Westmoreland-Fayette County PA Archives History .....Rev. Joseph Smith Diaries
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Lynn Beatty klbeatty2npgcable.com March 17, 2012, 10:18 am
While I was away on my Sesqui Centennial trip June 26 to Aug 17, both
inclusive, Rev James Power Smith Box 98 Tallulah, Louisiana Pastor of the
Tallulah Pres Ch there sent me by insured parcel post on July 6, 1926 the
autobiographic diary of his grandfather Rev Joseph Smith D.D. late of
Greensburgh, Pa in sd gf's own handwriting, closely & finely written consisting
of 245 pages & 30 pages additional of appendix or additions note size 8 x 5
inches 23 lines to the page. I have a second letter from Rev Smith dated Aug
24, saying he had no acknowledgment & asking for their return as he valued them
very highly There were also three pamphlets enclosed. His gf Joseph Smith was
the author of Old Redstone a work so highly prized by my dear mother & all of
us & I notice them in the Appendix of one of the pamphlets is a sketch of Rev
Audley Calhoun, who married father & mother in Feby 1846 & died two years
later. I am taking today to read over this diary or autobiography a few of the
first pages of which offer excuses for a person taking from his time in the
services of his Master for such a personal memoir, but states that be reason of
his ministry in several states, it deserves in his advanced years the
recordation of important things he remembers & then on page 5 says: "It has
pleased a merciful & gracious God in his adorable sovereignty after permitting
me to preach the everlasting gospel for nearly half of a century to deprive me
in some degree of the faculty of utterance & thus, to disqualify me for the
pulpit & even for private religious conversation. It is now more than a year
since a semi paralysis has impaired my power of distinct articulation; though
it has not affected permanently my general health nor so far as I am aware,
blunted my mental faculties or affected my memory. In this condition, I have
perceived? that with some notes which I was in the habit of making in a kind of
journal, I could relate some things in my past history that would be pleasant &
profitable & resound to the Glory of God & that might serve as footprints on
the sands of time" etc.
Accordingly in reading over same today with this record book 18 open, I will
make note of his general itinerary, of some important historical data & any
references to the fourteen families whose history I am gathering for
preservation by eventual publication.
Bottom Page 6 says his paternal grandfather Rev Joseph Smith was first pastor
of Upper Buffalo & Cross Creek Congregations in Wash. Co (Pa) till his death in
1792 was a native of West Nottingham, Cecil Co, Md. For a sketch of whom see
Rev G.A. Gayley's "Sketches of the Lower West Nottingham Pres Ch". He was born
a short distance from the Susquehanna on the direct road from the river to the
Rising Sun, was educated in Mr Finley's school, was a pioneer of
Presbyterianism in W. Pa & an original member of Redstone Presbytery. It is
probable he was the son of John Smith who was a Ruling Elder in 1730. His wife
my paternal grandmother was Esther Cummins daughter of Squire Cummins, who kept
a public house, a store & dispensed justice as a Magistrate in the village of
the Rising Sun, (Md)
My maternal grandfather was the Rev James Power D.D. long the missionary Pastor
of several churches which he organized in Fayette & Westmoreland Counties &
then pastor of Mt Pleasant & Sewickly Congregations & still later & longer the
pastor of Mt Pleasant Church & after surviving his pastorate some 13 yrs, he
died in 1830. His wife, my maternal grandmother was Mary Tanner, who was the
daughter of parents who lived in Piqua, Lancaster Co, Pa & she probably was a a
native of the same. From the Col. Records of Penna, I found two lists of first
settles, Scotch Irish & German in which the name of Tanner is found, not in the
Scotch Irish, but in the German (look up these lists) from which it seems
probable she was by her parentage from the "Father Land". Thus, my paternal
grandfather & probably grandmother were of English origin. My mother's father
was Scotch Irish, perhaps indeed of the pure Milesian race, for his father's
name was Patrick, but his wife was probably German. Thus three races united in
producing my parentage & the record which stands on the blank leafs of the
Hebrew Bible that belonged to my father Revd David Smith runs in this wise:
Page 8 bottom:
"Joseph Smith was born at Georges Creek July 15, 1796 abt 3 o'c PM, Baptized by
the Revd Thomas Moore at Georges Creek Meeting House August 30th following
(exactly 26 yrs before Father was born) Explained as follows:
"My father had become pastor of the United Congregations of Georges Creek &
Union in Fayette Co on Aug 20, 1794. He had been licensed Nov 14, 1792 by the
Pres of Redstone at Fairfield, Ligonier Valley & spent a year in supplying the
vacant churches through the then widely extended field of the old Presbytery*.
States here that he finds an old manuscript volume in which his father made
various miscellaneous entries, the following in his father's "own very small
fine handwriting" stating his licensure & appointment as above & saying that in
pursuance thereof "I preached the 1st Sabbath at Ebenezer, on Black Lick, the
next Sabbath at Bethel, on Black Lick from there to Pucketty [best guess] &
Pitt Tp congregations & then to Long Run & Sewickley & then over the river to
Lebanon, Mingo Creek & Horse Shoe Bottoms Cos returning by Pike Run, I preached
there a week day & from that came home & preached at Buffalo & Cross Creek the
next two Sabbaths. I went from home to Mill Creek the next Sabbath to Keigs?
Creek & then home". This was probably in cold winter weather. In the
following Oct 1793, two calls were placed, the one from his father's churches &
the other from Georges Creek & Union in Fayette Co. He did not decide until
meeting of Presbytery Apr 15, 1794 when he accepted the call of our Fayette Co,
no doubt considering what a Boanerges [sic] his father was as a preacher &
perhaps as this author, his son says having in view what Dr Sprece [Sprell?],
in learning of the successor of Rev S. Brown said, that "is easy to step into
his shoes, but not so easy to fill his hat". Old Mr Smith's hat was not easily
filled.
Presbytery directed him to prepare a discourse on 1st Cor 13:13 as a part of
trial for ordination at their next meeting which was at Georges Creek Aug 19,
1794 & was opened with his discourse which was sustained. On the next day, by
fasting, humiliation & prayer, he was set apart to the Holy office of the
Gospel ministry. Mr McPherrin preached on the occasion from Ezekiel 33, 6,7,8
& Mr Porter presided & gave the charge. Two months later, he attended a
meeting of his Pres. at Unity, Westnd Co, Pa on Oct 21, 1794 was called upon &
opened Pres with a sermon, taking his text Psalms 32:1. As the Rev Dr Powers
residence at Mt Pleasant lay on the way fr Georges Creek to Unity, he perhaps
both going & rtg lodged with Mr Power who had four or five single daughters,
one of whom, Rebecca, then not quite 17 yrs old engaged his youthful
affections. He himself, tough an ordained minister was only 22 yrs old. It is
probably he made some progress during this visit in securing the affections of
his future wife; for they were married Aug 25, 1795. My father took his young
wife accompanied by her sister Hannah (afterwards Mrs Chapin) & Jacob Lindley
(afterwards the Rev J. Lindley D.D. recently decd at an advanced age in
Connellsville, Fayette Co) on a visit to Wash Co for they both had near
relatives there. My mother had two sisters, in Pigeon Creek cong. & my father
had his mother, residing during her widowhood in the home near upper Buffalo
Meeting House, where she had witnessed the peaceful triumphant death of her
husband the Rev Joseph Smith, but 3 yrs before. She had with her then several
single daughters, one of whom soon after died of consumption & all the others
later married ministers of the gospel. Nothing is recorded of what they thought
of his youthful wife, but tradition says she was the most beautiful of her
father's daughters. She had already become a communicant in her father's
church. He had but a log cabin to take her to on his farm on Georges Creek
(look up deeds at C.H. & locate the farm) which was abt a mile from Smithfield
& not very far from the residence of Albert Gallatin Esq, then living
at "Geneva" on the Monongahela. My father frequently preached at Geneva. Mr
Gallatin & his brother in law, Col Nicholson extended a good deal of friendly
regard to my father.
The year previous to my father's marriage, was memorable as that of
the "Whiskey Insurrection" & it is thought Gallatin's influence which was very
great preserved that region fr barn burning, tar & feathers & bloodshed. "The
first two years of my life were passed in that log cabin". He then refers to
his many changes of residence as will hereafter appear & his early removal from
the place of his birth as forecasting, operating vs developing the
phrenological bump of locality or strong attachment to any one place of
residence.
In 1798, my father having obtained a dismission from his Fayette Co charge &
recd a call to the United Cong of Rehoboth & Roundhill in the Forks of the
Yough, removed into the bounds of the former in Rostraver Tp, Westnd Co, Pa &
for some time lived in a log cabin or the farm of Major John Power, brother of
his father in law Dr Power. Soon after, he purchased a farm of 140 A a little
more than a mile fr Belle Vernon on which he erected a good two story, shingle
roofed log house to which he soon after added another constituting together as
comfortable home as anywhere then found in the neighborhood, making quite a
pleasant place but the present dingy, dilapidated & ruinous appearance of this
farm, makes a very different impression. He refers here to the first
reminiscence of his life memory of his childhood, which is about their "house
dog" which though generally eager to follow his father when he left home &
troublesome on this account, requiring him to be penned up on such occasions of
departure, on the day of our removal refused to leave the vacated house. A
wagon or two had set off with our movables & were some distance away when my
mother with an infant in her arms (this should fix which place it was) & my
father, taking me up before him & calling coaxingly without avail, could not
get the dog to follow, whereupon, he rode on briskly to the wagon, committing
me to the driver who placed me snugly in the front part of it. My father
riding back, took him up & brought him to the wagon & fastened him in the
hinder part thereof. This whole scene, I distinctly remember, but am not
confident as to whether upon our removal from Fayette Co when I was 23 yrs old
or from the Major Power farm when I was 3 yrs old. Recalling Clark Breading's
recollection of last night in 1877, when three yrs old & W.C. McKears's [best
guess] last week of his first recollection in 1863, when 3 yrs old, I incline
to think this is when they removed from the Maj Power log cabin to the new home
where he says his father lived until he died on Aug 23, 1803 in his 32d year,
while my recollections of home are dim & indistinct, he was perhaps about 5 ft
11 inches in height, rather slender & pale visaged, but active in his
movements, very kind & affectionate in his family. Speaking of his library,
small though well selected, he mentions a blank vol. he had in which he had
listed all the books left him by his father's will & of his own purchases up to
the time of his death (something which I commenced & continued for a few years
& while not entered regularly in that book, my cash Account book furnishes
names & prices of the numerous volumes of my extensive library). mentioning
his interest in education, he refers to his giving ground off of his farm on
which was built the best school house within 10 miles. A brick church said to
be the first of its kind west of the mountains was nearing completion. On a
Friday night, early in Aug 1803, he preached to a large congregation in this
new house & then rode home near 2 miles with a violent headache. A bilious
fever set in, developed violently & steadily until in 7 or 8 days, the end
came. He suffered greatly, but was eminentlypeaceful & happy. I remember his
pale emaciated appearance, the constant throng of visitants, many from a
distance of 10 to 12 miles. Toward the last, the doors were thrown open &
everyone admitted as no further precautions were regarded as of any avail. He
talked exhorted & prayed until his last breath. He sent messages to many &
sent for two of his neighbors who were at variance & not on speaking terms,
who coming to his bedside, he melted them down to tenderness & mutual
forgiveness & made them join hands in reconciliation across his death bed.
Vast throngs attended his funeral & many groups of young people were seen in
the yard & out in the field adjg under the shade trees singing hymns. This I
well remember.
My mother was then left a widow with 4 little children of whom I was the
oldest, then 7 yrs old. My brother James, now residing in McMinnville, Tenn &
for some years acting as Colporteur for our board of Pub. was next to me in
age. Then David, who lived till nearly through his collegiate course in
Hampden Sidney College, VA when he fell into consumption & died near Uniontown,
Fayette County near 50 yrs ago, about whom more hereafter. Then our only
sister Eliza who lived until abt 22 yrs of age & died a perfectly happy death
in Jefferson Co, Ohio, some two or three years after our brother David's
death. Of her also, I may hereafter give some further acct. (Some six weeks
after my father's death, my mother gave birth to another son, whom she called
Jedediah, but he lived only a few months)
from Life & Times of Joseph Smith, written autobiographical notes he says:
His mother continued on the farm having as tenant.
