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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/historyofbarbecuOOjame 3QQQQ8E State Library of North Carolina Raleigh Presented by Mrs. Patterson 3SSQQQQQQQE State Library Of North Carolina Raleigh, N.C. HISTORY OF BARBECUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH HARNETT COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA By Reverend James D. McKenzie (Presented to Rear Admiral A. M. Patterson by the author.) 1965 HISTORY OF BARBECUE CHURCH ~ by Rev, Janes D. MacKenzie The good hen of the Presbytery of Inverary leaned forward to listen that cold day in february, 1739, as duncan gamp-bell stood up to speak, three years before, duncan, Alexander McAllister, the McNeill boys, Dug and Dan (Dugald and Daniel), and other restless souls had sailed OFF' TO EXPLORE THE WILDS OF - WHAT WAS THAT PLACE? Oh YESy North Carolina, And now they had- come back and ORGANIZED A COLONY, THE.' ArgYLL COLONY, OF COURSE, FOR this was in Argyll-shire, Scotland, Wonder what he wants from Presbytery? Well, let's listen in: "Petition, the Argyll Colony to the Presbytery of Invert aryi We are now fully determined to settle this year in some part of the continent of America; and carrying a considerable number of people there, we would fain hope that we are entitled to al lthe favours that a parish that MAKES UP A NEW ERECTION MAY EXPECT, It IS NOT RIGHT TO discourage them, though they desire to have one already fixed in another charge to be their minister, allow we are to be a great distance from our native country, we shall never be unmindful of it, nor of the church of Scotland whose sons we shall always be, "It is well known how much most parts of America need to have the Gospel preached and propagated among them. Few of the natives have yet been converted to our holy reli- GION, Though the members of the Colony cannot promise much for themselves, they nevertheless hope through God's grace to endeavour better things than they might have done in times past, "At the last General Meeting of the Argyll Colony, they were all unanimous for ijri fullarton (minister at glass-ary) to be their minister, most of them from their own experience being well persuaded that he is well qualified .for being a minister to a young colony that is to be set up in our way, in a barbarous and distant part of the world; that if the Presbytery should refuse to concur with their call to him,- it is much to be feared we cannot now make another choice, and so set out without. any to preach among us, the consequences of which will be (it is to be feared) that we will soon crow cool in matters of religion, at last be easy whether the gospel be preached among us or not, and of course become very back~ ward in giving any encouragement for having gospel ordin~ ances among us, "Whereas if the reverend presbytery shall loose Mr, Full~ arton's relation to the parish of Glassary in order to serve as our pastor, we shall give him all due encour-agement, and the same right to it as the ministers of the Church of Scotland have to their stipends (salaries), for which we will give in our obligations or security in his favours to the presbytery as well as to himself for the same; and likewise bind us all in our colony to give him all the regard due to a pastor, "nay it therefore please your h/lsdoms (referring to the members of the presbytery) . to take the, premises under your most serious consideration, and' grant our desire which is so just and reasonable, and your petitioners shall ever pray, slc subscribitur duncan campbell "Dug HcTavish " in addition to the above, a more informal document, ex-pressing an even greater note of urgency, was submitted to their "Wisdoms" : "To Duncan Gampbell of Kilduskland, Esq, Sir: In CONSEQUENCE OF YOUR AND OUR RESOLUTION OF GOING TO the continent- of America in Summer next and fixing a gollony there, and our design of having a clergyman THAT CA N SPEAK THE HIGHLAND (GaELIc) LANGUAGE, SINCE from that country (l,ei the highlands of scot land ) all our servants are to be, many of which cannot speak any other language, and that we are not of ourselves able to give that encouragement to a clergyman as may enable him to go along with us, notwithstanding our sincere intention of hawing the worship of god maintained among us and not degenerating into that slothfulness (to say no more) which we are grieved to hear our countrymen in those parts are fallen, wherefore we begg you to go to Edinburgh and petition the members of the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, and- the Commission of the Kirk to meet there in March nexts and endeavour to get an aid from them to support our Clergyman, There's no time to be lost in prosecuting of this! we doubt not your diligence and their assistance to so laudable a design: we wish you all success and we are subscribitur: SIR, your most humble servants, Dugaid McTavish Dan McNeill Arch Campbell James MacLachlan P, S, As WE have unanimously made choice of Mr, Fullar- T0N TO BE OUR CLERGYMAN , WE BEGG YOU USE ALL THE NECES- - 3 - sAry steps for transporting him from the parish of GLASRY," . I";;:-. A CALL FROM THE ARGYLL GoLONY WAS SUBMITTED TO THE Presbytery, which noted some singularities in the call but were impressed with the "evident and cordial' sincerety" of the petitioners. It was decided TO HEAR what the people at glassary might have to say about the matter, At the April meeting of Presbytery the Argyll Colony presented a paper, obligating themselves to provide PROPER FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR Mr, FuLLARTON, AND HE IN TURN PROFESSED A READINESS TO . BE DIRECTED BY THE PrES-bytery. Presbytery, however, considering the novelty of the case, and not having any rules to guide them, decidedto write for advice to all the neighboring Presbyteries, Later in the day the Parish of Glass- ARY COMPLAINED ABOUT THE EFFORTS OF THE ARGYLL GoLONY to steal their preacher from them, and the whole mat-ter was referred to the next meeting of synod, to be held in July* the emigrants sailed without a minister! ., two years later, in june, 1741, the argyll golony is again mentioned in the minutes of the presbytery of Inverary, It is recorded that the Society for Propa-gating Christian Knowledge were prepared to give one andtwenty pounds per annum (note, ABOUT $100) TOWARDS ENCOURAGING A MINISTER FOR THE ARGYLL GoLONY IN AMER-ica, and recommended they be on the lookout for the right man for the job, but since there was no certain word the Colony had been successful, which the Presby-tery HAD REASON SOON TO EXPECT, THEY PUT OFF CONSIDER-ation of the affair, They put off consideration of the affairI One wonders how often this sentence appears in the history of the Christian Church, They put off consideration of the affair! t put it in plain english, presbytery was GIVING THEM THE OLD RUN-AROUND, In EFFECT, THEY SAID to the Argyll Colony, "Don't call us, we'll call you," But the Argyll Colony, being Scots, were stubborn, and not inclinedto be easil-y discouraged, so once AGAIN THEY TRIED. NOVEMBER, 1741: "'THERE WAS A representation at this time laid before the presbytery by Duncan Campbell of Kilduskland, for himself and the Argyle Colony settled at Cape Fair in North Carolina — 4 — SHEWING THEIR EARNEST DESIRE FOR HAVING A MINISTER SOON SETTLED AMONG THEM, WHERE THERE IS A' CONSIDERABLE NUMBER FROM OUR BOUNDS ALREADY SETTLED, AND A PROSPECT OF A GREAT NUMBER OF THE POORER SORT YET TO FOLLOW, AND WHO ARE IN' DEPLORABLE CIRCUMSTANCES ' F OR WANT OF GOSPEL ORDI-NANCES, THERE BEING BUT TWO OR THREE. MINISTERS IN THE WHOLE PROVINCE, AND THESE OF A POOR CHARACTER, WHO BESIDES HAVE NOT THE LANGUAGE SPORE AND ONLY UNDERSTOOD BY THE MAJOR PART OF THE COLONY, THE PrESBYTERY WROTE A LETTER to the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge to give a 'year's salary for defraying the cost of trans-portation," And there the matter ends. The Argyll Colony never both-ered the Presbytery of Inverary again. Instead they looked northward, to the Synod of Philadelphia, From where I sit I get the distinct impression these col-onists HAD CAREFULLY CONSIDERED EVERY LAST MINISTER IN Inverary Presbytery, and felt that only one, Mr. Fullarton, was worthy to be their minister, fortunately, and perhaps of necessity, their descendants are not so particular! The sad state of religion in North Carolina at this time ' IS CONFIRMED BY GEORGE WhITEFIELD , THE ENGLISH EVANGELIST, WHO HAD VISITED THE STATE, AND PREACHED TO A CONGREGATION of Scots in the Court H ouse at New town of the Cape Fear Riwer, Sunday, December 30, 1739, reminding "them of the necessity of living holy lives, that so they might prove a blessing to the province, and giving proof of their zeah for those truths which they had heard preached to them, a, with great purity and clearness, in their native country* Said Uhitefield: "In North Carolina there is scarcely so much as- the form of religi on, , , , there. are several dancing masters, but scarcely one settled minister? so that in most places they have readers, who read a sermon every Sunday to the people, for which they pay five shillings a quarter of their currency. .. ,however , the governor, i hear, has made proposals to' the society for propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts, to send missionaries. But i should rather the people had no minister than such as are generally being sent over; and i cannot see the charity of contributing towards sending out missionaries,' unless ' greater care be taken in the choi dte of those who are sent," - (Note: Whitefield spoke here of Church of England ministers) , T hat these early settlers were Presbyterians is a foregone conclusion. Typical Scots Presbyterians! The first trickle of a steady stream of Highlanders that would reach- flood proportions by the time of the American Revolution, and a continue to flow unabated for well over a century* From Argyll at first, the Kintyre penninsula, at d the Isles, Jura and Islay, Later,* beginning about 1770, from Skye* The "well-to-do" came first? and took-up THE BEST' LAND* The "POORER SORT" FOLLOWED AS THEIR servants, working for years to pay the cost of their fare* they brought their customs and their language with them* Even the slaves spoke Gaelic! The story * is told of the scotswoman who stood at the the railing, gazing at the shore as her ship' pulled into wilmington* There she saw her first Negroes, and asked the Captain WHAT THEY WERE, "Oh, EVERYBODY TURNS BLACK LIKE 'THAT after a few months in this climate," he answered* as she disembarked, she was delighted to overhear two men conversing in the gaelic tongue* assuming they were fellow Scots, she drew nearer, only to discover that their skin was black* she' turned back toward the' ship, but was stopped by a large, friendly colored lady, who EMBRACED HER AND GREETED HER WITH " GEUD MlLE FaILTe!" (Gaelic for "One-hundred thousand welcomes!") , She rushed up the gangplank and demanded that the captain take her back to scotland* immediately, if not sooner! Why did tney come? Simply because they were poor, and uantedto better their worldly condition* the land in the Highlands was not too fertile to begin with, and the population, due to a variety of factors, had increased so rapidly, it was simply not able to support THEM* And then there was Culloden! The bloody battle that DESTROYED THE HIGHLAND MAY OF LIFE FOREVER! THE GlAN' SYSTEM WAS A FAMILY AFFAIR (" CLAn" MEANS " CHILDREN")* The Highland Chief controlled the land, and felt a father's responsibility for his tenants* They in turn tilled the land, and fought for their chief* each Clan was both a family and an army But Culloden destroyed allthat „ ' clan warfare was forbidden, and the kilt was banned* the highland chief moved to England, and became "cultured,," He became a landlord instead df a father* for centuries his wealth was reckoned' by the size of his " 'army» " mow he did not need men, but money, the lands were cleared of excess people, and new methods of agriculture were introduced, Where would the tenants go? Where but to North Caro-lina, "WHERE TWO CROPS A YEAR CAN BE MADE AND YOU CAN eat apples off the trees with your hands behind y0uo " Why did they come? In 1792 a band of emigrants about to leave for nobth carolina st at ed- that the three main causes of emigration were "poverty, oppression of land-lords, and encouraging letters from friends already settled in america* - 6 ~ A HARDY RACE OF FOLK THEY WERE ! EDWARD BURT, AN' EN-GLISHMAN, TOLD OF A CHIEF WHO WAS TAKING HIS MEN' OVER THE HILLS ON A WINTER FORAY AGA'l NST . ANOTHER CLAN, THE RAIDERS STOPPED FOR THE: "nI GHT IN A' HI GH C0RRIE, AND THE chief rolled some snow into a ball,'placing it beneath his head for a pillow, seeing this, hi s ' men- murmured among themselves,. " now. we despair of victory, since our leader has become so effeminate he cannot sleep without a pillow," (At. times one suspects the Scots who regaled Mr, Burt with stories like this were in reality pulling his leg) , ... But to get back to our history: These early settlers WERE, FOR THE MOST PART, STAUNCH PrESBYTERIANS, BUT they brought no ministers with them „ why? this is the great unanswered question of.north carolina his-tory, foote suggests that, accustomed to a state church, where the minister *s salary was not. pald directly by his people, they simply did not k170w how to go about calling and supporting a minister, lawyer James Banks blames the . shortage of ministers in Scot-' land. Others lay it to the reluctance of Scottish preachers to leave comfortab.le homes in the old country for the rigors of. a barren. and desolate wilderness (North Carolina) (though: the average Highland parish in those' days was no "flowery bed of easlj) the hlnutes of the Presbytery of Inverary quoted above may sugce st iet another reason: ecclesiastical red-tape, Whatever the reason, it was twenty years before they SECURED THEIR MINISTER* KeANWHILE TH,EY TAUGHT THEIR children the catechism and fed the flame of their devotion with family worship, prayer and the singing of Psalms, (Note: the belief they brought their Gaelic Bibles with them is incorrect. There was no translation of the Bible into the Gaelic tongue at this time). And they wrote letters to the synods of philadelphia and New York, requesting a preacher. Finally he came. In 1755- the Synod of Philadelphia sent Hugh HcAden, on horseback, on a- reconnaissance. What he found i srecorded in his journal, which is preserved in Footers Sketches, In South Carolina he met at old gentleman who had said to' the governor of south carolina when he was in those'parts ., that he had "never seen a shirt, been in a fair'g heard a sermon or seen a minister in all his life," the governor promised to send him a' minister, that he might hear one sermon before he died, The minister came and preached, and this was all the preaching that had been heard in the - upper part of South Carolina before McAden's visit. T. 7 - Things were just about as bad in the Old North.- State, along the Gape Fear The Baptists mere out beating the bushes* but had failed to reach the highland scots because of the language barrier a but for gaelic we WOULD ALL BE BAPTISTS, SUAS LEIS A f GhAIDHLI^! McAdEN HAD THE SANE PROBLEM* "At SOME PLACES WHERE I preached," he complained, "-the people understood scarcely a word i said, the poorest singers' i ever heard in allmy life," i'/ednesday, january 28s 1756, he' preached at alexander' mcilay * s "to a small congregation, mostly of Highlanders, who were very much obliged to me for' coming, and highly pie ased with my d is course, Though, alas, I am afraid it was all but feigned and hypocritical," h is reason for this fear was that some remained around the house all night', drinking and cursing, and depriving him of sleep, One wonders just what, and how much he told Rev, James Campbell when he returned to the cultured confines of Pennsylvania, Whatever it was, Campbell was persuaded to leave his church on the bonny bonny banks of the gonnegocheg and cast his lot with his countrymen to the south? in a place whose name. he could pronounce, James Campbell was born at Campbeltown,-, Kintyre,- Scot~ LAND, ABOUT 1700? AND CAME TO AMERICA ABOUT 1730, He landed at Philadelphia, and began to preach- to a con-gregation of Highland Scots in Pennsylvania Here he met and married a nlss kennedy, who later accompanied him to North Carolina, In time , for one reason or another, his mind- became uneasy on the subject of his christian faith, and BEING an honest man he ceased to preach* In this CONDITION HE HEAR, D ' THE FAMOUS UhITEFIELD PREACH, AND" WAS MUCH IMPRESSED , And WELL HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN! WHITEFIELD WAS A PREACHER, NOT' A TALKER £ A MAN OF INTENSE PURPOSE AND CONVICTION, ON FIRE FOR GOD, FrCM HIS ORDINATION IN 1736 UNTIL- HIS DEATH IN 1770 HE PREACHED SOME 18,000 SERMONS, AND AND REACHED HIS GENERATION FOR GlIRIST, ONE STORY THAT IS TOLD OF HIM WILL ILLUSTRATE NOT ONLY THE STYLE OF HIS PREACHING., BUT THE ALERTNESS OF HIS MIND, He WAS PREACHING ON Hell, on a hot day in New England* when a fly buzzed into the church and lit on the pulpit9 "you will be' destroyed as surely as i destroy this fly," he cried, BRINGING HIS FIST DOWN TO WHERE THE FLY - WAS , ThE ASTONISHED CONGREGATION WATCHED THE FLY FLY OFF JUST ' IN TIME, AND WONDERED WHA.T THE PREACHER WOULD DO NEXT, - 8 - A LESSER MAN WOULD HAVE PRONOUNCED THE BENEDICTION, THEN AND THERE, BUT GEORGE I'IhITEFIELD WAS EQUAL TO' the occasion* "but there is always a way of escape, if you will but take it," he concluded, But back to our story, Campbell sought an interview - with this han, who managed to remove his difficulties, and who encouraged him to resume hls ministry, James Campbell came to North Carolina in 1756, and set-tled ON A 200 ACRE TRACT ON THE CAPE FeAR* OPPOSITE TO WHERE THE Old BLUFF CHURCH NOW STANDS, WORD THAT A Gaelic preacher was among them spread through the Scottish settlement like wildfire, and he was invited to hold services in homes throughout- the area, One of these was Alexander McKay 1 s on the "Long Street (Cross Creek - Hillsborough Road), where Hugh McAden 'had spent a sleepless night the previous tear. Another was Rodger McNeill's (by the bluff). Still another was John Dobbin's, on Barbecue Creek, John Dobbin had been- a member of Campbell' s congregation back in Pennsylvania, and he and the new preacher were old friends. About the year 1746, Dobbin married the widow of-David Alexander in Pennsylvania, who had one daughter; aljn alexander, the dobbins reared another DAUGHTER, JeAN ABOUT 1750 THEY MOVED TO BARBECUE, AND OPENED AN ORDINARY, OR INN, CN THE CrOSS CrEEK - Hillsborough Road, near Barbecue Creek, There Ann married Gilbert Clark, who owned a vast acerage reaching from the Road to Little River a It is but natural that Campbell should look up his old friend, and even more natural that Dobbin and his young son-in-law should urge him to hold services at the ordinary, "And here," writes Leon McDonald, who has done so much to make Barbecue History live, and to keep it alive, "arises a point of peculiarly interesting speculation. In the ordinary ordinary of that day the tap room was the largest room; the public room, the place where large assemblages could gather without disturbing guests, CR MEMBERS OF THE INNKEEPER 's FAMILY* In THAT ROOM THE MOST CONVENIENT CONTRIVANCE AVAILABLE FOR AN IMPROVISED PULPIT WOULD LOGICALLY BE A BARREL e COULD THE FIRST SERVICE IN THE OLDEST CHURCH' IN THE GAPE FirAR VALLEY HAVE BEEN HELD IN A TAP ROOM, THE TEMPORARY PULPIT A BARREL? ODD, BUT CONCEIVABLE UNDER CONDITIONS ENCOUN-TERED TWO CENTURIES AGO," «.. 9 - ... Interesting* Peculiarly interesting. But, AFTER ALL, ONLY "SPECULATION-," Mr , McDONALD MAY WELL BE RIGHT* #£' USUALLY IS C On THE OTHER HAND, JUST ABOUT ANY ROOM IN ONE OF THOSE OLD HOUSES WOULD HAVE BEEN LARGE ENOUGH FOR THE FIRST CONGREGATION OF BARBECUE And THERE WAS NO FEAR OF DISTURBING THE INNKEEPER ' S FAMILY; THEY WOULD ALL BE AT THE SERVICE* All.* THAT IS, BUT THE ONE minding the tap roome the innkeeper would be far more fearful of disturbing the paying customers by holding, of allthings, a worship service in their favorite gathering place« Still, it is interesting to speculate! By October 18, 1758, these three preaching points were strong enough to be organized into regular churches and on that date twelve good men and true representing McKay's (Longstreet) , Rodger's Meeting House (Bluff), and Barbecue, extended to Revc Campbell the first call ever ever issued to a presbyterian minister in north Car olina S "Know all men whom these presents do- or may concern, that we whose names are underwrittenfi for and in consideration of the due and faithful ministry of the Gospel (according to the Doctrines and Discipline of the Church of that part of Great Britain called' Scotland, by law established) for some months past, and hereafter to be administered to us and other good people of our communion in the county of cum- BERLAND, province of North America, dy the Rev* James Campbell, a well qualified minister,- of the principles of the said established church, and for divers good causes and considerations moving us there t0 s have covenanted, promised, granted and agreed, and by these presents do each of us covenant., promise and agree to and with the said james campbell to pay conjointly, or cause to be paid the sum of a hundred POUNDS IN GOOD AND LAWFUL MONEY OF'NorTH CAROLINA TO the said James Campbell, his heirs,, executors, admin-istrators, OR ASSIGNS, TO COMMENCE FROM THE TWENTY-SECOND of June las,t (providing the said Mr James Campbell doth, as soon as his convenience permit, ACCEPT OUR CALL, TO BE PRESENTED TO HIM BY Rev'd Presbytery of South CaroJjIna^ and be by them engaged TO THE SOLEMN DUTY OF A PASTOR. FOR US,) AND this to be paid to him, his heirs, executors, administrators or assigns yearly, and every year during his faithful ministry with us, In witness WHEREOF we have HEREUNTO set our hands, - 10 - AND SEALS THIS EIGHTEENTH1 DAY OF OCTOBER IN THE YEAR of his Majesty 1 s reign XXXIInd ' and our Lord one thou-sand SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY EIGHT, Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of Arch'd McNeill and Arch's Clark* Hector McNeill Gilbert .Clark Thomas Gibson. Alex McAllister Mal com Smith Archibald McKay Jno, Patterson Dushee Shaw Neill McNeill Archibald Buie Anguish Culbreath Jonh McPherson (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) The contract was not admitted to record, however, until 1760, because of another obstacle that reared its ugly head. The Church of England (Episcopal) had a virtual monopoly of religion in the Colonies, and in North Caro-lina, AS ELSEWHERE , NONE DARED PREACH WITHOUT SUBSCRIB-ING TO CERTAIN ARTICLES OF THE ANGLICAN CrEED , THUS we read in the mlnutes of the january term of courtt "...The Rev, James Campbell in open court read and subscribed such of the articles of the church of eng-land as the law requires," foote lists the first elders of our church: "gilbert Clark, ,, Duncan Buie. ., Archibald Buie of Green Swamp; andDaniel Cameron of the Hill (note: Cameron's Hill, of course). These men were pious, and devoted to the cause of religion and their duties as elders, and for their strict attention to their duties got the name of 'the LITTLE ministersof Barbacue* T " In his excellent book, Jura, An Island Of Argyll, Rev, Donald Budge rightly notes that "the first three of THESE ARE OBVIOUSLY JURA MEN," And THIS RATIO WOULD HOLD TRUE FOR THE REST OF THAT FIRST CONGREGATION, ABOUT THREE FOURTHS OF THEM WERE FROM JurA, THERE THEY HAD ATTENDED THE OLD CHURCH AT KlLEARNADIL AND LISTENED TO THE SERMONS OF ANOTHER CAMPBELL, ReV NEIL', Rev Campbell was- also pastor of the islands of Scarba, COLONSAY, OrONSAY, GlGHA AND C.ARA. In HIS SPARE TIME WE WROTE LETTERS TO PRESBYTERY, ASKING TO BE TRANSFERRED TO SOME OTHER PARISH; ANY OTHER PARISH, HERE IS HIS STORY AS ONE OF HIS SUCCESSORS, REV, BUDGE, TELLS IT: —11 .... "Rev, Neil Campbell, . .holds the record for length of SERVICE- OF ALLTHE MINISTERS OF JURA, He WAS ADMITTED IN 1703, AND WAS STILL MINISTER OF' THE"PARISH IN WHAT APPEARSTO BE THE YEAR OF HIS DEATH, 1757, It WAS NOT ALL OF CHOICE THAT HIS MINISTRY ON THE ISLAND WAS SO LONG, FOR ON SEVERAL OCCASIOMS DURING HIS LCN G MINISTRY HE APPLIED TO HIS' BRETHREN OF THE PrESBYTERY FOR TRANS-FERENCE ELSEWHERE, WHICH REASONABLE REQUEST THEY AS OFTEN REFUSED. oo/AT THE TIME OF NEIL CAMPBELL^ INDUC-TION the Presbytery were not at all satisfied that the salary being offered him was sufficient. they suggested to the heritors that the salary be increased, but the suggestion met with no acceptance, the heritors claim-ing they were not in a position to do so. they offered to be responsible for transporting the minister in' his journeys between the various islands of the parish*^ an undertaking which does not appear to have been carried out. Enquiry was made about manse and glebe -(garden), both , of which appeared to be lacking. the heritors signified willingness (to provide) manse and glebe, OR TO GRANT HIM COMPENSATION. Mr. CAMPBELL LATER found this an empty promise, and took the matter up' with the Presbytery. . .nothing was done. After this, in 1705 and again in 1707 he craved the Presbytery to remove' his grievances, or else release him from his PARISH, WT TH NO RESULT (NOTE: THIS WAS THE PrESBYTERY of Kintyre. Somehow or other it reminds me of the Presbytery of Inverary) • From now on his appearances at Presbytery were very few, and when he did appear it WAS AS THE RESULT OF COMPULSION BY THE PrESBYTERY. Where the poor man resided we know not...