USA > Virginia > The planting of the Presbyterian Church in Northern Virginia : prior to the organization of Winchester Presbytery, December 4, 1794 > Part 12
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From his pastoral charge at Charlestown, Mr. Hill was released May 15, 1799, having been induced to undertake missionary work west of the Ohio River. Before his departure, however, he was unanimously called to the recently organized church in Winchester. The circumstances at- tending this call were such that he was constrained to abandon his plan of going West and he removed to Winchester, where he remained until 1834, when he tendered his resignation and removed to Prince Edward County. After preaching for awhile at the Old Briery Church, he became stated supply for a time of the second church in Alexandria; but after two or three years' absence he returned to his old home in Winchester, where he remained until his death, November 16, 1852. His remains were in- terred in Mount Hebron Cemetery.
Dr. Hill was a man of commanding personality. Above the average height, and finely proportioned, his appearance, even in old age, was im- posing. His vigorous intellect, impressive oratory, and skill in debate,
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made him a power in all the courts of his church. Having strong convic- tions, which he was never afraid to avow, and possessed of a temperament that could brook no opposition, it is not surprising that he sometimes found himself in collision with men of the same determination with himself. Both in his Presbytery, and in the church to which most of his long minis- try was given, he was often in sharp and prolonged controversy with his brethren. He was an able, and when thoroughly aroused, a popular and very powerful preacher, and was very successful in his earnest efforts to extend and strengthen the church.
"In 1816 the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him by Dartmouth University. Some of his brethren used jocosely to tell him that his title to D.D. was not valid, because the institution that gave it had no legal existence, and subsequently died by a decree of court"' (Sprague).
In 1819 he was moderator of the General Assembly, and during his long life was the recipient of many honors from his church.
Some interesting particulars connected with the settlement of Mr. Hill at Charlestown are given in his missionary diary and in the minutes of Lexington Presbytery. For these we are indebted to the sketches of Dr. Foote. He was chosen a missionary by the Commission of Synod September 21, 1790, and until the next April labored east of the Blue Ridge. Then he was ordered " to itinerate the districts of Hanover and Lexington for six months." In obedience to this order, he visited the counties of Richmond, Lancaster, Northumberland, Prince William, Faq- quier, and others; then crossing to the head waters of the James, he jour- neyed northward through Bath, Pendleton and Hardy, and then across the mountains into Frederick and Berkeley. Resting a few days at Cedar Creek, with his friend Legrand, he, on Thursday, the 15th of September, 1791, entered the field in which nearly the whole of the remainder of his life was to be spent. On that day he preached at Bullskin; the next day in Charlestown "to a small congregation," and at night "at Mr. John White's, an old Israelite, indeed, whose house could not contain the peo- ple, whose attention was very great." On Saturday he preached at Mr. Peter Martin's, and spent that night with Moses Hoge at Shepherdstown, for whom he preached the next morning (Sabbath), and in the evening for Mr. Vance at Martinsburg. The next day (Monday) he preached at Tus- carora, and on Wednesday, the 21st, at Winchester, in the church he after- ward occupied for so many years. "Many could not get into the house, and had to return home without hearing the sermon." The next Sunday
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he assisted at the communion at Cedar Creek, and on Wednesday, the 28th, he met the Synod, and the Commission of Synod, in Winchester, where he was taken sick, and could not resume his labors until November.
Before the adjournment of Synod, Mr. Hill learned definitely of the · reception his preaching in the Charlestown field had met. An earnest call for his pastoral services was presented to him, and accepted, but with the understanding that he could not enter upon the work until he was released from his engagement with the Commission of Synod. This, and the con- dition of his health, would occasion some delay. He therefore arranged with his friend, Archibald Alexander, who was present for licensure by Lexington Presbytery, to occupy the field until he was ready to take charge of it himself. Mr. Alexander entered upon this work the next week, and continued it until the next spring, preaching there and in neighboring con- gregations without remuneration.