Emanuel Allensworth, from Berkeley Co, Va & with help of a sister & neighboring
ladies & on occasion, a hired girl, receiving from many neighbors shares of
their farm produce, but considers two worthy of recorded notice one Noah Speer
a wealthy man though not a member of church who never failed for many years to
send his team about the setting in of winter to perform a day's hauling of wood
& coal for us, besides generally a barrel of cider & some bags of apples in the
wagon. "He was the first man that introduced the pippin & some other varieties
of good fruit in western Pennsylvania" (The other man).
"William Elliott, though residing on Little Redstone some 6 or 7 miles from us
was another kind friend of our fatherless family. He would every year come
down with his team bringing some of his sons with him & work hard all day as
though he were hired by the job, not only getting us wood, but doing all sorts
of chores that he might see were needed." (This my great grandfather)
He speaks of a grown girl coming to school & having a book the "Fool of
Quality" from which the teacher allowed her to read for her lessons & he
becoming interested in the story borrowed it from her to take home & read at
night & returning always the next day. Similarly a boy had "Cooks Voyages"
which he read, then got some London magazines then Josephus works & had already
read "Pilgrims Progress" & the "Holy War: every one at the time got their
lessons out loud making at times noises that scared passing horses. See line
28 next page & insert here [which I will do for clarity] "But I must never
forget that my desire to read was first strongly developed by the volume of
the "Fool of Quality".
About 1808, or 1809, Geo H. Tower a teacher came from Connecticut & introduced
the silent method of study. He fixes the time of writing these notes as 1868
(he wd then be 72 as I am now.) He speaks of several of the 60 scholars among
them David Jennings, son of Rev Dr Jennings of Fayette Co (& brother of the
late Rev Dr O. Jennings of Nashville, Tenn which has crossed out, not that it
wasn't a fact, but evidently not wanting to couple his name in this connection)
afterwards studied law, married a most estimable lady, daughter of the late
John Daly Esq of Westmoreland Co removed to St Clairsville, O (see book 14
pages 2 & 3) became an eminent lawyer, was elected to Congress, gave promise of
much success & distinction, became strangely enamored with some Corinthian
creature in Washington City, went off with her to Canada or parts unknown &
never returned, leaving an accomplished wife & children in St Clairsville. His
case seemed a species of insanity, but whether mental or moral cannot be easily
determined.
His mother conducted family worship daily & prayed feelingly & touchingly for
them greatly affecting him & leading him to amended formative habits, taught
them the Catechism & while he was thrown with vicious & profane boys, he never
indulged in profanity "& scrupulously avoided telling lies".
Our minister was the Revd Wm Wylie, the immediate successor of my father, & my
Uncle by marriage, his wife being my father's sister. He was my faithful legal
guardian. About this time of my urgent pleas, mother agreed that I should go
to live with Robert Moore who had recently married my cousin Miss Mary Kerr of
Pigeon Creek & who was living about 3 miles from us & learn the fulling
business. See book 7 p 518. Delays in procuring my outfit for going &
arranging to spare me from home occurred & when I went he had employed another
apprentice, thinking we had changed our minds & I rtd much mortified.
About this time, Andrew Wylie, brother of my Uncle who had just graduated at
Jefferson College came in the fall of 1810 to live with his brother & study
theology with him. He taught six of us in Latin so that in may 1811 I went to
Canonsburg, Pa & entered Jefferson College where I attained boarding from Mr
Canon at $1.25 per week & roomed in a study one room in his yard four of us
viz: Williams Heaton, Thomas Johnston, Samuel Riddle & myself. Being no church
in town attended old Chartiers. Dr McMillan's church a mile & a half away.
Joined Philo Literary Society & practiced speaking extempore. He refers to a
reckless old drunkard, said to have been an officer in the British Army & a
graduate from a University in Scotland or Ireland & conversing easily in Latin,
who for a few cents with which to buy liquor would help the students over hard
places in their Latin.
Also of another old drunkard a Revolutionary soldier 80 yrs old of astonishing
bodily agility, a small man, but well proportioned in his limbs who for a few
cents would throw an arm to the ground turn over & over for 30 to 40 yards,
like a wagon wheel, very few of the boys or young men could perform this feat
which Mrs Canon's yard where we boarded was often used for, his performance of
this trick.
He speaks of the spartans making their slaves the Helotes drunk as a warning to
their children, but we had these advantage of these examples without the guilt
attendant on the Spartan way. Unfortunately, he did not give the names of these
odd characters.
In summer of 1812, I found a pleasant place of boarding at Joseph McNary's in
the country one mile down Chartiers Creek below Canonsburg & had James S.
Miller as a roommate. My habits were strictly moral, but my soul was a sect of
sin "a cage of unclean birds full of all uncleanness". My roommate, a Seceder,
attended Dr Ramsey's Ch. My route to Chartiers was by a near cut across the
hills & in going & returning, I was generally alone. This gave me a much
better opportunity for meditation. (I am particularly noting this here by
reason of my own like experiences & benefits from lone walks, so often from
Spring Dale to town to & from my duties at the bank). These solitary walks,
especially on my return, were of much advantage to me in keeping my conscience
in a somewhat quickened state & often did Dr McMillan's alarming & awakening
discourses send me back in a state of deep concern about my eternal interests.
Dr Nettleton's advice a few yrs later at Staunton to repair to yr closet for
meditation & prayer is on a parity with these reveries. (In all my books, note
the great importance, patent 50 yrs ago, of a boy, or girl, in their teens
taking walks alone. JVT) Along the banks of the creek below our boarding
house was a magnificent grove of lofty trees. Here, I often resorted in the
evenings for meditation for committing speeches & for preparing for debates in
the Phil Society. (as did I)
My mother's means did not permit of my returning to college the year 1812 1813
& I worked at home on the farm, but my mother gave me a small quiet room with a
coal fire where I worked at night translating many Greek & Latin Books. that
winter in the dead of winter, I was sent on a trip of three or four days on
which I suffered greatly from the extreme cold, to Georges Creek to collect the
rent from the tenant on the old farm (look up at our C.H. who David Smith
bought this from abt 1795 & when it was sold after 1813). "I stayed one night
with our tenant in the log cabin in which I was born & another night with a
thrifty old Baptist living near, who treated me with great kindness". I
returned with the cash rent which was a great relief to my mother. In the
ensuing sessions until I graduated in 1815, I boarded at different places,
mostly in the country. When I rtd in the spring of 1813, I again obtained
boarding at Mr McNary's, my fellow boarders being: Samuel Irwin, afterwards a
Seceder minister in Wayne Co, O, James Frazier, a classmate who died a yr to
two later, Chauncey Forward, a lawyer of Somerset Co, Pa, My brother David, who
had accompanied me back.
During the period of my college life having a kind old aunt, Mrs E. Kerr of
Pigeon Creek about 5 miles east of Canonsburg, I generally walked out every
fortnight on Saturday (for she had generously undertaken to have my washing
done by her daughter (or daughters) & I generally stayed until Sabbath evening
or Monday morning. I usually went with them to their church which was a large
stone building. Here one Sabbath, the floor of the church dropped about 3 feet
to the ground causing an uproar & panic but no one was seriously hurt. The
Sleepers had dry rot by reason of no ventilation below.
My Uncles pew was a back one, attached to the wall abt 2 ft above the level of
the wall & did not sink with the others, leaving us perched still higher above
the others. My Uncle was a rank Democrat & yet in those leveling times, he had
his pew out topping all his neighbors. My Uncle carried on a large distillery
as well as farmed extensively. He had in early life taken an active part in
the Whisky Insurrection, though he had had no share in any scene of personal
violence or barn burning. He was one of those who were at the close of that
unhappy & disastrous affair arrested & sent to Philadelphia for trial, but was
at length acquitted or released by some general act of amnesty. He was
previously a very popular man, but this portion of his history secured his
popularity for life. He was often elected to the State Legislature & served
his constituents with fidelity. He was a ruling elder of the church & a
trustee of Jefferson College. His friendship & that of his family were of
essential service to me during my college days. He records gratefully his
obligations to several pious students of the Associate of Seceder church whose
influence was most salutary & says: "Jefferson College owes much to the moral
& religious influence of the Seceder students. During the Summer of 1814,
having become a tutor in the college, I boarded at Mrs Emory's along with Wm
Jeffery, (now Rev Wm Jeffery D.D. lately Pres of the B'd of Trustees of Jeff
College,) James Kerr Lately decd long a physician in Claysville & Canonsburg,
Wm Nesbitt now Rev Wm Nesbitt of New Bedford, Pa & Henry Minor of whose &
subsequent history I know nothing.
The tutorship gave me increased social position & I became careless &
thoughtless, bad company & evil companionship led me astray & I became
intoxicated & in the gravest danger from which I was saved by the President, Mr
Wylie who treated me with much tenderness & forbearance & by his faithful
admonitions again armed my conscience & saved me from inevitable ruin.
During the next winter, I boarded again in the country at Mr McNary's, entered
the senior class & studied very closely. At a communion at old Chartiers an
address by Dr McMillan a walk to the grove renewed meditations brought me to
the sense that "old things were passed away & all things become new".
I took my degree of A.B. the last Tuesday of Sept 1815, Messrs Johnston &
Frazier were my fellow graduates. The trustees assigned to me the first honor
& I had to prepare & deliver a Greek & Latin Salutatory & Valedictory all in
one. After commencement, I returned to my mother's & now at the age of
nineteen, I was at the end of my college life. I had already committed myself
to a particular enterprise, not feeling that it would be entirely right for me
to prepare for the gospel ministry.
Dr Wylie recd a letter from the Academy of Berryville, then Frederick Co, Va &
recommending James P. Miller & myself, we started on horseback from my mother's
& rode that afternoon to my grandfather Power's, 18 miles continuing next
morning via Somerset, Bedford, McConelstown, [sic] Mercersburg, & Williamsport,
Md on the Potomac which place we reached about dusk on the evening of the 5th
day after my departure from home. Here a grand illumination was in process,
triumphal arches, transparencies suspended from them on one of which we
read: "Doctor General William Goodloe Harper" with some difficulty, we reached
the hotel.
The figure seemed as though of one to be burned in effigy. We learned that it
was a Democratic meeting celebrating their victory at the late election & the
gentleman above named was the distinguished leader of the opposite party, a man
of great worth & one of Maryland's most distinguished men & noblest men. (it
was for him that Goodloe Harper Bowman of Brownsville, Pa whose father came
with Uncle Robert Elliott fr Hagerstown, Md was named) I heard him many years
afterwards plead the cause of the American colonization society before the Genl
Assembly of the Pres Ch in Phila & only two yrs ago noticed his unambitious
sepulchre monument in the Balto cem, or he being a Roman Catholic, it might
have been his caustaph [sic]. Next day, crossing the Potomac, we entered VA
for the first time in our lives except that we had both been in the panhandle.
Late in the day, we reached Leetown, now a decayed village noted for the
residence of Genl Charles Lee of Revolutionary memory, near where lived Mr
Seawright, an old Baptists at whose residence we were arriving to see our
student friend, Francis McFarland teaching there. A passing Baptist clergyman
also a guest, asked the blessing before we set down to supper. A Va custom.
The next day, we reached Berryville, then Battletown, (Leestown is now
Leesburg, Va where I was Aug 25, 1923) in Frederick To now the county town of
Clarke Co & meeting the trustees of Battletown Academy was thunderstruck by the
courtly manner, dress & refinement of the Prest "Bob Page" over 60 yrs of age a
VA lawyer, farmer of large estate living near, belonging to one of the oldest
F.F. VA.
The trustees had brought Rev Dr Wm Hill from Winchester, Va to examine us &
upon his asking me about the pioneer preacher, Rev Joseph Smith, I told him he
was my grandfather & that Rev David Smith a dear & cherished school friend of
his, was my father, he was greatly pleased, turned us over the keys & I was
there from the fall of 1815 to that of 1816. Mr Hill then related what I have
recorded in the Biog Sketch of my father in "Old Redstone".
