USA > Virginia > Virginia Baptist ministers. 4th series, 1885-1902 > Part 10
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prudent and refined manners, his genial and loving spirit and his sincere piety soon gained the hearts of all. Noth- ing but a holy enthusiasm could have sustained him for the short space of four years." As Richmond was prac- tically his only pastorate, just here a few things should be said about him as a preacher. Dr. Jno. A. Broadus said, that while his voice was not strong, he had the other elements of a great preacher. Once after he had preached in Greenville, Dr. Boyce remarked to Dr. Broadus as they left the church: "If Richard Fuller had preached that sermon people would have called it one of the greatest sermons they ever heard, and they would have been right."
Dr. Manly resigned the care of the First Church to become the first president of the Richmond Female In- stitute. The Baptists of Richmond were fortunate to secure for this new enterprise one so able. Dr. Ryland says : "He gave a start to the school which has doubt- less contributed to its distinguished success. One of the girls made a pun on the subject which voiced the feel- ings of all her associates and the general public. She 'liked the Institute because it had a gentlemanly presi- dent.' During his connection with the institution he gave his Lord's Days to the Walnut Grove Church-a small and select body that lived in the Sydnor neigh- borhood several miles distant."
As has been seen already, Dr. Manly was elected one of the four original professors in the Seminary at Green- ville. Undoubtedly the greatest work of his life was done in this sphere. For twenty-one years he occupied a chair in the Seminary, the larger part of the time hav- ing Old Testament Interpretation and Biblical Introduc- tion, and for a season Biblical Introduction, Homiletics, and Polemics. He had drawn up the Plan of Organiza- tion and the Articles of Belief which each professor was
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required to sign, and he was associated with Boyce, Broadus, and Williams as teacher. He was a man of scholarly aptitudes and attainments. He was familiar with a number of languages and was possessed of a vast fund of information on a wide range of subjects. His heart glowed with tenderness as he taught his class the Bible, his eyes often overflowing with tears. In those early days in Greenville his work was not measured by the lecture-room only. He came in close contact with the students. Dr. C. H. Ryland, who was a student the first session at Greenville, says: "He was our pastor- the one who drew us by his sympathy, gentleness and winning piety closer to duty and to God." The students held prayer meetings from house to house, and he fre- quently attended and always took part. From the very first it has been the custom in the seminary for each lec- ture to be opened with prayer, and Dr. W. H. Williams, a student of those early days, wrote afterwards that while he had forgotten many things of his Seminary life, Dr. Manly's prayers in the classroom were vividly re- membered. "Not infrequently," he writes, "when the 'Amen' was said we had to brush away the tears before we could see our notebooks." The students saw him in his home as well as at the desk. One says: "Among my pleasantest memories of him are evenings spent at his house in Greenville, where the table was always en- livened by his genial, artistic nature. His brightness and wit were always kindly." Another tells of seeing him at the family altar, saying : "It was my privilege once only to meet with him and his family at their morning devotions, and his earnest and fervent pleadings for his family and the seminary students captivated me and deeply impressed me with his generous, loving spirit and the serious importance he seemed to set upon family worship."
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Scarcely had the Seminary started before war came down upon the land and compelling the closing of its doors in 1862. Dr. Manly preached to a country church, and it was hard to get even the necessities of life. Dur- ing this time a Sunday School Board was established at Greenville, chiefly through the efforts of Drs. Broadus and Manly. The publications were on the poorest Con- federate paper, but they had a ready sale. Several cate- chisms were written by Dr. Manly, and Kind Words, a children's paper, started in 1866, had for one of its con- tributors Dr. Manly, who wrote as "Henry Hunter" and "Junior." When the War was over, the question as to reopening the Seminary came up. Dr. Boyce offered to go into business to help the situation. Dr. Manly wrote at length to Dr. Broadus discussing what was to be done. In this letter he says he can not come to Siloam to help Dr. Broadus because he had to go after his wife, and as he did not have money to go on the cars he had to "take the dirt road, and that takes time." The Semi- nary went on, yet surely those were hard years for the heroic men at its head.
