Williamsburg County, South Carolina - Chapter 15: Presbyterianism Regnant, 1923

Whoever would understand the history of Williams¬ burg and its present life must first know its religious history. The dominant element among the original set¬ tlers of Williamsburg comes from a peculiar people whose spirit has remained unchanged in fundamental principles for more than a thousand years. In the sixth century, a colony of Irish-Scots migrated to North Britain, settled in the County Argyle, subjugated the Pictish tribe, and established there their kingdom. Ancient Caledonia has been since that day Scotland. These ancient Caledonians held the Presbyterian belief more than a thousand years before Calvin and Knox were born. Later, these Scots fell under the influence of Rome but never have until this day surrendered to its authority. Talliessin, a Latin poet who lived about 620 A. D., thus expressed the feeling of these Presbyterians in those far off ancient days: (Translation English of about a thousand years later).

Calvin and Knox were both born, trained, and educated under Roman Catholic influences and were mature men before they partially embraced Presbyterian principles. The second wife of Knox was Lady Margaret Stuart, a militant Romanist. Both of these men undertook to color

Presbyterianism with their own views. Neither one of them accepted the ancient Presbyterian faith as he found it. Both of them had a Avonderful influence on Pres¬ byterianism, although results did not reach great propor¬ tions until more than a century had passed. There are yet in Scotland and in Williamsburg County, South Caro¬ lina, two factions in the Presbyterian Church, one of which is distinctly the ancient Presbyterianism, and the other the Presbyterianism growing out of the influence of John Knox and of John Calvin.

After the War of the Revolution had closed, in 1783, there were three Presbyterian Congregations functioning in Williamsburg. In two of these, the Williamsburg Presbyterian Church and the Black Mingo Presbyterian Church, the majorities held to the ancient Presbyterian idea, while in the other, the Indiantown Presbyterian Con¬ gregation, the Calvin-Knox majority obtained. These three Presbyterian Churches were the only religious or¬ ganizations existing in Williamsburg in 1783. There were a handful of Episcopalians and Baptists in the Black Mingo community and a few Episcopalians along the San¬ tee River, but more than ninety-five per centum of the people in Williamsburg were Presbyterians.

After South Carolina had adopted the Constitution of the United States in 1788, the Presbyterian Church had in Williamsburg, for the first time in its history, an un¬ hindered opportunity to work out its own salvation. It had here, in all probability, a fairer field than it had enjoyed theretofore at any time or place in the world.

In 1783, the Williamsburg Church had sent to it, out of the patronage scheme of the Church of Scotland, the Reverend Samuel Kennedy, a native of Ireland. He was employed for a term of three years. The faction in his Church that inclined to the ancient Presbyterian doctrine of Scotland enjoyed his ministry. The Calvin-Knox faction of the congregation declared that he preached Socinianism, that he denied the Divinity of Jesus Christ, and that his sermons were more blasphemous than the sayings of in¬ fidels. During his first three years ministry, these two factions became sharply defined and each of them was enthusiastic in promoting its own idea in the matter.

When the three years time for which Mr. Kennedy had been engaged expired in 1786, the issue was drawn as to whether or not Mr. Kennedy's services as minister to the congregation should be retained. The "auld lichts" were in the majority in the congregation and so Mr. Kennedy was re-elected to serve the Church for another term of years. The "new lichts," or the minority faction, im¬ mediately withdrew and declared that no longer would it listen to a man who profaned by atheistic preaching the sanctuary which its fathers had built. The minority element said that the majority element was composed largely of settlers who had but lately come into the com¬ munity, and did not represent the faith of the original founders of the Church. Since the voting in the con¬ gregation at that time was done by pew holders and many of the pew holders were not members of the Church, the mi¬ nority element also charged that it had been voted out of the Church, which its fathers had founded, by men who did not even profess the true faith. The minority element could not be reconciled nor would it participate in wor¬ ship in the old church. The majority element attended services conducted by the Reverend Samuel Kennedy in the old church and, while it said nothing, evidently en¬ joyed the situation.

Among the "auld lichts" were the McCulloughs, Strongs, Nelsons, McClarys, Flaglers, Hamiltons, Maxwells, Mc- Cants, Macauleys, Porters, Pressleys, Burgess', McGills, McKnights, McIntoshs, McDonalds, Flemings, and Mc- Elveens. Among the "new lichts," or minority faction, were the Friersons, Bradleys, Grahams, Wilsons, Wither¬ spoons, McCulloughs, Blakelys, McBrides, Dickeys,

Ervins, Scotts, Matthews, Hendleys, and McClellands. It is interesting to note that the Witherspoons, Wilsons, Fultons, Ervins, and Blakelys of this minority element were all lineal descendants of the Reverend John Knox.

The minority element, immediately after its withdrawal from the old congregation, erected another church on the same plot of ground about fifty yards east of the old church. For some months, these two congregations, that of the old Williamsburg Church and that of the new church, worshiped in their respective buildings. These two congregations held their services at the same hour every Sunday morning, and while no member of either congregation would defile his feet by touching a grain of sand on the ground by common consent controlled by the other, yet when the congregation in one of these churches began to pray, the congregation in the other would immediately begin to sing an old familiar hymn, - and those were days when hymns were sung. One old sinner, who lived more than a half mile from the church at this time, when reproached by his minister for not attending, replied, "I sit on my piazza every Sunday morning during the services and can hear distinctly every word preached, prayed or sung."