*yejr s later WE FIND HIM INFORMING PrESBYTERY OF HIS INCAPACITY, by reason of age' and infirmity, to discharge his ministerial work, and begging them to consider the deplorable condition of jura and golonsay (i e, their lack of an adequate ministry) . when this proved of no avail he left the island, failing the permission of the Presbytery and went to live on the mainland. His death seems to have taken place soon after..." Yet his labor was not in vain in the Lord s and we at Barbecue are more deeply indebted to this man than ever WE REALIZE. He I T WAS WHO SOWED THE SEEDS OF CHRISTIAN FAITH' HARVESTED YEARS LATER, INDEED, THE YEAR OF HIS DEATH, IN ANOTHER LAND, BY ANOTHER CaMPBELL* God HAD His purpose- in keeping this nan on Jura - the purpose of Barbecue, Bluff, and Longstreetz indeed, the purpose OF ALL OF FaYETTEVILLE AND A GREAT PART OF OraNGE PrES-byteries. But back to North Carolina, and the history of Barbecue. -12 - James Campbell earned mis ICO p.ounds a year, serving A VAST TERRITORY THAT COVERED MOST OF' THE PRESENT co unties of Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Noore and Lee-, with occasi onal side visits- to raft swamp in robeson, andPurity in South Cap olina,- and " other destitute SETTLEMENTS*" He WAS BY NO MEANS THE FIRST PRESBYTER-IAN MINISTER TO PREACH IN NORTH CAROLINA, BUT HE WAS THE FIRST TO SETTLE DOWN AND SERVE A REGULAR CONGREGA-TION, As Dr. Arrowood writes: "Hore than twenty Pres-byterian MINISTERS PREACHED IN MORTH CAROLINA BEFORE James Campbell lifted up his voice to proclaim the un-searchable riches of Christ to the people along the Cape Fear,. .The distinction of James Campbell is that when he came, he came to stay, 'ltke a tree planted by the rivers of water, who bringeth forth his fruit IN HIS SEASON. f " Dr* Arrowood continues: "Amid a community of hopes and home-loving people he established his home. . .he ' brought his family with him and set up his household* His son James was eleven years old when they came. We do not know the ages of his other children, but there were at least three' sons and one girl." Unfortunate ly, JamesCampbell did not write letters to Presbytery in his spare time. If he had, perhap s- we would know more about him and his work than we do, and this history would be more complete. instead, he WORKED HIS LAND. "He EARLY BOUGHT A FARM FROM DUNCAN Brown on the Cape Fear opposite the place that- Bluff Church was to be built. The farm consisted of 200 acres for which he paid the equivalent of $4:00.00. One-half of any gold found was reserved for the King. His last tax return reveals that he owned, in 1780, 290 acres of river land, 930 acres of sand land, and ' 400 acres in Guilford County" (Arrowood) . As we said, when Campbell came, he came to stayI What kind of a preacher was James Campbell? Accord-ing TO HIS GRANDSON, REV. D. A. CAMPBELL, "HlS PREACH-ING WAS NOT SO MUCH THE DIDACTIC AND POLEMICAL AS EXEGETICAL AND PRACTICAL - EXPOUNDING AND EXPLAINING CHAPTERS OR PORTIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES, In THIS HE IMITATED 1/hITEFIE LD, TO WHOM' HE FELT MUCH INDEBTED. He WAS STRICTLY PRESBYTERIAN, BUT OF THE AMERICAN CAST, AND MAY BE RANKED AMONG THE New LlGHTS OF HIS DAY, AS WERE THE TeNNENTS OF NEW JERSEY, AND OTHERS WHO SYMPATHIZED' WITH I'/HI TEFIELD , THE SHORTER CaTE-CHISM HE PRIZED, ANDMADE IT THE DUTY OF ALL TO TEACH TO THEIR CHILDREN. DUNCAN HcCoRMICK, WHO WROTE THE w 13 -~ first History of Barbecue (about 1-898), and- to whom all future historians must be indebted, TELLS US THAT "Nr, CAMPBELL PREACHED ONE-THIRD OF HIS time at Barbecue, one-third at the Bluff, and one-third AT LONGSTREET, At EACH OF THESE CHURCHES HE WOULD preach two sermons at each. ap pointment - one in gaelic, and one in English for 'the benefit of those few who COULD NOT UNDERSTAND GaELIC,- THE CONGREGATION OF BAR-becue being decidedly scotch, he would oftener preach to them in Gaelic" It WAS SEVEN YEARS BEFORE A PERMANENT PLACE OR WORSHIP was erected* during this time services. were conducted in the various homes of the community (dobbin's, Gilbert Clark's) and later, some believe, in a tempor-ary, MAKE-SHIFT SHELTER SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE DOBBIN HOUSE AND THE PRESENT CHURCH, FINALLY, IN 1765, WAS RAISED THE FIRST PERMANENT PIA CE OF WORSHIP IN WHAT IS Not^ Harnett County, A plain, unpretentious building it was, made of logs and unencumbered with flying buttresses, grinnfng gargoyles and lofty steeple, Could you see it today, you would say, "But it just doesn't look like a church!" The building had no chimney, for the worshippers inside did not believe in being comfortable in church, there was no piano or organ there, for they did not believe in using instrumental music in the worship of god , Nor were there hymnbooks. They didn't believe in hymns, either. the:£r hymnb00k was the blblej and they sang the Psalms of David, which had long before been rendered in verse form and set to music, there was no carpet down the center aisle (if there was a center aisle!). And no upholstered pulpit furniture^ But the love of God was there, and this was SUFFICIENT FOR THEMn At the door of THEIR CHURCH one MORNING THEY FOUND the BODY OF A STRANGER, FROZEN TO DEATH, He HAD TRIED TO SAIN ENTRANCE DURING THE NIGHT, BUT THE DOOR WAS LOCKED, He WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO BE BURIED IN BARBECUE CeME-tary, and ever since the door of barbecue church has been left unlocked, (note: in the spring of 1965 our Barbecue Young People cleared off' the old site, and found one of the sills STILL THERE, AND FOUR OLD HAND-MADE NAILS IN IT, The SILL AND NAILS HAVE BEEN REMOVED TO THE PRESENT BUILD-ING FOR INCLUSION IN OUR HERITAGE R0 0M o And THE OLD CHURCH SITE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH A CAIRN. What's A cairn? Cairn is a Gaelic word, and it means "a heap OR PILE OF STONES, LOOSELY THROWN TOGETHER'," ThE Highland Scots were too poor, most of them, to afford *- 14 •- expensive memorials, so they borrowed an idea' from the Old Testament and erected cairns' instead. They can be seen throughout the highlands, marking sites of histor- ICAL INTEREST, AND AS MEMORIALS TO THE DEAD a In PRE-REFORMATION TIMES IT WAS THE CUSTOM, WHEN PASSING THE BURIAL-PLACE OF A L0VED-0NE9 TO PLACE A STONE ON HIS GRAVE AND REPEAT A PRAYER FOR THE REPOSE OF HIS SOUL, The saying, "Guiridh Mi Glach 'Nad Gharn" (I will .add A STONE' TO YOUR CAIRN) STILL SPEAKS OF A FRIENDLY IN-TENTION, AND PROMISES THAT ONe's MEMORY WILL BE KEPT-ALIVE o IT IS SAID OF THE EARLY SETTLERS, THAT OFTEN, AS A GROUP OF THEM WERE LEAVING FOR AMERICA, THEY WOULD PAUSE AT THE TOP OF THE HILL AND TURN FOR ONE LAST LOOK AT THE Glen THAT HAD BEEN THEIR HOMEff AND THE HOME OF THEIR FATHERS FROM TIME BEYOND MEMORY, THEN EACH MEM~ BER OF THE PARTY WOULD TAKE A STONE, ANDTOGETHER THEY WD ULD ERECT A CAIRN AS A SILENT REMINDER TO ALL WHO WOULD PASS THAT WAY IN LATER TIMES' THAT ONCE THEY HAD LIVED THERE, BUT LIVED THERE NO MORE* UHEN THEY REACHED THESE' SHORES THEY BUILT NO CAIRNS 9 BUT THEY DID BUILD HOMES, AND SCHOOLS* AND THEY DID' BUILD CHURCHES, ' Churches like B arbecue, andBluff, and Longstreet e And: we at Barbecue believe it fitting that we, to- whom- they bequeathed that- which they valued most highly, their Christian Faith, raise a Gharn Guimhne (Cairn of Remem- - brance) as a reminder to us, and to all who pass this way, that once they lived, and worshipped here; and as 'a" pledge that we will be as faithful in passing on^ our Christian Faith to future generations as they were' . Among the stones in our Cairn are one from Flora Mac Donald's last home on Skye, Penduin, and another from the old Church on Jura where the first members of B arbecue Church first heard the old old story of Jesus and His love from the lips cf Rev, Neil Gampbell,' • About 1770 the emigration fever reached the Isle of Skyes AND THOUSANDS OF i'UcDoNALDS, llACQUEENS, MacLeODS AND OTHERS SET SAIL FOR A NEW HOME IN A NEW LANDo So intense was the passion to emigrate there was even a popular dance tune: "Dot, a dh' Iarraidh am fortan do North- Carolina" (Gotng to seek my fortune in North Carolina) „ The wave of emigration from- skye brought two' most interesting people to Barbecue, Flora MacDonald , and Rev, John MacLeod • Ladies first - and Flora was every inch a lady. And a-heroine too! Twenty-five years before, after Culloden, she had spirited "Bonnie" Prince Charlie out of Scot-land to safety. You know the story. He put on one of - 1 5 - Lady Clanranaltd 's last year 's dresses andpassed as Betty Burke, "Flora's .Irish servant maid* The Skye FOLK HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING QUITE LIKE BeTTY BurKE 1 . "'See that strange woman!" cried one- excited peasant, "Behold the- wide steps of that rude, long-legged dame! What a bold-, untidy, slovenly, uncouth female she is!" One wonders, did he calm down when they told him "she" was only Flora's new Irish servant? Poor fellow! He probably went to his grave believing that all irish women walk like that ! For her part in the escape of the prince, she (Flora-, that is) was taken to london to be tried for treason, andwas confined in the famous tower, public sympathy was with her, however, and soon she was "released" to the custody of london friends who were held responsible FOR HER APPEARANCE, In 1747 THE Ad OF INDEMNITY WAS passed, and she was set at liberty, frederick, prince of Males, paid her a visit at this time, and asked her how she dared to assist a rebel against his father 's throne « she replied that she would have done the same thing for him if she had found him in like distress „ She returned to Skye andmarried Allan HacDonald, son of the Laird of Kingsburgh Together they came- to North Carolina in 1770, settled at Camfp.cn Hill, and attended Barbecue Church, Tradition insists they were members here, but as the oldrecords no longer exist this can neither be confirmed nor denied o' foote QUOTES ONE WHO SAW' HER AT BARBECUE ChURCHs "a DIGNIFIED and handsome woman, to whom all paid great respect e " "to the close of her life," he continues ," she was of a gentle and affable demeanor, and greatly beloved; her modesty and self-respect were blended with kindness and benevolence, ,, she was educated , lived and died in the Presbyterian faith, the faith of the Church of Scotland, ,, An immense concourse of people were assem-bled AT HER FUNERAL^ NOT LESS THAN THREE THOUSAND PERSONS FOLLOWED HER CORPSE TO THE GRAVE (a WALK OF some ten or twelve miles l) in the ceketary of kllmuir, in the Isle of Skye,- According to a request long previously expressed, her shroud was made of the IDENTICAL SHEETS IN WHICH PrINCE CHARLES REPOSED THE night he spent at klngsburgh - thus carrying to her grave the romantic spirit of her youth." two years later, in 1792, the body of her husband was pla ced beside her , And then there was Rev, John MacLeod! Historians ~ 16 - HAVE NOT DEALT TOO KINDLY WITH JOHN MACLEOD, SIMPLY BECAUSE OF ONE RENARK HE NADE THAT HAS CONE DOWN TO us* The Barbecue folk? their hinds honed razor-sharp on the Shorter Catechism? were not impressed with his eloquent flights of oratory, one sunday they actually-interrupted his- sermon to argue with him, exasperated, he snapped back, "i would rather preach to the most fashionable congregation in edinburgh than to the LITTLE CRITICAL CARLS OF BARBECUE," (NOTE'. " CArl" IS a Scottish word meaning "boor"). And if you smile at his retort, it is only because in your inner heart you suspect he was probably right i Despite this incident, it is quite evident Mr, MacLeod was a good and faithful pastor, who loved his people and was loved by them, t here still exist two commun- ION Cups presented by a friend in Scotland "to the Presbyterian Congregations in Cumber. land County Under the Care of Rev, John MacLeod " H is congregations remained loyal to him through the Revolution, though many, especially at barbecue, strongly di sagreed with his Loyalist sympathies* And at Charleston, awaiting the vessel that was to carry him back to his native land, he wrote a letter, of farewell to his parishioners, FOOTS- DESCRIBES HIM AS "a MAN OF EMINENT PIETY? GREAT worth, and popular eloquence*" MacLeod, like Campbell, was bi-lingual, and the two of THEM WORKED TOGETHER IN THE THREE CIIUrCHE3 FrOH FoOTE it would appear that MacLeod settled within the bounds of the Barbecue congregation and served this church and Longstreet, while Campbell devoted most of his time to Bluff, (This wouldexpla.in why Allan and Flora Mac.Oon-»- ALD , WHO WERE CLOSE FRIENDS OF MacLeOD,, ARE REPORTED TO HAVE ATTENDED BOTH BARBECUE AND LoNGSTREET, BUT NOT Bluff), Came the Revolution - andthe two pastorstook opposite sides, Campbell espoused the cause of the A?:fricans, MacLeod that of the crown, T he people were split also,- Generally the older settlers were Revolution* aries, the more recent ones loyalists, most of the Barbecue congregation favored independance ~ but not all* One Sunday morning Campbell prayed for the success of the American arms. After the servt. ce- he was approached by an old Tory ScoTj, McAlpin Munn, who said, or words to this effect, "Meenister, I enjoyed your sermon the morning, they get better every Sabbath, But if ever ye pray again as ye did • -17 - Of North Carolina Raleigh, N.C. THE DAY, THE BULLET IS 'MOLDED AMD THE POWDER IS IN MY HORN TO INSERT IT IN YOUR HEAD J " TllE MINISTER KNEW HIS PEOPLE WELL ENOUGH TO RECOGNISE THIS AS A SINCERE WARNING, GIVEN IN LOVE BY AN HONEST HAN WHO SAW CLEARLY AHEAD A DUTY HE WISHED DESPERA i'ELY TO AVOID* Ca.MPBELL WAS AN HONEST NAN TOO, AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ANOTHER MAN TO DICTATE THE CONTENT OF HIS PRAYERS e BETTER FOR HIM TO STEP ASIDE AND LET HIS YOUNGER ASS OCIATE CARRY' ON, CAMPBELL NEVER PREACHED AGAIN AT BjRBECWS, INDEED, FOR THE SECOND TIME IN HIS LIFE HE QUIT PREACHING ALTOGETHER, UNTIL THAT DAY HE HAPPENED TO OVERHEAR A WOMAN CURSING* THIS WAS NOT- SO COMMON THEN, AND HE WAS SHOCKED 8 WHEN HE REBUKED HER, SHE ANSWERED, "No WONDER THE DEVIL MAKES THE MOUTH OF THE WOMAN TO SWEAR WHEN HE CAN STOP THE MOUTH' OF THE PREACHER," TllE WORDS WENT STRAIGHT TO HIS HEART', AND HE RESUMED THE MINISTRY, BUT' THIS TIME IN GUILFORD, A SAFE DISTANCE FROM HcAlPIN NuNN, AND HIS BULLET, AND HIS powder horn, Incidentally, Malcolm Fowler tells us that NcAlpin Munn's old powder horn and bullet mold are still in existence, But then, so is Preacher Campbell's old church! Meanwhile, the Scots on Cape Fear were making history. The Tories among them raised an army, and started out for Wilmington -, They never made it9 Defeated at Moore's Creek, their leaders were taken prisoner and the private soldiers were released to return to their homes and live peaceably, MacLeod, who had- cone along as a Chaplain, was confined in Halifax jail, along with Allan Ma cD onalb andothers, according to bank's, "i'lrn campbell on hearing of this, traveled from guilford to halifax and importuned Congress to liberate his co-lab orer in the cause of Christ, T he Frovincial Congress listened to his appeal, AND RESOLVED THAT MacLeOD MIQHT BE RELEASED AND ALLOWED TO DEPART AND REMAIN IN THE FRIENDLY CUSTODY OF Mr a CAMP-BELL," MacLeod made his way to Charleston, and sailed for scotlando his ship was never heard from again, and was presumed lost at sea* Flora retur.ned to Stye, where she was eventually joined by her h usbando s.je is given much credit as both the recruiter and the inspiration of the tc.ry army9 but one wonders how devoted she really hal, to 'cj'e loyalist cause, in a: letter to a friend j she wrote! ' 3allan LEAVES TOMORROW TO JOIN D CNALD ' S STANDARD AT CrOSS CrEEK, AND I SHALL BE ALONE WI ' MY THREE BAIRNS, CaNNA YE COME AND STAY WI ' ME AWHILE? THERE ARE TROUBLOUS TIMES AHEAD, I WEEN, GOD WILL KEEP THE RIGHT, I HOPE - 18 - all our ain are' in the right, prays your good friend , flory nacdonald 9 " i hope all our ain are in the right! She writes as though she doubted it. Later she would remark that she had risked her life' for both tee houge of Stewart and the House of Hanover, but she never saw that she was any the better for it, in 1780, feeling his life was fast drawing to a close j James Campbell returned home to die, ac iompai/ied by Elders of the churches in Guilford he had served so well Meanwhile his eldest son,, James * had returned to the Bluff to recover from- wounds received in the war Not finding his father, he started out for Guilford,, Just beyonb Little River he came upon a' little company of men kneeling in prayer by a l0g 9 as he drew near he recognized the voice of his father, He AND THE EIDERS WERE ABOUT TO PART - HE TO CONTINUE on to the Bluff, they to turn back to Guilford , But first they would have one last prayer from their beloved minister. one is reminded of p4ul*s farewell' to the Ephesian Elders: "And whien he had thus spoken, he kneel-ed DOWN AND PRAYED WITH THEM ALL, And THEY ALL WEPT SORE e i ^SORROWING MOST OF ALL FOR THE WORDS THAT HE SPAKE, THAT THEY SHOULD SEE HIS FACE NO MORE," (ACTS 20:56-38), James Campbell died that fall, and is buried near his home, beside his wife t hirty year s l ater .-, colin HcIvER WROTE OF HIM.j "He IS SPOKEN OF ASONE OF THE EX-cellent of the earth; an eminent christian and an active, assiduous and useful minister of the gospel," Which brings- us to Dugald Crawford Dugald was born Nay 15, 1752, the second son of David Cramfor.d, farmer, at slsgan, ailm0r1e, educated at the university of Glasgow,- licensed by the Presbytery of Dunoon, March 27, 1781, AND ORDAINED BY THE PrESBYTEPY OF EDINBURGH as Deputy Chaplain to a regiment se}iviag in AmericAc, the third day of october, 1781, hls vital statistics ARE PLACED FIRST BECAUSE CrAWFORD WOULD HAVE LAN TED IT THAT WAY, He WAS A VITAL STATISTICS SORT OF IUN Some time after the close of the wm ,, Jnt.-N McCorkick and Duncan UcEacfern feruuadeo- him to come >j > yiE'RAFT Swamp Church in Robeson County* It w: a a mistake. Barbecue secured his services also. And this was another mistake o Crawford was unhappy here, Leon McDonald mentions a. letter from him on file in the Loyalist Claims "dated - 19~ about 1784 while he was still in north carolina, saying that Cumberland was no place for a Scotchman, and would NOT BE 'FOR A HUNDRED YEARS, ' ' He BEMOANS THE FACT THAT he went into the presbyterian ministry, and regrets that he did not take orders in the established church, settle down in england, and live a peaceful life," Crawford conducted his services with military precision, and with about as much warmth as the changing of the GUARD, He SPOKE TO NO ONE, AND RECITED HIS SERMONS AT a rapid pace. Banks mentions one he wrote in verse form, "but in such a manner as proved he was not a poet," Soon after he came he preached his famous sermon on the subject, "A Mental- Toothpick for The Fair Sex" (in both Gaelic and English, of course). One wonders what the critical carls thought of that one, even the late john MacLeod had never preached on "A Mental Toothpick for The Fair Sex!" Then, suddenly, he mellowed. For in this howling, deso-late wilderness, among these uncouth "Shanty-Scotch," there blossomed a fair flower indeed! jean dobbin, the current Belle of Barbecue, Her brow was like the snawdrift, Her neck- was like the swan; Her face, it was the fairest That e'er the sun shone onI It may be his congregation felt he was beginning to preach too often on Love for a well-bred Calvinist, But if they did, they made allowances. After all, he was a Celt, And he was young. And he was in love! Alas, like the girls in the hillbilly ballads, Jean did not return his love, she may have been repelled by his STERN, FORBIDDING MANNER, Or PERHAPS THAT' MENTAL TOOTH-PICK GOT STUCK IN HER THROAT, MORE LIKELY, IT WAS SIM-PLY THAT SHE WAS PROMISED TO ANOTHER; DUGALD CRAWFORD ARRIVED ON THE SCENE WITH TOO LITTLE, AND TOO LATE, IT WAS TOO MUCH FOR THE YOUNG SCHOLAR; HlS MIND BECAME IMPAIRED, AND HE RETURNED TO SCOTLAND, WHERE HE SOON RECOVERED, And ALONG ABOUT HERE LOCAL TRADITION GETS DOWNRIGHT MUSHY, THE STORY PERSISTS THAT HE DROWNED HIMSELF THE DAY OF Jean's WEDDING, THE VICTIM OF A BROKEN HEART, It's A GOOD STORY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY FOR lovers- of melodrama it just didn't happen thataway, Oh yes, he did die by drowning, "While going out on a small boat to get on a vessel on its way to greenock he was drowned, 22 march, 1821, about a mile from pladda Isle," He was almost 69 years of age - and Jean was SOI-IEBODY's GRANDMOTHER BY THIS TIME* - 20 - Dugald Crawford never harried. He was followed by Rev, Angus UcBiarnid, another Scot, who cane to these shores in 1793 and soon began to preach at Barbecue, He remained nearly ten years, kcblarnid was a nan of forceful personality, a good preacher and a fine scholar, about 1790 the highland Scots hadbegun to emigrate again, and there was a rapid increase in population, but no more rapid than the increase in the barbecue population, from near and far they came to hear the glorious gospel proclaimed in the warm accents of their native tongue - the ancient tongue of Eden, "Even the babies seemed to cry in Gaelic!" The old log church could not accommodate then all, so a new church was built, a frame building that stood until 1896, when it was dismantled and rebuilt into a dwelling house (the home of bave godfrey) , mcblarmid had a good friend, a fellow minister and a fellow Scot, Colin Lindsay, And what followed can never be better told than it was by buncan ncgormick nearly seventy years ago 2 "angus hcdlarnid was generally admired and loved by the churches of his charge, under his ministration (like it was under most of his prede- CESSORS) the Catechism- and the Confession of Faith were TAUGHT IN THE CHURCHES, AND BY FAMILY FIRESIDES, AND WERE REQUIRED TO BE* RECITED IN THE FORENOON ON EVERY SABBATH OF PREACHING,, p. In 1802 THE GREAT REVIVAL COMMENCED, He looked upon the irregular and extravagant conduct of the revivalists with great mistrust, and tried to prevent such fanaticism by warning them of its delusiveness , ' The Rev, Colin Lindsay-, who was a native of Scotland , did the same, llndsay, like h'cblarnid , ' was a man of extensive education, of fine appearance, and a talented' speaker. These two preachers thought it their duty to dispel the 'delusion, ' as they called it, b ut the excitement was too great, some ministers were strong revivalists , and the contagion spread rapidly e the' revivalistsexhibited great bodily emotion - howling, jumping, dancing etc, - in time of public worship, This so provoked McBiarmid and Lindsay that they de-nounced THE PP.EACHERS THEMSELVES AS FANATICS, ILLITER-ate blockheads etc,, till very bad feelings ensued, the matter was carried to presbytery, and so great was the feeling that ucblarnid and llndsay were deposed by Grange Presbytery, and denied the privileges of their churches. This led to further difficulties. They formed a Presbytery of their own, and declared they WERE THE ONLY TRUE PRESBYTERIANS .. ,ThEY MET AT VARIOUS - 21 - PLACES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, ORGANIZED CHURCHES, ORDAIN-ED Elders, and administered sealing ordinances,. They WERE SUPPORTED IN THEIR OPINIONS BY NUMBERS OF THEIR PEOPLE, ME THINK McDlARJIID AND LlNDSAY USED EXTREME MEASURES AGAINST THE REVIVAL* WHEN THEY WOULD BEGIN TO PREACH, THEY (ESPECIALLY Mr LlNDSAY) WOULD SAY TO THE CONGREGATION, ' If ANY OF THE DEVIL'S CHILDREN ARE PRESENT, LET THEM HOLD THEIR- PEACE TILL God's MESSAGE is delivered to hls child ren, ' and like ' expressi ons . the revivalists would tell their- hearers , when' under ' the excitement, to jump, cry out, shout, dance, jerk, or exercise such bodily emotions as they thought proper in time of public worship, they thought it would be pleasing to them, and not displeasing to godt The excitement did not prevail at Barbecue to a very great extent; but on certain occasions, some of the good people would shout for joy, and some few did dance what they called ' the holy dance, ' "On one occasion at Barbecue, Mr, John Small became exercised, and in his excitement began to' climb one of the lofty oaks that surrounded the church, from whence to fly away to heaven, at that tiiie an old scotchman BY THE NAME OF BaRKSDALE WAS LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY, AND WAS PRESENT , He SAI DHE WOULD CURE JOHN, He JERKED him down from the treex andlaid his riding- whip on him heavily; and it did cure John, Mr, Small,- who lived a long time in the neighborhood, of Barbecue-, and who was always noted for his piety and devotion, expressed' HIMSELF AS HAVING A LASTING OBLIGATION TO Mr „ BARKSDALE FOR HIS CORRECTION, ALTHOUGH THE BLOWS WERE HEAVY AND THE STRIPES WERE LONG,- He SAID IT WAS THE MEANS UNDER God of saving his life, and also of saving him from such wild fanaticism," After Lindsay r s death, members of his church began to BOAST THEY'D HEARD A MAN PREACH WHO WAS TWICE BURIED The STORY WENT that his mother was taken SICK SHORTLY BEFORE HIS- BIRTH, AND APPARENTLY DIED* She WAS PLACED in a vault, a valuable gold ring still on her finger > That night a gang of ghouls broke into her burial place TO STEAL HER RING, It WAS TOO TIGHT, SO NATURALLY- THEY PROCEEDED TO CUT OFF HER FINGER, The FINGER MOVED, AND THEY FLED, THE NIGHT AIR, AND THE PAIN, HAD AROUSED HER FROM HER TRANCE, SHE RETURNED HOME AND KNOCKED ON THE DOOR, k/HEN HER HUSBAND OPENED IT SHE HELD UP HER HAND AND SAID, "HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THIS RING, I WOULD NOT BE HERE TONIGHT," (UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS NO RECORD OF WHAT HER- HUSBAND SAID; THOUGH IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT WHEN SHE DIED, YEARS LATER, HE REMOVED THE RING BEFORE HE BURIED HEr) , - 22 - It's a good story - though, frankly, I don't believe it. The same tale was being told in Scotland about the Erskine boys, Ralph and£benezer, long years before Colin Lindsay- was born. He probably used it as a sermon illus-tration, perhaps of the Overruling Providence of God, and those who recalled it in later years thought he meant his own mother, Still - let's face it - it is_ a good story, and that SHOULD COUNT FOR SOMETHING! It IS JUST TOO GOOD A story to ie t those scots have all to themselves! (note: On the other hand, a Scottish minister at Maxton on a pulpit-exchange some years ago, was asked about THIS AND REPLIED THAT IT IS NOT LEGEND BUT FACT, He said that as a result of this incident Scots law to this day forbids burial of any person until a' certain TIME HAS ELAPSED, He WENT ON TO SAY, HOWEVER, THAT THE GRAVE -ROBBERS WERE NOT SO MUCH INTERESTED IN THE RING AS THEY WERE THE BODY, THEY WERE MEDICAL STUDENTS! WHEN ONE OF THEM DIS COVERED Mrs , LlNDSAY WAS ALIVE HE TOOK her to his home and swore her to secrecy before releasing her, Mrs, Lindsay never told who he was) But back to Barbecue, Through the earnest efforts of Colin McIver, McDiarmid was later restored to fellowship^ and after many years of service went to be with his lord 6 and was buried at longstreet, hls stone reads, simply', "Rev,, Angus McDiarmid, Born Islay, Died Apr, 1, 1827, 69 yrs , 5 MOS*" The next few years (from 1802 until 1811) of Barbecue htstory are not at all clear to me, and i have not as yet had opportunity to do adequate research on- them o ' I'Je do know that on the twenty-seventh of March,. 