In 1871 Dr. Manly was elected president of George- town College, Kentucky. The trustees elected Dr. J. L. M. Curry as president, but fearing that he would not accept, and in order to save the trouble of another meet- ing, they elected Dr. Manly in case Dr. Curry declined. Dr. Manly at first declined, but the Board asking for a personal interview and offering to pay his expenses, he visited Georgetown and finally accepted the position. It would be easier for him to educate his children at Georgetown and the salary there was larger. These were among the reasons that led to his acceptance, and Dr. Broadus, while hating greatly to lose him from the Seminary faculty, could not, all things considered, but approve his decision. When Dr. Manly went to George-
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town it was his hope and ambition to see the college greatly enlarged and strengthened; but, by reason of cir- cumstances which he could not control, these hopes were not realized. Indeed, shrinkage of the income of the college made it necessary to contract the work. Dr. Manly left, however, a deep and lasting impression upon the college and the community. While at Georgetown he went over to Midway twice each month to preach, thus enabling F. H. Kerfoot, the pastor, to preach in the country and carry on certain linguistic studies. Thus, as co-pastors, these two men worked for over a year. Dr. Manly said: "Brother Kerfoot is pastor and I am his assistant." Dr. Kerfoot counted himself highly for- tunate in this arrangement, since besides delightful asso- ciation, it gave him in his work Dr. Manly's "conserva- tive, far-seeing, wise counsels."
When, in 1879, Dr. C. H. Toy, because of change of doctrinal views, resigned his professorship in the semi- nary, which was now in Louisville, Ky., Dr. Manly was elected to the vacant chair. His return to the Seminary, especially at this juncture, greatly pleased and reassured the Southern brotherhood. Upon his return to the Semi- nary, Dr. Manly took charge of the "Students' Fund," which he had looked after before going to Georgetown. This "Fund" was to help students in the matter of their board and was dependent on the voluntary contributions of brethren. This work and the Seminary Missionary Society, with its several mission Sunday schools, were very near to Dr. Manly's heart, and his pleas for these objects were usually successful. Once, in describing an appeal for a mission school, he said: "I came very near getting $100 the other evening. I asked a man in the city here for that much and if he had only said 'Yes' I would have had it." Dr. Manly, besides looking most carefully after the financial side of this society, thus
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carrying on Sunday schools, many of which have grown into churches, provided the program and presided once a month at the meetings.
The throb of Dr. Manly's gentle and loving heart was a blessing in the Seminary circle as well as in his own home. Among the students and faculty he was called the "Beloved Disciple." His kind words, warm sym- pathy and heavenly smile were a benediction indeed. To record all his deeds of love and thoughtfulness would take pages. One day he saw a little girl crying bitterly on the street. He sought to comfort her, but she was lost and could not tell him where she lived. He asked her if she knew some place from which she could find her way home. Brightening up, she said that she went to the Walnut Street Baptist Sunday school and could find her way home from there. He accompanied the child to the Sunday school and thence saw her safe at home.
Once at a funeral "in Georgetown the ground was covered with snow, and Dr. Manly was seen treading down the deep snow, and when some one would come he would step aside from the well-trodden place and, yielding it to another, would prepare another place to do likewise if another presented himself." Just two weeks before his death "he was wading through the slush of a melting snow to a mission in the Highlands. He led a little girl with his left hand, in his right he car- ried his Bible." Once at the ordination of a young min- ister, upon request, Dr. J. R. Graves and he wrote in the Bible presented a word of advice. Dr. Manly's pen traced these words: "Speak the truth in love"; Dr. Graves added: "And speak it boldly as you ought to speak." A Louisville lady on one occasion told Dr. Manly that the doctrine of election gave her much trouble. His answer was that while she was in the
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lower class she must not grapple with such a difficult question ; when she was promoted to heaven's class she could understand such things .. It is scarcely necessary to say that such a man was lovely and gentle in his home. He was extremely solicitous for the happiness and high- est well-being of his children. He received their earliest confidences and was glad to help in their games. Next to their religious training he set their education. He often remarked: "I wish to spare no pains nor expense to give my children a good education, and that is about all I shall be able to do for them. They will then be able to do for themselves." Once during a revival in Greenville, when Dr. Williams had preached a powerful sermon, Dr. Manly, upon reaching home, found one of his children sitting at a table studying. He said: "I am very glad to see your interest in your studies, but I do not wish you to forget that there is something far more important. I wish you had heard that sermon to- night."
Dr. Manly was a most versatile man. He did many things well. Besides his teaching and his preaching, his deep scholarship and fund of general information, there was his executive and business capacity. He wrote well, and, besides many fugitive pieces, left a book, "The Bible Doctrine of Inspiration," which is "the calmest, fairest, clearest and most satisfactory discussion of the subject to be found anywhere in the same compass." He wrote some forty hymns, with his father edited The Baptist Psalmody, and himself brought out two other hymn books, "The Baptist Choral" and "The Choice." Dr. Manly had a good voice and sang well. Dr. Broadus regarded Dr. Manly as the most versatile man he ever met and said that had he "devoted himself exclusively to some one of several things he might have stood out famous among the men of the age."