The feeling between these two congregations, within a very few months, grew so intense, that one night in August, 1786, the minority element took about one hundred slaves to the old church, tore it down, and removed even its foundations from the spot. They carried the pulpit of the old church three miles in the country and hid it in Samuel McClelland's hay loft. The minority element claimed that its fathers had built this old church and its act in tearing it down was an act of virtue, for that within its sacred walls the name of Christ was being notoriously profaned. Just exactly what the "auld liclits" said when early that morning they saw nothing where their church had stood is left to the imagination.

The Kennedy faction brought action in the Courts at Georgetown against the individuals composing this minor¬ ity element that had destroyed its church. The Courts held that the title to the property of the church obtained in the Kennedy faction and the seceding faction that had destroyed the church was forced to pay in full for the damage it had done. The old Williamsburg Congregation then rebuilt its church on the same spot the original had stood.

From 1786 until 1789, the Reverend Samuel Kennedy was minister of the ancient Williamsburg Church, from which time until 1792 the congregation was unsupplied. In that year, the Reverend James Malcolmson of Belfast, Ireland, was called. He served the Williamsburg Church until 1804, when he went to Charleston. Dr. Malcolmson had received the title of Doctor of Medicine from the Uni¬ versity at Edinburgh and was a licensed physician. He practiced medicine in his congregation. In addition to his pastoral charge and his practice of medicine, he taught a large grammar school at Kingstree and was the moving spirit in the establishment of the Academy in Kingstree. The Reverend James Malcolmson, Theodore Gourdin, Robert Witherspoon, James Davis, John Nesmith, and John Frierson were incorporated by the General Assembly of South Carolina, December 19, 1795, as trustees of the Williamsburg Academy and were empowered to raise by lotteries a sum not exceeding five thousand dollars to defray the necessary building expenses of the school. From this money raised by lotteries, this board of trus¬ tees erected an academy building at the head of Bay Street. Dr. Malcolmson possessed a pleasing personality and was probably one of the ablest men who ever preached in Williamsburg. He died of yellow fever in Charleston in 1804, in the thirty-sixth year of his age.

liam Knox, of the Black Mingo Church, and other minis¬ ters of the Church of Scotland preached in the church and the Elders kept up the organization. In 1819, the Rev¬ erend John Covert, a native of New York and a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, who had been serving the Indiantown and the Bethel Congregations most ac¬ ceptably for two years, withdrew from the Presbytery of South Carolina and resigned as minister of the Bethel and Indiantown Churches. He was then ordained by the Congregational Association of South Carolina "in the In¬ dependent Order" that he might be qualified to become the minister of the old Williamsburg Congregation.

Order" after he had been ordained by the American Pres¬ byterian Church, that he might become minister of the old Williamsburg Presbyterian Church, is a most signifi¬ cant fact. It throws much light on the controversy existing between the two factions in the Williamsburg Congrega¬ tion. Mr. Covert brought life and vigor into the old Williamsburg Congregation, although he died in 1822 after having served the congregation for but a short period. He was a young man of force and played well the difficult part he had. After the death of Mr. Covert, the old Williamsburg Church had no minister until 1828.

The minority faction that had seceded from the old Williamsburg Church in 1786, on account of the retention of the Reverend Samuel Kennedy as minister and which had built its church across the road about fifty yards from the original church, called its organization the Wil¬ liamsburg Presbyterian Congregation until 1803. So, from 1786 until 1803, there were two Presbyterian churches at Kingstree, within fifty yards of each other, each one claiming the rights of the ancient Williamsburg Congrega¬ tion and denominating itself by the original name.

and petitioned that body for the services of a minister, and the Reverend Thomas Reece was secured for this Church one Sunday in each month. In 1788, Reverend James Edwards, Reverend Robert McCullough, and the Reverend Thomas Reece each preached one Sunday in a month at this church. In 1789, the Reverend Robert Finley preached one Sunday each month. In October, 1789, the Reverend James W. Stephenson became minis¬ ter for this church at the King's Tree and the Indiantown Church. This faction in the Williamsburg Church and the Indiantown Church belonged to the Presbytery of South Carolina and were united in their efforts as well as their faith in the Trinity.

Dr. Stephenson served this part of the Williamsburg Congregation, known after 1803 as the Bethel Congregm tion, and the Indiantown Congregation, for nineteen years, and was possibly the most influential minister who ever lived in Williamsburg. He was born of Scotch-Irish stock in Augusta County, Virginia, in 1756. Soon after that time, his parents moved to the old Lancaster Dis¬ trict, South Carolina, and settled near old Waxhaw Church. He was educated at Mount Zion College and taught school in the vicinity of old Waxhaw Church. Pres¬ ident Andrew Jackson was one of his pupils. He was a valiant soldier under General Sumter in the Revolu¬ tion and participated in the battles at Blackstock, Hang¬ ing Rock, and other engagements.

