the sur- render was made to Col. Campbell. This would not be a very mate- rial matter, in the confusion of a surrender, were it not that there has been an effort on the part of Governor Shelby and his friends to depreciate the conduct of Col. Campbell in that battle, and to enhance his own.
This is a piece of history with which I have made myself long since well acquainted, but I am not willing to engage in any parti- cular investigation about it. I will, however, send you a copy of the official report of the action, made and signed by William Campbell, Isaac Shelby and Benjamin Cleveland, in which you will see it stated that Campbell's regiment, as well as Shelby's, began the attack -- and the truth is, these two regiments began it, because, from their positions, they were nearest the enemy.
A statement of the proceedings of the western army, from the 25th day of September, 1780, to the reduction of Major Ferguson and the army under his command. On receiving intelligence that Major Ferguson had advanced up as high as Gilbertown, in Rutherford County, and threatened to cross the mountains to the western waters, Col. Campbell, with 400 men from Washington County of Virginia, Col. Isaac Shelby, with 240 men from Sullivan County, North Caro- lina, and Lieut. Col. John Sevier, with 240 men from Washington County, North Carolina, assembled at Watauga, on the 25th of September, where they were joined by Col. Charles McDowell, with 160 men from the counties of Burke and Rutherford, who had fled before the enemy to the western waters. We began our march. on the 26th, and on the 30th we were joined by Col. Cleveland on the Catawba river, with 350 men from the counties of Wilkes and Surry. No one officer having properly a right to command in chief, on the first day of October we despatched an express to Major General Gates, informing him of our situation, and requested him to send a general officer to take the command of the whole. In the meantime
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