In the Spring of 1816, I attended a meeting of the Pres of Winchester at
Charlestown & also a communion season (for in VA & the south, meetings of both
Pres & Synods were also communion seasons). Here I was then received in the
communion of the church & oh how often I have said since "My God repeat that
heavenly hour". The Rev Dr Wilson preached the "action" sermon & Dr Hill
introduced the communion service, a day & place long to be remembered "yet near
this very place, John Brown was hung".
The summer of 1816 was a remarkably cold one, hardly a warm day & said to be
first every month in the year attributed to many & large spots on the sun.
Speaking of the fourth physician in Battletown, who later went to destruction
through financial failure (God be praised for what integrity he has permitted
me to maintain through mine) he said "he possessed more personal dignity of
manner, than almost any man I ever knew & yet he was a very small man fully
proving as was said Aaron Burr & James Madison (both in "our families") did the
same, that a large body is not necessary to secure a commanding personal
presence".
While our term of engagement continued till the last of Sept, we had a harvest
vacation of 2 weeks in July during which we took a trip up the valley of the
Shenandoah to the lower end of Shenandoah Co in the neighborhood of Stoverstown
(named no doubt for our Rev John Casper Stoever) & Strasburgh (make mems to go
there) to a high peak the extreme northern end of Picket or Peaked (perhaps
Bicket or Beaked) Mountain where the expanse of the wonderful Shenandoah was in
view & the Capitals of 5 counties.
We closed the school with eclat & an "exhibition" & though urged by the
Trustees to remain, I concluded to pursue my studies for the gospel ministry &
on invitation from Dr Hill, I went to live at his home in Winchester & study
with him preparatory to entering Princeton. Went with Dr Hill to meeting of his
Pres at Romeny, was examined again & taken under their charge. Met many able
noted men who stopped with Dr Hill, notably, Dr Alexander of Princeton & a pale
young man traveling with him to the south, Charles Hodge, with whom I roomed
throughout my course at Princeton, afterwards the celebrated Dr Charles Hodge
D.D. L.L.D. I graduated in spring of 1819 my class being that of 1819 having
as classmates, Dr Nevins of Balto, Dr Hodge, Dr Sprague, Dr Peters, Bishop
Johns of VA etc. In the spring of 1819, I attended meeting of Pres of
Winchester at Middleburg, Loudon Co, Va was examined & licensed to preach the
gospel. I had had some interruptions having gone in early June 1818 to attend
a revival at Rockaway NJ on my return to Princeton I found a letter from
Gordonsville, Va telling me that my brother David who had been at Hampden
Sydney College & was soon to graduate had fallen into a rapid decline & having
started home, had to stop at Gordonsville, for which place I started
immediately & found him far advanced in pulmonary disease. I bought a light
carriage & horse & started for mother with slow travel or 10 to 12 miles daily
& rested July 4, at Dr Hill's in Winchester where the ther [thermometer] at 2
PM was 102 in the shade. We made our way to Cumberland & over the Allegheny
Mountains, descending Laurel Hill, we were overtaken by a violent storm, our
carriage also broke down before the storm was over. I was obliged to leave my
brother & run down the mountain a half mile or more & get assistance. My poor
brother was carried down & almost in a dying state, but his soul enjoyed
perfect peace. He lingered two days & died in full assurance of Everlasting
rest. After seeing his mortal remains interred in Uniontown (I think he is
buried in the old Pres g.y.) I journeyed on to my distressed mother & left my
horse & carriage to board with my stepfather the Revd Thos Hunt. He was pastor
of the second Pres Ch Pgh Pa. He had married my mother in the fall of 1815,
shortly after I had started to Berryville, Va. Shortly after my hasty visit,
he resigned his charge at Pgh & accepted one at a church 9 miles from
Steubenville, O in that Pres where he lived until he died. On my way back, I
met & had as companions on the stage coach, Hon. H. Denny of Pgh, his wife &
several children on their way to Bedford Springs. Among the many families into
which I had entree the last year at Princeton & they were many, both enjoyable
& profitable. I note with special pleasure "my privilege to be a frequent
guest of old Dr Samuel Stanhope Smith (another of "our families") who treated
me with great kindness & after entertained me with the reminiscences of his
younger days.
On my summer vacation in 1818, I spent it two weeks in Phila. I went one
evening with Mr Sprague to Mrs Ten Eyek's, a fine old lady with whom he had
formerly boarded. She told them she had in her garret a large box of papers
left by Genl Morgan & his family when they left for western Penna some thirty
years before. They had never sent for them & though written to about them they
either by silence or express assent abandoned them to Mrs Ten Eyek's disposal.
She gave us leave to overhaul the box & take what we wanted. While it did not
interest me, I told Sprague I would help him rummage through it, so one night,
when we did, we found it a rich mine ctg letters from Genl Washington, his
cabinet officers when he was Pres, his staff officers & from many other
distinguished men of Washington's times. Dr Sprague probably began here his
rare collection of autographs & that night possibly was developed that singular
& remarkable taste which has been cultivated in subsequent years & been crowned
with signal success. On Monday morning Feby 1, 1820, I rode from Alexandria
across the cold bridge over the Potomac, the coldest day that was ever known
there & for the first time, saw the Senate & House of Rep & heard John
Randolph, the Cynosure of all eyes & ears speak in his queer voice on the
Missouri question. He however states he had previously been in the Senate
Chamber & heard Clay & Smith of Maryland, Forsyth & Crawford &c. Having a
longing for the west, I decided to quit Va forever & exchanged my horse for a
better, preparatory to returning to western Penna & the meeting of our Pres in
Apr 1821 in Winchester. My old student friend Dr McFarland had organized the
most western church on the continent at Chariton, Mo & I had a desire to go
there, but was much perplexed at this time in getting a letter from him saying
he was quitting that field.
Just then, a man came to me inviting me to a permanent settlement at
Harrisonburg, Va which Dr Hill Matthews & others advised me unanimously to
accept which I did, but having committed myself to a visit to my mother & W. Pa
friends, I went for 4 weeks or more & rtd through Winchester & spent several
days renewing the acquaintance of one I had seen in the mountains of "Hampshire
Co" at the home of her Uncle, Col R. Sharon & "I succeeded in prevailing with
her to consent in due time, to become my wife. She was the daughter of John
Bell Esq, a merchant of Winchester & an elder of the Pres Ch. The result will
be stated in its proper place".
"Then with a light heart & cheerful steps, I went my way up the valley of Va to
Harrisonburgh, the capital of Rockingham Co & entered immediately on my labours
there".
On Aug 7, 1821, I was married in Winchester to Miss Eliza Bell by the Rev Dr
Hill, the Synod of Va met in Lexington in 1821. We passed up to visit the
Natural Bridge a few days before & lodged the night after we viewed the bridge,
Quaranton? at a country inn near the bridge. Here we met Father Mitchell over
80, but active & lively as the youngest of us & many other ministers going to
Synod. Father Mitchell entertained the crowd by telling of a former meeting of
Synod & how in the evening, they put up two Princeton students to preach
whereupon someone told him I was one of them & introduced me. On Apr 22, 1822,
I was ordained & installed pastor of Cooks Creek & Harrisonburgh. On the 27th
of May 1822, I became a parent. My daughter Elizabeth Hill Smith was born on
that day.
"Thus in the course of one short year, I became a husband, a pastor & a
parent. How solemn the duties & responsibilities of these several relations."
In Sept 11, 1823, at meeting of Pres at Bethel, Augusta Co, I was made
moderator for the first time at which protesting that I was "hardly bridle wire
as a private" this very unfortunate expression put me in the chair for the many
country elders afterwards told me that "they always put a wild young colt in
the head in order to break him in".
On the 4th Thursday of Oct 1832, the Synod of Va met at Petersburg, & I
attended stopping as a guest in the family of Mrs Nichols, a daughter of the
celebrated General Roberden [sic] of Revolutionary memory, who had been left a
widow with a large dependent family of daughters & scant means & who I had
known in Winchester as a teacher of a female seminary & with whom too, at this
time, Dr Hill lodged.
In the summer or fall of 1823, I recd through Dr Hill, an invitation to Romney,
Hampshire Co. I had recd the previous fall through Rev J. Hoge, a similar call
to Martinsburgh. In both cases the Salary proposed was between $600 & $700. I
was then receiving only $450 at Harrisonburg. My congregation met Jany 1, 1824
at New Erection (he had once called attention to a finger [best guess] board
saying New Hrrerison [sic]) considering a raise of salary at which Robt Gray
Esq addressed them eloquently. They raised my salary to $500 & I thought it my
duty not to leave them. My son David was born in January 1824. The Pres met in
Apr 1824 at Massey Creek & appointed Dr Hendron & myself commissioners to the
Genl Assembly & I accordingly went to NY the week before. On Sept 8, 1824, Dr
McFarland & I set out on a journey to W. Pa & Ohio, going through Brocks Gap,
Petersburgh, Hardy Co & Morgantown. This was the 3d visit since I had been
licensed & the 4t since I left W. Pa, the land of my birth when in the summer
of 1818 when I returned with my sick & dying brother, the National or
Cumberland Road was finished only to Tomlinson's 20 miles west of Cumberland.
When in 1819 I made a short visit, my stepfather, Rev Thomas Hunt had moved to
Jefferson Co, O, so now in order to see my mother & sister, I went for the
first time into Ohio crossing the river at Steubenville. At that time, Mr Hunt
had charge of the Congs of Two Ridges & Yellow Creek in the latter of which I
preached for him. They were living in a log cabin, my mother being then back
where she started her married life 24 yrs before in 1795 on Georges Creek, Pa,
but she was now as then in good health, contented & happy, but was soon to
enjoy a better as Mr Hunt had bought an excellent little farm in an excellent
neighborhood & rising community. At that time I found the Rev O. Jennings D.D.
settled in Steubenville as pastor. On my return from my filial & fraternal
visit, I preached for him at night in a large unfinished, uncomfortable brick
meeting house, miserably lighted to a very small congregation & afterwards
lodged with him. Here I found James P. Miller, my old colleague at Berryville
in charge of the Steubenville Academy. I also visited my old grandfather Rev
James Power D.D. Tho somewhat broken with the infirmities of age, he was still
acting as stated supply to a people whose pastor he had been for nearly 40
yrs. He was still preaching in the old log meeting house, a picture of which
is given in "old Redstone". In that house, I had the privilege of preaching,
standing in the old pulpit with a canopy overhead & my aged grandsire sitting
below. I preached also during this excursion at Sewickly at West Newton at
Rehoboth & at Uniontown. In this latter place, my Uncle, Rev Dr Wylie then
resided preaching in the Court House at night. I remember that my text
was "Jesus wept"
In my third visit, I found many changes. My sister had died a short time
before. Her health for some time had been declining & dying in perfect peace,
her last heard words were "Dear Jesus, thou tarriest long". Dr Jennings had
left Steubenville & gone to Washington, Pa. Rev A. O. Patterson D.D. was now
the pastor in my grandfather's old Con & they were worshipping in a new brick
house. At Rehoboth, Mr Robt Johnston was the pastor. I preached there on a
weekday. An immense congregation assembled to hear the son of their second
pastor. I was astonished at the multitude. It inspired me with unusual freedom
& animation. In the course of the sermon, two persons cried out in a manner
similar to that which often occurred 15 yrs before when what was called the
falling exercise prevailed. At first, I was somewhat disconcerted. It
subsided immediately & was not again renewed.
During this fourth visit in the fall of 1824, visiting my mother & assisting in
communion, I came over into Washington Co & spent a night with Rev Thos
Marquis, the successor of my grandfather Rev Joseph Smith at Cross Creek,
Brother McFarland having joined me again.
We went next day to Rev E. Macurdy's who was still the pastor or stated supply
at Cross Roads where I also preached. That visit was both pleasant &
profitable. A kinder or more affectionate man, I have hardly ever met with.