When Dr. Stephenson served the Bethel faction of the Williamsburg Congregation, he found a most difficult task. His congregation and another congregation of the same name had been at daggers' points for about four years. The individuals composing these two congregations lived in the same community, but a member of one would have no rela¬ tions whatsoever with a member of the other. This condi¬ tion continued all during Dr. Stephenson's ministry in

"In the reproval of vice, as well as its removal, Mr. Stephenson was not less successful than in the more wel¬ come functions of his office. A number of pernicious practices were found prevalent in the congregations when he entered upon his duties in them, which he felt con¬ scientiously bound to correct, trusting to God for the consequences. The principal of these were dancing, horse¬ racing, and treating at funerals. In the last century, the practice of drinking at the burial of the dead prevailed to a melancholy extent ; and not a few instances are given of ministers being disciplined for indulging too freely on such occasions. And too frequently the living were not sufficiently sober to follow with becoming decorum their departed friends to the grave. The people, convinced by the warning voice of their pastor, put an end to the prac¬ tice. Another monster evil which he was successful in opposing was horse racing, usually followed by music and dancing, and kindred amusements. Regarding these as wholly inconsistent with Christian character, he ceased not to denounce them as such until they were mostly discon¬ tinued. And it is but justice to state, that to Mr. Stephen¬ son belongs the honor, so far as it is known, of commenc¬ ing, in this part of the country, the benevolent work of evangelizing the negroes and preventing them from labor¬ ing on the Sabbath for themselves as they had to gen¬ erally been permited to do." (Howe's History of the Presbyterian Church, page 586.)

Indiantown Presbyterian Church and the Bethel fac¬ tion of the Williamsburg Presbyterian Congregation both promoted American Presbyterian principles and had the same minister from 1790, until 1828. These two churches were so closely related in faith and works for all this period that they may be considered together. It will be recalled that the Indiantown Church was destroyed by the Tories under the command of Major Wemyss in 1780. The congregation assembled for worship until 1783, the close of the War, under bush arbors where the original church had stood. One of the first cares of this congre¬ gation at the close of the War was the rebuilding of its church. The Reverend Thomas Hill supplied it in 1783 and 1784; the Reverend Thomas Reese in 1787 ; the Rev¬ erend Robert McCollough in 1788, and the Reverend Robert Finley in 1789, when Dr. Stephenson took charge of the congregation. Under the ministry of Dr. Stephen¬ son, the Bethel Church and the Indiantown Church grew in numbers and influence. In 1802, the Bethel Church had one hundred and four communicants and the Indian¬ town Church had ninety-six.

In 1803, the Bethel faction secured three acres of land from the estate of James Witherspoon, Jr., on the north side of the road leading from Kingstree to Cedar Swamp, one mile east of the present Williamsburg Court House, whereon it built the Bethel Church. When this building had been completed, this faction abandoned the Church it had built in 1786 across the road from the old Wil¬ liamsburg Church and worshipped thereafter in its new sanctuary. The heads of families of the Bethel Congrega* tion in 1803 were as follows : Joseph McKee, Robert Frierson, Sr., James Bradley, John Graham, Samuel Wilson, John Wilson, John Frierson, Sr., Robert P. Witherspoon, Gavin Witherspoon, William Frierson, Sr., James McBride, Elias Frierson, Joseph Witherspoon, Wil¬ liam McElroy, William McCullough, William Dobbin, James Blakely, James Witherspoon, John Blakely, Jennett Blakely, Margaret Frierson, Samuel Frierson, Wil¬ liam Frierson, Mary Fleming, James Armstrong, Moses J. Frierson, Robert Frierson, Jr., John Arnett, John Frier¬ son, Jr., William Frierson, Jr., David Frierson, John Dickey, Paul Fulton, Joshua Frierson, George Frierson, David McClary, Jane Ervin, John Scott, William Wilson,

This Bethel Congregation was composed of markedly pious people. While they were Puritanic in their con¬ ceptions of life, they were progressive in spirit. They organized and promoted the first Sunday School and the first Bible Society in Williamsburg and fostered many new ideas in religions worship which now prevail. Out of this congregation came many exceptionally religious men and women who helped in a large measure to direct the saner religious thought of that day.

The intensity of the unpleasant feeling existing be¬ tween the Bethel and the Williamsburg Congregations was so repulsive to the Bethel Congregation that a large majority of it migrated from this section. From 1805 until 1815, a great many of them moved into Marion and Sumter Districts in South Carolina ; some went to Georgia and others to Alabama.

On March 25, 1805, Moses B. Frierson and family, James Armstrong and family, James Blakely and family, Paul Fulton and family, members of the Bethel Congregation and part of the Reverend James Stephenson's charge, emi¬ grated to Maury County, Tennessee, and there settled on lands purchased from the heirs of General Green. On March 6, 1806, the following families from the Bethel Congregation followed: John Dickey, Esq., and family; Mrs. Margaret Frierson and children; Mrs. Janette Blakely and children ; Samuel Frierson and family ; Thomas Stephenson and family; William Frierson and family; William J. Frierson and family; Samuel Wither¬ spoon and family; Mrs. Mary Fleming and children; and John W. Stephenson and family. A little later, Robert Frierson, Joshua Frierson, and Samuel Mayes and their families left Williamsburg and settled with their friends in Tennessee. The Reverend James W. Stephenson, pastor of Bethel and Indiantown Churches, resigned his charges in Williamsburg and became the pastor of that part of his flock that had settled in Tennessee. These people and their descendants have since that time played a most substantial and a worthily conspicuous part in the development of Tennessee.

The Reverend Andrew Flynn succeeded Mr. Stephenson as pastor of Bethel and Indiantown Churches in 1808. Mr. Flynn was succeeded within less than a year by the Reverend Daniel Brown. At the same time Mr. Brown was pastor of the Indiantown Church. He served these two congregations for about ten years. He did signal service Christianizing negro slaves and bettering their conditions. He fell dead on his wav between Indiantown and Bethel Churches. On his person was found $425.00 in currency, which was an enormous amount of money for any man to have in possession at that time.