It was not until April 9, 1792, that Mr. Hill was able to make report of his mission and resign. Hanover Presbytery received him back from the Commission of Synod, and transferred him to the care of Lexington Presbytery for his settlement in the field to which he had been called. When the Presbytery of Lexington met for this purpose at Charlestown, May 28, 1792, it was found that the credentials of Mr. Hill had not arrived. But upon the testimony of a minister that he was present in Hanover Pres- bytery when the proper papers were ordered and made out, Mr. Hill was received and his examination for ordination was begun. The next day he preached his trial sermon in Charlestown from I John, 5:10. On May 30th the ordination services were held in the Episcopal church, a mile or so from Charlestown, the ruins of which are still standing on the Smithfield turn- pike. Mr. Hoge preached from the text "Thou, therefore, endure hard- ness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ," and gave the charge. It is not certain that Mr. Hill was regularly installed, but he was officially placed in charge of the congregations of Bullskin, Hopewell and Charlestown; and served them with all that wonderful zeal and ability for which, through his whole ministerial life, he was so distinguished.
Soon after Mr. Hill's settlement, the Elk Branch church, which had been for some time vacant, was partitioned between Charlestown and Shepherdstown. This was in 1792, and added very materially to the size and strength of both congregations. What change this accession of mem- bership made in the organization at Charlestown we do not know. There are no records extant that enable us to say: It is not unlikely that Mr. Hill availed himself of this increase, which included one or more ruling
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elders, to effect a complete organization of his church, though this may already have been done; for the date of that organization is a question which cannot now be decided. There is a minute in the Records of Win- chester Presbytery for October 6, 1815, which says, " Presbytery received information through Mr. Matthews, that since the last meeting a Presby- . terian church had been organized at Charlestown." But the proof is posi- tive that there was an organization there more than twenty years before that date. When the Presbytery was erected Charlestown was named as one of the "churches" that had a pastor. In February, 1795, an elder from this church had a seat in Presbytery. And when Mr. Hill tendered his resignation, May 15, 1799, it was not until the Presbytery was satisfied " that the previous measures required by the discipline of our church had been taken," that Presbytery "granted his request and released him from his pastoral charge." The Presbyterial minute, so far as it implies a first organization in 1815, is unquestionably an error. The minutes of a con- gregational meeting held earlier in that year-and which have been pre- served-show conclusively that it was a " re-organization " for which the people had asked. Charlestown was an important church on the roll of Winchester Presbytery at its formation.
XXIII. MARTINSBURG.
Although Martinsburg is one of the oldest towns in the Valley of Vir- ginia, and one of the largest west of the Blue Ridge, and largely settled originally by Scotch-Irish, and very many of whose leading families were Presbyterian, yet no Presbyterian church was organized there until Decem- ber 25, 1824. The county of Berkeley was formed in 1772; and this town was laid out by Adam Stephen, esq., about 1774, and was established by law in 1778. Rev. P. V. Fithian, from whose diary we have frequently quoted, visited Martinsburg in 1776, when the whole country was astir with excitement and preparation for the great war then in progress. He writes: "May 19, 1776. This village (Martinsburg) is yet in infancy. Two years ago the spot was high woods. There are now perhaps thirty houses. They have already built a prison of stone and strong; and are making a Court House of no inconsiderable size and elegance. Probably if American lib-
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erty be established, for which we are now contending even in blood, this, with many other infant villages, in a series of years, will be prosperous and wealthy towns, especially if the navigation of this long river can be effected."