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In the autumn of 1887 Dr. Manly and his family broke up their city home and in pursuit of country air boarded on the edge of the city with Mr. Walker. On December 15 Mr. Walker and Dr. Manly, in the gather- ing twilight, with their arms full of bundles, were walk- ing homeward from the railroad station. Suddenly they were attacked and robbed. Each received a single blow over the eye which rendered them unconscious. Dr. Manly never recovered from this blow, which probably shortened his life many years. He went on with his work, but under a heavy physical handicap, and finally, on Sunday, January 31, 1892, his earthly pilgrimage came to an end, Charles H. Spurgeon, the great English preacher, being called to his reward the same day. At the funeral, held at Walnut Street Baptist Church, a large number of ministers, not only Baptist, but of other denominations as well, were present. The sermon was preached by the pastor, Dr. T. T. Eaton, and addresses were made by Dr. W. H. Whitsitt; Dr. E. L. Powell, Pastor of the Fourth and Walnut Christian Church; Dr. R. H. Rivers, of the Methodist Church; Dr. C. R. Hemphill, of the Presbyterian Church, and Dr. Jno. A. Broadus.
WILLIAM ABEL WOODSON
While William Abel Woodson was born, converted and educated in Albemarle County, Virginia, the larger part of his life was spent in Nottoway County, where he died. He was born August 10, 1817. Early in life he made a profession of religion and united with the Zion Baptist Church, near the University of Virginia. He was educated at the University of Virginia, and while here enjoyed the faithful ministry of Rev. James Fife. He entered the University of Virginia in the fall of 1847 and remained there two sessions. He roomed at John Abell's and took ancient languages, mathematics
and moral philosophy. During these years the Rev. Jacob Scott, a Baptist minister, was chaplain of the Uni- versity. Soon after leaving school he entered the minis- try, and among the churches he served were Jonesboro, (Brunswick), Mount Lebanon, (Nottoway), both in the Concord Association. His first wife, who died in 1872, was Miss Sallie Williams. After her death he married her sister Bettie, who died in 1886. His wisdom and good management enabled him to have a good farm and home, and here he hospitably entertained many. He had a good name among his people. He was a good man and was full of the Holy Ghost. He died January 9th, 1892. He willed his home to his brother, Rev. T. E. Woodson.
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CYRUS FRANKLIN FRY
Cyrus Franklin Fry was born at New Hope, Virginia, March 7, 1824, and died February 27, 1892. He was a man small of stature, but large of heart and of indomit- able energy. He was one of the pioneer Baptists in the beautiful Valley of Virginia. He was licensed to preach by the Laurel Hill Church and ordained in the Staunton Church. For several years he was pastor of the South Bottom Baptist Church, but his enduring monument is in the work which he did as a colporteur. During the War he kept a depository of books at Scottsville and was colporteur in the Army of Northern Virginia. After the War his field of labor embraced Augusta, Rock- bridge, Rockingham, and Bath. He traveled thousands of miles over these counties distributing religious litera- ture and organizing Sunday schools. His home was the haven of rest for every Baptist preacher who chanced to come into his neighborhood long before the now flour- ishing Staunton, Laurel Hill, and Waynesboro churches were organized.
In August, 1862, Dr. A. E. Dickinson wrote from Lynchburg, Virginia : "In Staunton I found Brother Fry, our colporteur, earnestly engaged. His labors have indeed been greatly blessed. He gave me an interesting account of some conversation he had with General T. J. Jackson. The General told him of several prominent officers who were sick and urged him to go and converse with them on personal religion, just as he would with the humblest private, adding that it was sad to see so many officers regardless of their eternal interests."
Dr. Jno. Wm. Jones, commenting upon this interview with Stonewall Jackson, says: "It was my privilege to
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be present at that interview and to introduce the humble colporteur to the great soldier. Jackson said with a gra- cious smile as he cordially took the hand of Brother Fry : 'You are more than welcome to my camps, and it will afford me the greatest pleasure to do anything in my power to help you in your work. I am more anxious than I can express that our soldiers shall be good soldiers of the Cross as well as good soldiers of their country.' The nearly one hundred colporteurs of the Virginia Bap- tist Sunday School and Bible Board, who (under Dr. A. E. Dickinson) labored in the Confederate armies, were among the most efficient instrumentalities in the wonder- ful revivals with which we were blessed. And among the truest, noblest, most indefatigable, self-sacrificing, consecrated, and efficient of them all was C. F. Fry." Brother Fry had a passport which "Stonewall" Jackson had written himself. This passport he kept and treas- ured all of his life. After the War was over he contin- ued to labor in the counties named above as a colporteur.