In 1818, the Reverend Robert Wilson James, a graduate of South Carolina College and of Princeton and a grand¬ son of Major John James, was chosen as pastor of the Bethel and Indiantown Churches. He was ordained in 1819.

The elders of the Bethel Church, prior to the ministry of Mr. James, were: Robert Frierson, Samuel Frierson, Dr. John Graham, Samuel Wilson, John Wilson, William Wilson, and Thomas Witherspoon. When Mr. James be¬ gan his ministry, of these Samuel Wilson, William Wilson, Robert Frierson, and Thomas Witherspoon were still living and these were added by ordination to the Session : David McClary, Robert I. Wilson, Samuel E. Fulton, Robert S. Witherspoon, and I. B. Witherspoon. Bethel and Indiantown Churches were served by the Reverend Robert W. James until 1827, when he removed to Salem Black River Church, Sumter District.

From 1786 until 1828 the Williamsburg Congregation was divided. Great bitterness between the congregations of Williamsburg and Bethel made social relations so un¬ pleasant that they were impossible. In 1802, fifteen years after the disunion, a great camp meeting was held by the Reverend James W. Stephenson and others at the Sandhills, about three miles west of Kingstree, yet the burning eloquence of these powerful preachers even at such a time was not able to sear deeper into the souls of these religious feudists than their old hate. It is said that members of both congregations attended this camp meeting, but, even in moments of supreme religious ecstasy, no member of the one would touch or speak to the other, nor would the slave of the one regard the slave of the other.

The faithful labors of the Reverend Mr. James and the Reverend William Wilson, both of the blood of both fac¬ tions and men of power, had much to do with the failing of the hate between these two congregations. The venarable John McClary seemed to hold the confidence, res¬ pect, and veneration of both congregations, the Bethel and the Williamsburg. He alone was a member of each of the churches and a ruling elder in both of them. In 1828, after a separation of forty-two years, he secured the consent of both congregations to attend and hear a sermon in the old Williamsburg Church on Tuesday, June 15, 1828. Mr. McClary on the Sunday preceding had induced the Session of Elders of the Bethel Church to propose terms of union to the Williamsburg Church. The Wil¬ liamsburg Church immediately thereafter invited the the Bethel Congregation to unite with them in hearing Mr. Ervin's sermon on Tuesday. After Mr. Ervin's ser¬ mon, Mr. McClary was called to the chair and a union of the two congregations was effected without a dissent¬ ing vote. The property rights of the Williamsburg Con¬ gregation were retained and the ecclesiastical connection of the Bethel Congregation with the Presbytery of South Carolina was accepted by the reunited congregation. The Williamsburg Congregation had theretofore held its com nection directly with the Church of Scotland.

"At a Meeting of the Members of the old Presbyterian Church and the Members of the Bethel Church held at the old church on Tuesday, the 17th June, 1828, there being a Majority of the Members of each congregation present, they proceeded to business. John McClary, Esq., was appointed chairman and R. G. Ferrell, secretary.

"1st Resolved that these two churches become United and that the two become one Congregation and that they Worship in the old or original Church.

"2nd Resolved that this Congregation Join with the Indiantown Congregation and employ a Minister, and the Minister so employed Preach one half of his time in this Church and the other half in the Indiantown Church.

"3rd Resolved that Mr. William Wilson, Colonel Wil¬ liam Salters, Samuel E. Fulton, Isaac Nelson, Sr., Dr. James Bradley, and H. D. Shaw be a Committee to Inform the Reverend John McKee Ervin that we wish to give him a call as our Pastor for one half of his time.

"4th Resolved that the Members of this Congregation do meet at the Church on the last Saturday in this Month in order to regulate the business of the Church."

"At a Meeting of the Members of the Church on Saturday, the 28th June, 1828. The Committee appointed to say to the Reverend John M. Ervin that we intended giv¬ ing him a call as our Pastor report that they have done so and that they think there is a prospect of our getting him.

"2nd Resolved that Robert Strong, Daniel Frierson, and Isaac Nelson, Sr., be a Committee to regulate the Seats of the Church and to make what repairs to the Church they may find necessary.

"3rd Resolved that the Committee appointed to meet the Indiantown Committee be authorized to inform the Rev¬ erend John M. Ervin that this Congregation will give him three hundred and fifty dollars for the half of his time with the use of the Glebe Lands of this Church should he prefer living on them to living in Indiantown.

"5th Resolved that the Committee appointed to regulate the Seats of the Church cause all the seats to be numbered and that the heads of families draw their numbers with this exception, that is, when families are small, the Com¬ mittee shall have to themselves the power of putting two in one seat.

"6th Resolved that Colonel William Salters, Captain William S. Brockinton, Isaac Nelson, Jr., and D. H. Mc- Clary be trustees for the said congregation.

"8tli Resolved that the trustees be authorized to invite a minister to preach occasionally in our Church until the Reverend John M. Ervin take charge of the Congrega¬ tion, should he accept our call, and that the ministers so invited by the trustees be paid by the congregation five dollars for each sermon preached by them.

There were several Presbyterian Churches in the terri¬ tory surrounding Williamsburg that had considerable in¬ fluence on this district during the period between 1780 and 1830. These congregations had been organized by people migrating from Williamsburg; and, notwithstand¬ ing the condition of what they called roads, kept up communication with their friends and relatives in this district. Of these churches, Salem Black River in the Sumter District and Hopewell and Aimwell on the Pee Dee had been founded between 1760 and 1770 and were large and aggressive churches. They were about forty miles from the King's Tree. This great distance meant much at that time, although the congregations of these churches usually came to Williamsburg to attend spring and fall communion services and camp meetings.