Then to Washington where I again preached for Mr Jennings & lodged with Dr
Wylie.
Here we met with that remarkable man, Thomas Dill who had often been at my
mother's when I was quite a boy & while now a partially deranged man, but was
doing great good. He died soon thereafter, very old.
On our return through WVA, we spent a Sabbath in Morgantown, where we both
preached & lodged with old Thomas Wilson Esq, an aged lawyer who had, when a
young man emigrated from Rockbridge Co Va, had grown rich & influential, raised
& educated several sons, who became distinguished men. One of them, Edgar
Willson [sic] Esq recently decd resided in Morgantown, a lawyer of eminence, an
elder of the Pres Ch & formerly a member of congress. Two other sons became
distinguished lawyers, now dead. Another son was a prominent Methodist
minister. A daughter Louisa now dead became eminent for her piety & as the
wife of the Rev Mr Lowrie went with her husband to a Foreign mission & now her
mortal remains lie sleeping away in a heathen land. These Pres of Morgantown
were without a pastor. The Rev A.G. Fairchild had given them a portion of this
time, but was now contracting his first to the limits of the upper part of
Fayette Co.
We reached our homes abt Oct 1, (1824)
On our way out, we separated, Mr McF. going through Greene Co to Wash Co & I
going to Uniontown to visit my Uncle Mr Wylie living there. Mrs Lyon, the wife
of John Lyon Esq & sister of the late Judge Richard Coulter availed herself of
the opportunity of accompanying me to Greensburg on a visit to her relatives.
There I had business also, with Alex Foster, whom I had employed to collect the
money for the sale of my father's farm near Rehoboth, Rostraver Tp. Staying
one night at Judge Coulter's, I next day visited my grandfather near Mt
Pleasant. I then passed on through the Forks of Yough toward Steubenville
crossing the Monongahela at Elizabeth & witnessed the effects of a fearful
tornado or hurricane that had passed over a part of that village. It also left
on the opposite side of the river terrible marks of its desolating power.
Early in March (1825) our second child, David was removed by death "I have now
reason to believe that I have in heaven, a father, a mother, a brother, a
sister & a son."
In Nov 1825, my son John Bell was born in Winchester, my wife remained there at
her father's until spring. I boarded during the winter, recd an invitation in
Nov to visit & preach in Staunton with a view to receiving a call from that
place. In Jany 1826, I spent a Sabbath there & soon after was advised that a
unanimous call for me wd be brought before Presbytery at its spring meeting.
In Mch & April, visited Westnd Co & spent part of three days with my aged
grandfather Rev Dr Power, finished business with A. Foster Esq at Gbg & rtd by
Winchester from which place I brought my family to Harrisonburgh. A few days
after, went to Presby at Staunton & recd & accepted a call to the church
there. On May 10, 1826, I removed there rented & occupied a house from Mr
Taylor for $60 per yr in which I lived the whole period of my residence there.
Augusta Co of which Stanton was the Co seat was formed from Orange Co in 1738 &
for over 50 yrs extended over most of WVA & claimed much of W. Pa & the whole
north west territory. It was reduced to its present dimensions in 1790 &
Staunton was early settled by Scotch Irish emigrants from Penna & Ireland. Rev
John Craig from Ireland was in 1740 installed pastor of Augusta & Tinkling
Spring. The whole of Fayette, Greene & Wash Co's & a great part of Westnd &
Allegheny Cos were supposed by Virginians to be in Augusta Co until the
boundary was definitely settled long after the Revolutionary War. Dr McMillan
was at Staunton on Wednesday after 3d Sabbath of Nov 1775 & renewed
acquaintance with old friends who were overjoyed to see him & toward evening,
he rode out to John Trumble's. In this new charge at Staunton, I laboured till
the fall of 1832. The Synod of Va met in 1826 in Lexington, in 1827 in
Lynchburg, in 1828 in Staunton, in 1829 in Richmond, in 1830 in Winchester, in
1831 in Harrisonburgh, all of which I attended but excepting that at Richmond
in 1829 there is nothing unusual to note. Having a short time before lost our
4th child Joseph, my wife was in great need of an excursion & joined us on our
trip to Synod at Richmond. We stopped going & coming at old Mr Ferguson's who
kept a public house, but made no charge to us. He had a wooden leg with a foot
on it, so well adjusted you would think it real. He showed us a literary
curiosity which had been in his family before the Revolutionary War, viz a copy
of the first folio edition of Dr Johnson's "Dictionary" ctg his celebrated
definition of oats viz: "oats, a species of grain, food for horses in England &
for men in Scotland", which was left out in subsequent edition. The witty
remark of Lord Mansfield, a Scotchman, when told of this definition is perhaps
well known. "have you seen Murry, Dr Johnson's definition of oats". "No" said
M & when it was recited to him, he said: "And whoever saw such horses & such
men". The edition was generally in good condition though ctg some stains from
having been buried in the ground a number of years during the Revolution.
In the Spring of 1832, I was sent as Comr to the Genl Assembly at Phila & on
this occasion made a visit to Boston & going through Northampton, stopped off
for a day's rest & to visit the house where Jonathan Edwards was born & the
g.y. where David Brainerd lies buried beside Miss Edwards, to whom he was
engaged at the time of his death. Also visited Amherst College. Next day
reached the "Hub of the Universe" entering it by the south commons & spent
several days visiting Bunkers Hill & its monument, Charlestown & its envious,
Famed hall the Cradle of American Liberty, the Market House etc. Returning, I
reached Frederick Md Saturday night & preached for Mr Hamm with whom I spent
the day. He told me of a select boarding school at Prospect Hill in the
country near which had been gotten up very successfully by Mr Jonathan E.
Woodbridge, great grandson of the celebrated American Philosopher & Divine Revd
Jonathan Edwards Sr who he said wished to sell out in order to go the Theo Sem
at Princeton & prepare for the gospel ministry. This providential visit
resulting in an interview with Mr W. & I embarked in this enterprise & Rev
Hamner? assured me that he was going to relinquish his charge next spring.
Accordingly, I took charge of the Institution in Oct 1822 & upon Rev H's
removal in the spring, by unanimous invitation became stated supply of the con.
Domestic afflictions caused the owner of Prospect Hill to repossess the place &
he made favorable term with me for cancellation of the lease & I moved the
school to town, securing a location near the church. In this two fold
capacity, I remained in Frederick Md till early in the fall of 1834 everything
connected with this removal being overruled by a kind Providence in my favor.
Mrs S. upon leaving Staunton, accompanied me to Winchester & remained at her
father's until Jany, having given birth to a son in December (1832) whom we
called Wm Wylie Smith. She was however able to come on & assume her part in
charge of our rather oppressive & responsible concern, a boarding school of 14
boys.
A letter from an entire stranger in the late summer of 1834 invited me to St
Clairsville, O & as I had a longing to get near my friends in W. Pa or eastern
Ohio, I went & spent two Sundays there & preached for them & this was followed
by a unanimous call & my removal there in Oct 1834 & being installed pastor, I
continued with them 2 yrs & 6 mos. The church was torn with dissensions, my
predecessor Rev Joseph Anderson, was my Uncle by marriage, his first wife
having been my father's sister, but I had never before seen him. He was still
living at St Clairsville, O but soon after moved to Missouri. I attended the
meeting of the Synod of Pgh at Steubenville & the crowd was too big. Old Dr J.
Anderson, looking very frail was there. He talks of coming to St Clairsville
to spend the rest of his days. HIs brother George lives here & is an Elder in
our church & two of the Dr's sons in law have sold out & talk of coming here.
Saw many old friends at Synod, Fairchild Wm Anderson, Stockton, Beatty, Riddle,
etc. Mr McCurdy was there broken down as to voice & with rheumatism, in other
respects well. Their best business men appeared to be R. Johnston, Elliott,
Herron, A.O. Patterson & Wild.
Rev Wm Campbell, Pres of Franklin College at New Athens, O dying of consumption
in the winter of 1836 37, I was urged & prevailed on to succeed him &
accordingly took up my residence there in Apr 1837. The school had been
started 10 yrs before by Rev Wm McMillan D.D. Nephew of Rev John McMillan D.D.
of Wash Co, Pa who dying was succeeded by Mr Campbell. By the fall of 1838,
the student body of young men had increased to 100. I had thought before of
making St Clairsville my permanent home, having bought a lot & the lumber to
build a home.
During the last six mos of my residence at New Athens, I supplied the pulpit of
the Presbyterian Ch at Cadiz. Gen Harrison, then a candidate for the
Presidency, spending a Sabbath in Cadiz & attending our church packed it full.
This unexpected crowd gave me the opportunity of enlarging on the words: "By
humility & fear of the Lord, are riches & honor & life". The General was a
good hearer & afterwards paid me the compliment of calling at my lodgings &
spending an hour with me. He told me that though he was an Episcopalian, his
wife was a Presbyterian & that he had a seat in Dr Wilson's church, Cincinnati
& attended there as much as he did his own church. After 18 mos, I withdrew
because of the effort to bring the college under abolitionist domination.
In the fall of 1838, I recd invitations to return to Frederick Md as Pastor of
the Pres Ch & Pres of the college which I accepted & served both 5 yrs but then
withdrew fr the Pastorate feeling I was not performing my whole duty to them,
but continued 6 mos longer as their stated supply.
In the summer of 1844 I preached at Ellicotts Mills Md & finding there a field
of usefulness resigned as principal of the college at Frederick & moved my
family there on Sept 15, 1844, within a year by foregoing my salary their
church debt of $900 was paid off. Being invited to Annapolis, I preached there
& was asked to return another Sabbath, which resulted in their giving me
unanimously a call, which I wanted to accept, but the Con of Ellicott's Mills
appeared before Balto so strongly, opposing my release, that the Pres did not
let me go. About this time, the Annual Report of the board of Missions called
for an Agent in W. Pa & Eastern Ohio. An article appeared in the Presbyterian
about a Mr Smiley an aged elder of my gf Joseph Smith's Church, which led me to
write a sketch of his life for the Presbyterian [unreadable]. I
signed "Westmoreland". This lead to other articles on the Fathers & Mothers of
that section & to my eventual election as agent, as above noted & I appeared by
request before the Synod of Pgh, Whg, & Ohio. Early in Oct, I moved with my
family to Steubenville, preferring it because of the good educational schools
for our children. We boarded at Miss Jenkinsons's there until the spring of
1847 & then lived in a rented house until Apr 2, 1849 when I removed to
Allegheny City. In my agency work, I attended meetings of the Synod of Ohio at
Columbus, O & Fredericktown, Knox Co, O while acting in this capacity &
planning work in the Pres of Erie, I visited Niagara Falls, taking my daughter
Rebecca with me. We started first to Beaver or Rochester by steamboat, then to
Erie by the canal packet boat & then by steamer to Buffalo, then by RR Cars to
Niagara Falls where we spent a good part of a summers day visiting everything
visitable on both sides of Niagara River. Then homeward via Dunkirk, Elmira &
Jamestown NY & Warren where we spent a Sabbath among Christians who prayed
sitting on the seat, thence by Franklin home. At a meeting of the Synod of Pgh
in Oct 1850 a memorial was presented from the Com of West Elizabeth asking to
have the town of Elizabeth in the bounds of Round Hill united with them. This
was opposed by the Round Hill people & fell, but it brought to my view the
perilous condition of our oldest W. Pa Churches, that considering my desire to
return to my old ministerial & pastoral duties that I advised with Dr Fairchild
& following his approval thereof, I spoke to a member of the Session of Round
Hill which resulted in my receiving a unanimous call, my removal to Elizabeth
in Apr 1851 & assumption of the pastoral charge. A new house of worship was
built in Elizabeth where I preached half of my time. The old house at Round
Hill was also completely repaired. In May 1853, I attended a meeting of Gen
Assembly at Phila a com fr Pres of Redstone visiting then NY, Balto, Winchester
& Frederick City. On Sept 3, 1858, I completed a memoir of my gf Rev Joseph
Smith of Buffalo & sent it to Dr Sprague. I also received a copy considerably
enlarged for "Old Redstone, a Hist of Early Western Presbyterianism" a work I
was then preparing for the Presb. The declining state of Elizabeth in the
Spring of 1855, & other activities along the Yough, called for more of my time
at Round Hill & my residence in their midst. Never having lived in the
country, this was distasteful to my family & I thought called for the services
of a younger man, so I thought best to withdraw as soon as I could find a
satisfactory opening. IN the fall of 1855, I spent a Sabbath in Greensburgh,
then vacant & received a unanimous call which I accepted & was installed, my
labours to begin Jany 1, 1856. Not being able to get a suitable residence in
Gbg, we moved to Allegheny City & I went every week once & often twice to Gbg.