1801 9 Orange Presbytery had met at Barbecue Church and LICENSED THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS OF Dr; DaVID CaLDWELL TO PREACH THE &OSPEL: MALCOLM Mc^AIR, DUNCAN BrOWN, Murdock Murphy, Murdoch McMillan, John Matthews, H ugh Shaw, and Ezekiel B, Gurrie (Foote, by the way, was so impressed with this he mentioned it at least four times in his book.'), two of these men, murphy and McMillan, together with the Revs, William Paisley and John Gillespie, figure in our history for this period, jt would seem that paisley, glllespie and Murphy served a while as temporary supplies, each giving l-mat time he could to the work of our church while he spent most of his tine at the church of which HE WAS THE REGULAR PASTOR, It WOULD FURTHER APPEAR that Murdoch McMillan then came on a more regular - 23 "~ BASIS} AND SERVED AS PASTOR UNTIL 1811, He WAS A YOUNG HANj AND JUST WHAT ' Bar.BECUE NEEDED AT THIS TIME, It HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBECUE'S GOOD FORTUNE THAT AFTER-A STORH THERE IS APERIOD OF CALM. QUIET, UNASSUMING, McMlLLAN FILLED THE BILLo Meeting at Providence Church, Matthews, October 5, 1812* the Synod of the Garolinas set off the following members of the Presbytery of Orange to- form the Presbytery of Fayetteville: "Samuel Stanford, Robert Tate, William L* Turner, Malcolm McNair, Murdoch McMillan, John McIntyre, William B, Merony, Allan McDougald, and William Peacock* Barbecue, of course, was one of the churches included in the new Presbytery, Though Allan McDougald was a native of Moore County, he was a Barbecue boy, having been raised near Cameron's Hill by "Shop" Daniel Cameron (who is not to be confused with "Hill" Daniel Cameron) . Licensed but a short while before the formation of Fayetteville Presbytery, his FIRST FIELD OF SERVICE INCLUDED HIS HOME CHURCH, He remained fourteen happy years, and the church prospered well in his hands* many were united to christ and hls Church during this period* -Foote writes of him, "His labors were very acceptable, till the infirmities of AGE DISABLED HIM FOR ACTIVE SERVICE* He PASSED TO HIS REWARD IN A GOOD OLD AGE*" SAID BANKS, REFERRING TO HIS MINISTRY AT BLUFF, "He PREACHED TO THE PEOPLE OF THIS- CHURCH FAITHFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY FOR A LONG TIME, AND W ALKED IN AND OUT BEFORE THEM, FEAR.ING GOD AND LOVING MAN* - He RESTS FROM HIS LABORS IN THE MlLL Place grave yard, in Harnett County, but his works follow after himj his memory is still present with you, especially with those who under his ministry were con-ver ted t ghr 1st." Some mementoes of this good man- are still present with us also* There is, for example, the old contract: "We the undersigned do promise to pay to Rev'n Allan MacDougald the sum affixed to each of our names for his service for the year eighteen hundred and twenty one Alexander Cameron 2*50 David Clark 2 o 60 Malcom Buie 1*25 Duncan Patterson 2„00 Neill Clark 1*25 Alexander McBryde 1,25 John McLeod 2*25 Archibald Clark 2*50 And so on* There are 4:2 names, and all together they promised $54*75* The preacher didn't eat too high off the hog that year; his congregation were determined to help him stay humble* but then he was also pastor at Bluff, Averasbqi ough and Tirza, and perhaps with them added he 8j.de what would have been- considered a living wage in 1821 (assuming, of course, they all paid what they promised), let ! s see, four times $54*75 .... In 1824 Colin McIver published a book: "The Southern Preacher: A Collection of Sermons from the- Manuscripts of Several Eminent Ministers of the Gospel, Residing in the Southern States," No list of eminent ministers would be complete without the pastor of barbecue, and Allan McDougald is represented by a sermon on The Resurrection of the Body, It is as good- a sermon on this subject as i have seen - scriptural, thorough; interesting, and practical, indeed, it is one of the few old sermons i have read that would appeal to the average sermon listener of today, and one sunday i INTEND TO PREACH IT AT BaRBECUE, JUST TO SEE IF ANYONE remembers, McDougald was followed by another local boy, Archibald Buie, son of "Little Minister" Archibald Buie of Gum Swamp, As I write I have before me a few mementoes of his ministry also. The old Session Minutes: "Barbacue Church Novr 29th 1833, Session convened. Present, A, Buie, Moderator - - D, - Patterson, D, Cameron, M, McLeod, Allen McDonald, A, L, McDonald* Thomas McInnes censured for fighting. Expressed sorrow Admonished and restored, Saturday, 30th, Present as above, John Ray for drunkeness. Reinstated by con-fession AND REPENTANCE, SUND, DeCR 1ST, SEVERALS censured fcr dancing and frolicking, adjourned to meet the first Sunday in Janry 1834, Preaching prevented in consequence of bad weather, preaching last sunday in January 1834, preaching 1st Sunday in March," Me may smile as we read the old record s but it meant some- THING to be a Christian back then, and church members WERE EXPECTED TO LIVE DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO MADE NO PRETENSE OF RELIGION, AND SIN WAS SOMETHING TO BE ASHAMED OF, NOT SOMETHING TO DEFEND AND JUSTIFY, Like McDougald , Arch ibald Bui? was an earnest seeker AFTER SOULS, TAKING SERIOUSLY THE MORD OF THE LORD, "Go OUT INTO THE HIGHWAYS AND HEDGES, AND COMPEL THEM - TO COME IN, THAT MY HOUSE MAY BE FILLED," OUT HE WENT, AND BEFORE LONG THE HOUSE OF GoD ON BARBECUE CrEEK WAS indeed filled, filled to overflowing, there were people everywhere, and the need to establish a new church was felt. The folks over on Cypress- and Beaver Creek wanted a church more convenient to them, and in 1826 cypress was organized , then, in 1835, the upper llttle rlver COMMUNITY PULLED AWAY TO FORM Mt, PlSGAH, MOST OF B AR- - 25 - be cue's members ie ft to unite with one or the other of these, and the' old mother church was left helpless, with no pastor , one elder, and but few people,, things were so bad that two i'lethodist ministers, nurchison and garr, came to hold an occasional service* fayette-ville Presbytery met to discontinue the Auld Kirk, but Colin NcIver cried out, "Nofl No! I will serve it! Without money and without price if necessary!" He became pastor about 1839 and continued until the fall of 1849, at which time he had become too feeb&e to make the trip from fay ettevihle . the church revived under his inspired leadership, and continues to this day because of his efforts* HcIVER WAS BORN AT STORNOWAY, IsLE OF LEWIS, SCOTLAND 9 N.ARCH 9, 1784, AND CAME TO FAYETTEVILLE TO TEACH ABOUT 1809. In TIME HE BECAME OhERK OF THE SESSION OF THE First Presbyterian GhurcHj, then of Fayettetille Presby-tery, AND FINALLY OF THE SYNOD OF' NORTH CAROLINA. He WAS A MAN OF FORCEFUL PERSONALITY, TENACIOUS OF HIS OPINIONS, BUT WARM-HEAR TFD AND GRACIOUS* II WAS SAID of him,, "Untiring in zeal, cbr> fop.mly consistent, scrup-ulous IN THE DISCHARGE OF HIS DUTIES, UNWAVERING IN his religious principles , with a mind well cultivated and stored with information, he yau most highly appreciated where most intimately known." 'h e was an- orthodox presbyterian of the ot,d school, and had but little patience with religious novelties^ During his ministry a number of new families from the Highlands- and Islands of Scotland settled in the community, and soon the old church was- filled once AGAIN WITH NclEODSj CaMERONSj DarrOCHS, GaNVBELLS*, HacLeanSj, NacGregors,, McKayss NacDonalds and others who came "as if summoned by the fiery crocs to hear - the old old story of the crimson cross in their' beloved old gaelic tongue 3 " Colin NcIver was noted far and wide for his absentmind-edness, and many are the stories told of him in this connectiono one sunday morning he came to fill his APPOINTMENT AT BarBEJUE. TlIE OLD ROAD RAN BY THE OLD CHURCH, AND THE CONGREGATION HAD GATHERED IN THE YARD TO AWAIT HIS COMING. He APPEARED AT THE USUAL HOUR, DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH HIS EYES FIXED ON THE GROUND, COMPLETELY LOST IN HIS THOUGHTS. He PASSED ON THROUGH THE CONGREGATION WITHOUT NOTICING THEM AND CONTINUED DOWN THE HILL* ACROSS THE BRANCH, UP THE SLOPE BEYOND, AND THE ASTONISHED CONGREGATION WATCHED HIM DISAPPEAR OVER THE NEXT HILL. BUT THEY KNEW CoLIN - 26 - mdver, and waited. sure enough, he soon returned, entered the church, and conducted the service as if nothing unusual had happened* but thena nothing unusual had happened. colin mdver was like that i On another occasion he started from his home in Fayette- VILLE TO FILL HIS APPOINTMENT AT BarEECUE, AND RODE about three miles out of town before he realized he ' had left his sermon manuscript back in his desk at home, He drove off the road and-' hitched his- horse,, Then he walked back fcr his notes, returning, he unhitched HIS HORSE AND DROVE ON, It NEVER OCCURRED TO HIM HE might have driven back for his sermon notes. he was related to the mdvers in the buffalo church in Sanford, On his way to visit them, and also to conduct a service there the following sunday, his gig BECAME HOPELESSLY MIRED IN THE MUD, He CALLED- TO A LITTLE COLORED BOY AT WORK IN THE FIELD NEARBY, "Go TELL YOUR MASTER THAT GoLIN' MdvER , STATED ClERK'OF the Synod of North Carolina, is stuck in the mud. Please come and help him out," The message as deliv-ered, "Massa, dey t s a white man down dar wid a cole an* a fever, and he stated he ' s de derndest sinner in north Galiny, Please come help him outen de mudo" Said D. P. McDonald s "His faults (absentmindedness) EVEN ENDEARED HIM TO HIS PEOPLE. HlS SPOTLESS RELIGIOUS CHARACTER WOULD HAVE PLACED HIM FAR ABOVE THE AVERAGE MAN. IF IT WERE NOT FOR HIS FAILINGS HE WOULD HAVE LIVED IN A SPHERE TOO REMOTE TO EXTEND HIS INFLUENCE TO ORDINARY MORTALS o BUT HIS PEOPLE, KNOWING HIS WEAKNESS, FELT THE NEARER TO HIM " "Oftentimes," said Lawyer Banks, "I have met this good OLD MAN IN HIS OLD STICK GJG., PLODDING 0VBVR THE DREARY SANDHILLS OF CUMBERLAND, BUT A HAPPY SMILE E VER BEAMED ON HIS FACE.; HE FELT THAT HE WAS IN HIS uAS'.i'ER 's SERVICE; TRAVELLING TOWARDS SOME ONE OF HlS HOLY TEMPLES, BEARING WITH HIM THE GLAD TIDINGS OF SALVA-TION TO BE DELIVERED ON THE COMING SABBATH DAY. On that blessed day, how devotional the old man looked ! how devotional he was ! and if his constitutional absence of mind sometimes prevailed, it was his gain -it was his hearer r s gain - for he was ever present in the Spirit and ready to bring forth for their edification things new and old," - 2 7 - "Father" HoIver (for so he was actually called by those WHO LOVED' HIM SO DEARLY) DIED. IN Fa.YETTEVI LLE, JANUARY 19, 1850, hls last wordsj, spoken in the gaelic, were a request to be buried in his time-honored silken gown and Geneva bands,, Rev, Hector. McAllister then came to fill the Barbecue pulpit. But soon his health failed, and he was forced to retire from the active ministry* His successor was Daniel Johnson, a teacher and Principal of The Summer-ville Academy at Tirza Church. He was a hard worker, especially among the young people, and was privileged to lead many of them to saving faith in christ. johnson. IN TURN, WAS FOLLOWED BY Dr . ARCHIBALD SMITH, OF WHOM Duncan NcCormick, who remembered him, wrote, "He was always in the spirit, 'and preached christ, and hlm CRUCIFIED, WITH POWER, He WAS VERY' STRICT IN DISCIPLINI urging its use in all circumstances, whenever required." These three men served the church for but a short while each, and unfortunately i know no more of them than what i have written here. They were followed by Duncan Sellers, a licentiate of Fayette vi lle Presbytery, who also taught school in the community. He was highly regarded, both as a good teacher and an earnest preacher* hls delivery was rapid, so rapid it was wef>l~ nigh impossible to distin-guish one word from another, years later he was still remembered for announcing his customary opening hymn so fast that, were it not that he began with the s-ihe hymn every sunday, no one would have known where to turn: "Let-us-all-please-turn-tO'HYL'n-number-316: H0W-HAPPY"ARE-THEY~WH0-THEIR~SaVI0UR-0BEY And •"HAVe-laid-up-their-theasures-above. " Which brings us to 1856, and to John Campbell Sinclair, THE LAST OF THE GREAT GaeLS^ JoilN SINCLAIR WAS BORN on the_ Isle of Tiree about 1800, and married Hiss Nary Julia NacLea.n in 1822. They had nine children, of whom five lived to maturity , One of these, Annie Campbell Fraser Sinclair, married Rew9 David A* Cunningham, who was for many years pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Wheeling, West Virginia* Another, Peter, was Editor and Publisher of tile Fayetteville North Carolinian until he resigned to serve as a- Colonel in the Confederate Army, Two of their sons, Alexander and James, were ministers, . - 28 - The Sinclairs emigrated to Nova Scotia in 1838, and WENT FROM THERE TO PrINCE FdWARD ISLAND, WHERE HE served for ten years as a home missionary. to secure a more liberal education for his children, he moved his family to newburyport, massachusetts in 1852 , When Alexander and James were ready to prepare for the ministry, choice was made of the western theological Seminary, and the family moved to Pittsburgh, Mrs, Sinclair died that year of cancer. In 1857 James Sinclair began his ministry in Fayette-ville Presbytery, and like Hugh IIcAden a century before, HE SOON SAW THE DESPERATE NEED FOR GaELI C-S PEAKING MINISTERS IN- THIS AREA, And LIKE NcAdEN HE TURNED TO Pennsylvania, and persuaded his father to sever his ties with the North and settle in the sandhills, John Sinclair was indeed well received by his fellow Gaels, From hither and yon they came to hear him - and to hither and yon he went to preach to them. Soon after his arrival a letter to a friend in scotland was PUBLISHED IN THE INVERNESS COURIER: " The GaELI C LANGUAGE IS SPOKEN IN ITS PURITY BY MANY IN' THESE COUNTIES (CUM-BERLAND, Bladen, Robeson, Richmond, Montgomery, Moore and Harnett) , and in both of my churches I preach it every Sabbath, On last Sabbath I assisted at the dis-pensation of the Lord r s Supper in a congregation 40 MILES DISTANT FROM MY HOME AND SERVED A TABLE AT WHICH UPWARD OF 150 HAD TAKEN THEIR SEATS, WHO HAD NOT HEARD A SERMON IN THE LANGUAGE OF THEIR NATIVE HIGHLANDS FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS, MANY TEARS WERE SHED DURING THE SERVICE, MANY A WARM SHAKE OF THE HAND, SUCH AS A HIGH-LANDER CAN GIVE, AND MANY A BLESSING WAS BESTOWED UPON YOUR CORRESPONDENT AT PARTING WITH THE WARM-HEARTED PEOPLE," In 1864 he organized St, Andrews Presbyterian Church, AND ADDED IT TO HIS FIELD OF SERVICE, He REMAINED at Barbecue through the difficult war yeaiis, until 1865, On October 6 of that year, Fayette ville Pres-bytery met at Barbecue Church and appointed a committee to examine certain rumours being circulated about his son, James, The father felt the Presbytery was being unfair to his son (who, by the way, had skipped presby- TERY THAT DAy), AND "REQUESTED A LETTER OF DISMISSI ON to connect himself with the presbytery of the island ' of Mull, Argyleshire, Scotland, Whereupon, on motion, this request was granted, and the stated clerk was requested to give him the usual testimonials" (nlnutes of Fayetteville Presbytery), Both he and James, how-ever, RETURNED TO NORTH CAROLINA UNDER THE BOARD OF - 29 - Domestic Missions,- Presbyterian Church, U* S, A, (North-ern), to preach to the Negro freed-men. The father or-ganized THE CHURCH NOW KNOWN AS LoVE GrOVE, AND PREACHED THERE FOR A FEW YEARS, UNTIL HIS HEALTH FAILED* ' He THEN WENT TO LIVE WITH HIS' DAUGHTER IN ^HEELING, WHERE HE passed away, April 25, 1878. In 1872 he wrote an article on The- North Carolina High-landers for An Gaidheal (The Gael), A Gaelic and English MAGAZINE PUBLISHED IN TOR ONTO, CANADA .* "THE COUNTRY INHAB-ITED by- the Highlanders of North and- South Carolina is healthy, the' soil is light and sandy, producing indian corn, cotton, oats, wheat, tobacco, sweet potatoes and every kind of vegetable, the highlanders of north caro-lina stilladhere to the religion and characteristics of their forefathers, they are strict, conscientious pres-byterians, honest in their transactions, hospitable to strangers; but greatly in love with the mighty dollar, They were very comfortably situated before the war; the generality of them being slave-holders, but the war has reduced their former comfortable condition very much,,, i have met with a number of coloured people whv speak the (Gaelic) language as well as if they had been raised in ANY OF THE HEBRIDES, THERE IS NO GaELI C PREACHED' IN THE carolinas now; and not likely to be in the future, i was the last Gaelic minister in the North State, and preachel in that language for eight years among my countrymen " He was - the last, SIMPLY because there was not another TO be had. And we have now reached the watershed of Barbe-cue History^ the end of the old, the beginning of the new,- The era that began when Mr, Fullarton missed the boat, the era of james campbell and john macleod, of Flora and Allan MacDonald, of McDiarmid, McDougald, McIver and Sinclair, is ended • Modern Barbecue History, like modern American Hilt or y, began in 1865 and "66, the change was almost imperceptible at first* rev, George A. Russell, pastor at Summerville, filled the PULPIT FOR THE FIRST MONTHS OF 1866, THEN LATER THAT same year, Rev, D. D„ (Duncan Daniel) McBryde of Little River Academy took charge of the church, McBryde was a remarkable person. -His commanding pres-ence AND PENETRATING BLUE EYES WERE ENOUGH BY THEMSELVES TO AWE ANY CONGREGATION INTO SUBMISSION. BUT HE WAS A POWERFUL PREACHER AS WELL.t AND POSSESSED AN ENGAGING PERSONALITY. D. P, McDoNALD CALLED HIM " . , „ ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR MINISTERS IN T'AYETTEVILLE PRESBYTERY. HlS PERSUASIVE MANNER WAS IRRESI STABLE ," He WAS BORN IN Richmond County, June 12, 1827, and received his higher education at Davidson College and Columbia Theological - 30 -"- Seminary, .For almost four decades, from his ordination September 2, 1654, until 1892 , he graced the pulpit of Sard is Church, and from- 1855 until 1889 he was pastor of Bluff Church as well This beloved man of God served our church faithfully and well until 1870* as i write i have before me his account book for these years, containing a record of salary payments made to him by individual members of the church, each contribu- TION, BE IT SMALL OR LARGE, IS LISTED. "JAMES CaMERON 20.00; B. McCormic 10.00; L. Clark (col) a 25; Unknown ,5(9; Scion Harrington 7.50; Sandy McRae 2.00; Danl Darrach 2.00; ¥. Holder 2.00; Angus Hunn 2.00; D. H. McNeill 1*00; Hugh McLean 3. 00; "and so on. -The SALARY PROMISED WAS $400.00, BUT THE CONGREGATION, ' being Scots, finished the year still owing him $46 e 71; But the preacher was Scotch too, and he kept a record! JL 2 . Following the- old church philosophy, "If at first you don't succeed, don't try to do so much next time_." they only promised him $333 . 33 1/3 in 1868. At the end of THE YEAR THEY STILL OWED HIM 087.58 1/3. And SO IT WENT, FOR TIMES WERE HARD. BuT THEY DID THE' BEST THEY COULD, AND THE PREACHER DID THE BEST HE COULD, AND THE OLD CHURCH GREW AND PROSPERED D. D. MqBryde was followed in 1870 by Pev. James McQueen, pastor of St. Andrews Church (for twenty five years.* from 1867 until his death in 1892). "h e was a man r in whom there was no guile* ' so plain and unassuming that even the youth failed to look upon him with the restraint they considered due to the 'preacher. ' hls every word and act a sermon, or an inspiration. others may have been mor.e eloquent, but none whose congregations felt NEARER TO THEIR PREACHER THAN 'HIS DID.' In THE FALL OF 1878, ASSISTED BY THE REV, Mr . Mc^RYDE, HE CONDUCTED A REVIVAL AT BARBECUE, DURING WHICH TIME ABOUT 65 PRO" FESSED THEIR FAITH, AND 58 JOINED THE CHURCh" (D . P. McDonald) . McQueen was a descendant of one of the most remarkable' ltne of ministers ever to serve the cllurch of scotland . Mine of them, spanning seven generations, served churches on the Isle of Skye for a combined period of 291 years. The line has continued in the U. S and numerous Mc Queens have served, and still serves our Church as ministers.