In September, 1801, John Witherspoon, John Wither¬ spoon, Jr., Archibald Knox, William McIntosh, Thomas Rhodus, Daniel Epps, John McFadden, Thomas McFadden, and Samuel Fleming met at the home of Mrs. Mary Conyers, who lived about half way between the Williams¬ burg Church and the Salem Black River Church, and organized a Presbyterian Congregation for their commun¬ ity. John Witherspoon, John Witherspoon, Jr., and Archibald Knox were named as its first elders. On No¬ vember 10, 1802, the building was completed and called Midway because it was half way between the two well known churches just named. The Reverend C. G. Mc¬ Whorter gave one-fourth of his time to this new church.

In 1809, Midway had twelve members. That year the Reverend John Cousar preached two Sundays every month at Midway and the other two at the Brewington Church. Midway Church is located on the northeastern branch of Black River in what is now Clarendon County. In 1811, the Brewington Presbyterian Church, south of the south¬ western branch of Black River, was built. The Nelson, Plowden, Pendergrass, and Montgomery families com¬ posed its membership. Midway and the Brewington churches grew rapidly in strength. In 1829, Midway had one hundred forty-one members and Brewington one hun¬ dred fourteen. These two communities were at that time enjoying much material prosperity. Probably half of the membership in these two churches lived in Williams¬ burg District.

Lower Saint Mark's Church (Protestant Episcopal) was built in 1809 on the south side of the Santee road where it was crossed by what is now the Clarendon-Williamsburg County line. In this section, there lived many descen¬ dants of French Huguenot families and many of English and Scotch descent who had always been conformists in religion and were communicants of the Church of Eng¬ land. The Friersons, Lesesnes, Keels, McDonalds, Con¬ nors, Olivers, Gourdins, Canteys, Cordes, and Doughtys built this Lower Saint Mark's Church. The land for the site was donated by Charles Frederick Lesesne. William Doughty, Major William McDonald, and Joseph Francis Cantey were the first lay readers in this church. Lower Saint Mark's had difficulty in all its history in securing ministers. However, it frequently had services conducted by visiting priests of the Church. In 1825, Bishop Bowen confirmed the following as communicants of this Church : Richard Keels, Archibald McDonald, William J. R. Cantey, Miss Susan McDonald (Mrs. John L. Felder), Miss Laura McDonald (Mrs. Henry B. Singleton), and Miss Mary M. Keels (Mrs. A. C. McKnight).

Frequently, Methodist ministers on the Santee Circuit held services in this church. In 1835, Charles Lesesne, a vestryman, invited the Reverend John R. Pucket, the junior Methodist preacher on the Santee Circuit, to preach regularly at Saint Mark's; and, from that time,

Saint Mark's became a part of the Santee Circuit, Metho¬ dist Episcopal Church, and nearly all of its communicants became members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. However, J. W. Keels, who died in 1865, retained his membership in Saint Mark's Episcopal Church until the time of his death. The silver christening basin used in Saint Mark's Church, while it belonged to the Protes¬ tant Episcopal Church, was left in the possession of Charles Lesesne, surviving vestryman, in 1835. On this basin was engraved, "Presented the 12th of January, 1820, to Lower Saint Mark's Church, Williamsburgh, by Mrs. Mary Grimke Ward." (These statements about Lower St. Mark's Church were taken from the History of St. Mark's Church, by Dr. James M. Burgess.)

On February 13, 1785, Bishop Francis Asbury, under the guidance of the Reverend Jesse Lee and the Reverend Henry Willis, entered South Carolina at Cheraw. The party spent some time in prayer in Saint David's Church and proceeded on its journey to Long Bluff Court House, thence to Mr. Kimbrough's, thence across Lynch's Creek, Black Mingo, and Black River, and by the usual road of travel to Georgetown, where they arrived on February 23. On March 13, the party travelled from Georgetown to the King's Tree and visited at Mr. Durant's. From the King's Tree, Bishop Asbury went to Wilmington, North Carolina. The next year, Bishop Asbury crossed over Lynch's Creek into Williamsburg and proceeded along the way he had made the year before to Georgetown. He writes, in his diary, "We crossed Lynch's Creek and wet my books coming to Black Mingo where we were lodged at a tavern and were well used, sleeping upstairs. I was afraid, if not the roof, the shingles would be taken away with the wind. On Saturday, January 7, I preached at Georgetown twice to about eighty people each time. Georgetown is a poor place for religion." From George¬ town, Bishop Asbury went to the vicinity of Lenud's Ferry where he was entertained at the home of Thomas Boone and also at Robert Sutton's. From that point, he preached along the Santee River road to Murray's Ferry, where he was entertained at the homes of Isaac Keels and of Darby Pendergrass. After remaining in the vicinity of Murray's Ferry for a few days, he proceeded on his way to Charleston.

Bishop Asbury made many visits to South Carolina during the next thirty years and usually followed this same route through Williamsburg. He preached a new doctrine and prepared the way for a new church. The part of Williamsburg that he usually visited along what is now the Georgetown-Williamsburg County line and the Santee River were the only portions at that time not completely within the control of the Presbyterian Church ; and these outlying sections along which his journey lay were inhabited by people who had been communicants of the Church of England. Even these people did not look upon this great organizer with anything like favor. The reception which he received at the King's Tree on his only visit to this Presbyterian territory was very much like that accorded a Mormon missionary in Kingstree in the year 1923.