Judge J. procuring for me from the Pres of the Penna Cent RR Co a free ticket.
Our 1st Com there was 2d Sabbath of May 1856. Messr Gillett & Brownson being
with me, the people of Round Hill gave me many tokens of their friendship which
always continued. Having now preached for a longer or shorter term in
Warrenton, Harrisonburg, & Staunton VA, Frederick Md St Clairsville, O New
Athens & Cadiz, O Ellicott's Mills Md & Round Hill Pa & now entered on my tenth
field. In this statement, I have left out the period of my agency for the Bd
of Missions. My labours were now devoted to the field around the Co town of
the Co in which I was brought up, the county of my boyhood & my old age.
Though a native of Fayette Co, I was when a little more than 2 yrs old taken by
my father to Rostraver Tp, Westnd Co, Pa & now after 40 yrs I was back not amid
the immediate scenes of my boyhood, but to the old Co of Westnd.
Here, I entered upon my last & longest pastoral charge, when I left the county
in 1815, the Rev Wm Speer was still pastor continuing until he died Apr 26,
1829 & was on Apr 7, 1830, was succeeded by Robert Henry who was pastor of the
United charge until his death, being succeeded by Rev James I. Brownson pastor
of both Gbg & Mt Pleasant until his removal to Wash, Pa when he was succeeded
by Rev Wm D. Moor who resigned in 2 or 3 yrs & Rev J. Kennedy who did not stay
long, the relation being dissolved by mutual consent of the Pres of Redstone in
1855. We had then in Gbg, 9 houses of Worship in a population of 1200, mostly
made up however from people living in the county. At the time of my settlement
there were 84 members of our church. I employed my leisure time in 1856 & 1857
in work for a second volume of "Old Redstone" & for a "History of Jefferson
College". The first I had never completed, having not seen my way clear for
its publication. The second work was given to the public in 1857, owing in
part, perhaps to the very defective forms, as to cover, binding etc in which it
was brought out, it never remunerated the publisher, Mr J. Shryock for his
expense & trouble which I greatly regretted.
My family & myself continued to experience uninterrupted health. My daughter
Maria was married to Rev J. Calvin Barr now pastor of the Pres Ch at
Lewisburgh, Va. My second son James P. Smith went to VA as a teacher & during
a revival at Winchester Va united with the Church & went to the Union Theolog
Sem to prepare for the ministry. Soon after these things, the Presidential
election of 1860 coming on & the terrible convulsion of our country by the
Secession of the southern states in the winter of 1860 61 occurred.
He has a page or two of most able sensible talk about the position of the south
& of his trying position by reason of a son & two daughters being identified
with Va & his wife's people all being Secessionists. Also of formation of
Blairsville, Pres out of Redstone in 1830 & of Saltsburg Pres out of it in 1856
& of Gbg being taken into Blairsville Pres & Somerset & Jenner as well & of Rev
L.Y. Graham going to Somerset where he preached several years & of new men viz:
Markell? Carothers, Hamilton Eonix [best guess] & others coming in their Pres.
States that from Jany 1, 1856 to Jany 1, 1866, he enjoyed as many temporal
mercies as usually fall to the lot of ministers. No serious sickness or death
occurred in my family. The only event of Special importance was the marriage
of my daughter Maria to the Rev J.C. Barr of Lewisburg, Va. I had one son
fighting on the Confederate side & two on the Union side & though none were
killed, they were called on to suffer in other ways. One was in the Allegheny
Theo Sem, Preparing for the ministry & was induced to enlist in his country's
service, was wounded in the battle of Pgh Landing contracted chronic diarrhoea,
had chills & fever & since his partial recovery, his health has not been such
as to permit of his returning to his studies.
My second son though now a minister of the gospel, but is in the southern Pres
Ch with which also his sisters & their husbands are connected. We are a
divided family, but "our fellowship & trust is with the Father & with his son
Jesus Christ".
In the spring of 1857, we removed from Allegheny to Gbg & for 3 yrs occupied
the house of Mr Bott, then one year a house of Mrs Richardson & after that, a
house of Mrs Steck, widow of Rev Steck who had died in this house, but after I
had been her tenant for several years, she sold it to a gentleman who wished to
occupy it himself. Not being able to get a house in Gbg, that met our family
needs & my limited circumstances, I obtained a house in Ludwick the village
adjg where we moved in the spring of 1867. My wife who had suffered several
yrs from asthma, found much relief here, the good water & higher altitude being
better for her ailment than the lower parts of Gbg in which we had been living.
I will now turn back & note some things I had adverted to in a sort of diary I
had kept since coming to Gbg. A specimen for instance being:
"Aug 6, 1863 on the 1st of this month, I recd the following telegram:
Indianapolis, Aug 1, 1863
To Rev Joseph Smith, your son Joseph N. Smith here very sick. Will telegraph
any change in morning. H.H. McKernan"
I set off at once by the cars, reached Indianapolis 421 miles 6 Am next morning
& found Joseph better. He had recd a sunstroke or was attacked with congestive
chills in the street a few days before & not being known, was taken to the jail
by a subscription book of Rev Stevenson State Librarian found in his
possession. that gentleman when sent for recognized him. He was unconscious &
so remained for over 30 hours. He was immediately removed to a "Littell House"
where I found him. I was there Aug 2 & 3 & rtd evg of 3d getting home 9 Am
4th. My son reached home a few weeks later greatly weakened from a chronic
Diarrhoea".
Aug 25, 1863, great crowds here from Fayette Co being the day before the Board
of Examination for the drafted men of the Fayette Co Draft Roll.
Sept 2, 1863 we had Rev S. Nicchols & wife on their way to Chambersburg with us.
Sept 9, 1863. On last Saturday, I attended & officiated at the funeral of the
Hon. James Todd who died on Thursday previous in 77th yr of his age, a good man
of great worth & a member of the Pres Ch for many years. As the lawyers of Gbg
were all there, I took occasion to exhort them "Judge Todd's name in the title
of the great lawsuit between the old school & then new school Pres Ch
thus: "Todd & others vs Green & others" When the New School members of the
Gen. Assembly in 1837 withdrew & organized another Gen Assembly, claiming to be
the true legal Gen As., they of course elected certain trustees that were to be
annually elected & amongst that number was the Hon. James Todd, when he with
the others elected came to demand their seats in the Board & were refused, they
brought a suit of Quo Warrants vs the Bd that refused to recognize them. And
in this way, the whole question of the legal character of that Gen As. which
elected Todd & others came up for trial. Hence the title "Todd & others vs
Green & others", but, many yrs after Judge Todd brought his cft fr the church
of Rev Shepherd (N.S.) & was regularly recd by the church of Gbg"
Last evening, Sept 8, 1863, I married Henry Marchand Esq & Mrs Susan Marchand,
and today visited Mrs Brown, relict of the late Dr Samuel Brown, now apparently
near her end from paralysis.
Oct 21, 1863 attended Synod of Pgh at Johnstown. Lodged with Mrs Barnes. Soon
after my return, recd a letter from Calvin Power informing me of the death of
his brother Rev Francis H. Power who died at Hansville, Tenn Oct 16, 1863 in
the service of the Christian Commission & urging me to come over.
Mr T.D. Ewing of the A.T. Seminary came up Saturday evening in the 10 o'clock
Carr [sic] to take my place here. I set out on the 11 o'c train, went to Pgh,
lodged at the mansion house & next day, Sabbath Oct 25th accompanied the train
ctg the body of F. Power, that had reached Pgh the evening before to his
father's Dr James Power.
Oct 26, attended the funeral at Roundhill Church & preached from Heb. 6:12,
then rtd home on the following day.
Dec 31, 1863 intensely cold the old year going out in a terribly rough spell of
wintery severity.
8:33 PM Sept 3d 1926 going at my other work until daylight returns.
8 Am Sept 4, 1926 resuming.
July 15, 1864 my birthday. Entered on my 69th yr. Spent the day principally
at John Power's. Read the greater part of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" & a "Life of
Spurgeon".
Sept 1, 1864. This morning, bright & clear & nearly cold enough for frost.
Joseph got home last night fr Pgh where he had arrived in the PM fr Wash City
having been 1st sergeant in Knapp's Battery serving 100 days in Fort Slocum in
the dist. (we afterwards learned that his brother James who was on Genl Ewell's
staff was with an invading army for 24 hours within sight of the steeples of
Wash & within common shot of fort Slocum, where Joseph then was, ready to fire
without any mutual knowledge")
"The news from Grant, Sherman, & Sheridan is that each in his respective field
has bright prospects of suppressing the rebellion. So also Farragut at Mobile,
but the prospect looked bright for this issue one year ago"
Sept 6, 1864 News of the capture of Atlanta reached us last night. Yesterday
brought the news also of the death of Dr Nathaniel West in his 70th year,
perhaps abt a year older than myself; as was also Dr Fairchild. "Set thine
house in order" etc.
Nov 23, 1864. My son John came home, having recently rtd to Phila from
Pensacola where he has been for 18 or 20 mos in the service of the Gov in
charge of navy stores.
Dec 22d John & Rebecca rtd fr a visit to the Forks & Elizabeth village.
April 14, 1865. This morning the news reached us by telegraph that President
Lincoln was assassinated by Booth, a stage player at the theatre in
Washington. He died this morning at 7 o'clock & 22 minutes. It is also sd
that Seward was killed; but this is not yet fully confirmed.
June 1, 1865. Within the last 6 weeks, how many things worthy of note have
occurred. The capture of Jefferson Davis; the trial of the conspirators still
in progress etc.
June 14, 1865 attended mtg of Pres at Ebensburg & gave notice that I wished to
resign at end of yr to be acted upon at next mtg of Pres when Con were to offer
objections, if they had any.
Went to see Stephen Lloyd, now upwards of 80 yrs of age who when a boy & I was
7 yrs old lived with my mother in the winter of 1803 4 s heretofore noted.
On July 24, 15 4 Am set out for Winchester, Va where I lodged with John N.
Bell. Found my stock $2000 in Valley Bank Winchester a total loss, my other
interests greatly crippled & the ravages of war in the entire valley terrible.
Nov 6, 1865 at fall mtg of Pres at New Alexandria Pres granted my request to
resign my pastoral charge, effective Jany 1, 1866
July 4, 1866 a memorable date, just 90 yrs since the Declaration of
Independence & 40 yrs ago Jefferson & Adams died. During 1866, I suppled
several churches in a doze or more places throughout Westnd & Indiana Cos &
also a Roundhill & Rehoboth, Port Perry etc & visited my son Joseph in Juniata
Co.
In Dec 1867 as chairman of a com. helped to install Mr Carothers at Cross
Roads, was appointed to prepare a Hist of Blairsville Pres. I was sitting at
home (I think abt Apr 1, 1868) reading the paper when two ladies, Miss E.D. &
Miss A.M. called & I found I was unable to speak distinctly & felt something
like a semi paralysis. I have been permitted to labor 48 yrs in his vineyard
in 4 states & am now, May 1867 nearly 71 yrs old. Have been permitted to
preach longer than my father, or his father. And here ends what I have noted
in my diary. I have spoken of many excursions to NY & Boston in 1832 & to
Buffalo & Niagara & have omitted mentioning many others, but there are two I
want to refer to before I close these memoirs.