- (Including Rev Mack Carmichael MacQueen of Clinton, Moderator-nominee of the Synod of North Carolina) , The next minister to. stand behind the pulpit of Barbe-cue Church was Rev. James P. McPherson, who began to «» ol «• preach the fourth sunday in may, 1882, and conducted services once a month until 1890, duncan ncgormick, an- Elder of Barbecue Church- at this time, wrote of him, Mr* HcPherson, like HcIver, was for years Stated Clerk of Fayetteville Presbytery, He visited his- congregation as far as he was able, and preached at different houses OF THOSE WHO WERE UNABLE' TO ATTEND CHURCH, Mr, HcPheR-SON WAS A PLAIN PREACHER, AND PREACHED THE TRUTH FEAR-LESSLY, Although advanced in years he possessed un-usual (mental) vigor. At last he became incapacitated for the labor of the ministry, his last days were marked by a gradual decline of his faculties till he finally entered into rest at his home near jonesboro, Mr, HcPherson was an able defender of the doctrines of the Presbyterian Church, and it suffered a great loss BY HIS DEATH," (McPhSRSON DIED THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS, 1894:, He was born March 26, 1808, which means he was eighty-two years of age when he preached his last ser- MON at Barbecue) , The church naturally turned to its pastor of 20 years BEFORE, AND B , D, McBrYDE, NO LONGER A YOUNG MAN EITHER, returned to devote the last s tx years of'his life td Barbecue Church, Glorious years they were! None more fruitful in our entire hi story ! In 1894, "in the face of strong opposition" (IIc-Cormick), he organized a church at spout springs, and served as ITS FIRST PASTOR, (In 1898 THIS CHURCH WAS MOVED TO Cameron Hill It rs interesting to note that the Cameron Hill cemetary is considerably older than the church beside it, the first grave was that of an infant of Allan Cameron, who came here from Fife-shire, Scotland, in 1791, He is the ancestor of our-Barbecue Camerons, He Am HIs wife, Mary Stewart Cameron, lived on Baker 's Creek in Bladen County, When the infant died (some time between 1791 and 1800) its body was carried on horseback to cameron hlll by an older brother, Archie, as they did not want to bury it in low ground), The year of his death, 1896, also "in the face of strong OPPOSITION" (McCorMICK) , HE LED THE PEOPLE IN RAISING a new sanctuary to the glory of god - the one that is still in use. Sadly, he did not live to enjoy it. He was called home october 21, and his grief-stricken Session met to memorialize him, and to "earnestly and UNITEDLY PRAY THAT THE GREAT HEAD' OF THE ChURCH GIVE" US ANOTHER WHO SHALL AS EARNESTLY, FAITHFULLY, TENDERLY AND WITH BOLDNESS PREACH THE GOSPEL AS HE PREACHED IT," - 32 - During the summer of 1897, the old church was served by A YOUNG SEMINARY STUDENT, D*, P, (DANIEL PATRICK) McCtEACHY of Robeson County, "He spent his vacation preaching at Barbecue and her neighboring churches, Flat Branch and Spout Springs, He, like his Scotch Predecessors, was highly esteemed by the people of the church, but not alone because he was of scotch descent,' his humility of spirit and christian character were almost as IMPRESSIVE AS HIS PREACHING" (NcCo'RNI Ck) . THAT FALL, his vacation over, he returned to the seminar.y to rest up, Daniel Patrick McGeachy went on to become one of the leading ministers of our, church, serving as moder- ATOR of the Synod of West Virginia in 1916, and of the Synod of Georgia in 1929, Two sons and at least one GRANDSON ARE AT PRESENT MINISTERS IN THE PRESBYTERIAN Church, U. S, H IS PLACE WAS IMMEDIATELY FILLED BY REV, J, S, BLACK, WHO CAME AS OUR REGULAR PASTOR- (he WAS ALSO PASTOR X>F St Paul's, Suhmerville, Sardis, Hope Hills, Ht Tabor 9 Spout Springs and Flat Branch off and on during these years), and conducted services the first Sabbath' of each month until, apparently, the summer of 1899, a successi on of ministers then lined up for the honor OF FILLING THE BARBECUE PULPIT (J, L, ZaNDLE, G, T, Pace among them) until the fall of '1900 when K„ A, NcLeod- became our regular minister, Kenneth Alexander- McLeod, who was also serving the Jones&oro, St Andrews, Salem, MtPisgah and Pocket churches at this time , was A NATIVE OF RICHMOND COUNTY, AND THE BROTHER OeMaLCOLM Archibald NcLeod, a pioneer educator in both- Harnett and Moore Counties, Malcolm's son, M, A, McLeod 3 Jr,, was, UNTIL HIS RECENT DEATH, SUPERINTENDENT OF SaNFORD SCHOOLS, AND HIS DAUGHTER IS Mrs , ALTON (MARGARET McLeod) HARRING-TON of Olivia, But back to Uncle Kenneth-, The church grew by leaps and bounds under his guidance, and every month new members were added to the roll, twenty-one new members on professi on of faith the first three months of his pastor- ATE, He stressed family worship, and SOON the PEOPLE OF THE AREA, LIKE THEIR GAELIC ANCESTORS A CENTURY BEFORE, WERE PRAISING GoD IN THE FAMILY CIRCLE AND TEACHING THEIR CHILDREN THE SHORTER CaTECHISM, " I'/e ACKNOWLEDGE WITH THANKFUL HEARTS TO THE GREAT HEAD OF THE CHURCH SOME-SPECIAL EVIDENCES OF SPIRITUAL LIFE AND GROWTH, , ,'' WROTE A, A, Clark, Clerk of Session, the last day of March, 1901, McLeod continued to serve the congregation-- with dedicated zeal until 1908 when he left to serve .the Sherwood and Big Rockfish group of churches in - this- Presbytery, He died at Fayetteville, April 50, - oo - 1-917, He WAS -BUT fifty-nine years of age, and had been PRIVILEGED, BY THE GRACE OF'God, TO PREACH HlS GoSPEL TO THE VERY END OF HIS DAYS, H E WAS SUCCEEDED BY REV% CI, V, GaV'ITT OF ?EXAS, 'AN EX-COWBOY, WHO SPENT A YEAR, (SUMMER, 1908 - SUHHER, 1909) AS PASTOR OF BARBECUE, Mt PlSGAH, BrOADWAY AND SaLEM, until ill health forced an early retirement, he died at his home in sanford, september 6, 1923» Meeting October 23, 1909, the congregation issued a UNANIMOUS CALL TO Rev, GlIARLES LoUIS BrAGAW, WHO WAS SERVING AT THAT TIME AS STATED SUPPLY OF THE LlLLINGTON and Sardis Churches, A native of Alabama, he had- MINISTERED TO CONGREGATIONS IN liANSAS, MaSHINGTON, D, G, , Maryland and Nebraska, before coming to North Carolina, "He occupied the new manse m ar Mt, Pisgam, where he ALSO PREACHED, E WAS JOVIAL, LOVED TO TELL JOKES AND VISIT THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE HE PREACHED, It was a FAMILIAR SIGHT to see him on his way TO VISIT SOME OF HIS CONGREGATION; DRIVING HIS BLACK HORSE THAT HE CALLED 'CoLD MOLASSES, BECAUSE HE RUNS SO SLOW, '" (D. P, McDonald) , One of Mr, Bragaw's big toes was missing, which is f0 rtunate as the explanation he delighted to give ILLUSTRATES THE PERSONALITY OF THE MAN, "It HAPPENED in Indian Country, of course, I was sleeping on~my BACK ONE MOONLIT NIGHT, WHEN A SOUND AWAKENED ME, THE WINDOW WAS AT THE FOOT OF MY BUNK,- AND SITTING UP A BIT I SAW WHAT SEEMED TO BE TWO FEATHERS OF AN INDIAN HEAD" DRESS SILHOUETTED AGAINST THE SKY, 'I'LL BLAST THAT ReDSICIN's FEATHERS AND SCARE HIM AWAY, ' I THOUGHT AS I REACHED FOR MY GUN AND SII0T o '" He WAS A GOOD SHOT'S AT * LEAST AT CLOSE RANGE, WHETHER THE STORY IS TRUE OR NOT, HE WAS KNOWN FOP. MILES AROUND AS " The PI ST OL-PACKIN ' preacher," bragaw early saw the need to evangelize, and established a mission at Rock Branch (Olivia)-- in 1911, and at Leaflet in 1912, These two children- of Barbecue owe THEIR EXISTENCE TO CHARLES L, BrAGAW, Early in 1914 a latent lung trouble made it impossible for him to continue in the ministry, and he requested THE CONGREGATION "to DISSOLVE THE PASTORAL RELATIONSHIP between himself and this church .,. and the congregation reluctantly agreed," uut not before they authorized' the Session to draw up the following resolution^ "Me, the Congregation and Session of Barbecue Church, hereby, - .34 - IN SOME MEASURE ENDEAVOR TO EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION OF THE FAITHFUL SERVICES 0-F ReV.'C. L.y BraGAW DURING ALL THE TIME HE HAS BEEN WITH US, FOR HE HAS SERVED US well. He has been strong and PLAIN in PREACHING THE G ospel of our- Lord and Saviour Jj-sus Christ, and he ~ HAS BEEN AN EARNEST WORKER , ALWAYS TAKING A DEEP INTER-EST IN ALL THINGS WHICH TEND TO "OUR DEVELOPMENT AND' UPBUILDING IN' ALL THINGS'- WHICH ARE GOOD, AND WE ALL, YOUNG AND VLD, HAVE LEARNED TO LOVE HIM.-..WE HAVE PROFITED FROli HIS LABORS, AND WILL'MISS HUT MUCH IN THE PULPIT AND AT OUR FAMILY FIRESIDES, AND HIS KIND WORDS OF COUNSEL, IT BRINGS A FEELING OF SADNESS TO PART WITH HIM AS OUR PASTOR 1 ' (NlNUTES OF SESSION, MARCH 29, 1914). Rev, Bragaw had but two years left to live. He went to- Hew Hexico to regain his health, but died there march 89 1916, He was but forty years of age. Mr. Bragaw had done such a good job that the congregation very' naturally looked around for' another native of ala-bama, and finally settled- on p.ev. r. s. (robert stephens) Latimer, pastor of the -Fairmont group of churches in, FaYETTEVILLE PrESBYTERT^' THOUGH BY NO MEANS AS GOOD A MIXER AS' HIS PREDECESSOR, iiR . LaTIMER WAS AN EXCELLENT PREACHER, EVANGELISTIC IN EMPHASIS, AND WAS USED OF GOD TO WIN MANY IN THE COMMUNITY TO SAVING FAITH IN GHRIST. He TRANSFERRED TO MECKLENBURG PRESBYTERY IN 1917, AND WAS SUCCEEDED BY ReV„ JAMES ALEXANDER, GALIGAN, WHO HAD BEEN RAISED NEAR GaRTHAGE, AND WHO HAD MARRIED A GIRL from Spout Springs. He had started out as a school teacher, but heard the call to preach, and responded ' BY APPLYING TO FaYETTEVILLE 'PrESBYTERY FOR ORDINATION. He served Antioch Church for a number of years (1901- '06) until his health failed. j'ble to resume the active 'pastorate again, he came to barbecue and llt . plsgah, and remained until early in 1920, when he left to become pastor of the flrst presbyterian church, hccoll, south Carolina. And this brings usto E. B. (Eugene- Black) Carr, and the TREMENDOUS IMPACT HIS MINISTRY HAD, AND STILL HAS} ON THE LIFE OF THE BARBECUE AND PlSGAH CONGREGATIONS. FOR SIXTEEN YEARS (l920-'36) HE SERVED THIS CHURCH WI1TH SELFLESS DEVOTION TO HIS HIGH CALLING. ' He WAS IN TRUTH God 's man at God 's place in God 's time. Without hesi-tation WE MAY CALL HIM BARBECUE ' S OUTSTANDING PASTOR OF the present century, and' include him with that select few (Campbell, HcDougald, 1'IcIver and HcBryde) without WHOM THERE WOULD BE NO BARBECUE GhUrCH TODAY. ~ S5 - - to appreciate the power of his personali tt, we heed ' only to glance through the old records; for-'example , the Sessional- Report for 1924: h 52 members received on professi on, and' one by letter; ar/erage attendance at Communion Services j 90%; The Lord r s Day is observed; Children are presented faithfully by parents for -bap-tism; The Gate chism is taught the children by parents and in the sabbath school; ' ilymns and scriptures are also memorized; Fifty-five (out of 153) members tithe," And yet, the people of the church never took the full measure of E, B, Garr until they saw HOW' he reacted to adversity. The Hard Times began in 1929, and continued THROUGH THE REMAINING YEARS OF HIS PASTORATE, YeAr after year the congregation was simply unable to pay him his full salary, but he trusted god, and by his faith' inspired others to do the same, " unable to buy gas for .his car, he converted it to a cart and hitched a horse to it. Often he would walk the five miles from Pisgah manse to Barbecue Ghurch to preach, "I had to walk THIS' MORNING," HE ONCE EXPLAINED, "MY BUGGY HAD A FLAT ti tire, Realizing the congregation was. hopelessly beholden--to him, he cancelled the i, 0, u, s on his back salary and' enabled' us to get back on our feet once more, 'Years later, in better times, he returned to preach a revival, and the grateful people raised a special love offering for him consisting- of $330,00. E, B, Garr had a peculiar- practice of staring at the CEILING WHILE HE PREACHED, AND WAS NEVER KNOWN TO FAVOR HIS CONGREGATION WITH EVEN SO MUCH AS A GLANCE, GUTHBERT IIcDoNALD ONCE ASKED HIM WHY. "WHEN I FIRST STARTED OUT," HE REPLIED,' "I WAS PREACHING ONE MORNING IN AN UNHEATED CHURCH NEAR UlLMINGTON. And A COLD MORNING IT WAS! AhONG THE CONGREGATION WAS A TEEN-AGE GIRL WITH THE MOST LUXITRIOUS CROP OF FLAMING RED HAIR I HAD EVER- SEEN, ABOUT MIDWAY THROUGH THE SERMON^'I GLANCED HER WAY AND NOTICED A SMALL BOY BEHIND HER ' HOLDING HIS HANDS UP TO HER HAIR AS IF TO WARM THEM, IT WAS TOO MUCH I I CLOSED THE SERVICE AS BEST I COULD AMD DISMISSED THE CONGREGATION WITHOUT EVEN TAKING THE OFFERING, AND FROM THAT DAY TO THIS I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO LOOK AT MY CONGREGATION, ESPECIALLY IN A CHURCH LIKE BARBECUE, WHERE It's MORE THAN LIKELY I'll see a red head," p, h, blddle accepted a call to our church early in 1937 and spent ten happy years as our pastor, happy — S6 •-• ,-, FOR HIM, AND, HAPPY FOR US, It WAS DURING HIS MINISTRY the Communion Set, inscribed: . Presented by Nr, & Mrs, David- G, Worth of Wilmington, N, C, to ^Barbecue Church August 1896 As a memorial of their former membership of Forty years ago and as a token of their Christian- Love and esteem was stored at The Historical Foundation, Nontreat, "as Property- of Barbecue Church," To keep the re-cord straight, the following is quoted from a letter from S, N, Tenney, Curator, dated July 26, 1936: ",,,Rev, P~, H, BlDDLE HAD BEEN IN THIS AFTERNOON AND JUST DELIV-ERED THAT BEAUTIFUL -COMMUNION SERVICE SENT BY YOU CON-SISTING of one Tankard, 2 Goblets, 2 Plates, Since THE ABOVE p-IECES , , ,ARE A DEPOSIT, I AM REMINDING YOU THAT THEY ARE AND' ' C ONTINUE TO BE THE PROPERTY OF BarBE- ''" cue Church, and are at all times subject to your control, ,," Also during Hr, Biddle-'s ministry, July 25, 1943, "The Session met to consider a gift of money on a Communion - TABLE BY ROGER LYON, On MOTION IT WAS ACCEPTED, $25,00, and Nr, Holmes was appointed to confer with his wife about making the " purchase ,, •" this, of course, is the table now in use, Roger was away in the service of his country in 194-3, AS WERE MOST OF THE YOUNG MEN OF THE CONGREGATION, And THE FALSE PROSPERITY OF WAR- IS INDICATED BY THE SIZE OF his gift. Six years before, when, Mr m Biddle was new ON THE FIELD i THAT WAS HIS SALARY FOR A MONTH '- IF HE COULD GET IT, VANCE CaMERON WAS TREASURER THEN, AND A NERVE-RACKING JOB IT WAS, ONCE THE PASTOR ASKED TO SEE THE BOOKS, THAT HE MIGHT KNOW JUST WHO WERE NOT GIVING THEIR FAIR SHARE, JEALOUS OF THE OFFICE OF DeACON, AND of Treasurer, Vance put him off with, "Mr, Biddle, you preach the gospel, and i ' ll preach the money," Perhaps this is why Nr, Biddle took to dropping in- at mealtime, but he was a good eater, easy to please, and gvod company as well, so he was always a welcome guest, Mrs, Dick McNeill, Vance's daughter, recalls the day he sat down to a repast of grape hull preserves, fatback and biscuits'; "nothing like grape hull preserves aim FATBACK AFTER' A HARD DAy's WORK," HE SAID AS HE TUCKED IN HIS NAPKIN, "AND THESE LOOK AS GOOD AS MY DEAR OLD - 37 - GRANDMOTHER USED TO FIX, UlTH A FEAST LIKE THIS, I ' LL BE BACK MORE OF'TEN ," And HE WAS I During his pastorate, in 1946, six Sunday Schoo-l rooms WERE BUILT BEHIND THE CHURCH AUDITORIUM, TlMBER WAS CUT FROM THE WOODS BEHIND THE CEMETARY AND SENT TO A SAWMILL TO BE FINISHED, THE MEN OF THE CHURCH DID THE WORK THEMSELVES, AND DID IT WELL, HERE IT IS ALMOST TWENTY YEARS LATER, AND THE ROOMS ARE STILL THERE ! Mr, Biddle will long be remembered FOR his warm appeal TO CHILDREN- AND YOUNG PEOPLE, He TOOK AN ACTIVE INTER-est in them, and was to them as another pied plper of Hamelin, only- he led them aright. One mother recalls saying to him, when her primary-age daughter insisted on uniting with the church, "i don l t know whether she ts joining you or barbecue," but the years have convinced her that d ot knew what she was doing! Many of you adults who read these words still cherish the memory of singing in his juni or choir, ^p at the front of the church the children would gather each Sunday, All the little boys and girls, h/lth rosy cheeks and flaxen curls, And sparkling eyes and teeth like pearls, some still in diapers, others almost old enough to shave, to sing the happy little gospel songs and CHORUSES HE TAUGHT THEM,' And SO ME OF YOU ADULTS STILL catch yourselves singing, in unguarded moments, "I've got the Junior Choir spizzerinktum Down in my heart!" He left February 1, 1947, and the pulpit was supplied by Rev, J, Hoge Smith of Olivia until July, and from' THEN UNTIL THE FOLLOWING JULY BY REV, L, A, McLaURINs retired, Mr, McLaurin was no stranger to our commun-ity, HAVING SERVED AS PASTOR OF THE OLIVIA CHURCH FROM 1914 UNTIL 1922, iJHEN HE CAME TO THAT FIELD HE COULD LOCATE BUT SIX MEMBERS, AND THEY MET IN THE SCHOOL HOUSE, h/HEN HE LEFT EIGHT YEARS LATER THERE WERE NINETY-SIX, MEETING IN THE BEAUTIFUL BUILDING THAT IS STILL THE OLIVIA PrESBYTERIAN CHURCH, September, 1947, Mr, James A, Nisbet, a young seminary student, began coming down to supply barbecue and Olivia, and the following June the two churches united in extending to him a call, the grouping has been for-tunate, not' only because the two churches are" but four miles apart, but also because their members are good friends, and their children attend the same school, — o a — Mr, MlSBET, A NATIVE OF SaNFORD, IS DESCRIBED IN THE' AN-nual report of the women- of the gliurch- for 1949 as " , . ,a young nan, well prepared, has a fine delivery, and a great nan to get things done j' "a great man to get things done i " the words were almost prophetic! . He it was who star,ted the ball rolling on our building program, a ball that kept on rolling, and gaining momentum, for well over a decade, thle building program- was carried on through the ministries of three pastors, Nr, Nisbet, Mr, Nelson and Mr, Howell, 'We will see' it better, however, if we see it all at once, decem-ber, 1949, the congregation approved plans- for "remodeling and improving the appearance of the church," and the men BEGAN IMMEDIATELY TO DO JUST THAT, The ENTIRE INTERIOR of the sanctuary was done over, colored glass windows were donated'by individual families, and double doors by Bob Miller of the Miller Funeral Home, (He had found it well nigh impossible to work a casket and six pall-bearers through either of the two old narrow doors that HAD BEEN IN USE UP T THAT TIME) , In 1952 Mr , H, C, CAM-ERON of the H, C, Cameron Lumber Company, and a native son of Barbecue, offered to provide new flooring for the SANCTUARY - BUT BEING A SCOT, HE ADDED AN "IF." " If THE CONGREGATION WOULD PURCHASE- NEW PEWS," ONCE AGAIN THE PEOPLE ROSE TO THE OCCASION, AND ERE LONG DIFFERENT FAM-ILIES IN THE OLD CHURCH HAD PURCHASED ENOUGH PEWS TO CLAIM HIS PROMISE, The OLD PEWS WERE GIVEN TO 3LACK l S Chapel - that is, all but the one that threw you off on the floor every time you sat on it, January 6, 1952, a Session meeting was called "for the purpose of calling a congregational meeting to act on a matter that grew out of a discussion in the men of the Church Meeting of the need for a Recreation Building " And from this grew our beautiful new Fellowship Hall and kitchen, and the four Sunday School rooms connecting it to the church, t he men did allthe work on these, too, many of them spending hour after hour and night after NIGHT AT WORK, By 1957 THE HALL AND ROOMS WERE COMPLETED j AND PRESENTED THEIR BEAUTIFUL BRICK EXTERIOR TO THE WORLD 9 BUT ALAS - THE OLD WOOD CHURCH LOOKED OUT OF PLACE, SO ONCE AGAIN THE CONGREGATION MET, THIS TIME TO APPROVE ' PLANS "FOR BRICK VENEERING THE MAIN PART OF THE CHURCH, WHICH IS NEEDED FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE BUILDING , The project involved "extending THE CHURCH TOWARD THE road 20 feet, adding a new porch with new entrance way, Sanctuary space was increased to add six -new pews," and two small rooms were added on either side of the entrance hallway. The door and facing were given by Mr, and Mrs, C* W* Howard in memor y of their son, Carey, Jr* Mr* NlSBET RENAINED UNTIL AprIL; 1951, And HE REMAINED "a great man to get things done/' until the very end* The Sabbath evening of September 30, 1951, the language of Adam and Eve was heard once again within the walls of Barbecue Church. The preacher- was Dr* Donald Mav KlNNON OF THE FrEE KlRK, Kf.NNOWAY, FlFE, WHO DELIVERED an inspiring' sermon from romans 8 on " the assurance 'of Eternal Life*" Then, on request, he read his text from the Gaelic Bible and repeated a portion of his sermon in the- Old Language* "A deep hush fell on the crowded CHURCH, AND ON THE THRONG GATHERED OUTSIDE TO LISTEN BY MEANS OF AN AMPLIFIER* The ATTENTIVENES S SEEMED TO INSPIRE THE SCHOLARLY CLERGYMAN, SO THAT HE SPOKE THE ONCE-KNOWN LANGUAGE OF THIS COMMUNITY OF SCOTTISH NAMES AND PEOPLE FOR SOME LENGTH OF TIME n SOME OF THE ELDER INDIVIDUALS COULD CATCH AN OCCASIONAL WORD REMEMBERED FROM CONVERSATIONS HEARD YEARS AG0 o " Dr * HacKiNNON ' S DAUGHTER, MaIRI (Mary), ADDED TO THE SERVICE BY SINGING the Twenty-third Psalm in Gaelic* Mr*- Nisbet was succeeded by-' Rev. T. E. Nelson (Decem-ber, 1951 - December, 1956), a saintly man with a heart filled' to overflowing with love for god and the SOULS OF MEN* It WAS MY GREAT PRIVILEGE TO KNOW Mr * Nelson personally during the closing years of his life, and from this acquaintance, as well as from what- i have heard from one or another of the barbecue people,, i know what Mrs* David Graham said of him in-her excell-ent History of the Olivia Chup.ch is also true of his MTNISTRY AT BARBECUEt "All PHASES OF THE LOCAL 'CHURCH WORK PROGRESSED UNDER, THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS SERVANT OF' God, Rev* Thomas E. Nelson, and his wife, Louise Nelson, who was a great help and inspiration to the church and community. " The next pastor was Rev* Billy Shaw Howell, Jr* (September, 1958 - July, 1964). One who sat under Mr. Howell's ministry, and who counted him as a dear- friend AND PASTOR, HAS W RITTEN THIS APPRECIATION OF Mr HoW-ell for me: "This was his first assignment and call AFTER COMPLETING HIS SCHOOLING. Mr. HOWELL WAS A DED-ICATED PERSON. He FELT ORGANIZATION WAS IMPORTANT, AND UNDER HIS DIRECTION- A CHOIR WAS STARTED / AND REGU-LAR MEETINGS OF SESSION, BOARD OF'DeACONS, AND CHRIST-IAN Education Committee were held. What he did and /or SAID WAS FOR THE WHOLE - NOT ONE PERSON OR GROUP. He WAS VERY PLAINLY OUTSPOKEN IN HIS' BELIEFS. NOT TO H'rRT ANYONE, BUT TO HELP EVERYONE* In his- study at Barbecue was a well-stocked library, and Mr, Howell encouraged everyone to- make full use of his books, While serving at Barbecue? the church was bricked to hatch the new educational building, all debt on both buildings was paid off, and the congrega-tion assumed its full share of the pastor ! s salart, Each year he encouraged the important fact of benevol-ences, and the church did increase the amount' of bene** VOLENCES EACH YEAR, Hr , HOWELL GAVE HIS TIME, TALENT, and substance to the work of the church, believing that everyone in 'hls kingdom ' should do likewise!" November 23, 1958, at a Congregational meeting, the high ' honor of Elder Emeritus was bestowed on Mr, Bruce Cameron*- He was ordained February 5, 1911 Both he and his brother, Lee (ordained October 3,- 1915) are still E&ders in this church. Another brother, Morris, served as- an Elder at Cypress Church from 1909 until his death, and still~ another, H, G, (Hugh), at Olivia Church from 1917 vntil HIS DEATH, ALL- TOLD, THESE FOUR REMARKABLE BROTHERS HAVE BEEN ELDERS IN THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FOR SOME TWO-HUNDRED YEARS I And so, as Duncan McCormick wrote so many yeap,s ago, "continues the work which had been started so long-ago, AND WHICH SINCE THEN HAS BEEN CARRIED ON BY SO many different laborers - different in so' many respects, and yet all working with the same purpose., toiling un-ceasingly at that work that will never be finished Till He comes," And so to one and all the Auld Kirk still opens its doors - painted doors now « and extends the hearty GREETING, " CeUD MlLE FaILTe!" Correction: page 35: The love gift to Mr, Car.r was MORE THAN $600,00 RATHER THAN £330,00, The DEBT HE CANCELLED WAS SOME ELEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS, No tes : 1, Where did "Barbecue" get its name? The story of the British forces holding a Barbecue on the church ground during the revolutionary p/ar may be true, but the church did not get its name from this, land GRANTS AND OTHER RECORDS MENTION BarBACUE CrEEK SOME TWENTY YEARS PREVIOUS TO THE REVOLUTION, THE MOST *. 41 - LOGICAL EXPLANATION IS THAT SAILOR NeILL McNEILL, WATCH-ING THE HIST OF EARLY HORNING RISE FROM THE CREEK, WAS ' REMINDED OF BARBECUE PITS HE ' HAD SEEN IN THE WeST INDES, and named the creek for- them, the church, like most churches of early times , was named for its location: Barbecue Greek, 2 m Where were the first two churches (1765 and 1800?) located? There ar,e two deeds which limit the possible locations. The first, dated 1771, is for one acre- of land (the north-east acre of our present property) , AND states that a meeting house-1 stood on that acre,' this would be the old log church, erected about 1765, the ' second deed, dated 1864, is for three' additional acres, This deed describes the original acre, and also states that a' church stood on it, this would be the second church, the frame building that stood from about 1800 until it was torn down in '1896 and rebuilt into the home now occupied by dave godfrey, this means that we must look for both of these churches on this original acre, The first church would have stood behind the second. Earlier this year the young people cleared off the traditional site of the old log church and found two beams, one in fair shape, the other rotted away, about 27 feet long and 27 feet apart, running almost due north and south, this would be the old log chup,ch, as there is no room behind it on church property for another building, the second church would have to stand between this building and the south border of the acre, i do not know where, but strongly suspetct it was in the cleared place at the back of the cemetary WHERE THERE ARE NO MARKERS, THIS IS VERIFIED BY Mr « Will McLean, who remembers seeing this church as a BOY, AND ALSO BY LAWYER JAMES BaNKs' STATEMENT IN 1858 that Barbecue Church was located in a beautiful grove, and that all wround the church sleep the mothers and FATHERS, a cknowled gements .* James Banks: Address at the Centennial of the three churches delivered at Old Bluff, October 18, 1858, Foote: Sketches of North Carolina Histories of Barbecue by Duncan NcCormick and'D, P, IIcDon- ALD, AND HISTORICAL WRITINGS OF LeON NcDoNALD, Correspondence with three Church of Scotland ministers: --42- Rev* Norman MacBonald of Inverness,, who has patiently and gracefully answered all my questions, no natter how trivial some of them must have seemed to himi Rev* Alexander Fraser, also of .Inverness-shtre, who sv kindly supplied his notes from the presbytery of inver-ary Minutes, reproduced on the first four pages of this history. This information is of great value, and was unknown to local HISTORIANS, , - -;. - ' „ .. Rev, Bonald Budge, author of Jura, an Isle of Argyll} from which i quote at length on pages ten and eleven* Flora MacBonald 's stqi y is so well known that it hardly needs to be documented, one source of my 'informatibn was a Life of Flora MacBonald by Rev, Alexander MaoGregor , Inverness, 1882, As I write I have received word from Rev, Budge that he has had sent to me the book "The Truth About Flora MacBonald," by A, R, MacBonald, which is the standard work on her life. : '* . .. The information on Bugald Crawford weigh is in addition to, and in some respects contradictory to, local tradi-tion COMES FROM FaSTI EcCLESIAE ScOTTICANAE, A SET THAT provides biographies of Scottish ministers* -> ' x The Ministerial Birectory, 1861 - 1941 The Ministerial Birectory, 1861 - 1951 These two volumes provide biographical information about Presbyterian Ghurch, U, S,, ministers. The first volume I BORROWED FROM Br, ArrOWOOD; IT IS QUITE RARE, AND HE ' WAS ONE OF THE FEW PERSONS I WAS CERTAIN WOULD HAVE ONE* It was Br, Arrowood, I believe, from whom I first[ -heard' - the traditional reason our inland scots are so far super-ior to those who settled nearer the ocean, according to the story, as they disembarked from the boat, there was a sign that read, "better land further on," those who could read continued inland, and settled in this area* Local people who have helped me with this history are so numerous i hesitate to list them lest i forget someone, But certainly Hugh Archie McGormick, who still possesses his grandfather f s manuscript, should be mentioned, along with others: Alta Warwick for copying valuable infor-mation I HAD BEEN ABLE TO BORROW; - BOT HALES FOR ALLOWING ME TO USE HER HISTORICAL MATERIALS Mrs, AddIE ' CAMERON, Bave Godfrey, Carey Howard, Mrs, Bick McNeill, Mrs* R. A. Cameron and others who told me what they knew and LOANED ME THEIR NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS AND OTHER INFORMA-TION, Mrs, Perry Cameron is the source for the para-graph on the four Cameron Brothers, I also used the MATERIAL IN THE POSSESSI ON OF MaLCOLM FoWLER, AND IN - 4-3 - the Historical Archives of Synod and at Montreat* Still , it should be recorded here that this is but a rough draft of a history, written in a hurry to meet a deadline, and' typed directly on the hiheograph stencils, ' one day, god willing, i hope to write a better one, and' to this end i solicit any assistance you,- the reader', nay be able to give he, any corrections, additions,'- criticisms, will be gratefully received, and perhaps together we hay COHPILE A HISTORY WORTHY OF THE OLD CHURCH, ThI S one was written over the space of a few weeks, and as i type this closing sentence, it is tuesday horning, August 24, 1965, The Bygone Years - a poeh by Addie H, Caheron The Bygone Years As we speak these words, sohe have gone from this church, where year after year we het, a herry and joyous circle of friends, Many of the hearts that throbbed so gaily in the long AGO have ceased to beat, hany of the faces that ' shined so brightly then have ceased to glow, and hany of the hands we clasped have grown cold, The eyes we sought have hid their lustre in the grave, AND YET, THIS OLD CHURCH, THIS GROUND, THE HERRY VOICES, THE SHI LING FACES, 'THE LAUGHTER, THE TRIVIAL CONVERSATIONS CONNECT US WITH THOSE HAPPY HEETINGS VF LONG AGO, And CROWD UPON OUR HEARTS AT ' EACH reoccurence of this gathering, , , , just as if the long ago assemblages had been but yesterday, Happy are the tihes that can win back for us our younger days, that can recall for us', the happiness of our youth, once more, before our eyes are closed forever and we are nuhbered ahong,,, State OfMorfh Catena The bygone years. Rateigb, N.C. STATE LIBRARY OF NORTH CAROLINA 3 3091 00593 4724