Even among the Episcopalians, Bishop Asbury was hardly welcome, and but few homes on his route would receive him. However, Samuel Haselden, who lived on Muddy Creek in the northeastern corner of Williamsburg, was always glad to entertain him and so were Robert Sutton, of Suttons, and Isaac Keels and Darby Pender¬ grass, of Murray's Ferry.

With the coming of Bishop Asbury into South Carolina, there came the Methodist Episcopal Church. When he came into Williamsburg, the Methodist denomination was practically unknown in these parts. He preached and prayed and labored for many years without realizing what results would come from his ministry. Wherever he went, lie conducted services whenever permitted. He sent missionaries and circuit riders into this territory for nearly forty years before there was a Methodist Church within the limits of Williamsburg District.

On many of these missionary journeys of Bishop Asbury through Williamsburg, he records interesting experiences. In 1787, he writes of his attempting to cross at Murray's Ferry. "In one place/7 he says, "the planters had laid down about a hundred logs of wood, which they called puncheons, in order to mend the road. These, owing to the heavy rains, were loosened and floated on the water which covered the road. We were obliged to turn back into the dark, miserable road until we arrived at the house of a little planter who very kindly took us in and gave us a roasted turkey for our supper and the best beds in his house to lie on.77 "On March 30, 1804, we lodged at Henry Britton's, where we were most kindly entertained.77

"Saturday, November 14, 1805, I committed the re¬ mains of Elijah Rembert to the dust. He was sixty-two years old and for the last sixteen years of his life had been a member of our society. There is a revival in the society here, so much for camp meetings. I am now in the fortieth year of my labor in the ministry, thirty-four years of my time having been spent in America,77

"October 27, 1806, we made twenty-five miles to Mur¬ ray's Ferry. We were five hours in the swamp. Heat, mosquitoes, and gallinippers - plenty. Monday, January 1, 1810, we crossed Potato Ferry. Missing our way, we dropped in upon Mr. John Graham. He was a Presby¬ terian, but showed us much kindness. December 16, 1810, I visited Thomas Boone. His father was the first to en¬ tertain me at lower Santee Ferry.77 Bishop Asbury often refers to Theodore Gourdin, "that excellent gentleman who owns all the ferries on Black River.77

From 1785, when Bishop Asbury came into Williams¬ burg, until 1820, there was no Methodist Church in Wil¬ liamsburg, but, during all that time, it was kept on Metho¬ dist circuits, and Methodist circuit riders preached and prayed and sang in private homes wherever they were received, in barns on plantations wherever they were per¬ mitted, in bush arbors erected for them and most fre¬ quently at cross roads gatherings. Up to 1820, there were very few men in this district who would admit with¬ out half apology that they belonged to a Methodist Society. It was not a popular doctrine that Bishop Asbury and his followers preached. It required that men and women walk in the straight and narrow way. It had no history.

In 1820, Ebenezer Methodist Church was built on Muddy Creek in Williamsburg on the land of Samuel Haselden. When Mr. Haselden died in 1822, he left in his will two acres of land on which this church was located to the Methodist Episcopal Church. This was the first parcel of land that the Methodist Church ever owned in Wil¬ liamsburg District. Samuel Haselden was one of the men in Williamsburg who received Bishop Asbury kindly from his first visit. This old Ebenezer Church has maintained its organization until the present day and is now one of the churches of the Hemingway Circuit.

In 1825, Robert Sutton gave the following deed which is recorded in Book C at page 229, Williamsburg County Registry. "State of South Carolina. To all people to whom these presents shall come : Know ye, that I, Robert Sutton, of Williamsburg District in the State aforesaid, Planter, for and in consideration of the love, good will, and affection which I have and do bear towards the Methodists of this place, have given, granted and by these presents do freely give and grant for the use of the Methodists of this place, one hundred yards square, where¬ on the new Meeting House is now building, in Williamsburgh District, and State aforesaid, butting and bound- ing about Southeast on land belonging to the Estate of Duplessus Michau, about Southwest on the public road and on all other sides of lands of my own, now being my right and property in district aforesaid : I do hereby nomi¬ nate and appoint my friends Samuel Perdreau, Dr. Wil¬ liam J. Buford, John Perdreau, and Edward Peter Perret, trustees, to whom I leave the said one hundred yards square of land in trust for the use of the said Methodist Society of this place; and, in case of the death of one of the Trustees, the others are hereby authorized to ap¬ point another in his room; and, in case the house wants repair, they may have timber off my adjoining land to re¬ pair said house as long as the property remains mine or the right of my heirs. July 5, 1825." Signed by Robert Sutton. Witnessed by Samuel Guild, Sarah Tamplet, and Mary C. Michau.

In 1800, the religious camp meeting fever began in Kentucky. It reached Kingstree in 1803, when one was held at the Sandhills about three miles west of Kingstree. Dr. Stephenson had been preaching to the Bethel Con¬ gregation in Kingstree for thirteen years and had great influence over its people. He was assisted by Dr. John Brown, of the Waxhaw Church, who had just finished a wonderful camp meeting at Waxhaw; Reverend Duncan Brown of Hopewell; and the Reverend C. G. McWhorter of Salem. Crowds flocked to this camp meeting. They came in wagons loaded with provisions and fitted up for temporary lodging. Dr. Stephenson opened the meeting with a sermon in explanation and defense of the revival. At these revivals, excitement became intense and was at¬ tended in many cases with remarkable bodily contortions as well as trance conditions. These pulpit orators preached the "Day of Wrath" with such fearful eloquence that frequently strong men and women lost control of themselves and did all manner of things under the hypno¬ tic spell.