"A Journal of an excursion to the Gen As. NY May 19, 1864 having determined to
take a somewhat extended excursion, I purchased a duster coat & borrowed a
carpet bag, more genteel than my own, from a lady friend. He gives an extended
account of many friends met & of his pleasure in doing so of hearing Henry Ward
Beecher, Charles Sumner & other "Big Guns: & got home at noon on June 1
The second excursion was made in 1866. In the first the fearful carnage of war
was raging & I dared not enter VA to visit my friend or even to see my
children. Now slavery was abolished & I decided to visit the Ancient Dominion.
Sept 27, 1866 set off in the CRR car abt 10 1/2 o'c AM. The day was bright &
beautiful. Reached Altoona in the afternoon. Had tea with Mr Wallace & he
went with me to the office of the Central RR Co & got our passes renewed. Took
a sleeper through Hbg Balto where I met old friends, bot DeTocqueville's book,
collected interest on some city bonds at Farmers & Planters Bank, called on
Harmon Brown at his bank & took a boat to Fortress Monroe where we had to stay
by reason of a heavy storm & rain, in an over crowded ramshackle that could
only provided room for the ladies. The old fine Episcopal minister showed me
through the wonderful strong impregnable Fort. Got a sofa in the Ladies parlor
to sleep on night of Sept 30 & being averse to spending the next day among such
ungodly companions, got up & caught a boat to Norfolk where I arrived between 6
& &, got my breakfast, went to Dr Armstrong's church, addressed the S.S. heard
him preach on 2d Sam 14:14, went to dinner with him & preached for him that
night. Walking down in his garden in the afternoon, I pulled & ate some ripe
figs & skuppernog grapes. These were a greenish yellow color, rather thick
skinned, but of most delicious flavor (I never heard of them before JVT) They
abound in this part of VA & in NC. I saw them & figs also in the front yards
of several homes in Fortress Monroe. Speaking of Dr Armstrong preaching, he
thought as did the old Scotch lady about her preacher that with all his
intelligence, he "put the hay a little too high in the rack for the lambs".
Lodged with Mr Reynolds, one of his elders & Supt of S.S. Oct 3, No boat for
Richmond yesterday & am still at Mr R's & the rain was so continuous &
incessant that I didn't get out to view this ancient city which dates back to
Sept 1736.
Going to the boat at 4:30 AM had a pleasant days ride, reaching Richmond at 6
PM & made my way to Dr Hayes with whom Mr Brown & Elizabeth boarded. Next day,
I rode out with my daughter Elizabeth to & through the Hollywood Cem where
13,000 Confederate soldiers are buried & among other remarkable monuments saw
the beautiful monument or cenotaph of President James "Monro". I called in the
evening with Elizabeth & P. Grattan Esq an acquaintance & friend since 1821. I
found him when a young man in a dry goods store & reading law in Harrisonburg
at my first pastoral charge. He was then a member of the church. His course
has been onward & upwards ever since. Has reached great eminence, has a large
practice, & has written many books of law & reports.
Oct 4, set off to visit my son James in Roanoke & passed Appomatox C.H. Sta.
Passed Liberty, the Co town of Bedford Co. Near this place came in sight of
the Peaks of Otter, the loftiest mountains with one or two exceptions in the
southern states. The northern peak is 5307 ft above sea level being more than
a mile in height. They are often visited in the summer. John Randolph once
passed the night on these rocks with no
one but his servant, in order to witness the sunrise in the morning which upon
beholding caused him to say to his servant: "never from this time believe
anyone who told him there was no God".
Oct 5, breakfasted with Mr Lewis with James & spent the day with him.
Oct 6 Saturday rose at 7 & none up but the servants. After breakfast
reading "Dabney's Life of Stonewall Jackson" In the afternoon as James had an
appt to preach some 12 or 14 miles off where he officiated once a month &
wanted me to preach for him the coming Sabbath, he had his retired predecessor
a Rev Power Fr N.H. come & take me to his home. He had been pastor of the
church at Big Lick.
Oct & Sabbath, I preached in my son's pulpit in the morning to his people.
Oct 8, after breakfast, James arrived from his Sunday appointment, went 3 miles
across the river to the fine farm of Mr McLanahan & had dinner with him & his
wife & then bid my son goodbye & went to lodge with Mr Barksdale because of the
early departure of the train.
Oct 9, arose at 3 Am & took the train at 4 Am. At 8 Am after breakfasting at
Lynchburg, I passed through McGoor, Amherst, Charlottesville, Gordonsville,
Orange, Culpeper, Warronton Sta, Manasses, Fairfax, Alexandria, Washington,
Baltimore where I arrived at 8 PM.
At Charlottesville, a large middle aged gentleman came in our car which was
well filled & he took a seat with me who I found out to be very familiar with
that section & pointing out battlefields & other places of interest to me.
Presently, we came into Culpeper & he said: "there is the scene of one of the
greatest battles, Slaughter Mountain". I remarked that I had passed over that
very region & lodged with a gentleman from whom perhaps that mountain took its
name, Capt Slaughter. This was in 1819 & I well remember this fine old
gentleman & his most pious accomplished lady". "They were my parents" said
he. I was utterly surprised & turning round to him I said: "I suppose you are
the Rev Dr Slaughter formerly of Wash City" for I had seen that their oldest
son had in after life taken orders in the Episcopal church. "Yes", he said, "I
am an Episcopal minister". He was connected with their seminary in Alexandria
& editor of their paper there. He told me much about his parents one of whom
was a Presbyterian. I was very fortunate in my fellow travellers that eventful
day of my life.
The various places met with that day renewed the memories of 1819 20 21.
Passed through the famed Brandy Sta where remains of Federal Soldiers were
being buried. Reaching Balto that night the bars & grog shops were closed,
preparatory to the election next day.
Oct 10. Lodged last night at a house opposite Camden Sta. Breakfasted at Green
House in Spatt St. After attending to some business, called on Mr H. Brown
whose good lady & Miss Mary gave me an excellent lunch & a cup of tea. I set
off fr Balto at 12:10 PM & got home 1 AM 11th.
My early ministration were widely extended embracing 5 counties, Loudon,
Fauquier, Fairfax, Prince William & Culpeper with occasional excursions into
Stafford & Madison, all south of the Potomac & east of the Blue ridge
Mountains. This section has been especially fruitful of great men & renowned
statesmen, both before the Revolution & since. Loudon could boast of her Lees,
Monroes, Powells, Champes etc. Fauquier of her Marhalls, Kentons, Scotts,
Randolphs etc. Fairfax of her Washingtons, Masons, Grahams, Lewises, Fairfaxes,
Fitzhughs, Lees, Culpeper of her Greens, Slaughters, Thorntons etc.
Not less in importance were the well trained women superior in modesty
amiability & business managers & as wives & mothers.
My second field of labour was in Rockingham Co in the Valley of the
Shenandoah. This section was early settled by the Germans as early as the
middle of the 18th century. At the same time, there were a few scotch Irish
Presbyterians, partly from Ireland & partly from Penna, who came in the Co &
settled in & around Harrisonburg, Kuzzletown, & Port Republic & organized into
a church & had a regular pastor before the Revolutionary War. I was their 5th
pastor.
Rockingham Co was formed in 1778 from Augusta Co. Its Co seat is Harrisonburg
25 miles north of Staunton. There were comparatively few slaves in the Co, the
census of 1840 showing 899 out of 17,344. there were very few of our Pres who
possessed any & one of our principal slaveholders many years before his death
removed to Fayette Co, Pa setting his slaves all free & leaving them his whole
real estate. There, I found many of them a few years ago whom I had known in
Rockingham, some of whom I had married & some baptized. Harrisonburg was a
pleasant place & my pasturate [sic] there from 1821 to 1826 being from my 25th
to my 31st yr was signally blessed. This was not only my first pastoral
charge, but here, I entered on my married life & here three of my children were
born & the "Second was not for God took him". His little body lies in the g.y.
at our County church at "New Erection".
He spoke of Mr Harkey being pastor of the Lutheran Church at Frederick Md. I
wonder if it was my friend Rev S.L. Harkey Lutheran minister at Kutztown, Pa in
1898.
On invitation, he went on a bright summer day, like this one, one Sabbath to a
sequestered Moravian village called Graceham abt 14 miles north of Frederick &
preached to the immense throng of very plainly dressed, but immaculately clean
& neat christians who sat on plain benches & realized more than I had ever
before done the charm & beauty of the words "sweet is the day of Sacred rest".
He mentions a superior scotch Irish family, Clothworthy Birnie Esq & his
superior refined daughters particularly Miss Margaret as conducting a female
seminary some 15 miles north of Frederick & of sending one of his daughters
there & committing her to the matronly care of Miss M. It was an important
period in my life when I entered Belmont Co on my 5t ministerial charge. I had
now completed the 38th yr of my life. During the period of my connection with
St Clairsville, the Pres of Steubenville, which then embraced Belmont Co
consisted of Revs Rea, I. Hunt, C.C. Beatty, Coon, Tidbrull, Mitchell,
Campbell, Reed, Robinson, McArthur, McLean, Comingo, Magill etc. When in 1796,
I entered this world, Ohio as a state had no existence. All west of Ohio
River was then the Northwest Territory, and not until Nov 9, 1802 was the State
of Ohio created & brought into the Union. The first white child born west of
the Ohio River was said to be still living in Belmont Co & not a very aged
man. This county organized Sept 7, 1801 (how abt these dates) as the ninth
County of the State being immediately west of Wheeling, was perhaps settled as
soon as any other in the eastern part of the State. They came from all parts
of the eastern & northern states & a few Foreigners. There were descendants of
the first settlers of West Penna & western Virginia & some from Eastern
Pennsylvania & a few New England people, coming immediately from what was then
called New Connecticut or the Western Reserve. The Emigration fr W. Pa was
largely Presbyterians. May of them children of the oldest churches in Wash Co,
who had been baptized by McMillan, Smith, Dod [sic] etc.
The first church of St Clairsville then known as Short Creek was formed from
these people. Its first & only pastor was the Rev Joseph Anderson. He was a
son in law of Rev Joseph Smith, was licensed by the Pres of Ohio, toward the
close of the last century & at a meeting of the Pres of Ohio (N.W. Ter) Aug 19,
1800 was ordained & installed pastor of Richland, Short Creek & Cross Roads.
Dr McMillan preached on the occasion. this merged or later became known at St
Clairsville to which Con he gave the labors of the prime of his life, but
disaffection & alienation springing up, he had resigned his charge & was not
serving them, though still living there when I came first among them. In a
short time afterwards, he removed with his very interesting family to Missouri,
but did not long survive the removal, being hurried to his eternal reward by a
cancer in his face. His oldest daughter soon followed him. The rest of his
family so far as known, still reside there.
With this autobiography are three pamphlets which I must now look over so I can
return all together. They are:
1. Inaugural address delivered by Rev Joseph Smith upon his entrance on the
office of President of Frederick College Frederick City Md Oct 1838
2. The Fear of God, Woman's True Praise, A Sermon on Proverbs 31:30 by Joseph
Smith D.D. 8th pastor of Roundhill Con Pub by request of the Ladies of
Roundhill Con by J.S. Shryock Pgh 1855.
3. The Pilgrim, a sermon in Mem of the life & labors of Rev Joseph Smith D.D.
by Rev W.H. Gill preached at Greensburg, on Sabbath, Mch 14, 1869. Printed for
the Presbyterian Banner by W.S. Hamm & Co Pittsburgh 1869 46 pages
The first the inaugural of 16 pages is fine & scholarly on page 7 he says that
before the time of Plato, there were no public places of education among the
Greeks, although the Jews in the time of Samuel & the prophets were trained to
wisdom & piety. A German writer Couringius, says the Attanians, that they
might atone for their crime committed against philosophy by their condemnation
of Socrates offered to Plato a grove in their suburbs as a place of
instruction. To this the name of Academy was given from Hecademus or Academus,
the name of the man who had constructed the grove.