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Title | History of Barbecue Presbyterian Church, Harnett County, North Carolina |
Other Title | History of Barbecue Church |
Creator | MacKenzie, James Donald, 1924- |
Date | 1965 |
Subjects |
Barbecue Presbyterian Church (Harnett County, N.C.)--History Presbyterian church buildings--North Carolina--Harnett County Presbyterian Church--North Carolina--Harnett County Harnett County (N.C.)--Church history |
Place |
Harnett County, North Carolina, United States |
Time Period |
(1600-1763) Colonial period (1763-1789) American Revolution (1789-1820) North Carolina's early statehood (1820-1860) Antebellum (1860-1876) Civil War and Reconstruction (1876-1900) Gilded Age (1900-1929) North Carolina's industrial revolution and World War One (1929-1945) Depression and World War Two (1945-1989) Post War/Cold War period (1954-1971) Civil Rights era |
Publisher | [North Carolina?] : J. MacKenzie, 1965. |
Rights | Religion in North Carolina see http://digital.ncdcr.gov/cdm/ref/collection/p249901coll37/id/23786 |
Physical Characteristics | 43 p. ; 28 cm. |
Collection |
General Collection. State Library of North Carolina |
Type | text |
Language | English |
Format | Histories |
Digital Characteristics-A | 3174 KB; 58 p. |
Digital Collection | General Collection |
Digital Format | application/pdf |
Audience | All |
Pres File Name-M | gen_religion_historybarbecuechurch1965.pdf |
Full Text | Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/historyofbarbecuOOjame 3QQQQ8E State Library of North Carolina Raleigh Presented by Mrs. Patterson 3SSQQQQQQQE State Library Of North Carolina Raleigh, N.C. HISTORY OF BARBECUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH HARNETT COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA By Reverend James D. McKenzie (Presented to Rear Admiral A. M. Patterson by the author.) 1965 HISTORY OF BARBECUE CHURCH ~ by Rev, Janes D. MacKenzie The good hen of the Presbytery of Inverary leaned forward to listen that cold day in february, 1739, as duncan gamp-bell stood up to speak, three years before, duncan, Alexander McAllister, the McNeill boys, Dug and Dan (Dugald and Daniel), and other restless souls had sailed OFF' TO EXPLORE THE WILDS OF - WHAT WAS THAT PLACE? Oh YESy North Carolina, And now they had- come back and ORGANIZED A COLONY, THE.' ArgYLL COLONY, OF COURSE, FOR this was in Argyll-shire, Scotland, Wonder what he wants from Presbytery? Well, let's listen in: "Petition, the Argyll Colony to the Presbytery of Invert aryi We are now fully determined to settle this year in some part of the continent of America; and carrying a considerable number of people there, we would fain hope that we are entitled to al lthe favours that a parish that MAKES UP A NEW ERECTION MAY EXPECT, It IS NOT RIGHT TO discourage them, though they desire to have one already fixed in another charge to be their minister, allow we are to be a great distance from our native country, we shall never be unmindful of it, nor of the church of Scotland whose sons we shall always be, "It is well known how much most parts of America need to have the Gospel preached and propagated among them. Few of the natives have yet been converted to our holy reli- GION, Though the members of the Colony cannot promise much for themselves, they nevertheless hope through God's grace to endeavour better things than they might have done in times past, "At the last General Meeting of the Argyll Colony, they were all unanimous for ijri fullarton (minister at glass-ary) to be their minister, most of them from their own experience being well persuaded that he is well qualified .for being a minister to a young colony that is to be set up in our way, in a barbarous and distant part of the world; that if the Presbytery should refuse to concur with their call to him,- it is much to be feared we cannot now make another choice, and so set out without. any to preach among us, the consequences of which will be (it is to be feared) that we will soon crow cool in matters of religion, at last be easy whether the gospel be preached among us or not, and of course become very back~ ward in giving any encouragement for having gospel ordin~ ances among us, "Whereas if the reverend presbytery shall loose Mr, Full~ arton's relation to the parish of Glassary in order to serve as our pastor, we shall give him all due encour-agement, and the same right to it as the ministers of the Church of Scotland have to their stipends (salaries), for which we will give in our obligations or security in his favours to the presbytery as well as to himself for the same; and likewise bind us all in our colony to give him all the regard due to a pastor, "nay it therefore please your h/lsdoms (referring to the members of the presbytery) . to take the, premises under your most serious consideration, and' grant our desire which is so just and reasonable, and your petitioners shall ever pray, slc subscribitur duncan campbell "Dug HcTavish " in addition to the above, a more informal document, ex-pressing an even greater note of urgency, was submitted to their "Wisdoms" : "To Duncan Gampbell of Kilduskland, Esq, Sir: In CONSEQUENCE OF YOUR AND OUR RESOLUTION OF GOING TO the continent- of America in Summer next and fixing a gollony there, and our design of having a clergyman THAT CA N SPEAK THE HIGHLAND (GaELIc) LANGUAGE, SINCE from that country (l,ei the highlands of scot land ) all our servants are to be, many of which cannot speak any other language, and that we are not of ourselves able to give that encouragement to a clergyman as may enable him to go along with us, notwithstanding our sincere intention of hawing the worship of god maintained among us and not degenerating into that slothfulness (to say no more) which we are grieved to hear our countrymen in those parts are fallen, wherefore we begg you to go to Edinburgh and petition the members of the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, and- the Commission of the Kirk to meet there in March nexts and endeavour to get an aid from them to support our Clergyman, There's no time to be lost in prosecuting of this! we doubt not your diligence and their assistance to so laudable a design: we wish you all success and we are subscribitur: SIR, your most humble servants, Dugaid McTavish Dan McNeill Arch Campbell James MacLachlan P, S, As WE have unanimously made choice of Mr, Fullar- T0N TO BE OUR CLERGYMAN , WE BEGG YOU USE ALL THE NECES- - 3 - sAry steps for transporting him from the parish of GLASRY," . I";;:-. A CALL FROM THE ARGYLL GoLONY WAS SUBMITTED TO THE Presbytery, which noted some singularities in the call but were impressed with the "evident and cordial' sincerety" of the petitioners. It was decided TO HEAR what the people at glassary might have to say about the matter, At the April meeting of Presbytery the Argyll Colony presented a paper, obligating themselves to provide PROPER FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR Mr, FuLLARTON, AND HE IN TURN PROFESSED A READINESS TO . BE DIRECTED BY THE PrES-bytery. Presbytery, however, considering the novelty of the case, and not having any rules to guide them, decidedto write for advice to all the neighboring Presbyteries, Later in the day the Parish of Glass- ARY COMPLAINED ABOUT THE EFFORTS OF THE ARGYLL GoLONY to steal their preacher from them, and the whole mat-ter was referred to the next meeting of synod, to be held in July* the emigrants sailed without a minister! ., two years later, in june, 1741, the argyll golony is again mentioned in the minutes of the presbytery of Inverary, It is recorded that the Society for Propa-gating Christian Knowledge were prepared to give one andtwenty pounds per annum (note, ABOUT $100) TOWARDS ENCOURAGING A MINISTER FOR THE ARGYLL GoLONY IN AMER-ica, and recommended they be on the lookout for the right man for the job, but since there was no certain word the Colony had been successful, which the Presby-tery HAD REASON SOON TO EXPECT, THEY PUT OFF CONSIDER-ation of the affair, They put off consideration of the affairI One wonders how often this sentence appears in the history of the Christian Church, They put off consideration of the affair! t put it in plain english, presbytery was GIVING THEM THE OLD RUN-AROUND, In EFFECT, THEY SAID to the Argyll Colony, "Don't call us, we'll call you," But the Argyll Colony, being Scots, were stubborn, and not inclinedto be easil-y discouraged, so once AGAIN THEY TRIED. NOVEMBER, 1741: "'THERE WAS A representation at this time laid before the presbytery by Duncan Campbell of Kilduskland, for himself and the Argyle Colony settled at Cape Fair in North Carolina — 4 — SHEWING THEIR EARNEST DESIRE FOR HAVING A MINISTER SOON SETTLED AMONG THEM, WHERE THERE IS A' CONSIDERABLE NUMBER FROM OUR BOUNDS ALREADY SETTLED, AND A PROSPECT OF A GREAT NUMBER OF THE POORER SORT YET TO FOLLOW, AND WHO ARE IN' DEPLORABLE CIRCUMSTANCES ' F OR WANT OF GOSPEL ORDI-NANCES, THERE BEING BUT TWO OR THREE. MINISTERS IN THE WHOLE PROVINCE, AND THESE OF A POOR CHARACTER, WHO BESIDES HAVE NOT THE LANGUAGE SPORE AND ONLY UNDERSTOOD BY THE MAJOR PART OF THE COLONY, THE PrESBYTERY WROTE A LETTER to the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge to give a 'year's salary for defraying the cost of trans-portation," And there the matter ends. The Argyll Colony never both-ered the Presbytery of Inverary again. Instead they looked northward, to the Synod of Philadelphia, From where I sit I get the distinct impression these col-onists HAD CAREFULLY CONSIDERED EVERY LAST MINISTER IN Inverary Presbytery, and felt that only one, Mr. Fullarton, was worthy to be their minister, fortunately, and perhaps of necessity, their descendants are not so particular! The sad state of religion in North Carolina at this time ' IS CONFIRMED BY GEORGE WhITEFIELD , THE ENGLISH EVANGELIST, WHO HAD VISITED THE STATE, AND PREACHED TO A CONGREGATION of Scots in the Court H ouse at New town of the Cape Fear Riwer, Sunday, December 30, 1739, reminding "them of the necessity of living holy lives, that so they might prove a blessing to the province, and giving proof of their zeah for those truths which they had heard preached to them, a, with great purity and clearness, in their native country* Said Uhitefield: "In North Carolina there is scarcely so much as- the form of religi on, , , , there. are several dancing masters, but scarcely one settled minister? so that in most places they have readers, who read a sermon every Sunday to the people, for which they pay five shillings a quarter of their currency. .. ,however , the governor, i hear, has made proposals to' the society for propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts, to send missionaries. But i should rather the people had no minister than such as are generally being sent over; and i cannot see the charity of contributing towards sending out missionaries,' unless ' greater care be taken in the choi dte of those who are sent," - (Note: Whitefield spoke here of Church of England ministers) , T hat these early settlers were Presbyterians is a foregone conclusion. Typical Scots Presbyterians! The first trickle of a steady stream of Highlanders that would reach- flood proportions by the time of the American Revolution, and a continue to flow unabated for well over a century* From Argyll at first, the Kintyre penninsula, at d the Isles, Jura and Islay, Later,* beginning about 1770, from Skye* The "well-to-do" came first? and took-up THE BEST' LAND* The "POORER SORT" FOLLOWED AS THEIR servants, working for years to pay the cost of their fare* they brought their customs and their language with them* Even the slaves spoke Gaelic! The story * is told of the scotswoman who stood at the the railing, gazing at the shore as her ship' pulled into wilmington* There she saw her first Negroes, and asked the Captain WHAT THEY WERE, "Oh, EVERYBODY TURNS BLACK LIKE 'THAT after a few months in this climate," he answered* as she disembarked, she was delighted to overhear two men conversing in the gaelic tongue* assuming they were fellow Scots, she drew nearer, only to discover that their skin was black* she' turned back toward the' ship, but was stopped by a large, friendly colored lady, who EMBRACED HER AND GREETED HER WITH " GEUD MlLE FaILTe!" (Gaelic for "One-hundred thousand welcomes!") , She rushed up the gangplank and demanded that the captain take her back to scotland* immediately, if not sooner! Why did tney come? Simply because they were poor, and uantedto better their worldly condition* the land in the Highlands was not too fertile to begin with, and the population, due to a variety of factors, had increased so rapidly, it was simply not able to support THEM* And then there was Culloden! The bloody battle that DESTROYED THE HIGHLAND MAY OF LIFE FOREVER! THE GlAN' SYSTEM WAS A FAMILY AFFAIR (" CLAn" MEANS " CHILDREN")* The Highland Chief controlled the land, and felt a father's responsibility for his tenants* They in turn tilled the land, and fought for their chief* each Clan was both a family and an army But Culloden destroyed allthat „ ' clan warfare was forbidden, and the kilt was banned* the highland chief moved to England, and became "cultured,," He became a landlord instead df a father* for centuries his wealth was reckoned' by the size of his " 'army» " mow he did not need men, but money, the lands were cleared of excess people, and new methods of agriculture were introduced, Where would the tenants go? Where but to North Caro-lina, "WHERE TWO CROPS A YEAR CAN BE MADE AND YOU CAN eat apples off the trees with your hands behind y0uo " Why did they come? In 1792 a band of emigrants about to leave for nobth carolina st at ed- that the three main causes of emigration were "poverty, oppression of land-lords, and encouraging letters from friends already settled in america* - 6 ~ A HARDY RACE OF FOLK THEY WERE ! EDWARD BURT, AN' EN-GLISHMAN, TOLD OF A CHIEF WHO WAS TAKING HIS MEN' OVER THE HILLS ON A WINTER FORAY AGA'l NST . ANOTHER CLAN, THE RAIDERS STOPPED FOR THE: "nI GHT IN A' HI GH C0RRIE, AND THE chief rolled some snow into a ball,'placing it beneath his head for a pillow, seeing this, hi s ' men- murmured among themselves,. " now. we despair of victory, since our leader has become so effeminate he cannot sleep without a pillow," (At. times one suspects the Scots who regaled Mr, Burt with stories like this were in reality pulling his leg) , ... But to get back to our history: These early settlers WERE, FOR THE MOST PART, STAUNCH PrESBYTERIANS, BUT they brought no ministers with them „ why? this is the great unanswered question of.north carolina his-tory, foote suggests that, accustomed to a state church, where the minister *s salary was not. pald directly by his people, they simply did not k170w how to go about calling and supporting a minister, lawyer James Banks blames the . shortage of ministers in Scot-' land. Others lay it to the reluctance of Scottish preachers to leave comfortab.le homes in the old country for the rigors of. a barren. and desolate wilderness (North Carolina) (though: the average Highland parish in those' days was no "flowery bed of easlj) the hlnutes of the Presbytery of Inverary quoted above may sugce st iet another reason: ecclesiastical red-tape, Whatever the reason, it was twenty years before they SECURED THEIR MINISTER* KeANWHILE TH,EY TAUGHT THEIR children the catechism and fed the flame of their devotion with family worship, prayer and the singing of Psalms, (Note: the belief they brought their Gaelic Bibles with them is incorrect. There was no translation of the Bible into the Gaelic tongue at this time). And they wrote letters to the synods of philadelphia and New York, requesting a preacher. Finally he came. In 1755- the Synod of Philadelphia sent Hugh HcAden, on horseback, on a- reconnaissance. What he found i srecorded in his journal, which is preserved in Footers Sketches, In South Carolina he met at old gentleman who had said to' the governor of south carolina when he was in those'parts ., that he had "never seen a shirt, been in a fair'g heard a sermon or seen a minister in all his life," the governor promised to send him a' minister, that he might hear one sermon before he died, The minister came and preached, and this was all the preaching that had been heard in the - upper part of South Carolina before McAden's visit. T. 7 - Things were just about as bad in the Old North.- State, along the Gape Fear The Baptists mere out beating the bushes* but had failed to reach the highland scots because of the language barrier a but for gaelic we WOULD ALL BE BAPTISTS, SUAS LEIS A f GhAIDHLI^! McAdEN HAD THE SANE PROBLEM* "At SOME PLACES WHERE I preached," he complained, "-the people understood scarcely a word i said, the poorest singers' i ever heard in allmy life," i'/ednesday, january 28s 1756, he' preached at alexander' mcilay * s "to a small congregation, mostly of Highlanders, who were very much obliged to me for' coming, and highly pie ased with my d is course, Though, alas, I am afraid it was all but feigned and hypocritical," h is reason for this fear was that some remained around the house all night', drinking and cursing, and depriving him of sleep, One wonders just what, and how much he told Rev, James Campbell when he returned to the cultured confines of Pennsylvania, Whatever it was, Campbell was persuaded to leave his church on the bonny bonny banks of the gonnegocheg and cast his lot with his countrymen to the south? in a place whose name. he could pronounce, James Campbell was born at Campbeltown,-, Kintyre,- Scot~ LAND, ABOUT 1700? AND CAME TO AMERICA ABOUT 1730, He landed at Philadelphia, and began to preach- to a con-gregation of Highland Scots in Pennsylvania Here he met and married a nlss kennedy, who later accompanied him to North Carolina, In time , for one reason or another, his mind- became uneasy on the subject of his christian faith, and BEING an honest man he ceased to preach* In this CONDITION HE HEAR, D ' THE FAMOUS UhITEFIELD PREACH, AND" WAS MUCH IMPRESSED , And WELL HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN! WHITEFIELD WAS A PREACHER, NOT' A TALKER £ A MAN OF INTENSE PURPOSE AND CONVICTION, ON FIRE FOR GOD, FrCM HIS ORDINATION IN 1736 UNTIL- HIS DEATH IN 1770 HE PREACHED SOME 18,000 SERMONS, AND AND REACHED HIS GENERATION FOR GlIRIST, ONE STORY THAT IS TOLD OF HIM WILL ILLUSTRATE NOT ONLY THE STYLE OF HIS PREACHING., BUT THE ALERTNESS OF HIS MIND, He WAS PREACHING ON Hell, on a hot day in New England* when a fly buzzed into the church and lit on the pulpit9 "you will be' destroyed as surely as i destroy this fly," he cried, BRINGING HIS FIST DOWN TO WHERE THE FLY - WAS , ThE ASTONISHED CONGREGATION WATCHED THE FLY FLY OFF JUST ' IN TIME, AND WONDERED WHA.T THE PREACHER WOULD DO NEXT, - 8 - A LESSER MAN WOULD HAVE PRONOUNCED THE BENEDICTION, THEN AND THERE, BUT GEORGE I'IhITEFIELD WAS EQUAL TO' the occasion* "but there is always a way of escape, if you will but take it," he concluded, But back to our story, Campbell sought an interview - with this han, who managed to remove his difficulties, and who encouraged him to resume hls ministry, James Campbell came to North Carolina in 1756, and set-tled ON A 200 ACRE TRACT ON THE CAPE FeAR* OPPOSITE TO WHERE THE Old BLUFF CHURCH NOW STANDS, WORD THAT A Gaelic preacher was among them spread through the Scottish settlement like wildfire, and he was invited to hold services in homes throughout- the area, One of these was Alexander McKay 1 s on the "Long Street (Cross Creek - Hillsborough Road), where Hugh McAden 'had spent a sleepless night the previous tear. Another was Rodger McNeill's (by the bluff). Still another was John Dobbin's, on Barbecue Creek, John Dobbin had been- a member of Campbell' s congregation back in Pennsylvania, and he and the new preacher were old friends. About the year 1746, Dobbin married the widow of-David Alexander in Pennsylvania, who had one daughter; aljn alexander, the dobbins reared another DAUGHTER, JeAN ABOUT 1750 THEY MOVED TO BARBECUE, AND OPENED AN ORDINARY, OR INN, CN THE CrOSS CrEEK - Hillsborough Road, near Barbecue Creek, There Ann married Gilbert Clark, who owned a vast acerage reaching from the Road to Little River a It is but natural that Campbell should look up his old friend, and even more natural that Dobbin and his young son-in-law should urge him to hold services at the ordinary, "And here," writes Leon McDonald, who has done so much to make Barbecue History live, and to keep it alive, "arises a point of peculiarly interesting speculation. In the ordinary ordinary of that day the tap room was the largest room; the public room, the place where large assemblages could gather without disturbing guests, CR MEMBERS OF THE INNKEEPER 's FAMILY* In THAT ROOM THE MOST CONVENIENT CONTRIVANCE AVAILABLE FOR AN IMPROVISED PULPIT WOULD LOGICALLY BE A BARREL e COULD THE FIRST SERVICE IN THE OLDEST CHURCH' IN THE GAPE FirAR VALLEY HAVE BEEN HELD IN A TAP ROOM, THE TEMPORARY PULPIT A BARREL? ODD, BUT CONCEIVABLE UNDER CONDITIONS ENCOUN-TERED TWO CENTURIES AGO," «.. 9 - ... Interesting* Peculiarly interesting. But, AFTER ALL, ONLY "SPECULATION-," Mr , McDONALD MAY WELL BE RIGHT* #£' USUALLY IS C On THE OTHER HAND, JUST ABOUT ANY ROOM IN ONE OF THOSE OLD HOUSES WOULD HAVE BEEN LARGE ENOUGH FOR THE FIRST CONGREGATION OF BARBECUE And THERE WAS NO FEAR OF DISTURBING THE INNKEEPER ' S FAMILY; THEY WOULD ALL BE AT THE SERVICE* All.