The town derived its name from Col. T. B. Martin, a nephew of Lord Fairfax. It is not likely that a nephew of Lord Fairfax should be a Pres- byterian. But in the Records of Donegal for April, 1785, there is a min- ute in which a " Mr. Thomas Martin, of Martinsburg, Va.," is mentioned as calling up a certain judicial case, the nature of which is not stated, but which the Presbytery, after some consideration, "referred to the Synod for judgment." Turning to the Records of Synod for more definite infor- mation, we find for May 19, 1785, this interesting minute, viz: "The fol- lowing question, referred to Synod by the Presbytery of Donegal for their decision, was brought in by the Committee of Overtures, viz: 'Whether on full proof of adultery by one party, the Presbytery has a right to declare the marriage so far void, as that the innocent party may marry again with- out being liable to church censure?' And after some time spent in debat- ing the case, it was moved, and agreed, that each member should speak to the question in the order of the roll. After which the vote was put, and the question carried in the affirmative, by a small majority " (p. 509).
This matter may have no direct connection with the history of the church, or with any individual member of the church in Martinsburg. It is given here to show how our church in the latter half of the eighteenth century sometimes thought and acted. It has the more importance because the Presbytery of Donegal, seventeen years before this, April, 1758, had "judged that a Presbytery could absolve a church member from his cov- enant of marriage," and the Synod of that year, in reviewing the records, had taken exception to this action.
It is not until 1792 that any mention of Martinsburg in connection with religious worship is found in the Presbyterial minutes. In that year "sup- plications from Tuscarora for themselves, and for Martinsburg, and Back Creek" were presented to Carlisle Presbytery ; and that single minute is all that we find in the Records of either that Presbytery or of Synod, touch- ing the matter until the organization of Winchester Presbytery.
From this, however, it is not to be assumed that no Presbyterian wor- ship was held at that time in Martinsburg. The contrary we know to be the fact. It was with that town, as with so many others in the early his- tory of this Valley. The prevailing custom was to plant the first church in the country ; and such members as were in the neighboring towns would go out to that church to worship. It was so at Winchester, Gerrardstown,
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and Charlestown. And it was so at Martinsburg. The Presbyterians re- siding there held their membership at Tuscarora. But, as was the case everywhere else, these town members as soon as practicable arranged for frequent, if not stated, worship at home. Beginning with a weekly prayer- meeting, an occasional sermon would soon be secured and at length a reg- ular appointment for Divine worship would be made. That this was the condition of things in Martinsburg might be safely inferred from the fact, not only that one of the principle Tuscarora elders, Mr. William Riddle, had his home there, but from the further fact that the Tuscarora pastor himself, who at first lived at the eastern base of the North Mountain, had moved his residence to the town. It follows, as a matter of course, that such a zealous and faithful pastor as Hugh Vance, would not fail to furnish all possible church privileges for the people of his own charge among whom he lived. When Mr. Hill preached in Martinsburg Sabbath evening, Sep- tember 19, 1791, there is no intimation that such a service was anything unusual. He seems to have filled the regular appointment for that day, though the pastor was too ill to conduct the service himself. That such service had become a regular thing, at least as early as 1792, and that Martins- burg was then one of the stated appointments of Presbytery, is evident from the fact that when in that year the General Assembly had made the Poto- mac River the dividing line between the Synod of Philadelphia and the Synod of Virginia, the Presbytery of Lexington reported, that in conse- quence of that action she had "added the churches of Carmel (i. e. Shep- herdstown), Martinsburg," etc., to her roll.
XXIV. FRONT ROYAL.
Front Royal is the county seat of Warren County. It nestles snugly in a beautiful cove, among the western foot-hills of the Blue Ridge, near the confluence of the North and South Forks of the Shenandoah. The name is peculiar and many inquiries are made as to its origin. Our inquiries lead to the conclusion that no one now can answer this question with certainty. There are, however, two traditions which profess to account for the name, both running back to the eve of the Revolutionary War. One throws suspicion upon the patriotism of the people and is,
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therefore, generally discarded. The accepted tradition is, that, in the drill of soldiers in preparation for the war then impending, a certain officer, whose knowledge of tactics hardly measured up to his rank, was training his men in the public square where stood an unusually large specimen of the Royal Oak. Wishing his company to execute a certain manoeuvre which required them to face in a certain direction, he could not recall the proper com- mand, became confused and in his chagrin blurted out abruptly and hotly, "Front the Royal." This order became a by-word which was jestingly fastened upon the village, and as the phrase "Front Royal" was picturesque and not wanting in euphony, the villagers wisely drew from the joke its sting by adopting that as the name for their town.