On page 15, he refers to the great impetus given to education by Pope Urban V
who from his won means educated 1000 young men. Says the university now 1838,
consisting of 12 colleges & 4 halls had its inception in St Peters its first
college in 1257. This name it still retains. An attempt was made in the 17th
century to change it. Lady Mary Ramsey offered it an additional endorsement, a
large & valuable property if the name would be changed to "Peter & Mary's
College", but Dr Soame at that time master of the college sarcastically
remarked that Peter had been too long a bachelor to think of a comrade in his
old days. Says fuller, "A dear bought jest for the lady piqued at the remark,
threw her munificence in another direction".
The Second his sermon at Roundhill preached July 22, 1855 to the women of the
Church as stated in a four page introduction was induced because of during his
4 yrs ministry with them of the death of nine aged ladies within the bounds of
the church all widows, but two & six of them communicants & within a short time
previous to the delivery, one mother in the bloom of youth, another of middle
age with eleven children around her & another, a young lady, all members of the
church descended to the grave. The Roundhill church is one of the oldest west
of the Allegheny Mountains. Rev James Finley visited here in 1772 & preached
to a few scattered whites living contiguous to the Indians up until 1783 he rtd
& preached to them occasionally. In the year 1784, Mr Finley having taken his
dismission fr New Castle (Del) Pres took the pastoral charge of this church in
connection with Rehoboth. After his death on Jany 6, 1795, they remained
vacant over two yrs when Rev David Smith, father of the writer was installed
over them. He died Aug 24,1803 following wonderful interest in & accessions to
the church. He was succeeded by the Rev Wm Wylie D.D. in 1805, who ctd until
the Spring of 1817 when he asked to be dismissed & in the following June, Rev
Robt Johnston became their pastor, his labors continuing until Oct 1831 &
remained vacant until July 1833 when they were supplied by Rev N.H. Gillett,
who in Dec 1834 was installed pastor over both churches & so ctd until 1841
when he was dismissed to give his whole time to Rehoboth. thus had the
churches been united for 57 yrs. Roundhill made a temporary alliance with
McKeesport & afterwards with West Elizabeth & in 1841 called Rev Wm Eaton who
ctd pastor until 1844. In 1845, Rev Adley Calhoun was installed & continued
until his death in the spring of 1848. The Con. was supplied by licentiates
viz Edgar, Fulton, & Hamilton until the spring of 1851 until Rev Joseph Smith
yr present pastor was called & settled among you in June following. He adverts
to all the other Pres bodies in the Fork: Associate Reformed Pres, Reformed
Pres or Covenanters, U.P's & McCoyites. Speaks of eleven people raised up out
of these churches going into the ministry mentioning among them Rev James R.
Willson D.D., Samuel Willson, Samuel Findley, D.D. of Ohio, Matthew H. Willson
of Indiana Co, Adley Calhoun, David Pollock of West Newton, Alex Fergus, Philip
Drennan, James Caldwell, Francis H. Power & Zaccheus Willson of Iowa
His text is Prov 31:30 "Favor is deceitful; and beauty is vain; but a woman
that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised".
This whole chapter contains important instructions for you. Mr Henry, the
commentator, say respecting this chapter "This is the looking glass for ladies,
which they are desired to open & dress themselves by; which if they do, their
adorning will be found to praise and honour & glory at the appearing of Jesus
Christ"
Sept 6/26 9:33 Am resuming.
It is time, that to be indifferent about a good name commonly proves the loss
of all moral principle.
He closes 13 pages of an excellent sermon with the exhortation that "the Lord
may raise up here from age to age many daughters who shall be as corner stones,
polished after the similitude of a palace".
Then follows 11 pages of an "Appendix" with sketches of six of the ministers of
that section. The first is that of Rev Audley Calhoun, regularly installed
pastor then of Roundhill & McKeesport who at the latter place in Feby 1846 on
25th or 26th I think married my dear & precious God fearing & Christian father
& mother. He reports that he was born on Jany 2, 1821 (only 4 days older than
my dear mother) in the midst of that congregation of which he died the pastor.
He graduated from Jefferson College in the fall of 1839. The following year,
he was in the Western Theo Sem. but by reason of a severe bronchial affection,
this was followed by a period in the south & rtg in improved health, he
completed his course & was licensed
to preach by the Pres of Redstone in the spring of 1844 & in June 1845, was
installed pastor at Roundhill & McK as above noted. He had stored his mind
with wisdom & knowledge. He was loved & honored & systematically commenced the
upbuilding of the church by committing the cause of Domestic missions to the
married ladies & mothers of his Con. the cause of Foreign missions to the
married & elderly men & the cause of education to the young of both sexes &
himself generously contributed a portion of the books to a library he started,
his delightful winning intercourse with the children & youth of the Con, his
continued attempts to preach in season & out of season far beyond his strength,
his devoted filial & fraternal affection, were too much for his frail body. In
the winter of 1847 48, his health began to decline. A typhoid fever which
lingered long, hastened the development of pulmonary disease, seated in his
system, notwithstanding heroic resistance, he died on Mch 1848.
Rev Alexander G. Fergus was born Nov 18, 1823 in Elizabeth & graduated at
Washington College in 1845, with first honors. He passed through the western
Theo Sem & was licensed to preach Apr 10, 1850 & on Sept 2, 1851 was ordained
pastor of Sewickley & West Newton. On the night of Sept 23, he was taken
seriously ill & died Sept 30, 1851 of inflammation of the bowels. He was
buried at Roundhill.
Rev Dr John Black D.D.. This remarkable man was a native of Ireland & a
graduate of the Univ of Glasgow. In the fall of 1797 by reason of the
insurrectionary movement many & especially the Reformed Pres to which church he
adhered were given three alternatives: 1st to sin by swearing allegiance to a
tyrannical Gov, 2d being shot on the instant on the spot without trial, 3d to
flee & exile themselves from their country.
He chose the last & coming to Phila, pursued his Theo studies at the Univ of
Penna, was licensed to preach & in the fall & winter of 1799 first visited the
Forks of the Yough & a year later in 1800 was installed pastor of the Reformed
Pres Con at Pgh. He had an iron constitution & a cheerful spirit & served a
scattering field 100 miles square, traveling 3000 miles a year & enduring
hardships innumerable. Mr Ewing came to his aid & later married his eldest
daughter. His services in Ky & S.C. were laudatory & greatly blessed. He died
Oct 25, 1849 aged 841 yrs having lived to bury the last member of his Con who
signed the call to him as their pastor. He was the Father of the Covenanter
Church in W. Pa which he served for 50 yrs. He died in Pgh & was born in Co
Antrim, Ireland Oct 2, 1768. Over his grave a handsome marble monument bears
many inscriptions illustrative of his life & work.
Rev Dr Wylie. Rev Wm Wylie D.D. is a native of Wash Co, Pa. His] father was a
native of Ireland & a half brother of the Rev Dr Samuel Wylie, late of Phila.
He was an early emigrant to Upper Buffalo, Wash Co, Pa in bounds of Rev Joseph
Smith's Con. & here William was born about 1774, studied at infant Academy at
Canonsburg & was induced by Rev James Welch who married one of his pastor's
daughters to go to Ky where he taught & studied & was licensed to preach by
West Lexington Pres. In 1800, he rtd & Pres of Ohio gave him privilege to
itinerate etc. Helped organize Pres of Erie & came on Feby 6, 1805 to Redstone
Pres & ordained Pastor of Rehoboth & Roundhill. In 1816 at his own request, he
was dismissed & removed to Uniontown, Pa from whence in 1823 he went to
Wheeling, Va in the Pres of Washington, Oct 2, 1832, he was dismissed to Pres
of Lancaster Ohio. He accepted a call to Newark, O & has ever since lived &
labored. Abt 2 yrs ago recd a fall & fractured a hip bone but lives resigned
80 yrs old. He was a mighty man in the pulpit & when in a happy frame of mind,
he was altogether unrivalled for pathos, sublimity & grandeur. He gives a fine
encominum [sic] from a NY minister who heard him preach a communion sermon at
Chartiers when assisting Dr McMillan on the text "ye have both seen & hated
both me & my father". His appearance was tall & striking.
Rev Robert Johnston was born in Cumberland (now Perry) Co Pa on the banks of
the Juniata in Aug 1774, where he spent the first years of his life. He
studied at Canonsburg Pa & was licensed to preach by the Pres of Ohio Apr 23,
1802. He evidently studied under Dr McMillan, Itinerated in Pres of Erie late
in 1803 he was installed pastor of Scrubgrass & Bear Creek where he labored 7
yrs. After 6 yrs, then at Meadville Pres, he came to Redstone Pres & Westnd Co
& was installed pastor of Rehoboth & Roundhill June 18, 1818 at his own
request, he was dismissed in 1831 from Roundhill & in 1832 from Rehoboth & in
1833 went to the old historic "Bethel" on Black Lick in the Pres of
Blairsville, Pa. Here he continued many years until the infirmities of age
drove him to Indiana Pa where he lived without a pastoral charge with his son
James Johnston Esq. Upon the removal of his son, a distinguished lawyer to New
Castle, the Co seat of the new county of Lawrence, he & his aged wife
accompanied him. Here she died two years later, where however, he still lives
at a very advanced age. He was a tower of strength in the Pres Ch & for over
40 years never missed a meeting of the Synod of Pgh.
Rev Dr James R. Willson Elizabeth Tp in a rather obscure part of Allegheny Co &
out of the beaten path of travellers can like many other secluded places boast
as did the Maine Yankee who when asked what could be raised from the poverty
stricken land of his state answered "we raise school houses and churchs [sic]
and men". One of the noblest specimens of humanity that our country ever
produced began his career in the bounds of Roundhill church. The Rev James R.
Willson D.D. was born about 1779 on the farm now owned & occupied by Wm Shrader
where he was a hard worker on his father's farm & a "greedy devourer of
books". When out of his minority, he went to Canonsburg pursuing his studies &
graduating about 1807. His attention was turned to the gospel ministry of the
Reformed Pres body to which his parents belonged, but he had been baptized by
Rev Dr Power at which early time there was no Covenanter minister in the
neighborhood. He taught at Bedford Pa where he found at a hotel Dr Todd of Ky
an infidel who on his rtn fr the medical lectures at Phila, Pa took sick here &
died not however until Dr Willson had lead him to salvation an Illuming tract
on which that he put out was most interesting & instructive. His first
settlement was at Coldenham, Orange Co NY abt 1817. Later he was at Allegheny
as a teacher in the Cov Theo Sem there & in various important missions &
committees. He was called to the west to occupy the highest station which can
be assigned to a minister of the gospel: "An instructor of the youth of the
church, preparing for the gospel ministry". He closed his noble career at
Coldenham NY Sept 29, 1853 in his 74th yr. Here he & other members of his
family are buried. "He went about doing good".
Memorial sermon on Rev Joseph Smith D.D. preached at two services, morning &
evening Mch 14, 1869 by Rev W.H. Gill, successor of Dr Smith in the pastorate
of the pres Ch at Gbg, but who never heard him preach. It contains a few
errors, one which stating that he was born at Rehoboth, but is a most able
valuable & worthy discourse. I make some notes fr its 46 pages. Wish I could
make more.
He heads his pamphlet which was printed by request of the Session & Trustees of
the Presbyterian Church Greensburgh, Pa
The Pilgrim
And starts with Longfellow's 8 line verse "lives of good men all remind us" etc
& Young's line
"A christian is the highest style of man: both most appropriate.
"Soldiers' said Napoleon as under the Shadow of those stupendous & impenetrable
structures of Egypt, he marshalled his troops "Soldiers from the summit of
those pyramids Forty ages are looking down on you"
But structures more enduring & sublime are to be found in the lives of holy men
in whose souls have been reared the God like characters which are the triumph
of divine art. Dr Smith regarded himself a pilgrim. Hence his favorite text
was: "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom". This is our text a petition of "Moses, the man of God" in the 90th
Psalm. Dr Smith regarded "this world not as his home, but as the house of his
pilgrimage" of his favorite hymns were:
1. I'm a pilgrim, and I'm a stranger etc.
2. Gently, Lord O Gently lead me Pilgrim through this vale of tears
3. My days are gliding swiftly by and I, a pilgrim stranger etc
I will too give a biographical view affording me, standing in his former place
the mournful satisfaction of casting a single flower on the grave of a servant
of our Lord Jesus Christ so "good & faithful as was Dr Smith"
Rev Joseph Smith was born July 15, 1796. His grandfather Smith was a native of
England, while the same relative by his mother's side was born in Ireland. (I
do not think he means what he says, bur rather that his ggmother Smith was born
in Ireland) l Both, however, quite early in life, came over & settled in the
eastern part of this state & in Maryland where both the grandparents of Dr
Smith were born.