* THAT IS, BUT THE ONE minding the tap roome the innkeeper would be far more fearful of disturbing the paying customers by holding, of allthings, a worship service in their favorite gathering place« Still, it is interesting to speculate! By October 18, 1758, these three preaching points were strong enough to be organized into regular churches and on that date twelve good men and true representing McKay's (Longstreet) , Rodger's Meeting House (Bluff), and Barbecue, extended to Revc Campbell the first call ever ever issued to a presbyterian minister in north Car olina S "Know all men whom these presents do- or may concern, that we whose names are underwrittenfi for and in consideration of the due and faithful ministry of the Gospel (according to the Doctrines and Discipline of the Church of that part of Great Britain called' Scotland, by law established) for some months past, and hereafter to be administered to us and other good people of our communion in the county of cum- BERLAND, province of North America, dy the Rev* James Campbell, a well qualified minister,- of the principles of the said established church, and for divers good causes and considerations moving us there t0 s have covenanted, promised, granted and agreed, and by these presents do each of us covenant., promise and agree to and with the said james campbell to pay conjointly, or cause to be paid the sum of a hundred POUNDS IN GOOD AND LAWFUL MONEY OF'NorTH CAROLINA TO the said James Campbell, his heirs,, executors, admin-istrators, OR ASSIGNS, TO COMMENCE FROM THE TWENTY-SECOND of June las,t (providing the said Mr James Campbell doth, as soon as his convenience permit, ACCEPT OUR CALL, TO BE PRESENTED TO HIM BY Rev'd Presbytery of South CaroJjIna^ and be by them engaged TO THE SOLEMN DUTY OF A PASTOR. FOR US,) AND this to be paid to him, his heirs, executors, administrators or assigns yearly, and every year during his faithful ministry with us, In witness WHEREOF we have HEREUNTO set our hands, - 10 - AND SEALS THIS EIGHTEENTH1 DAY OF OCTOBER IN THE YEAR of his Majesty 1 s reign XXXIInd ' and our Lord one thou-sand SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY EIGHT, Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of Arch'd McNeill and Arch's Clark* Hector McNeill Gilbert .Clark Thomas Gibson. Alex McAllister Mal com Smith Archibald McKay Jno, Patterson Dushee Shaw Neill McNeill Archibald Buie Anguish Culbreath Jonh McPherson (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) (Seal) The contract was not admitted to record, however, until 1760, because of another obstacle that reared its ugly head. The Church of England (Episcopal) had a virtual monopoly of religion in the Colonies, and in North Caro-lina, AS ELSEWHERE , NONE DARED PREACH WITHOUT SUBSCRIB-ING TO CERTAIN ARTICLES OF THE ANGLICAN CrEED , THUS we read in the mlnutes of the january term of courtt "...The Rev, James Campbell in open court read and subscribed such of the articles of the church of eng-land as the law requires," foote lists the first elders of our church: "gilbert Clark, ,, Duncan Buie. ., Archibald Buie of Green Swamp; andDaniel Cameron of the Hill (note: Cameron's Hill, of course). These men were pious, and devoted to the cause of religion and their duties as elders, and for their strict attention to their duties got the name of 'the LITTLE ministersof Barbacue* T " In his excellent book, Jura, An Island Of Argyll, Rev, Donald Budge rightly notes that "the first three of THESE ARE OBVIOUSLY JURA MEN," And THIS RATIO WOULD HOLD TRUE FOR THE REST OF THAT FIRST CONGREGATION, ABOUT THREE FOURTHS OF THEM WERE FROM JurA, THERE THEY HAD ATTENDED THE OLD CHURCH AT KlLEARNADIL AND LISTENED TO THE SERMONS OF ANOTHER CAMPBELL, ReV NEIL', Rev Campbell was- also pastor of the islands of Scarba, COLONSAY, OrONSAY, GlGHA AND C.ARA. In HIS SPARE TIME WE WROTE LETTERS TO PRESBYTERY, ASKING TO BE TRANSFERRED TO SOME OTHER PARISH; ANY OTHER PARISH, HERE IS HIS STORY AS ONE OF HIS SUCCESSORS, REV, BUDGE, TELLS IT: —11 .... "Rev, Neil Campbell, . .holds the record for length of SERVICE- OF ALLTHE MINISTERS OF JURA, He WAS ADMITTED IN 1703, AND WAS STILL MINISTER OF' THE"PARISH IN WHAT APPEARSTO BE THE YEAR OF HIS DEATH, 1757, It WAS NOT ALL OF CHOICE THAT HIS MINISTRY ON THE ISLAND WAS SO LONG, FOR ON SEVERAL OCCASIOMS DURING HIS LCN G MINISTRY HE APPLIED TO HIS' BRETHREN OF THE PrESBYTERY FOR TRANS-FERENCE ELSEWHERE, WHICH REASONABLE REQUEST THEY AS OFTEN REFUSED. oo/AT THE TIME OF NEIL CAMPBELL^ INDUC-TION the Presbytery were not at all satisfied that the salary being offered him was sufficient. they suggested to the heritors that the salary be increased, but the suggestion met with no acceptance, the heritors claim-ing they were not in a position to do so. they offered to be responsible for transporting the minister in' his journeys between the various islands of the parish*^ an undertaking which does not appear to have been carried out. Enquiry was made about manse and glebe -(garden), both , of which appeared to be lacking. the heritors signified willingness (to provide) manse and glebe, OR TO GRANT HIM COMPENSATION. Mr. CAMPBELL LATER found this an empty promise, and took the matter up' with the Presbytery. . .nothing was done. After this, in 1705 and again in 1707 he craved the Presbytery to remove' his grievances, or else release him from his PARISH, WT TH NO RESULT (NOTE: THIS WAS THE PrESBYTERY of Kintyre. Somehow or other it reminds me of the Presbytery of Inverary) • From now on his appearances at Presbytery were very few, and when he did appear it WAS AS THE RESULT OF COMPULSION BY THE PrESBYTERY. Where the poor man resided we know not...*yejr s later WE FIND HIM INFORMING PrESBYTERY OF HIS INCAPACITY, by reason of age' and infirmity, to discharge his ministerial work, and begging them to consider the deplorable condition of jura and golonsay (i e, their lack of an adequate ministry) . when this proved of no avail he left the island, failing the permission of the Presbytery and went to live on the mainland. His death seems to have taken place soon after..." Yet his labor was not in vain in the Lord s and we at Barbecue are more deeply indebted to this man than ever WE REALIZE. He I T WAS WHO SOWED THE SEEDS OF CHRISTIAN FAITH' HARVESTED YEARS LATER, INDEED, THE YEAR OF HIS DEATH, IN ANOTHER LAND, BY ANOTHER CaMPBELL* God HAD His purpose- in keeping this nan on Jura - the purpose of Barbecue, Bluff, and Longstreetz indeed, the purpose OF ALL OF FaYETTEVILLE AND A GREAT PART OF OraNGE PrES-byteries. But back to North Carolina, and the history of Barbecue. -12 - James Campbell earned mis ICO p.ounds a year, serving A VAST TERRITORY THAT COVERED MOST OF' THE PRESENT co unties of Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Noore and Lee-, with occasi onal side visits- to raft swamp in robeson, andPurity in South Cap olina,- and " other destitute SETTLEMENTS*" He WAS BY NO MEANS THE FIRST PRESBYTER-IAN MINISTER TO PREACH IN NORTH CAROLINA, BUT HE WAS THE FIRST TO SETTLE DOWN AND SERVE A REGULAR CONGREGA-TION, As Dr. Arrowood writes: "Hore than twenty Pres-byterian MINISTERS PREACHED IN MORTH CAROLINA BEFORE James Campbell lifted up his voice to proclaim the un-searchable riches of Christ to the people along the Cape Fear,. .The distinction of James Campbell is that when he came, he came to stay, 'ltke a tree planted by the rivers of water, who bringeth forth his fruit IN HIS SEASON. f " Dr* Arrowood continues: "Amid a community of hopes and home-loving people he established his home. . .he ' brought his family with him and set up his household* His son James was eleven years old when they came. We do not know the ages of his other children, but there were at least three' sons and one girl." Unfortunate ly, JamesCampbell did not write letters to Presbytery in his spare time. If he had, perhap s- we would know more about him and his work than we do, and this history would be more complete. instead, he WORKED HIS LAND. "He EARLY BOUGHT A FARM FROM DUNCAN Brown on the Cape Fear opposite the place that- Bluff Church was to be built. The farm consisted of 200 acres for which he paid the equivalent of $4:00.00. One-half of any gold found was reserved for the King. His last tax return reveals that he owned, in 1780, 290 acres of river land, 930 acres of sand land, and ' 400 acres in Guilford County" (Arrowood) . As we said, when Campbell came, he came to stayI What kind of a preacher was James Campbell? Accord-ing TO HIS GRANDSON, REV. D. A. CAMPBELL, "HlS PREACH-ING WAS NOT SO MUCH THE DIDACTIC AND POLEMICAL AS EXEGETICAL AND PRACTICAL - EXPOUNDING AND EXPLAINING CHAPTERS OR PORTIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES, In THIS HE IMITATED 1/hITEFIE LD, TO WHOM' HE FELT MUCH INDEBTED. He WAS STRICTLY PRESBYTERIAN, BUT OF THE AMERICAN CAST, AND MAY BE RANKED AMONG THE New LlGHTS OF HIS DAY, AS WERE THE TeNNENTS OF NEW JERSEY, AND OTHERS WHO SYMPATHIZED' WITH I'/HI TEFIELD , THE SHORTER CaTE-CHISM HE PRIZED, ANDMADE IT THE DUTY OF ALL TO TEACH TO THEIR CHILDREN. DUNCAN HcCoRMICK, WHO WROTE THE w 13 -~ first History of Barbecue (about 1-898), and- to whom all future historians must be indebted, TELLS US THAT "Nr, CAMPBELL PREACHED ONE-THIRD OF HIS time at Barbecue, one-third at the Bluff, and one-third AT LONGSTREET, At EACH OF THESE CHURCHES HE WOULD preach two sermons at each. ap pointment - one in gaelic, and one in English for 'the benefit of those few who COULD NOT UNDERSTAND GaELIC,- THE CONGREGATION OF BAR-becue being decidedly scotch, he would oftener preach to them in Gaelic" It WAS SEVEN YEARS BEFORE A PERMANENT PLACE OR WORSHIP was erected* during this time services. were conducted in the various homes of the community (dobbin's, Gilbert Clark's) and later, some believe, in a tempor-ary, MAKE-SHIFT SHELTER SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE DOBBIN HOUSE AND THE PRESENT CHURCH, FINALLY, IN 1765, WAS RAISED THE FIRST PERMANENT PIA CE OF WORSHIP IN WHAT IS Not^ Harnett County, A plain, unpretentious building it was, made of logs and unencumbered with flying buttresses, grinnfng gargoyles and lofty steeple, Could you see it today, you would say, "But it just doesn't look like a church!" The building had no chimney, for the worshippers inside did not believe in being comfortable in church, there was no piano or organ there, for they did not believe in using instrumental music in the worship of god , Nor were there hymnbooks. They didn't believe in hymns, either. the:£r hymnb00k was the blblej and they sang the Psalms of David, which had long before been rendered in verse form and set to music, there was no carpet down the center aisle (if there was a center aisle!). And no upholstered pulpit furniture^ But the love of God was there, and this was SUFFICIENT FOR THEMn At the door of THEIR CHURCH one MORNING THEY FOUND the BODY OF A STRANGER, FROZEN TO DEATH, He HAD TRIED TO SAIN ENTRANCE DURING THE NIGHT, BUT THE DOOR WAS LOCKED, He WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO BE BURIED IN BARBECUE CeME-tary, and ever since the door of barbecue church has been left unlocked, (note: in the spring of 1965 our Barbecue Young People cleared off' the old site, and found one of the sills STILL THERE, AND FOUR OLD HAND-MADE NAILS IN IT, The SILL AND NAILS HAVE BEEN REMOVED TO THE PRESENT BUILD-ING FOR INCLUSION IN OUR HERITAGE R0 0M o And THE OLD CHURCH SITE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH A CAIRN. What's A cairn? Cairn is a Gaelic word, and it means "a heap OR PILE OF STONES, LOOSELY THROWN TOGETHER'," ThE Highland Scots were too poor, most of them, to afford *- 14 •- expensive memorials, so they borrowed an idea' from the Old Testament and erected cairns' instead. They can be seen throughout the highlands, marking sites of histor- ICAL INTEREST, AND AS MEMORIALS TO THE DEAD a In PRE-REFORMATION TIMES IT WAS THE CUSTOM, WHEN PASSING THE BURIAL-PLACE OF A L0VED-0NE9 TO PLACE A STONE ON HIS GRAVE AND REPEAT A PRAYER FOR THE REPOSE OF HIS SOUL, The saying, "Guiridh Mi Glach 'Nad Gharn" (I will .add A STONE' TO YOUR CAIRN) STILL SPEAKS OF A FRIENDLY IN-TENTION, AND PROMISES THAT ONe's MEMORY WILL BE KEPT-ALIVE o IT IS SAID OF THE EARLY SETTLERS, THAT OFTEN, AS A GROUP OF THEM WERE LEAVING FOR AMERICA, THEY WOULD PAUSE AT THE TOP OF THE HILL AND TURN FOR ONE LAST LOOK AT THE Glen THAT HAD BEEN THEIR HOMEff AND THE HOME OF THEIR FATHERS FROM TIME BEYOND MEMORY, THEN EACH MEM~ BER OF THE PARTY WOULD TAKE A STONE, ANDTOGETHER THEY WD ULD ERECT A CAIRN AS A SILENT REMINDER TO ALL WHO WOULD PASS THAT WAY IN LATER TIMES' THAT ONCE THEY HAD LIVED THERE, BUT LIVED THERE NO MORE* UHEN THEY REACHED THESE' SHORES THEY BUILT NO CAIRNS 9 BUT THEY DID BUILD HOMES, AND SCHOOLS* AND THEY DID' BUILD CHURCHES, ' Churches like B arbecue, andBluff, and Longstreet e And: we at Barbecue believe it fitting that we, to- whom- they bequeathed that- which they valued most highly, their Christian Faith, raise a Gharn Guimhne (Cairn of Remem- - brance) as a reminder to us, and to all who pass this way, that once they lived, and worshipped here; and as 'a" pledge that we will be as faithful in passing on^ our Christian Faith to future generations as they were' . Among the stones in our Cairn are one from Flora Mac Donald's last home on Skye, Penduin, and another from the old Church on Jura where the first members of B arbecue Church first heard the old old story of Jesus and His love from the lips cf Rev, Neil Gampbell,' • About 1770 the emigration fever reached the Isle of Skyes AND THOUSANDS OF i'UcDoNALDS, llACQUEENS, MacLeODS AND OTHERS SET SAIL FOR A NEW HOME IN A NEW LANDo So intense was the passion to emigrate there was even a popular dance tune: "Dot, a dh' Iarraidh am fortan do North- Carolina" (Gotng to seek my fortune in North Carolina) „ The wave of emigration from- skye brought two' most interesting people to Barbecue, Flora MacDonald , and Rev, John MacLeod • Ladies first - and Flora was every inch a lady. And a-heroine too! Twenty-five years before, after Culloden, she had spirited "Bonnie" Prince Charlie out of Scot-land to safety. You know the story. He put on one of - 1 5 - Lady Clanranaltd 's last year 's dresses andpassed as Betty Burke, "Flora's .Irish servant maid* The Skye FOLK HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING QUITE LIKE BeTTY BurKE 1 . "'See that strange woman!" cried one- excited peasant, "Behold the- wide steps of that rude, long-legged dame! What a bold-, untidy, slovenly, uncouth female she is!" One wonders, did he calm down when they told him "she" was only Flora's new Irish servant? Poor fellow! He probably went to his grave believing that all irish women walk like that ! For her part in the escape of the prince, she (Flora-, that is) was taken to london to be tried for treason, andwas confined in the famous tower, public sympathy was with her, however, and soon she was "released" to the custody of london friends who were held responsible FOR HER APPEARANCE, In 1747 THE Ad OF INDEMNITY WAS passed, and she was set at liberty, frederick, prince of Males, paid her a visit at this time, and asked her how she dared to assist a rebel against his father 's throne « she replied that she would have done the same thing for him if she had found him in like distress „ She returned to Skye andmarried Allan HacDonald, son of the Laird of Kingsburgh Together they came- to North Carolina in 1770, settled at Camfp.cn Hill, and attended Barbecue Church, Tradition insists they were members here, but as the oldrecords no longer exist this can neither be confirmed nor denied o' foote QUOTES ONE WHO SAW' HER AT BARBECUE ChURCHs "a DIGNIFIED and handsome woman, to whom all paid great respect e " "to the close of her life," he continues ," she was of a gentle and affable demeanor, and greatly beloved; her modesty and self-respect were blended with kindness and benevolence, ,, she was educated , lived and died in the Presbyterian faith, the faith of the Church of Scotland, ,, An immense concourse of people were assem-bled AT HER FUNERAL^ NOT LESS THAN THREE THOUSAND PERSONS FOLLOWED HER CORPSE TO THE GRAVE (a WALK OF some ten or twelve miles l) in the ceketary of kllmuir, in the Isle of Skye,- According to a request long previously expressed, her shroud was made of the IDENTICAL SHEETS IN WHICH PrINCE CHARLES REPOSED THE night he spent at klngsburgh - thus carrying to her grave the romantic spirit of her youth." two years later, in 1792, the body of her husband was pla ced beside her , And then there was Rev, John MacLeod! Historians ~ 16 - HAVE NOT DEALT TOO KINDLY WITH JOHN MACLEOD, SIMPLY BECAUSE OF ONE RENARK HE NADE THAT HAS CONE DOWN TO us* The Barbecue folk? their hinds honed razor-sharp on the Shorter Catechism? were not impressed with his eloquent flights of oratory, one sunday they actually-interrupted his- sermon to argue with him, exasperated, he snapped back, "i would rather preach to the most fashionable congregation in edinburgh than to the LITTLE CRITICAL CARLS OF BARBECUE," (NOTE'. " CArl" IS a Scottish word meaning "boor"). And if you smile at his retort, it is only because in your inner heart you suspect he was probably right i Despite this incident, it is quite evident Mr, MacLeod was a good and faithful pastor, who loved his people and was loved by them, t here still exist two commun- ION Cups presented by a friend in Scotland "to the Presbyterian Congregations in Cumber. land County Under the Care of Rev, John MacLeod " H is congregations remained loyal to him through the Revolution, though many, especially at barbecue, strongly di sagreed with his Loyalist sympathies* And at Charleston, awaiting the vessel that was to carry him back to his native land, he wrote a letter, of farewell to his parishioners, FOOTS- DESCRIBES HIM AS "a MAN OF EMINENT PIETY? GREAT worth, and popular eloquence*" MacLeod, like Campbell, was bi-lingual, and the two of THEM WORKED TOGETHER IN THE THREE CIIUrCHE3 FrOH FoOTE it would appear that MacLeod settled within the bounds of the Barbecue congregation and served this church and Longstreet, while Campbell devoted most of his time to Bluff, (This wouldexpla.in why Allan and Flora Mac.Oon-»- ALD , WHO WERE CLOSE FRIENDS OF MacLeOD,, ARE REPORTED TO HAVE ATTENDED BOTH BARBECUE AND LoNGSTREET, BUT NOT Bluff), Came the Revolution - andthe two pastorstook opposite sides, Campbell espoused the cause of the A?:fricans, MacLeod that of the crown, T he people were split also,- Generally the older settlers were Revolution* aries, the more recent ones loyalists, most of the Barbecue congregation favored independance ~ but not all* One Sunday morning Campbell prayed for the success of the American arms. After the servt. ce- he was approached by an old Tory ScoTj, McAlpin Munn, who said, or words to this effect, "Meenister, I enjoyed your sermon the morning, they get better every Sabbath, But if ever ye pray again as ye did • -17 - Of North Carolina Raleigh, N.C. THE DAY, THE BULLET IS 'MOLDED AMD THE POWDER IS IN MY HORN TO INSERT IT IN YOUR HEAD J " TllE MINISTER KNEW HIS PEOPLE WELL ENOUGH TO RECOGNISE THIS AS A SINCERE WARNING, GIVEN IN LOVE BY AN HONEST HAN WHO SAW CLEARLY AHEAD A DUTY HE WISHED DESPERA i'ELY TO AVOID* Ca.MPBELL WAS AN HONEST NAN TOO, AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ANOTHER MAN TO DICTATE THE CONTENT OF HIS PRAYERS e BETTER FOR HIM TO STEP ASIDE AND LET HIS YOUNGER ASS OCIATE CARRY' ON, CAMPBELL NEVER PREACHED AGAIN AT BjRBECWS, INDEED, FOR THE SECOND TIME IN HIS LIFE HE QUIT PREACHING ALTOGETHER, UNTIL THAT DAY HE HAPPENED TO OVERHEAR A WOMAN CURSING* THIS WAS NOT- SO COMMON THEN, AND HE WAS SHOCKED 8 WHEN HE REBUKED HER, SHE ANSWERED, "No WONDER THE DEVIL MAKES THE MOUTH OF THE WOMAN TO SWEAR WHEN HE CAN STOP THE MOUTH' OF THE PREACHER," TllE WORDS WENT STRAIGHT TO HIS HEART', AND HE RESUMED THE MINISTRY, BUT' THIS TIME IN GUILFORD, A SAFE DISTANCE FROM HcAlPIN NuNN, AND HIS BULLET, AND HIS powder horn, Incidentally, Malcolm Fowler tells us that NcAlpin Munn's old powder horn and bullet mold are still in existence, But then, so is Preacher Campbell's old church! Meanwhile, the Scots on Cape Fear were making history. The Tories among them raised an army, and started out for Wilmington -, They never made it9 Defeated at Moore's Creek, their leaders were taken prisoner and the private soldiers were released to return to their homes and live peaceably, MacLeod, who had- cone along as a Chaplain, was confined in Halifax jail, along with Allan Ma cD onalb andothers, according to bank's, "i'lrn campbell on hearing of this, traveled from guilford to halifax and importuned Congress to liberate his co-lab orer in the cause of Christ, T he Frovincial Congress listened to his appeal, AND RESOLVED THAT MacLeOD MIQHT BE RELEASED AND ALLOWED TO DEPART AND REMAIN IN THE FRIENDLY CUSTODY OF Mr a CAMP-BELL," MacLeod made his way to Charleston, and sailed for scotlando his ship was never heard from again, and was presumed lost at sea* Flora retur.ned to Stye, where she was eventually joined by her h usbando s.je is given much credit as both the recruiter and the inspiration of the tc.ry army9 but one wonders how devoted she really hal, to 'cj'e loyalist cause, in a: letter to a friend j she wrote! ' 3allan LEAVES TOMORROW TO JOIN D CNALD ' S STANDARD AT CrOSS CrEEK, AND I SHALL BE ALONE WI ' MY THREE BAIRNS, CaNNA YE COME AND STAY WI ' ME AWHILE? THERE ARE TROUBLOUS TIMES AHEAD, I WEEN, GOD WILL KEEP THE RIGHT, I HOPE - 18 - all our ain are' in the right, prays your good friend , flory nacdonald 9 " i hope all our ain are in the right! She writes as though she doubted it. Later she would remark that she had risked her life' for both tee houge of Stewart and the House of Hanover, but she never saw that she was any the better for it, in 1780, feeling his life was fast drawing to a close j James Campbell returned home to die, ac iompai/ied by Elders of the churches in Guilford he had served so well Meanwhile his eldest son,, James * had returned to the Bluff to recover from- wounds received in the war Not finding his father, he started out for Guilford,, Just beyonb Little River he came upon a' little company of men kneeling in prayer by a l0g 9 as he drew near he recognized the voice of his father, He AND THE EIDERS WERE ABOUT TO PART - HE TO CONTINUE on to the Bluff, they to turn back to Guilford , But first they would have one last prayer from their beloved minister. one is reminded of p4ul*s farewell' to the Ephesian Elders: "And whien he had thus spoken, he kneel-ed DOWN AND PRAYED WITH THEM ALL, And THEY ALL WEPT SORE e i ^SORROWING MOST OF ALL FOR THE WORDS THAT HE SPAKE, THAT THEY SHOULD SEE HIS FACE NO MORE," (ACTS 20:56-38), James Campbell died that fall, and is buried near his home, beside his wife t hirty year s l ater .-, colin HcIvER WROTE OF HIM.j "He IS SPOKEN OF ASONE OF THE EX-cellent of the earth; an eminent christian and an active, assiduous and useful minister of the gospel," Which brings- us to Dugald Crawford Dugald was born Nay 15, 1752, the second son of David Cramfor.d, farmer, at slsgan, ailm0r1e, educated at the university of Glasgow,- licensed by the Presbytery of Dunoon, March 27, 1781, AND ORDAINED BY THE PrESBYTEPY OF EDINBURGH as Deputy Chaplain to a regiment se}iviag in AmericAc, the third day of october, 1781, hls vital statistics ARE PLACED FIRST BECAUSE CrAWFORD WOULD HAVE LAN TED IT THAT WAY, He WAS A VITAL STATISTICS SORT OF IUN Some time after the close of the wm ,, Jnt.