This name, so far as we are aware, does not appear in any Ecclesias- tical Records until after the erection of this Presbytery, and yet the con- gregations of which it is the successor had an existence several years earlier. These congregations were known as "South River" and "Flint Run." Of their origin and of their history, prior to about 1789, we have no reliable information. When the Presbytery was formed in 1794 the two "churches" of South River and Flint Run, then supporting a minister, were assigned to its care. The location of each is definitely known.
"South River" was about two miles south of Front Royal on the road leading to Luray. Persons still living remember an old log church which stood on an eminence overlooking the South Fork of the Shenandoah River, from its proximity to which it derived its name. That old building has long since gone to utter decay, and no one knows now by whom it was built or by whom it was owned. But from the manuscript diary of "Parson" Williamson which we have read, it is quite certain that this was the "South River Church" in which he preached for so many years in his early minis- try, and that it was a "Union Church" in which Baptists and Methodists also preached.
"Flint Run" is a stream three or four miles further south, coming down from the Blue Ridge and emptying into the Shenandoah. There is no vestige of a church building there now, nor is there any tradition that there ever was one there. From the diary just referred to, it appears that all the appointments of Mr. Williamson on Flint Run were made at private houses. While at each of these places there was a good number of Pres- byterian families, and frequent services were held at both, yet the inference is a fair one, that Flint Run was regarded as of secondary importance and rather an appendage of South River than an independent church. There is no evidence of any elders there, nor of any regular organization.
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The people living at each of these places seem to have been among the most prominent and prosperous of all that region, and showed great zeal in the support of their church. At what period Presbyterian worship was begun among them, we have no means of determining, nor do we know by whom services were held before Mr. Williamson came to the field, be- yond the fact of an occasional appointment by Mr. Montgomery and Mr. Legrand of Opecquon. But under the earnest and faithful ministry of Mr. Williamson this charge soon grew into great importance. His ministry here began in 1792 ; before that time it is doubtful whether any proper church organization existed at either place. We do not meet with the name of any elder until November 29, 1794, when James Perry and William Bailey were elected, and the next day were ordained. From the first, services were held statedly and were well attended. When the Presbytery was formed the two places were giving their minister a support, though, as in the case of nearly all the preachers of that time, his salary was supplemented by the proceeds of a school which he conducted. The new Presbytery evi- dently regarded this field as one of the most promising within its bounds. Its second meeting was adjourned to meet at South River, and the fourth meeting also. It was the first place in which the Presbytery held a second meeting. As there was nothing in the business of either of these meetings requiring a session at that place, these frequent adjournments to South River must be taken as a proof of the prosperity and importance of the church at that time. It deserves notice here, that of the three ruling elders in attendance at the first meeting of Winchester Presbytery, one, Mr. James Perry, was from the South River church.
When the services were transferred from South River Meeting House to Front Royal, and the town became the central place of worship, we do not know. 'The change was probably a gradual one and must have begun soon after the organization of the Presbytery. At that time appointments for preaching began to be made at the "School House" which was in the village, and in October, 1795, the first movement was made for obtaining a subscription for the building of a Presbyterian Church at Front Royal. When the Presbytery was in session at South River in June, 1796, it one day adjourned to Front Royal for an afternoon session. This is the first time we meet with that name in the Church Records. A few years later the name of South River disappears and that of Front Royal takes its place.