Brother Fry was a man of deep piety and earnest re- ligious convictions, and many of the churches in the Au- gusta Association owe much to the foundation work which he did in their respective communities. The Au- gusta County Sunday School Union, one of the largest in the State, owes much to Brother Fry, for he was largely instrumental in its organization and its mainte- nance up to the time of his death. For many years he drove a horse familiarly known as "Old Charlie." "Old Charlie" was not noted for speed, but for plodding he had few equals.
C. F. Fry died February 27, 1892, being sixty-eight years old. His funeral was preached in the Waynesboro Baptist Church by his life-long friend, Rev. John H. Taylor, and his remains laid to rest in the Waynesboro Cemetery.
L. Peyton Little.
JAMES DANIEL MARTIN
James Daniel Martin was born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, August 9, 1864. At the age of seventeen he entered Richmond College to prepare for the gospel min- istry. His school advantages had been meager and the amount of ministerial work he undertook increased the difficulties of his college course. But he was an earnest student, and, in spite of time lost for lack of means, won the degree of Bachelor of Arts in June, 1888. His stu- dent life was marked by fervent piety and unusual re- ligious activity. He was a recognized leader in religious work, and several of the most successful revivals ever held at college were under his leadership. On June 24, 1888, at Branch's Church, Chesterfield County, he was ordained. - This church and Enon, in the same county, formed the only regular pastorate he ever had. Before his ordination he had preached for these churches regu- larly and he continued as their pastor for two years. During these years he taught in the Chester Female In- stitute, first as assistant and then as principal. On Au- gust 27, 1890, near Atlee's Station, Hanover County, he was married to Miss Sarah Isbelle, going the next month to Bedford City to become the principal of the High School. Here he taught one session. In the spring of 1891 he suffered a severe attack of grippe, which set- tled on his lungs and rendered the rest of his life a struggle with an incurable disease. Yet it was a heroic struggle. During the time he had taught he had never ceased to preach, and he was looking forward to the time when he could give all his energies to the higher calling. But his work was almost done. In June, 1891, he
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preached his last sermon at Sharon Church, King Wil- liam County. He spoke no more from the pulpit, but by his patience, love, and trust during the weary months of a lingering illness he preached a most eloquent ser- mon. His faithful wife, who never left his bedside, says that during his entire sickness not one word of murmur- ing was ever heard to escape his lips. His end was peace. Attended to the grave by his best loved pastor and college professor, his most intimate fellow-student and many sorrowing relatives and friends, his body, on a beautiful Lord's Day evening in April, was laid to rest under the blossoming fruit trees at the old homestead where he had wooed and won his bride. His short life on earth was as beautiful in its piety as the blossoms of spring. He died April 15, 1892.
JOHN W. HARRIS
John W. Harris was born in Albemarle County, Vir- ginia, July 27, 1868. He studied at the Miller School (Albemarle County), Richmond College, and Crozer Theological Seminary. He was ordained to the gospel ministry March 30, 1891, at Craigsville, Augusta County. The following year, on April 13, he was married to Miss Elvie W. Percival, "a devoted and useful member of Grace Street Baptist Church, Richmond, Virginia." His work as a preacher was first in the Augusta and then in the Portsmouth Association. With his home at the pic- turesque village of Bridgewater in the Valley of Vir- ginia as a missionary of the State Mission Board, he la- bored for some four years ministering to the Bridge- water, Mount Crawford, Deerfield, and Woodlawn churches. During one year of this pastorate he preached 130 sermons and paid 420 visits, and another year the record was 113 sermons, 400 visits and one Sunday school organized. From the Valley he went to the other end of the State to take charge of the Deep Creek and Lake Drummond churches, in Norfolk County. Here, after a pastorate of several years, he was laid low, at his home at Deep Creek, by typhoid fever, his wife being ill of the same disease at the same time. He died Satur- day, June 12, 1892, and was buried the following Tues- day at Riverview Cemetery, Richmond. Rev. J. W. Mitchell accompanied the remains to Richmond, and the Baptist Ministers' Conference of Norfolk (to which body he belonged) passed resolutions expressing their appreciation of his "consecrated Christian life and great usefulness as a gospel minister."