Dr. Malcolmson was then pastor of the old Williams¬ burg Church. It will be remembered that the Williams¬ burg Congregation and the Bethel Congregation, the two factions of the old Williamsburg Congregation, were at that time exceedingly hostile toward each other. Dr. Malcolmson disapproved these revivals and did not conceal his contempt for so much religious frenzy.

Dr. Stephenson's camp meeting was a great success from the attendance standpoint as well as for the intensity of emotion shown by the people attending. Similar camp meetings were held in many parts of South Carolina and by the Methodist denomination as well as the Presby^ terian for many years. One of these camp meetings held in the summer of 1806 at Remberts was attended bv William Capers, afterwards a Bishop in the Methodist Church. The following description which he gives applies to prac¬ tically all of them held in this section at that time.

"The number of people occupying tents was much greater than it had been at the two previous meetings of the same kind in 1802 and 1803, in that neighborhood, both of which I had attended with my uncle's family, and at which wagons and awmings made of coverlets and blankets were mostly relied on in place of tents. The tents too (of this meeting in 1806), though much smaller and less commodious than in later years, were larger and better than at the former meetings. But, still, at the tents as well as at the wagons of the camp, there was very little cooking done, but every one fed on cold pro¬ visions, or at least cold meats. Compared to those first two camp meetings, this one differed also in the more im¬ portant respects of management and the phases of the work of God. At the first one (1802), particularly (which was held on McGirt's Branch, below the point where the Statesburg and Darlington road crosses it), I recollected little that looked like management. There were two stands for preaching, at a distance of about two hundred yards apart; and sometimes there was preaching at one, some¬ times at the other, and sometimes at both simultaneously. This was evidently a bad arrangement, for I remember seeing the people running hastily from one place to the other as some sudden gush of feeling vented itself aloud, and perhaps with strange bodily exercises, called their attention off. As to the times of preaching, I think there were not any stated hours, but it was left to circum¬ stances ; sometimes oftener, sometimes more seldom. The whole camp was called up by blowing a horn at the break of day; before sunrise it was blown again, and I doubt if after that there were any regular hours for the services of the meeting. But what was most remarkable both at this camp meeting and the following one, a year after¬ ward (1803), as distinguishing them from the present meeting of 1806, and much more from later camp meetings, was the strange and unaccountable bodily exercises which prevailed there. In some instances, persons who were not before known to be at all religious, or under any particular concern about it, would suddenly fall to the ground and become strangely convulsed with what was called the jerks; the head and neck, and sometimes the body also, moving backward and forward with spasmodic violence, and so rapidly that the plaited hair of a woman's head might be heard to crack. This exercise was not peculiar to feeble persons, nor to either sex, but, on the contrary, was most frequent to the strong and athletic, whether men or women. I never knew it among children, nor very old persons. In other cases, persons falling down would appear senseless, and almost lifeless, for hours to¬ gether ; lying motionless at full length on the ground, and almost as pale as corpses. And then there was the jump¬ ing exercise, which sometimes approximated dancing, in which several persons might be standing perfectly erect, and spring upward without seeming to bend a joint of their bodies. Such exercises were scarcely, if at all, pres- ent among the same people at the camp meeting of 1806, and yet this camp meeting was not less remarkable than the former ones, and very much more so than any I have attended in later years, for the suddenness with which sinners of every description were awakened, and the overwhelming force of their convictions, bearing them instantly down to their knees, if not to the ground, cry¬ ing for mercy. At this meeting I became clearly con¬ vinced that there was an actual, veritable power of God's grace in persons then before me, and who were known to me, by which they were brought to repentance and a new life; and that with respect to the latter (a state of regeneration and grace), the evidence of their possess¬ ing it was as full and satisfactory as it was that they had been brought to feel the guilt and condemnation of their sins. I did not fall at any time, as I saw others do, but with the conviction clear to my apprehension as to what was the true character of the work before me, that it was of God, while I feared greatly, I could not but de¬ sire that I might become a partaker of the benefit. Still I kept myself aloof, I knew not why."

About 1820, Isaac Carraway, wheelwright and carpen¬ ter, and a handful of Free Will Baptists, Noah Floyd, Jesse Floyd, Sam McKenzie, John James Matthews, Jesse Osborn, William Brown, Muldrow Kennedy, John Hutson, Joe Hutson, and Coker Flowers, built Pine Grove Church in the northwestern corner of Williams¬ burg and this congregation and their descendants have worshipped there until this day. The Reverend Sam McKenzie was its first regular minister. When this Pine Grove Church was erected, there were no sawmills in that section. In fact, most primitive conditions obtained. The church was built of pine logs drawn to the spot by means of ox-carts. The tires on these old ox-carts were made of white oak slats affixed to the rims with handmade blacksmith shop nails. The spirit which has kept alive the worship of this congregation for more than a century most forcefully appeals to one who knows it. The minis¬ ters who have preached in this church have received but little monetary reward, yet the sacred fires have been kept continuously burning.