Before closing our sketch of this church it may be of interest to state, that while we have been concerned mainly, if not exclusively, with the planting and growth of Presbyterianism in Warren County, we have not
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been ignorant of the fact that other branches of the Christian Church were also actively at work there. Both Baptist and Methodists were strong rivals of the Presbyterian Church. This may have been the case everywhere, or almost everywheres else. But as the evidence of this denominational competition did not appear in other cases, no reference has been made to such a fact. But in the region of Front Royal the case is different. For much that we know of that region we are indebted to the diary of Mr. Wil- liamson and in that diary constant mention is made of meetings held at South River and Flint Run, and Front Royal by Methodist, and especially by Baptist, preachers. Mr. Williamson writes of his frequent attendance at their services, and though often expressing his dissent from their teaching and his disapproval of some things in their worship, yet his reference to them is always made in the kindest spirit, and his relations to them seem always to have been of the most fraternal character. The simple fact we want to bring out in this statement is that in planting our church within these bounds, the Presbyterians did not have the field to themselves. In some cases the Episcopal, and in others the Reformed and Lutheran Churches dispute with them the claim to precedence. Even when our preachers were first on the ground, the probability is that ministers of other denom- inations soon appeared to look after the interests of the peeple of their own faith and order.
Rev. William Williamson, the real founder of the Front Royal church, was a Scotchman by birth, born in Edinburg about 1764, and obtained his collegiate and professional education in his native land. He had just grad- uated in law and had obtained his license to practice, when several young men, with whom he had been associated in the university, proposed to him to go with them to America. In accepting their proposal it was without the most remote idea on his part of remaining in this country. But the long and stormy voyage, during the whole of which he was desperately sick, so disgusted him with the ocean that he could never be induced to cross it again. When he reached New York he had to be carried in a blanket from the ship to the hotel, where for a long time he was confined to a sick bed. When able to travel he came to Virginia and engaged in teaching in Lan- caster County. He was converted on the ocean and at once decided to give himself to the ministry of the Gospel. Accordingly, soon after his settlement in Virginia, he began, with characteristic diligence, a course of study preparatory to his high calling, under the direction, probably, of the ministers supplying or visiting the churches in that part of the Northern Neck. At the first opportunity that offered, in the spring of 1792, he
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attended a meeting of Hanover Presbytery in order to be taken under its care as a candidate. But when the Presbytery entered upon his exam- inations they found him so proficient in all branches of study that he was pronounced ready for licensure, and, as he writes, "contrary to his expec- tations and desire," they did license him. This was done, according to the entry in his own diary, May 12, 1792, although every other authority gives October 12, 1792 as the date. After his licensure he preached for a few months in the neighborhood of Gordonsville, when he crossed over into the Valley of the Shenandoah and began his long and successful labors in Warren County. The necessity of being fully qualified for ministerial work in this field soon forced itself upon him, and in the fall of the next year he met his Presbytery in Cumberland church, stood his examinations, preached his trial sermon from II. Cor., 5:20 and was ordained to the full work of the ministry November 11, 1793. Rev. Drury Lacy preached the ordination sermon and delivered the charge.
Returning to his field, he entered upon his duties with renewed zeal. His labors were not confined to South River and Flint Run, but were given to points far and near that were asking for preaching. Frequent appoint- ments were made for Powell's Fort, Woodstock, Stoverstown (Strasburg), Weavers Mill, Front Royal and other places. Besides these engagements, long and exhausting journeys were made to the mountains west of Capon River and to the counties east of the Ridge.
To give the advantages of education to the young men of his section and to increase his insufficient income, he opened (March 17, 1794) an English and classical school at Front Royal, which was well patronized. That it might not interfere with his ministerial duties, he employed an assistant, who was himself abundantly competent to carry on the school. After some years he was induced to transfer his school to Loudoun County, near Middleburg, where it soon acquired an enviable reputation for thor- oughness and excellence, and contributed largely to his influence for good over those who came under his instruction.
Mr. Williamson was a man of uncommon energy and endurance. He was ready for any demand upon him, though his health was never robust. Neither distance, nor weather, nor bodily infirmity could deter him from meeting an appointment, if it were possible for him to reach it. A ride of forty miles, with a sermon or two, was no unusual task for a single day; and this often with a storm to breast, a mountain to cross, and swollen rivers to swim.
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