His paternal grandfather was Rev Joseph Smith D.D. whose name he bore without
having, in any respects, clouded the glory reflected upon him by his close
connection with this truly great & good man. He was born in Maryland in 1736,
now 133 yrs ago.
His maternal grandfather was Rev James Power D.D. who was born in this state in
the year 1746.
Their birth & early manhood carry us back to Revolutionary days. Though they
took no part directly in that conflict, they took on themselves "the whole
armour of God" & fought the good fight of faith. They enlisted under the
captain of our Salvation in the cause of religion, the grandest, the holiest,
the best that engage the thoughts, the hearts & services of men without which
the victories of Washington wd have had neither permanence or worth. They were
two of that noble band of ministers who first preached the gospel west of the
Allegheny mountains & two of the four who constituted the Presbytery, now
called "Old Redstone" the parent Pres in all this region. The other two were
Rev John McMillan & Rev Thaddeus Dod who should be held in remembrance with
such as McKemie & Andrews, who were honoured instruments in founding the Pres
Ch in the U.S.
Rev Joseph Smith D.D. was, with two exceptions, the oldest minister of the
gospel who fell in the battlefield of Christian conflict in the west & found
the first minister's grave in the valley of the Mississippi. He came to the
western country in 1779 & labored the last 12 yrs of his life as Pastor of the
churches of Buffalo & Cross Creek, Wash Co, Pa. In 1785, he opened the first
school for the purpose of training young men for the ministry ever taught in
the west. It was held in a building put up for a kitchen & outhouse which his
estimable wife cheerfully sacrificed to so laudable an object. He took an
active part in everything pertaining to the education of the young. He had
much to do with the initiatory steps toward founding Jefferson college. He
died in 1792 in the 56th yr of his age & the 25th yr of his ministry. He had
five daughters, one of whom died in the full bloom of womanhood. The other
four became wives of Pres ministers. He had also two sons one of whom died in
preparation for the ministry. The other was Rev David Smith of Rehoboth, the
father of the subject of this sketch.
Rev James Power D.D., his maternal grandfather came out to the west in 1776, a
few months after the Declaration of Independence had been read in Phila. A
very graphic picture of himself & family is given in "Old Redstone" as he stood
for the first time on the summit of Laurel Hill & gazed over this western wild,
where he was henceforth to make his home among the yells of desperate savages &
growls of prowling wolves. In Nov, he crossed the mountains & in Dec one month
after their arrival, his wife presented him with their daughter Rebecca, the
first child born in a minister's family west of the Alleghenies & who afterward
became the mother of him whom today we delight to honor. (I think he went first
to Dunlaps Creek, making her as well as her loved & illustrious sons native of
Fayette Co). Dr Power had no less than eight daughters, but no son. Of these,
as in the case of Dr Smith's daughters, four became the wives of Presbyterian
ministers & the other four were married to gentlemen of prominence & worth in
this community. (Three, if not all four were married to Pres Elders, two or
three of them my blood relatives). Dr Power himself performed the marriage
ceremony for two of his daughters "standing with their husbands before him at
the same time." After arriving in the west, Dr Power was a missionary pastor
for 4 or 5 yrs when in 1781, he became settled over the Cong at Mt Pleasant Pa
of which he remained pastor until within a few years of his death when
infirmities of age compelled him to resign & he was succeeded by Rev A.O.
Patterson. He died, amongst the people with whom he had labored for almost
half a century, in 1830 at the age of 84 & the 58th of his ministry.
Both of these men were eminently godly & useful men, of apostolic purity &
piety & full of zeal & self denial. As a preacher, however, Dr Smith stood out
pre eminently. He was a giant & wielded the sword of the spirit with
tremendous power. His whole ministry in the west was a continuous revival
scene. His son, Rev David Smith born in Wilmington Del in 1772 was 7 or 8 yrs
old when his parents came to the west. He began to preached in 1794. He was a
young man of remarkable talent & power as a preacher. It was a common remark
that the mantel of the father had fallen on the son. He died in the midst of a
glorious revival in his own church in 1803, after a short, but most successful
ministry of 9 yrs. His wife only 27 at his death afterwards married Rev Thomas
Hunt of Two Ridges, O. She out lived her first husband some 36 yrs & died in
1839 in her 63d yr.
It can thus be seen how thoroughly Pres our Dr Smith was. It is doubtful
whether there is such another family tree in all the Pres Ch. He was a
Presbyterian of Presbyterians. His two grandparents, his father, his step
father, eight Uncles, a brother, a son, two sons in law & any number of cousins
& more distant relatives too numerous to mention were Presbyterian ministers.
An Uncle & a brother died also in preparation for the same glorious work. Thus
including himself, there were seventeen ministers in his own immediate family
connexion [sic] besides the two who died in preparation wd have made nineteen.
His published works are "Old Redstone" or "Historical Sketches of Western
Presbyterianism; its early ministers; its perilous times & its first records".
This is an octavo vol of 460 pages & is full of exceedingly valuable & highly
interesting matter. Every Pres shd read it. It is a volume of church history
which will be of constantly increasing value & interest & will one day be the
standard work on this whole subject.
His "History of Jefferson College" is in every way a supplement to "Old
Redstone:. Shame on the descendants of those pioneer founders & Wash Co that
they do not better meet the crisis of this critical time (It is when I was
there in 1869) & if they cannot save it for its past usefulness, let it "have
at least a respectable burial".
After Dr Smith's retirement from the pastorate of our church, he devoted
himself to the work of preparing a revised & greatly enlarged edition of
his "Old Redstone", the manuscript of the first part of which he had finished
but a few days before his death. To this, it was his purpose to add a second
part especially "concerning the noble race of elders & laymen who shared in the
glorious enterprise of raising & defending the walls of our beloved Zion". In
this work he had made as he tells us "Encouraging progress" & had all his plans
laid for carrying it on to completion, but this he was not to do. For just
then, he was taken up to the saints in heaven.
A short account of his last sickness & death will be proper here. Dr Smith was
a man of very vigorous constitution. He had never had a protracted illness.
For some weeks, however, previous to his death, he had been confined to his
room by reason of some malady in his head which caused him much pain. He felt
sufficiently recovered however to come over from Ludwick for some medicine & to
consult his physician. This was Tuesday Dec 1, 1868, three days before his
death. This was his last visit to Greensburg and as if he had had some
premonition of the fact, he stood that day on one of the street corners & gazed
intently in this direction & in that, as if taking a farewell look on these
familiar scenes he should look upon no more. He reached home safely, but much
fatigued, having no doubt contracted a fresh cold which increased the trouble
in his head & hastened the unlooked for termination of his life. Early on
Thursday morning, he arose & attempted to dress, but being unable to do so
returned to the coach from which he rose again no more. He spoke confusedly
for a short time, but soon lost the power of speech in which state he remained
until his death. Seemingly conscious, he lay until noon Friday when his
condition grew worse. I was with him & watched the good man die Friday Dec 4,
1868 at 4:30 PM as the shades of evening began to fall.
His family then consisted of his wife, & six children. There was nothing in
his whole life to give his friends any cause for regret, but as the venerable
Dr Sprague of Albany, his friend & classmate writes: "There was everything in
his character everything in his life, to be thankful for". As a man, Dr Smith
was one of matures gentlemen. He had a heart of unusual tenderness &
intellect of a high order. While at the seminary he was "distinguished for the
absence of anything like guile or artifice, & at the same time for a generous &
confiding spirit" (says Dr Sprague) "His manners were true fruit of goodness,
rather than of etiquette, the result of a generous & benevolent nature...... &
they were so gentle & winning as to make everyone feel at home in his
presence". (Dr Howard's sermon)
He was never absent more than two successive Sabbaths from the sanctuary, until
prevented by his last sickness. But not least among the the many excellencies
with which his Christian character was adorned was his humility "the lowliest
& the sweetest flower in the Lord's garden". He was a personification of that
heavenly wisdom which is "First pure, then peaceably gentle, & easy to be
entreated, full of mercy & good fruits, without partiality & without hypocrisy"
Of Dr Smith's domestic life I shall say "that they only knew him well who knew
him there, & to add the testimony of one who was for a long time, 35 yrs ago, a
member of his household & who had learned to love & esteem him as a father. He
(Rev Ross Stevenson) says: "Dr Smith was the tenderest of parents & the kindest
of friends". His home was a most delightful minister's retreat. As a minister
& pastor, he excelled. He was a frequent & ever welcome visitor at the
dwellings of his people. Bad weather never kept him from the sanctuary, the
sick room or a funeral. To the poor, he was especially kind & the gratitude of
the lowly was always precious. Among the touching incidents at his funeral
ceremonies, was a woman apparently in poor circumstances & unknown to any
present, who, like the Marys who were first at the sepulchre of the Crucified
One, went early to the house in order to make sure of getting a last look at
the still features of her departed friend. Alone she went to the house, alone &
in silence she followed the procession to the church, & thence to the cemetery
where she saw his remains safely deposited in their last resting place, who was
she. Behold how she loved him. He attained the enviable distinction of
having "lived so as to be missed" (McCheyne).
Among his brethren in the ministry, he was universally beloved. The venerable
Dr David Elliott D.D. L.L.D. writes; "During a long & intimate acquaintance, I
am unable to recall a single unkind or unbrotherly remark which he ever uttered
to the disparagement of any of his fellow laborers in the Gospel of Christ. In
this respect, he was a faithful observer of the apostolical [sic]
injunction "speak not evil one of another, brethren".
He gratefully acknowledges to God that he had during his ministry been
privileged to bring five hundred sons to Christ. His piety, purity & sincerity
were patent to everybody & universally acknowledged.
"No preacher ever so deeply impressed me or had such complete mastery over my
feelings & affections. I seldom heard him that I did not weep. From his
preaching, I learned more of myself & of my Savior than I ever had before. I
am under lasting obligations to his ministry. If I am so happy as to reach
heaven, the first minister of the Gospel, I shall want to see will be Joseph
Smith". Such is the testimony of Rev Ross Stevenson.
He has gone to the Redeemed above to his godly ancestors Joseph Smith & James
Power his long lost father & sainted mother & his beloved offspring, his
darling boy Willie, whose death & burial during an absence from home caused his
heart to bleed with an unaccustomed sorrow & the companions of his fathers,
McMillan & Dod and Finley & Patterson and Clarke & his own early companions in
the ministry, venerable man, Faithful servant of our adorable Redeemer,
Farewell, where is Smith & Kirkpatrick & Gillett of our own Pres of Blairsville
all of whose remains in the space of six short weeks we have followed to the
tombs. Note Rev David Kirkpatrick died Jany 5, 1869 & Rev N.H. Gillett Jany
21, 1869.
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
This pamphlet bears date & signatures given below:
Greensburg, Pa Mch 24, 1869 W.H. Gill
I recall with vivid distinctness the wonderfully benign & good face of this
grand man Rev Joseph Smith in "Old Redstone" which countenance fixed on my
countenance fully fifty years ago is as vivid as then, although I cannot at
this moment lay my hands on the cherished copy of "Old Redstone" that my
sainted mother so delighted to read & it is her reverence of the author that
has prompted me to give the daylight of a week & a day or two to read over the
manuscript of his last years writing & make the notations on the 69 pages
preceding.
Fayette Co, Pa has produced some good & great men, but in my humble judgement
neither it, nor any adjoining county nor an adjoining state has produced a man
so good & noble & gracious & so wholly devoted to his Master's cause & the work
he was called to do in his vineyard as Joseph Smith who died on Dec 4, 1868
Josiah V. Thompson
Additional Comments:
Taken from the Journals of Josiah V. Thompson, Vol. 18
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