There were a very few of the missionary Baptist faith in Williamsburg until 1770, and these were nearly all of the blood of William Screven and lived in the vicinity of Black Mingo. Until this time, they had no house of worship in the district. From the building of the Black Mingo Congregational Church in 1726, visiting ministers of that denomination had frequently preached in that church and some people in the section had always held to the belief that immersion was the only scriptural mode of baptism. Among the Baptist preachers from time to time holding services in that community up to 1830, were the Reverend Elisha Screven, Reverend Phillip James, Reverend John Brown, Reverend Joshua Edwards, Rev¬ erend Robert Williams, Reverend Nicholas Bedgegood, Reverend Elhannan Winchester, Reverend Joseph Reese, Reverend Oliver Hart, Reverend John Botsford, Rever¬ end John Gano, Reverend Jeremiah Dargan, and the Rev¬ erend Richard Furman.

About 1810, there came to Black Mingo from George¬ town a boy, by name, Cleland Belin. His mother had died and his father had married again. Cleland did not consider his stepmother's treatment worthy to hold him at his father's house, so he ran away and lived thence¬ forth at Willtown in the home of his uncle, John Screven. Cleland Belin became a Baptist, and for more than fifty years, the Baptist denomination at Black Mingo centered in him. About 1820, the Baptists built a small meeting house near Willtown; and for many years the little con¬ gregation worshipped in this building and baptized their candidates for admission in Black Mingo.

About 1820, John R. Easterling came from Charleston to Williamsburg and purchased a mill site from R. G. Ferrell on Poplar Hill Swamp, where he established a grist and a saw mill. Mr. Easterling was a man of in¬ telligence and piety and as soon as he had made his family comfortable, began a movement for the building of a church. Men of all denominations in that community, whether members of a church or not, assisted him. The building committee was composed of John R. Easterling, William Belin, and Reverend Jeremiah Russell. It was the plan of these people to erect a community church where all denominations might worship and that any de¬ nomination might use the building when not in service for another. The rule "first come, first served" was adopted and held for many years.

This building committee applied to Colonel David D. Wilson, who owned the land in that vicinity, and who presented them with the lot on which the Union Church was first built and gave them a liberal money subscrip¬ tion. Colonel Wilson was an elder in the Indiantown Church and a militant Presbyterian as well as a man of exceptional force and personality. Benjamin Britton subscribed liberally and aided in many ways. He was a Methodist, one of the first Methodists of wealth and in¬ fluence in Williamsburg. Captain John Dozier gave of his means and assisted the building of the church in many ways.. He was an enthusiastic member of the Pro¬ testant Episcopal Church. Cleland Belin, the Arch-Bap¬ tist of his day, a man of remarkable natural ability and of much wealth, made contributions. Among the others assisting were Captain John Graham, Henry Smith, Mat¬ thew Bellune, Thomas McConnell, Richard Cribb, and the Coachmans, Russells, and Greenes.

Of the contributors to the building of this Union Church, the Episcopalians were the most numerous, but all four of the denominations were well represented on the sub- scription list. This Union Church was used in common by these four denominations for many years. Later it became a Methodist Church. All records and tradition concerning this period indicate that this church played a beautiful part in the community and that all denomina¬ tions worked in it for the glory of God and the good of the people.

In 1830, there were, in Williamsburg District, the fol¬ lowing living churches : The Williamsburg Presbyterian Church, the Indiantown Presbyterian Church, the Willtown Baptist Church, the Ebenezer Methodist Church on Mill Branch, Suttons Methodist Church, and the Pine Grove Free Will Baptist Church. The Williamsburg Presbyterian Congregation and the Indiantown Presby¬ terian Congregation included and controlled fully ninetyfive per centum of the population of the district. The other four churches had very few members and but nomi¬ nal influence. The Presbyterian Congregations outside of Williamsburg and within the surrounding country were composed largely of people who had been connected with the Williamsburg and the Indiantown Churches, were of like religious principles, and loyally supplemented these two Williamsburg Churches in all of their undertakings.

The Presbyterian denomination felt that this County was its very own and its communicants labored with a crusader's zeal to make its conquests complete and to con¬ trol the territory forever. The Methodist Churches in the district were small. Very few people regarded the Methodists or the Baptists seriously, and still fewer ad¬ mitted membership in their societies, as the churches were called.

In 1828, the Reverend John M. Ervin began his pas¬ torate at the Williamsburg Church and the Indiantown Church. He divided his time between them. Mr. Ervin was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, in 1769. His parents were Presbyterians of the "straitest sect." Indeed, it is traditional that the Ervin family has produced Presbyterian elders and ministers in every gen¬ eration, since the memory of man runneth not to the con¬ trary.

Mr. Ervin was a strong man. He believed that the one way to God was through the Presbyterian Church, and the errors which he made were due most largely to this delusion. He practiced and promoted the belief that the Presbyterian Church should determine the temporal as well as the spiritual affairs of the district. When he came to Williamsburg and Indiantown, he found these Presby¬ terian Churches conditioned for dominating. He sur¬ veyed the field and made well his plans. With such a pre¬ ponderance of Presbyterians in the district, he thought it needless to use tact or discretion, but sought to make the session of elders in his two churches the supreme arbiters of their respective communities. Mr. Ervin had then a remarkable session of elders in each of his two churches. The elders of the Williamsburg Church were Daniel Frierson, Henry D. Shaw, Isaac Nelson, John McClary, and James E. Fulton. The elders of the Indian¬ town Church were George Barr, George McCutchen, David D. Wilson, and Samuel J. Wilson. It is believed that no two stronger committees of men in any capacity, reli¬ gious or secular, ever labored in this district.