-N McCorkick and Duncan UcEacfern feruuadeo- him to come >j > yiE'RAFT Swamp Church in Robeson County* It w: a a mistake. Barbecue secured his services also. And this was another mistake o Crawford was unhappy here, Leon McDonald mentions a. letter from him on file in the Loyalist Claims "dated - 19~ about 1784 while he was still in north carolina, saying that Cumberland was no place for a Scotchman, and would NOT BE 'FOR A HUNDRED YEARS, ' ' He BEMOANS THE FACT THAT he went into the presbyterian ministry, and regrets that he did not take orders in the established church, settle down in england, and live a peaceful life," Crawford conducted his services with military precision, and with about as much warmth as the changing of the GUARD, He SPOKE TO NO ONE, AND RECITED HIS SERMONS AT a rapid pace. Banks mentions one he wrote in verse form, "but in such a manner as proved he was not a poet," Soon after he came he preached his famous sermon on the subject, "A Mental- Toothpick for The Fair Sex" (in both Gaelic and English, of course). One wonders what the critical carls thought of that one, even the late john MacLeod had never preached on "A Mental Toothpick for The Fair Sex!" Then, suddenly, he mellowed. For in this howling, deso-late wilderness, among these uncouth "Shanty-Scotch," there blossomed a fair flower indeed! jean dobbin, the current Belle of Barbecue, Her brow was like the snawdrift, Her neck- was like the swan; Her face, it was the fairest That e'er the sun shone onI It may be his congregation felt he was beginning to preach too often on Love for a well-bred Calvinist, But if they did, they made allowances. After all, he was a Celt, And he was young. And he was in love! Alas, like the girls in the hillbilly ballads, Jean did not return his love, she may have been repelled by his STERN, FORBIDDING MANNER, Or PERHAPS THAT' MENTAL TOOTH-PICK GOT STUCK IN HER THROAT, MORE LIKELY, IT WAS SIM-PLY THAT SHE WAS PROMISED TO ANOTHER; DUGALD CRAWFORD ARRIVED ON THE SCENE WITH TOO LITTLE, AND TOO LATE, IT WAS TOO MUCH FOR THE YOUNG SCHOLAR; HlS MIND BECAME IMPAIRED, AND HE RETURNED TO SCOTLAND, WHERE HE SOON RECOVERED, And ALONG ABOUT HERE LOCAL TRADITION GETS DOWNRIGHT MUSHY, THE STORY PERSISTS THAT HE DROWNED HIMSELF THE DAY OF Jean's WEDDING, THE VICTIM OF A BROKEN HEART, It's A GOOD STORY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY FOR lovers- of melodrama it just didn't happen thataway, Oh yes, he did die by drowning, "While going out on a small boat to get on a vessel on its way to greenock he was drowned, 22 march, 1821, about a mile from pladda Isle," He was almost 69 years of age - and Jean was SOI-IEBODY's GRANDMOTHER BY THIS TIME* - 20 - Dugald Crawford never harried. He was followed by Rev, Angus UcBiarnid, another Scot, who cane to these shores in 1793 and soon began to preach at Barbecue, He remained nearly ten years, kcblarnid was a nan of forceful personality, a good preacher and a fine scholar, about 1790 the highland Scots hadbegun to emigrate again, and there was a rapid increase in population, but no more rapid than the increase in the barbecue population, from near and far they came to hear the glorious gospel proclaimed in the warm accents of their native tongue - the ancient tongue of Eden, "Even the babies seemed to cry in Gaelic!" The old log church could not accommodate then all, so a new church was built, a frame building that stood until 1896, when it was dismantled and rebuilt into a dwelling house (the home of bave godfrey) , mcblarmid had a good friend, a fellow minister and a fellow Scot, Colin Lindsay, And what followed can never be better told than it was by buncan ncgormick nearly seventy years ago 2 "angus hcdlarnid was generally admired and loved by the churches of his charge, under his ministration (like it was under most of his prede- CESSORS) the Catechism- and the Confession of Faith were TAUGHT IN THE CHURCHES, AND BY FAMILY FIRESIDES, AND WERE REQUIRED TO BE* RECITED IN THE FORENOON ON EVERY SABBATH OF PREACHING,, p. In 1802 THE GREAT REVIVAL COMMENCED, He looked upon the irregular and extravagant conduct of the revivalists with great mistrust, and tried to prevent such fanaticism by warning them of its delusiveness , ' The Rev, Colin Lindsay-, who was a native of Scotland , did the same, llndsay, like h'cblarnid , ' was a man of extensive education, of fine appearance, and a talented' speaker. These two preachers thought it their duty to dispel the 'delusion, ' as they called it, b ut the excitement was too great, some ministers were strong revivalists , and the contagion spread rapidly e the' revivalistsexhibited great bodily emotion - howling, jumping, dancing etc, - in time of public worship, This so provoked McBiarmid and Lindsay that they de-nounced THE PP.EACHERS THEMSELVES AS FANATICS, ILLITER-ate blockheads etc,, till very bad feelings ensued, the matter was carried to presbytery, and so great was the feeling that ucblarnid and llndsay were deposed by Grange Presbytery, and denied the privileges of their churches. This led to further difficulties. They formed a Presbytery of their own, and declared they WERE THE ONLY TRUE PRESBYTERIANS .. ,ThEY MET AT VARIOUS - 21 - PLACES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, ORGANIZED CHURCHES, ORDAIN-ED Elders, and administered sealing ordinances,. They WERE SUPPORTED IN THEIR OPINIONS BY NUMBERS OF THEIR PEOPLE, ME THINK McDlARJIID AND LlNDSAY USED EXTREME MEASURES AGAINST THE REVIVAL* WHEN THEY WOULD BEGIN TO PREACH, THEY (ESPECIALLY Mr LlNDSAY) WOULD SAY TO THE CONGREGATION, ' If ANY OF THE DEVIL'S CHILDREN ARE PRESENT, LET THEM HOLD THEIR- PEACE TILL God's MESSAGE is delivered to hls child ren, ' and like ' expressi ons . the revivalists would tell their- hearers , when' under ' the excitement, to jump, cry out, shout, dance, jerk, or exercise such bodily emotions as they thought proper in time of public worship, they thought it would be pleasing to them, and not displeasing to godt The excitement did not prevail at Barbecue to a very great extent; but on certain occasions, some of the good people would shout for joy, and some few did dance what they called ' the holy dance, ' "On one occasion at Barbecue, Mr, John Small became exercised, and in his excitement began to' climb one of the lofty oaks that surrounded the church, from whence to fly away to heaven, at that tiiie an old scotchman BY THE NAME OF BaRKSDALE WAS LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY, AND WAS PRESENT , He SAI DHE WOULD CURE JOHN, He JERKED him down from the treex andlaid his riding- whip on him heavily; and it did cure John, Mr, Small,- who lived a long time in the neighborhood, of Barbecue-, and who was always noted for his piety and devotion, expressed' HIMSELF AS HAVING A LASTING OBLIGATION TO Mr „ BARKSDALE FOR HIS CORRECTION, ALTHOUGH THE BLOWS WERE HEAVY AND THE STRIPES WERE LONG,- He SAID IT WAS THE MEANS UNDER God of saving his life, and also of saving him from such wild fanaticism," After Lindsay r s death, members of his church began to BOAST THEY'D HEARD A MAN PREACH WHO WAS TWICE BURIED The STORY WENT that his mother was taken SICK SHORTLY BEFORE HIS- BIRTH, AND APPARENTLY DIED* She WAS PLACED in a vault, a valuable gold ring still on her finger > That night a gang of ghouls broke into her burial place TO STEAL HER RING, It WAS TOO TIGHT, SO NATURALLY- THEY PROCEEDED TO CUT OFF HER FINGER, The FINGER MOVED, AND THEY FLED, THE NIGHT AIR, AND THE PAIN, HAD AROUSED HER FROM HER TRANCE, SHE RETURNED HOME AND KNOCKED ON THE DOOR, k/HEN HER HUSBAND OPENED IT SHE HELD UP HER HAND AND SAID, "HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THIS RING, I WOULD NOT BE HERE TONIGHT," (UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS NO RECORD OF WHAT HER- HUSBAND SAID; THOUGH IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT WHEN SHE DIED, YEARS LATER, HE REMOVED THE RING BEFORE HE BURIED HEr) , - 22 - It's a good story - though, frankly, I don't believe it. The same tale was being told in Scotland about the Erskine boys, Ralph and£benezer, long years before Colin Lindsay- was born. He probably used it as a sermon illus-tration, perhaps of the Overruling Providence of God, and those who recalled it in later years thought he meant his own mother, Still - let's face it - it is_ a good story, and that SHOULD COUNT FOR SOMETHING! It IS JUST TOO GOOD A story to ie t those scots have all to themselves! (note: On the other hand, a Scottish minister at Maxton on a pulpit-exchange some years ago, was asked about THIS AND REPLIED THAT IT IS NOT LEGEND BUT FACT, He said that as a result of this incident Scots law to this day forbids burial of any person until a' certain TIME HAS ELAPSED, He WENT ON TO SAY, HOWEVER, THAT THE GRAVE -ROBBERS WERE NOT SO MUCH INTERESTED IN THE RING AS THEY WERE THE BODY, THEY WERE MEDICAL STUDENTS! WHEN ONE OF THEM DIS COVERED Mrs , LlNDSAY WAS ALIVE HE TOOK her to his home and swore her to secrecy before releasing her, Mrs, Lindsay never told who he was) But back to Barbecue, Through the earnest efforts of Colin McIver, McDiarmid was later restored to fellowship^ and after many years of service went to be with his lord 6 and was buried at longstreet, hls stone reads, simply', "Rev,, Angus McDiarmid, Born Islay, Died Apr, 1, 1827, 69 yrs , 5 MOS*" The next few years (from 1802 until 1811) of Barbecue htstory are not at all clear to me, and i have not as yet had opportunity to do adequate research on- them o ' I'Je do know that on the twenty-seventh of March,. 1801 9 Orange Presbytery had met at Barbecue Church and LICENSED THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS OF Dr; DaVID CaLDWELL TO PREACH THE &OSPEL: MALCOLM Mc^AIR, DUNCAN BrOWN, Murdock Murphy, Murdoch McMillan, John Matthews, H ugh Shaw, and Ezekiel B, Gurrie (Foote, by the way, was so impressed with this he mentioned it at least four times in his book.'), two of these men, murphy and McMillan, together with the Revs, William Paisley and John Gillespie, figure in our history for this period, jt would seem that paisley, glllespie and Murphy served a while as temporary supplies, each giving l-mat time he could to the work of our church while he spent most of his tine at the church of which HE WAS THE REGULAR PASTOR, It WOULD FURTHER APPEAR that Murdoch McMillan then came on a more regular - 23 "~ BASIS} AND SERVED AS PASTOR UNTIL 1811, He WAS A YOUNG HANj AND JUST WHAT ' Bar.BECUE NEEDED AT THIS TIME, It HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBECUE'S GOOD FORTUNE THAT AFTER-A STORH THERE IS APERIOD OF CALM. QUIET, UNASSUMING, McMlLLAN FILLED THE BILLo Meeting at Providence Church, Matthews, October 5, 1812* the Synod of the Garolinas set off the following members of the Presbytery of Orange to- form the Presbytery of Fayetteville: "Samuel Stanford, Robert Tate, William L* Turner, Malcolm McNair, Murdoch McMillan, John McIntyre, William B, Merony, Allan McDougald, and William Peacock* Barbecue, of course, was one of the churches included in the new Presbytery, Though Allan McDougald was a native of Moore County, he was a Barbecue boy, having been raised near Cameron's Hill by "Shop" Daniel Cameron (who is not to be confused with "Hill" Daniel Cameron) . Licensed but a short while before the formation of Fayetteville Presbytery, his FIRST FIELD OF SERVICE INCLUDED HIS HOME CHURCH, He remained fourteen happy years, and the church prospered well in his hands* many were united to christ and hls Church during this period* -Foote writes of him, "His labors were very acceptable, till the infirmities of AGE DISABLED HIM FOR ACTIVE SERVICE* He PASSED TO HIS REWARD IN A GOOD OLD AGE*" SAID BANKS, REFERRING TO HIS MINISTRY AT BLUFF, "He PREACHED TO THE PEOPLE OF THIS- CHURCH FAITHFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY FOR A LONG TIME, AND W ALKED IN AND OUT BEFORE THEM, FEAR.ING GOD AND LOVING MAN* - He RESTS FROM HIS LABORS IN THE MlLL Place grave yard, in Harnett County, but his works follow after himj his memory is still present with you, especially with those who under his ministry were con-ver ted t ghr 1st." Some mementoes of this good man- are still present with us also* There is, for example, the old contract: "We the undersigned do promise to pay to Rev'n Allan MacDougald the sum affixed to each of our names for his service for the year eighteen hundred and twenty one Alexander Cameron 2*50 David Clark 2 o 60 Malcom Buie 1*25 Duncan Patterson 2„00 Neill Clark 1*25 Alexander McBryde 1,25 John McLeod 2*25 Archibald Clark 2*50 And so on* There are 4:2 names, and all together they promised $54*75* The preacher didn't eat too high off the hog that year; his congregation were determined to help him stay humble* but then he was also pastor at Bluff, Averasbqi ough and Tirza, and perhaps with them added he 8j.de what would have been- considered a living wage in 1821 (assuming, of course, they all paid what they promised), let ! s see, four times $54*75 .... In 1824 Colin McIver published a book: "The Southern Preacher: A Collection of Sermons from the- Manuscripts of Several Eminent Ministers of the Gospel, Residing in the Southern States," No list of eminent ministers would be complete without the pastor of barbecue, and Allan McDougald is represented by a sermon on The Resurrection of the Body, It is as good- a sermon on this subject as i have seen - scriptural, thorough; interesting, and practical, indeed, it is one of the few old sermons i have read that would appeal to the average sermon listener of today, and one sunday i INTEND TO PREACH IT AT BaRBECUE, JUST TO SEE IF ANYONE remembers, McDougald was followed by another local boy, Archibald Buie, son of "Little Minister" Archibald Buie of Gum Swamp, As I write I have before me a few mementoes of his ministry also. The old Session Minutes: "Barbacue Church Novr 29th 1833, Session convened. Present, A, Buie, Moderator - - D, - Patterson, D, Cameron, M, McLeod, Allen McDonald, A, L, McDonald* Thomas McInnes censured for fighting. Expressed sorrow Admonished and restored, Saturday, 30th, Present as above, John Ray for drunkeness. Reinstated by con-fession AND REPENTANCE, SUND, DeCR 1ST, SEVERALS censured fcr dancing and frolicking, adjourned to meet the first Sunday in Janry 1834, Preaching prevented in consequence of bad weather, preaching last sunday in January 1834, preaching 1st Sunday in March," Me may smile as we read the old record s but it meant some- THING to be a Christian back then, and church members WERE EXPECTED TO LIVE DIFFERENTLY THAN THOSE WHO MADE NO PRETENSE OF RELIGION, AND SIN WAS SOMETHING TO BE ASHAMED OF, NOT SOMETHING TO DEFEND AND JUSTIFY, Like McDougald , Arch ibald Bui? was an earnest seeker AFTER SOULS, TAKING SERIOUSLY THE MORD OF THE LORD, "Go OUT INTO THE HIGHWAYS AND HEDGES, AND COMPEL THEM - TO COME IN, THAT MY HOUSE MAY BE FILLED," OUT HE WENT, AND BEFORE LONG THE HOUSE OF GoD ON BARBECUE CrEEK WAS indeed filled, filled to overflowing, there were people everywhere, and the need to establish a new church was felt. The folks over on Cypress- and Beaver Creek wanted a church more convenient to them, and in 1826 cypress was organized , then, in 1835, the upper llttle rlver COMMUNITY PULLED AWAY TO FORM Mt, PlSGAH, MOST OF B AR- - 25 - be cue's members ie ft to unite with one or the other of these, and the' old mother church was left helpless, with no pastor , one elder, and but few people,, things were so bad that two i'lethodist ministers, nurchison and garr, came to hold an occasional service* fayette-ville Presbytery met to discontinue the Auld Kirk, but Colin NcIver cried out, "Nofl No! I will serve it! Without money and without price if necessary!" He became pastor about 1839 and continued until the fall of 1849, at which time he had become too feeb&e to make the trip from fay ettevihle . the church revived under his inspired leadership, and continues to this day because of his efforts* HcIVER WAS BORN AT STORNOWAY, IsLE OF LEWIS, SCOTLAND 9 N.ARCH 9, 1784, AND CAME TO FAYETTEVILLE TO TEACH ABOUT 1809. In TIME HE BECAME OhERK OF THE SESSION OF THE First Presbyterian GhurcHj, then of Fayettetille Presby-tery, AND FINALLY OF THE SYNOD OF' NORTH CAROLINA. He WAS A MAN OF FORCEFUL PERSONALITY, TENACIOUS OF HIS OPINIONS, BUT WARM-HEAR TFD AND GRACIOUS* II WAS SAID of him,, "Untiring in zeal, cbr> fop.mly consistent, scrup-ulous IN THE DISCHARGE OF HIS DUTIES, UNWAVERING IN his religious principles , with a mind well cultivated and stored with information, he yau most highly appreciated where most intimately known." 'h e was an- orthodox presbyterian of the ot,d school, and had but little patience with religious novelties^ During his ministry a number of new families from the Highlands- and Islands of Scotland settled in the community, and soon the old church was- filled once AGAIN WITH NclEODSj CaMERONSj DarrOCHS, GaNVBELLS*, HacLeanSj, NacGregors,, McKayss NacDonalds and others who came "as if summoned by the fiery crocs to hear - the old old story of the crimson cross in their' beloved old gaelic tongue 3 " Colin NcIver was noted far and wide for his absentmind-edness, and many are the stories told of him in this connectiono one sunday morning he came to fill his APPOINTMENT AT BarBEJUE. TlIE OLD ROAD RAN BY THE OLD CHURCH, AND THE CONGREGATION HAD GATHERED IN THE YARD TO AWAIT HIS COMING. He APPEARED AT THE USUAL HOUR, DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH HIS EYES FIXED ON THE GROUND, COMPLETELY LOST IN HIS THOUGHTS. He PASSED ON THROUGH THE CONGREGATION WITHOUT NOTICING THEM AND CONTINUED DOWN THE HILL* ACROSS THE BRANCH, UP THE SLOPE BEYOND, AND THE ASTONISHED CONGREGATION WATCHED HIM DISAPPEAR OVER THE NEXT HILL. BUT THEY KNEW CoLIN - 26 - mdver, and waited. sure enough, he soon returned, entered the church, and conducted the service as if nothing unusual had happened* but thena nothing unusual had happened. colin mdver was like that i On another occasion he started from his home in Fayette- VILLE TO FILL HIS APPOINTMENT AT BarEECUE, AND RODE about three miles out of town before he realized he ' had left his sermon manuscript back in his desk at home, He drove off the road and-' hitched his- horse,, Then he walked back fcr his notes, returning, he unhitched HIS HORSE AND DROVE ON, It NEVER OCCURRED TO HIM HE might have driven back for his sermon notes. he was related to the mdvers in the buffalo church in Sanford, On his way to visit them, and also to conduct a service there the following sunday, his gig BECAME HOPELESSLY MIRED IN THE MUD, He CALLED- TO A LITTLE COLORED BOY AT WORK IN THE FIELD NEARBY, "Go TELL YOUR MASTER THAT GoLIN' MdvER , STATED ClERK'OF the Synod of North Carolina, is stuck in the mud. Please come and help him out," The message as deliv-ered, "Massa, dey t s a white man down dar wid a cole an* a fever, and he stated he ' s de derndest sinner in north Galiny, Please come help him outen de mudo" Said D. P. McDonald s "His faults (absentmindedness) EVEN ENDEARED HIM TO HIS PEOPLE. HlS SPOTLESS RELIGIOUS CHARACTER WOULD HAVE PLACED HIM FAR ABOVE THE AVERAGE MAN. IF IT WERE NOT FOR HIS FAILINGS HE WOULD HAVE LIVED IN A SPHERE TOO REMOTE TO EXTEND HIS INFLUENCE TO ORDINARY MORTALS o BUT HIS PEOPLE, KNOWING HIS WEAKNESS, FELT THE NEARER TO HIM " "Oftentimes," said Lawyer Banks, "I have met this good OLD MAN IN HIS OLD STICK GJG., PLODDING 0VBVR THE DREARY SANDHILLS OF CUMBERLAND, BUT A HAPPY SMILE E VER BEAMED ON HIS FACE.; HE FELT THAT HE WAS IN HIS uAS'.i'ER 's SERVICE; TRAVELLING TOWARDS SOME ONE OF HlS HOLY TEMPLES, BEARING WITH HIM THE GLAD TIDINGS OF SALVA-TION TO BE DELIVERED ON THE COMING SABBATH DAY. On that blessed day, how devotional the old man looked ! how devotional he was ! and if his constitutional absence of mind sometimes prevailed, it was his gain -it was his hearer r s gain - for he was ever present in the Spirit and ready to bring forth for their edification things new and old," - 2 7 - "Father" HoIver (for so he was actually called by those WHO LOVED' HIM SO DEARLY) DIED. IN Fa.YETTEVI LLE, JANUARY 19, 1850, hls last wordsj, spoken in the gaelic, were a request to be buried in his time-honored silken gown and Geneva bands,, Rev, Hector. McAllister then came to fill the Barbecue pulpit. But soon his health failed, and he was forced to retire from the active ministry* His successor was Daniel Johnson, a teacher and Principal of The Summer-ville Academy at Tirza Church. He was a hard worker, especially among the young people, and was privileged to lead many of them to saving faith in christ. johnson. IN TURN, WAS FOLLOWED BY Dr . ARCHIBALD SMITH, OF WHOM Duncan NcCormick, who remembered him, wrote, "He was always in the spirit, 'and preached christ, and hlm CRUCIFIED, WITH POWER, He WAS VERY' STRICT IN DISCIPLINI urging its use in all circumstances, whenever required." These three men served the church for but a short while each, and unfortunately i know no more of them than what i have written here. They were followed by Duncan Sellers, a licentiate of Fayette vi lle Presbytery, who also taught school in the community. He was highly regarded, both as a good teacher and an earnest preacher* hls delivery was rapid, so rapid it was wef>l~ nigh impossible to distin-guish one word from another, years later he was still remembered for announcing his customary opening hymn so fast that, were it not that he began with the s-ihe hymn every sunday, no one would have known where to turn: "Let-us-all-please-turn-tO'HYL'n-number-316: H0W-HAPPY"ARE-THEY~WH0-THEIR~SaVI0UR-0BEY And •"HAVe-laid-up-their-theasures-above. " Which brings us to 1856, and to John Campbell Sinclair, THE LAST OF THE GREAT GaeLS^ JoilN SINCLAIR WAS BORN on the_ Isle of Tiree about 1800, and married Hiss Nary Julia NacLea.n in 1822. They had nine children, of whom five lived to maturity , One of these, Annie Campbell Fraser Sinclair, married Rew9 David A* Cunningham, who was for many years pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Wheeling, West Virginia* Another, Peter, was Editor and Publisher of tile Fayetteville North Carolinian until he resigned to serve as a- Colonel in the Confederate Army, Two of their sons, Alexander and James, were ministers, . - 28 - The Sinclairs emigrated to Nova Scotia in 1838, and WENT FROM THERE TO PrINCE FdWARD ISLAND, WHERE HE served for ten years as a home missionary. to secure a more liberal education for his children, he moved his family to newburyport, massachusetts in 1852 , When Alexander and James were ready to prepare for the ministry, choice was made of the western theological Seminary, and the family moved to Pittsburgh, Mrs, Sinclair died that year of cancer. In 1857 James Sinclair began his ministry in Fayette-ville Presbytery, and like Hugh IIcAden a century before, HE SOON SAW THE DESPERATE NEED FOR GaELI C-S PEAKING MINISTERS IN- THIS AREA, And LIKE NcAdEN HE TURNED TO Pennsylvania, and persuaded his father to sever his ties with the North and settle in the sandhills, John Sinclair was indeed well received by his fellow Gaels, From hither and yon they came to hear him - and to hither and yon he went to preach to them. Soon after his arrival a letter to a friend in scotland was PUBLISHED IN THE INVERNESS COURIER: " The GaELI C LANGUAGE IS SPOKEN IN ITS PURITY BY MANY IN' THESE COUNTIES (CUM-BERLAND, Bladen, Robeson, Richmond, Montgomery, Moore and Harnett) , and in both of my churches I preach it every Sabbath, On last Sabbath I assisted at the dis-pensation of the Lord r s Supper in a congregation 40 MILES DISTANT FROM MY HOME AND SERVED A TABLE AT WHICH UPWARD OF 150 HAD TAKEN THEIR SEATS, WHO HAD NOT HEARD A SERMON IN THE LANGUAGE OF THEIR NATIVE HIGHLANDS FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS, MANY TEARS WERE SHED DURING THE SERVICE, MANY A WARM SHAKE OF THE HAND, SUCH AS A HIGH-LANDER CAN GIVE, AND MANY A BLESSING WAS BESTOWED UPON YOUR CORRESPONDENT AT PARTING WITH THE WARM-HEARTED PEOPLE," In 1864 he organized St, Andrews Presbyterian Church, AND ADDED IT TO HIS FIELD OF SERVICE, He REMAINED at Barbecue through the difficult war yeaiis, until 1865, On October 6 of that year, Fayette ville Pres-bytery met at Barbecue Church and appointed a committee to examine certain rumours being circulated about his son, James, The father felt the Presbytery was being unfair to his son (who, by the way, had skipped presby- TERY THAT DAy), AND "REQUESTED A LETTER OF DISMISSI ON to connect himself with the presbytery of the island ' of Mull, Argyleshire, Scotland, Whereupon, on motion, this request was granted, and the stated clerk was requested to give him the usual testimonials" (nlnutes of Fayetteville Presbytery), Both he and James, how-ever, RETURNED TO NORTH CAROLINA UNDER THE BOARD OF - 29 - Domestic Missions,- Presbyterian Church, U* S, A, (North-ern), to preach to the Negro freed-men. The father or-ganized THE CHURCH NOW KNOWN AS LoVE GrOVE, AND PREACHED THERE FOR A FEW YEARS, UNTIL HIS HEALTH FAILED* ' He THEN WENT TO LIVE WITH HIS' DAUGHTER IN ^HEELING, WHERE HE passed away, April 25, 1878. In 1872 he wrote an article on The- North Carolina High-landers for An Gaidheal (The Gael), A Gaelic and English MAGAZINE PUBLISHED IN TOR ONTO, CANADA .* "THE COUNTRY INHAB-ITED by- the Highlanders of North and- South Carolina is healthy, the' soil is light and sandy, producing indian corn, cotton, oats, wheat, tobacco, sweet potatoes and every kind of vegetable, the highlanders of north caro-lina stilladhere to the religion and characteristics of their forefathers, they are strict, conscientious pres-byterians, honest in their transactions, hospitable to strangers; but greatly in love with the mighty dollar, They were very comfortably situated before the war; the generality of them being slave-holders, but the war has reduced their former comfortable condition very much,,, i have met with a number of coloured people whv speak the (Gaelic) language as well as if they had been raised in ANY OF THE HEBRIDES, THERE IS NO GaELI C PREACHED' IN THE carolinas now; and not likely to be in the future, i was the last Gaelic minister in the North State, and preachel in that language for eight years among my countrymen " He was - the last, SIMPLY because there was not another TO be had. And we have now reached the watershed of Barbe-cue History^ the end of the old, the beginning of the new,- The era that began when Mr, Fullarton missed the boat, the era of james campbell and john macleod, of Flora and Allan MacDonald, of McDiarmid, McDougald, McIver and Sinclair, is ended • Modern Barbecue History, like modern American Hilt or y, began in 1865 and "66, the change was almost imperceptible at first* rev, George A. Russell, pastor at Summerville, filled the PULPIT FOR THE FIRST MONTHS OF 1866, THEN LATER THAT same year, Rev, D. D„ (Duncan Daniel) McBryde of Little River Academy took charge of the church, McBryde was a remarkable person. -His commanding pres-ence AND PENETRATING BLUE EYES WERE ENOUGH BY THEMSELVES TO AWE ANY CONGREGATION INTO SUBMISSION. BUT HE WAS A POWERFUL PREACHER AS WELL.t AND POSSESSED AN ENGAGING PERSONALITY. D. P, McDoNALD CALLED HIM " . , „ ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR MINISTERS IN T'AYETTEVILLE PRESBYTERY. HlS PERSUASIVE MANNER WAS IRRESI STABLE ," He WAS BORN IN Richmond County, June 12, 1827, and received his higher education at Davidson College and Columbia Theological - 30 -"- Seminary, .For almost four decades, from his ordination September 2, 1654, until 1892 , he graced the pulpit of Sard is Church, and from- 1855 until 1889 he was pastor of Bluff Church as well This beloved man of God served our church faithfully and well until 1870* as i write i have before me his account book for these years, containing a record of salary payments made to him by individual members of the church, each contribu- TION, BE IT SMALL OR LARGE, IS LISTED. "JAMES CaMERON 20.00; B. McCormic 10.00; L. Clark (col) a 25; Unknown ,5(9; Scion Harrington 7.50; Sandy McRae 2.00; Danl Darrach 2.00; ¥. Holder 2.00; Angus Hunn 2.00; D. H. McNeill 1*00; Hugh McLean 3. 