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LESLIE T. HARDY
Leslie T. Hardy first saw the light at Buchanan, Bote- tourt County, Virginia, July 10, 1834. He was reared to the occupation of merchandizing, and for many years devoted himself to that business. He was very success- ful in this direction, accumulating at one time quite a for- tune. His services in the Confederate Army, which were quite conspicuous, were rewarded with the rank of captain of artillery, and many flattering notices from his superiors. He was severely wounded during the War, from which wound he occasionally suffered in after life. He began to preach in 1868, and was ordained in 1872. He soon moved to Kentucky, where he labored a few years and then returned to his native State and to his native county. Here he resided, laboring chiefly in Montgomery, and holding pastorates in that county and in Pulaski. About 1888 he moved to Glade Spring and labored there as pastor of one or more churches until his health failed. At this time he served Mountain View and Riverside churches; possibly others. He died July 23, 1892, and the same week saw also the death of his son, who was a minister and of whom this volume con- tains a sketch.
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ALLEN FORREST HARDY
Allen Forrest Hardy, son of Rev. Leslie T. Hardy, was born in Buchanan, Botetourt County, April 1867. He was a frail child, and as he grew to manhood his weakness was not overcome. In 1883, while still a lad, in the yard of the Mill Creek Church, during the session of the Valley Association, Dr. W. E. Hatcher passed by, laid his hand on his head and said: "Do you ever think you ought to preach?" This remark seems to have set- tled the aim of his life. He attended, for a session, Alle- ghany Institute; was ordained by the First Baptist Church of Roanoke City and entered Richmond College. His frail health made it necessary for him to leave before the session was over. For twelve months he labored as a colporteur in Manchester, during this time organizing the Sunday school out of which the Stockton Street Church grew. In October, 1890, he became pastor in the lower part of Henrico County, of Antioch, New Bridge, and Four Mile Creek. The next month he was ordained at Antioch Church, the presbytery being com- posed of Rev. J. T. Tucker and Rev. R. H. Winfree. Things seem to have been at a low ebb in these churches when he took charge, but his energy and leadership soon brought about a great change. The Four Mile Church rose up and erected a new house of worship; this gave the pastor joy, but his fondest dream was realized when the New Bridge Church was revived and its removal to Highland Springs (now Barton Heights) effected. This seemed an impossible feat, but it was not impossible. Be- fore the new house at this place was dedicated he had been called to his eternal reward. On July 17, 1892, at Lithia, he passed away. The funeral took place at the Buchanan Church, being conducted by Rev. G. W. Beale and Rev. P. B. Price, of the Presbyterian Church. His body was laid to rest in the Pattonsburg Cemetery.
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HILARY E. HATCHER
On November 8, 1832, in Bedford County, Hilary E. Hatcher was born. He was baptized into the fellowship of Mount Hermon Church, Bedford County, by Rev. James L. Gwaltney. He entered Richmond College as a ministerial student and graduated there in 1859 in the class with Wm. H. Agnew, D. Wm. Gwin, John J. Har- vey, James A. Mundy, and George B. Smith. From Richmond College he went to Greenville, S. C., where for two sessions he was a student at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He belonged to the band of twenty-six men who were students at the Seminary the first year of its existence. Ten of these men were from Virginia, namely, J. Wm. Jones, C. H. Toy, C. H. Ry- land, R. B. Boatwright, W. J. Shipman, J. D. Witt, T. B. Shepherd, H. E. Hatcher, W. C. Caspari, Jno. W. Har- row. Of these, Hilary E. Hatcher was regarded by his fellow-students as "our Greek" because of his accurate scholarship. He graduated in the principal "schools" of the Seminary and then went forth to the War, becoming chaplain in the Confederate Army, serving in the Sixty- first Virginia Infantry. His first pastorate was at Orange Court-House, where he located in 1865. On Oc- tober 2, 1866, he was married to Miss Gillie F. Jones, daughter of Dr. James L. Jones, of Orange, Virginia. During the course of his ministry he served Elon, Mount Hermon, Wilderness, Orange Court-House, Zion, New Hope, Antioch, and Zoah churches, in the Goshen Asso- ciation, and Blue Run, in the Shiloh, the counties of Spottsylvania and Orange being the sphere of his labors. For some years he was pastor in Maryland, when he min-
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