00; "and so on. -The SALARY PROMISED WAS $400.00, BUT THE CONGREGATION, ' being Scots, finished the year still owing him $46 e 71; But the preacher was Scotch too, and he kept a record! JL 2 . Following the- old church philosophy, "If at first you don't succeed, don't try to do so much next time_." they only promised him $333 . 33 1/3 in 1868. At the end of THE YEAR THEY STILL OWED HIM 087.58 1/3. And SO IT WENT, FOR TIMES WERE HARD. BuT THEY DID THE' BEST THEY COULD, AND THE PREACHER DID THE BEST HE COULD, AND THE OLD CHURCH GREW AND PROSPERED D. D. MqBryde was followed in 1870 by Pev. James McQueen, pastor of St. Andrews Church (for twenty five years.* from 1867 until his death in 1892). "h e was a man r in whom there was no guile* ' so plain and unassuming that even the youth failed to look upon him with the restraint they considered due to the 'preacher. ' hls every word and act a sermon, or an inspiration. others may have been mor.e eloquent, but none whose congregations felt NEARER TO THEIR PREACHER THAN 'HIS DID.' In THE FALL OF 1878, ASSISTED BY THE REV, Mr . Mc^RYDE, HE CONDUCTED A REVIVAL AT BARBECUE, DURING WHICH TIME ABOUT 65 PRO" FESSED THEIR FAITH, AND 58 JOINED THE CHURCh" (D . P. McDonald) . McQueen was a descendant of one of the most remarkable' ltne of ministers ever to serve the cllurch of scotland . Mine of them, spanning seven generations, served churches on the Isle of Skye for a combined period of 291 years. The line has continued in the U. S and numerous Mc Queens have served, and still serves our Church as ministers.- (Including Rev Mack Carmichael MacQueen of Clinton, Moderator-nominee of the Synod of North Carolina) , The next minister to. stand behind the pulpit of Barbe-cue Church was Rev. James P. McPherson, who began to «» ol «• preach the fourth sunday in may, 1882, and conducted services once a month until 1890, duncan ncgormick, an- Elder of Barbecue Church- at this time, wrote of him, Mr* HcPherson, like HcIver, was for years Stated Clerk of Fayetteville Presbytery, He visited his- congregation as far as he was able, and preached at different houses OF THOSE WHO WERE UNABLE' TO ATTEND CHURCH, Mr, HcPheR-SON WAS A PLAIN PREACHER, AND PREACHED THE TRUTH FEAR-LESSLY, Although advanced in years he possessed un-usual (mental) vigor. At last he became incapacitated for the labor of the ministry, his last days were marked by a gradual decline of his faculties till he finally entered into rest at his home near jonesboro, Mr, HcPherson was an able defender of the doctrines of the Presbyterian Church, and it suffered a great loss BY HIS DEATH," (McPhSRSON DIED THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS, 1894:, He was born March 26, 1808, which means he was eighty-two years of age when he preached his last ser- MON at Barbecue) , The church naturally turned to its pastor of 20 years BEFORE, AND B , D, McBrYDE, NO LONGER A YOUNG MAN EITHER, returned to devote the last s tx years of'his life td Barbecue Church, Glorious years they were! None more fruitful in our entire hi story ! In 1894, "in the face of strong opposition" (IIc-Cormick), he organized a church at spout springs, and served as ITS FIRST PASTOR, (In 1898 THIS CHURCH WAS MOVED TO Cameron Hill It rs interesting to note that the Cameron Hill cemetary is considerably older than the church beside it, the first grave was that of an infant of Allan Cameron, who came here from Fife-shire, Scotland, in 1791, He is the ancestor of our-Barbecue Camerons, He Am HIs wife, Mary Stewart Cameron, lived on Baker 's Creek in Bladen County, When the infant died (some time between 1791 and 1800) its body was carried on horseback to cameron hlll by an older brother, Archie, as they did not want to bury it in low ground), The year of his death, 1896, also "in the face of strong OPPOSITION" (McCorMICK) , HE LED THE PEOPLE IN RAISING a new sanctuary to the glory of god - the one that is still in use. Sadly, he did not live to enjoy it. He was called home october 21, and his grief-stricken Session met to memorialize him, and to "earnestly and UNITEDLY PRAY THAT THE GREAT HEAD' OF THE ChURCH GIVE" US ANOTHER WHO SHALL AS EARNESTLY, FAITHFULLY, TENDERLY AND WITH BOLDNESS PREACH THE GOSPEL AS HE PREACHED IT," - 32 - During the summer of 1897, the old church was served by A YOUNG SEMINARY STUDENT, D*, P, (DANIEL PATRICK) McCtEACHY of Robeson County, "He spent his vacation preaching at Barbecue and her neighboring churches, Flat Branch and Spout Springs, He, like his Scotch Predecessors, was highly esteemed by the people of the church, but not alone because he was of scotch descent,' his humility of spirit and christian character were almost as IMPRESSIVE AS HIS PREACHING" (NcCo'RNI Ck) . THAT FALL, his vacation over, he returned to the seminar.y to rest up, Daniel Patrick McGeachy went on to become one of the leading ministers of our, church, serving as moder- ATOR of the Synod of West Virginia in 1916, and of the Synod of Georgia in 1929, Two sons and at least one GRANDSON ARE AT PRESENT MINISTERS IN THE PRESBYTERIAN Church, U. S, H IS PLACE WAS IMMEDIATELY FILLED BY REV, J, S, BLACK, WHO CAME AS OUR REGULAR PASTOR- (he WAS ALSO PASTOR X>F St Paul's, Suhmerville, Sardis, Hope Hills, Ht Tabor 9 Spout Springs and Flat Branch off and on during these years), and conducted services the first Sabbath' of each month until, apparently, the summer of 1899, a successi on of ministers then lined up for the honor OF FILLING THE BARBECUE PULPIT (J, L, ZaNDLE, G, T, Pace among them) until the fall of '1900 when K„ A, NcLeod- became our regular minister, Kenneth Alexander- McLeod, who was also serving the Jones&oro, St Andrews, Salem, MtPisgah and Pocket churches at this time , was A NATIVE OF RICHMOND COUNTY, AND THE BROTHER OeMaLCOLM Archibald NcLeod, a pioneer educator in both- Harnett and Moore Counties, Malcolm's son, M, A, McLeod 3 Jr,, was, UNTIL HIS RECENT DEATH, SUPERINTENDENT OF SaNFORD SCHOOLS, AND HIS DAUGHTER IS Mrs , ALTON (MARGARET McLeod) HARRING-TON of Olivia, But back to Uncle Kenneth-, The church grew by leaps and bounds under his guidance, and every month new members were added to the roll, twenty-one new members on professi on of faith the first three months of his pastor- ATE, He stressed family worship, and SOON the PEOPLE OF THE AREA, LIKE THEIR GAELIC ANCESTORS A CENTURY BEFORE, WERE PRAISING GoD IN THE FAMILY CIRCLE AND TEACHING THEIR CHILDREN THE SHORTER CaTECHISM, " I'/e ACKNOWLEDGE WITH THANKFUL HEARTS TO THE GREAT HEAD OF THE CHURCH SOME-SPECIAL EVIDENCES OF SPIRITUAL LIFE AND GROWTH, , ,'' WROTE A, A, Clark, Clerk of Session, the last day of March, 1901, McLeod continued to serve the congregation-- with dedicated zeal until 1908 when he left to serve .the Sherwood and Big Rockfish group of churches in - this- Presbytery, He died at Fayetteville, April 50, - oo - 1-917, He WAS -BUT fifty-nine years of age, and had been PRIVILEGED, BY THE GRACE OF'God, TO PREACH HlS GoSPEL TO THE VERY END OF HIS DAYS, H E WAS SUCCEEDED BY REV% CI, V, GaV'ITT OF ?EXAS, 'AN EX-COWBOY, WHO SPENT A YEAR, (SUMMER, 1908 - SUHHER, 1909) AS PASTOR OF BARBECUE, Mt PlSGAH, BrOADWAY AND SaLEM, until ill health forced an early retirement, he died at his home in sanford, september 6, 1923» Meeting October 23, 1909, the congregation issued a UNANIMOUS CALL TO Rev, GlIARLES LoUIS BrAGAW, WHO WAS SERVING AT THAT TIME AS STATED SUPPLY OF THE LlLLINGTON and Sardis Churches, A native of Alabama, he had- MINISTERED TO CONGREGATIONS IN liANSAS, MaSHINGTON, D, G, , Maryland and Nebraska, before coming to North Carolina, "He occupied the new manse m ar Mt, Pisgam, where he ALSO PREACHED, E WAS JOVIAL, LOVED TO TELL JOKES AND VISIT THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE HE PREACHED, It was a FAMILIAR SIGHT to see him on his way TO VISIT SOME OF HIS CONGREGATION; DRIVING HIS BLACK HORSE THAT HE CALLED 'CoLD MOLASSES, BECAUSE HE RUNS SO SLOW, '" (D. P, McDonald) , One of Mr, Bragaw's big toes was missing, which is f0 rtunate as the explanation he delighted to give ILLUSTRATES THE PERSONALITY OF THE MAN, "It HAPPENED in Indian Country, of course, I was sleeping on~my BACK ONE MOONLIT NIGHT, WHEN A SOUND AWAKENED ME, THE WINDOW WAS AT THE FOOT OF MY BUNK,- AND SITTING UP A BIT I SAW WHAT SEEMED TO BE TWO FEATHERS OF AN INDIAN HEAD" DRESS SILHOUETTED AGAINST THE SKY, 'I'LL BLAST THAT ReDSICIN's FEATHERS AND SCARE HIM AWAY, ' I THOUGHT AS I REACHED FOR MY GUN AND SII0T o '" He WAS A GOOD SHOT'S AT * LEAST AT CLOSE RANGE, WHETHER THE STORY IS TRUE OR NOT, HE WAS KNOWN FOP. MILES AROUND AS " The PI ST OL-PACKIN ' preacher," bragaw early saw the need to evangelize, and established a mission at Rock Branch (Olivia)-- in 1911, and at Leaflet in 1912, These two children- of Barbecue owe THEIR EXISTENCE TO CHARLES L, BrAGAW, Early in 1914 a latent lung trouble made it impossible for him to continue in the ministry, and he requested THE CONGREGATION "to DISSOLVE THE PASTORAL RELATIONSHIP between himself and this church .,. and the congregation reluctantly agreed," uut not before they authorized' the Session to draw up the following resolution^ "Me, the Congregation and Session of Barbecue Church, hereby, - .34 - IN SOME MEASURE ENDEAVOR TO EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION OF THE FAITHFUL SERVICES 0-F ReV.'C. L.y BraGAW DURING ALL THE TIME HE HAS BEEN WITH US, FOR HE HAS SERVED US well. He has been strong and PLAIN in PREACHING THE G ospel of our- Lord and Saviour Jj-sus Christ, and he ~ HAS BEEN AN EARNEST WORKER , ALWAYS TAKING A DEEP INTER-EST IN ALL THINGS WHICH TEND TO "OUR DEVELOPMENT AND' UPBUILDING IN' ALL THINGS'- WHICH ARE GOOD, AND WE ALL, YOUNG AND VLD, HAVE LEARNED TO LOVE HIM.-..WE HAVE PROFITED FROli HIS LABORS, AND WILL'MISS HUT MUCH IN THE PULPIT AND AT OUR FAMILY FIRESIDES, AND HIS KIND WORDS OF COUNSEL, IT BRINGS A FEELING OF SADNESS TO PART WITH HIM AS OUR PASTOR 1 ' (NlNUTES OF SESSION, MARCH 29, 1914). Rev, Bragaw had but two years left to live. He went to- Hew Hexico to regain his health, but died there march 89 1916, He was but forty years of age. Mr. Bragaw had done such a good job that the congregation very' naturally looked around for' another native of ala-bama, and finally settled- on p.ev. r. s. (robert stephens) Latimer, pastor of the -Fairmont group of churches in, FaYETTEVILLE PrESBYTERT^' THOUGH BY NO MEANS AS GOOD A MIXER AS' HIS PREDECESSOR, iiR . LaTIMER WAS AN EXCELLENT PREACHER, EVANGELISTIC IN EMPHASIS, AND WAS USED OF GOD TO WIN MANY IN THE COMMUNITY TO SAVING FAITH IN GHRIST. He TRANSFERRED TO MECKLENBURG PRESBYTERY IN 1917, AND WAS SUCCEEDED BY ReV„ JAMES ALEXANDER, GALIGAN, WHO HAD BEEN RAISED NEAR GaRTHAGE, AND WHO HAD MARRIED A GIRL from Spout Springs. He had started out as a school teacher, but heard the call to preach, and responded ' BY APPLYING TO FaYETTEVILLE 'PrESBYTERY FOR ORDINATION. He served Antioch Church for a number of years (1901- '06) until his health failed. j'ble to resume the active 'pastorate again, he came to barbecue and llt . plsgah, and remained until early in 1920, when he left to become pastor of the flrst presbyterian church, hccoll, south Carolina. And this brings usto E. B. (Eugene- Black) Carr, and the TREMENDOUS IMPACT HIS MINISTRY HAD, AND STILL HAS} ON THE LIFE OF THE BARBECUE AND PlSGAH CONGREGATIONS. FOR SIXTEEN YEARS (l920-'36) HE SERVED THIS CHURCH WI1TH SELFLESS DEVOTION TO HIS HIGH CALLING. ' He WAS IN TRUTH God 's man at God 's place in God 's time. Without hesi-tation WE MAY CALL HIM BARBECUE ' S OUTSTANDING PASTOR OF the present century, and' include him with that select few (Campbell, HcDougald, 1'IcIver and HcBryde) without WHOM THERE WOULD BE NO BARBECUE GhUrCH TODAY. ~ S5 - - to appreciate the power of his personali tt, we heed ' only to glance through the old records; for-'example , the Sessional- Report for 1924: h 52 members received on professi on, and' one by letter; ar/erage attendance at Communion Services j 90%; The Lord r s Day is observed; Children are presented faithfully by parents for -bap-tism; The Gate chism is taught the children by parents and in the sabbath school; ' ilymns and scriptures are also memorized; Fifty-five (out of 153) members tithe," And yet, the people of the church never took the full measure of E, B, Garr until they saw HOW' he reacted to adversity. The Hard Times began in 1929, and continued THROUGH THE REMAINING YEARS OF HIS PASTORATE, YeAr after year the congregation was simply unable to pay him his full salary, but he trusted god, and by his faith' inspired others to do the same, " unable to buy gas for .his car, he converted it to a cart and hitched a horse to it. Often he would walk the five miles from Pisgah manse to Barbecue Ghurch to preach, "I had to walk THIS' MORNING," HE ONCE EXPLAINED, "MY BUGGY HAD A FLAT ti tire, Realizing the congregation was. hopelessly beholden--to him, he cancelled the i, 0, u, s on his back salary and' enabled' us to get back on our feet once more, 'Years later, in better times, he returned to preach a revival, and the grateful people raised a special love offering for him consisting- of $330,00. E, B, Garr had a peculiar- practice of staring at the CEILING WHILE HE PREACHED, AND WAS NEVER KNOWN TO FAVOR HIS CONGREGATION WITH EVEN SO MUCH AS A GLANCE, GUTHBERT IIcDoNALD ONCE ASKED HIM WHY. "WHEN I FIRST STARTED OUT," HE REPLIED,' "I WAS PREACHING ONE MORNING IN AN UNHEATED CHURCH NEAR UlLMINGTON. And A COLD MORNING IT WAS! AhONG THE CONGREGATION WAS A TEEN-AGE GIRL WITH THE MOST LUXITRIOUS CROP OF FLAMING RED HAIR I HAD EVER- SEEN, ABOUT MIDWAY THROUGH THE SERMON^'I GLANCED HER WAY AND NOTICED A SMALL BOY BEHIND HER ' HOLDING HIS HANDS UP TO HER HAIR AS IF TO WARM THEM, IT WAS TOO MUCH I I CLOSED THE SERVICE AS BEST I COULD AMD DISMISSED THE CONGREGATION WITHOUT EVEN TAKING THE OFFERING, AND FROM THAT DAY TO THIS I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO LOOK AT MY CONGREGATION, ESPECIALLY IN A CHURCH LIKE BARBECUE, WHERE It's MORE THAN LIKELY I'll see a red head," p, h, blddle accepted a call to our church early in 1937 and spent ten happy years as our pastor, happy — S6 •-• ,-, FOR HIM, AND, HAPPY FOR US, It WAS DURING HIS MINISTRY the Communion Set, inscribed: . Presented by Nr, & Mrs, David- G, Worth of Wilmington, N, C, to ^Barbecue Church August 1896 As a memorial of their former membership of Forty years ago and as a token of their Christian- Love and esteem was stored at The Historical Foundation, Nontreat, "as Property- of Barbecue Church," To keep the re-cord straight, the following is quoted from a letter from S, N, Tenney, Curator, dated July 26, 1936: ",,,Rev, P~, H, BlDDLE HAD BEEN IN THIS AFTERNOON AND JUST DELIV-ERED THAT BEAUTIFUL -COMMUNION SERVICE SENT BY YOU CON-SISTING of one Tankard, 2 Goblets, 2 Plates, Since THE ABOVE p-IECES , , ,ARE A DEPOSIT, I AM REMINDING YOU THAT THEY ARE AND' ' C ONTINUE TO BE THE PROPERTY OF BarBE- ''" cue Church, and are at all times subject to your control, ,," Also during Hr, Biddle-'s ministry, July 25, 1943, "The Session met to consider a gift of money on a Communion - TABLE BY ROGER LYON, On MOTION IT WAS ACCEPTED, $25,00, and Nr, Holmes was appointed to confer with his wife about making the " purchase ,, •" this, of course, is the table now in use, Roger was away in the service of his country in 194-3, AS WERE MOST OF THE YOUNG MEN OF THE CONGREGATION, And THE FALSE PROSPERITY OF WAR- IS INDICATED BY THE SIZE OF his gift. Six years before, when, Mr m Biddle was new ON THE FIELD i THAT WAS HIS SALARY FOR A MONTH '- IF HE COULD GET IT, VANCE CaMERON WAS TREASURER THEN, AND A NERVE-RACKING JOB IT WAS, ONCE THE PASTOR ASKED TO SEE THE BOOKS, THAT HE MIGHT KNOW JUST WHO WERE NOT GIVING THEIR FAIR SHARE, JEALOUS OF THE OFFICE OF DeACON, AND of Treasurer, Vance put him off with, "Mr, Biddle, you preach the gospel, and i ' ll preach the money," Perhaps this is why Nr, Biddle took to dropping in- at mealtime, but he was a good eater, easy to please, and gvod company as well, so he was always a welcome guest, Mrs, Dick McNeill, Vance's daughter, recalls the day he sat down to a repast of grape hull preserves, fatback and biscuits'; "nothing like grape hull preserves aim FATBACK AFTER' A HARD DAy's WORK," HE SAID AS HE TUCKED IN HIS NAPKIN, "AND THESE LOOK AS GOOD AS MY DEAR OLD - 37 - GRANDMOTHER USED TO FIX, UlTH A FEAST LIKE THIS, I ' LL BE BACK MORE OF'TEN ," And HE WAS I During his pastorate, in 1946, six Sunday Schoo-l rooms WERE BUILT BEHIND THE CHURCH AUDITORIUM, TlMBER WAS CUT FROM THE WOODS BEHIND THE CEMETARY AND SENT TO A SAWMILL TO BE FINISHED, THE MEN OF THE CHURCH DID THE WORK THEMSELVES, AND DID IT WELL, HERE IT IS ALMOST TWENTY YEARS LATER, AND THE ROOMS ARE STILL THERE ! Mr, Biddle will long be remembered FOR his warm appeal TO CHILDREN- AND YOUNG PEOPLE, He TOOK AN ACTIVE INTER-est in them, and was to them as another pied plper of Hamelin, only- he led them aright. One mother recalls saying to him, when her primary-age daughter insisted on uniting with the church, "i don l t know whether she ts joining you or barbecue," but the years have convinced her that d ot knew what she was doing! Many of you adults who read these words still cherish the memory of singing in his juni or choir, ^p at the front of the church the children would gather each Sunday, All the little boys and girls, h/lth rosy cheeks and flaxen curls, And sparkling eyes and teeth like pearls, some still in diapers, others almost old enough to shave, to sing the happy little gospel songs and CHORUSES HE TAUGHT THEM,' And SO ME OF YOU ADULTS STILL catch yourselves singing, in unguarded moments, "I've got the Junior Choir spizzerinktum Down in my heart!" He left February 1, 1947, and the pulpit was supplied by Rev, J, Hoge Smith of Olivia until July, and from' THEN UNTIL THE FOLLOWING JULY BY REV, L, A, McLaURINs retired, Mr, McLaurin was no stranger to our commun-ity, HAVING SERVED AS PASTOR OF THE OLIVIA CHURCH FROM 1914 UNTIL 1922, iJHEN HE CAME TO THAT FIELD HE COULD LOCATE BUT SIX MEMBERS, AND THEY MET IN THE SCHOOL HOUSE, h/HEN HE LEFT EIGHT YEARS LATER THERE WERE NINETY-SIX, MEETING IN THE BEAUTIFUL BUILDING THAT IS STILL THE OLIVIA PrESBYTERIAN CHURCH, September, 1947, Mr, James A, Nisbet, a young seminary student, began coming down to supply barbecue and Olivia, and the following June the two churches united in extending to him a call, the grouping has been for-tunate, not' only because the two churches are" but four miles apart, but also because their members are good friends, and their children attend the same school, — o a — Mr, MlSBET, A NATIVE OF SaNFORD, IS DESCRIBED IN THE' AN-nual report of the women- of the gliurch- for 1949 as " , . ,a young nan, well prepared, has a fine delivery, and a great nan to get things done j' "a great man to get things done i " the words were almost prophetic! . He it was who star,ted the ball rolling on our building program, a ball that kept on rolling, and gaining momentum, for well over a decade, thle building program- was carried on through the ministries of three pastors, Nr, Nisbet, Mr, Nelson and Mr, Howell, 'We will see' it better, however, if we see it all at once, decem-ber, 1949, the congregation approved plans- for "remodeling and improving the appearance of the church," and the men BEGAN IMMEDIATELY TO DO JUST THAT, The ENTIRE INTERIOR of the sanctuary was done over, colored glass windows were donated'by individual families, and double doors by Bob Miller of the Miller Funeral Home, (He had found it well nigh impossible to work a casket and six pall-bearers through either of the two old narrow doors that HAD BEEN IN USE UP T THAT TIME) , In 1952 Mr , H, C, CAM-ERON of the H, C, Cameron Lumber Company, and a native son of Barbecue, offered to provide new flooring for the SANCTUARY - BUT BEING A SCOT, HE ADDED AN "IF." " If THE CONGREGATION WOULD PURCHASE- NEW PEWS," ONCE AGAIN THE PEOPLE ROSE TO THE OCCASION, AND ERE LONG DIFFERENT FAM-ILIES IN THE OLD CHURCH HAD PURCHASED ENOUGH PEWS TO CLAIM HIS PROMISE, The OLD PEWS WERE GIVEN TO 3LACK l S Chapel - that is, all but the one that threw you off on the floor every time you sat on it, January 6, 1952, a Session meeting was called "for the purpose of calling a congregational meeting to act on a matter that grew out of a discussion in the men of the Church Meeting of the need for a Recreation Building " And from this grew our beautiful new Fellowship Hall and kitchen, and the four Sunday School rooms connecting it to the church, t he men did allthe work on these, too, many of them spending hour after hour and night after NIGHT AT WORK, By 1957 THE HALL AND ROOMS WERE COMPLETED j AND PRESENTED THEIR BEAUTIFUL BRICK EXTERIOR TO THE WORLD 9 BUT ALAS - THE OLD WOOD CHURCH LOOKED OUT OF PLACE, SO ONCE AGAIN THE CONGREGATION MET, THIS TIME TO APPROVE ' PLANS "FOR BRICK VENEERING THE MAIN PART OF THE CHURCH, WHICH IS NEEDED FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE BUILDING , The project involved "extending THE CHURCH TOWARD THE road 20 feet, adding a new porch with new entrance way, Sanctuary space was increased to add six -new pews," and two small rooms were added on either side of the entrance hallway. The door and facing were given by Mr, and Mrs, C* W* Howard in memor y of their son, Carey, Jr* Mr* NlSBET RENAINED UNTIL AprIL; 1951, And HE REMAINED "a great man to get things done/' until the very end* The Sabbath evening of September 30, 1951, the language of Adam and Eve was heard once again within the walls of Barbecue Church. The preacher- was Dr* Donald Mav KlNNON OF THE FrEE KlRK, Kf.NNOWAY, FlFE, WHO DELIVERED an inspiring' sermon from romans 8 on " the assurance 'of Eternal Life*" Then, on request, he read his text from the Gaelic Bible and repeated a portion of his sermon in the- Old Language* "A deep hush fell on the crowded CHURCH, AND ON THE THRONG GATHERED OUTSIDE TO LISTEN BY MEANS OF AN AMPLIFIER* The ATTENTIVENES S SEEMED TO INSPIRE THE SCHOLARLY CLERGYMAN, SO THAT HE SPOKE THE ONCE-KNOWN LANGUAGE OF THIS COMMUNITY OF SCOTTISH NAMES AND PEOPLE FOR SOME LENGTH OF TIME n SOME OF THE ELDER INDIVIDUALS COULD CATCH AN OCCASIONAL WORD REMEMBERED FROM CONVERSATIONS HEARD YEARS AG0 o " Dr * HacKiNNON ' S DAUGHTER, MaIRI (Mary), ADDED TO THE SERVICE BY SINGING the Twenty-third Psalm in Gaelic* Mr*- Nisbet was succeeded by-' Rev. T. E. Nelson (Decem-ber, 1951 - December, 1956), a saintly man with a heart filled' to overflowing with love for god and the SOULS OF MEN* It WAS MY GREAT PRIVILEGE TO KNOW Mr * Nelson personally during the closing years of his life, and from this acquaintance, as well as from what- i have heard from one or another of the barbecue people,, i know what Mrs* David Graham said of him in-her excell-ent History of the Olivia Chup.ch is also true of his MTNISTRY AT BARBECUEt "All PHASES OF THE LOCAL 'CHURCH WORK PROGRESSED UNDER, THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS SERVANT OF' God, Rev* Thomas E. Nelson, and his wife, Louise Nelson, who was a great help and inspiration to the church and community. " The next pastor was Rev* Billy Shaw Howell, Jr* (September, 1958 - July, 1964). One who sat under Mr. Howell's ministry, and who counted him as a dear- friend AND PASTOR, HAS W RITTEN THIS APPRECIATION OF Mr HoW-ell for me: "This was his first assignment and call AFTER COMPLETING HIS SCHOOLING. Mr. HOWELL WAS A DED-ICATED PERSON. He FELT ORGANIZATION WAS IMPORTANT, AND UNDER HIS DIRECTION- A CHOIR WAS STARTED / AND REGU-LAR MEETINGS OF SESSION, BOARD OF'DeACONS, AND CHRIST-IAN Education Committee were held. What he did and /or SAID WAS FOR THE WHOLE - NOT ONE PERSON OR GROUP. He WAS VERY PLAINLY OUTSPOKEN IN HIS' BELIEFS. NOT TO H'rRT ANYONE, BUT TO HELP EVERYONE* In his- study at Barbecue was a well-stocked library, and Mr, Howell encouraged everyone to- make full use of his books, While serving at Barbecue? the church was bricked to hatch the new educational building, all debt on both buildings was paid off, and the congrega-tion assumed its full share of the pastor ! s salart, Each year he encouraged the important fact of benevol-ences, and the church did increase the amount' of bene** VOLENCES EACH YEAR, Hr , HOWELL GAVE HIS TIME, TALENT, and substance to the work of the church, believing that everyone in 'hls kingdom ' should do likewise!" November 23, 1958, at a Congregational meeting, the high ' honor of Elder Emeritus was bestowed on Mr, Bruce Cameron*- He was ordained February 5, 1911 Both he and his brother, Lee (ordained October 3,- 1915) are still E&ders in this church. Another brother, Morris, served as- an Elder at Cypress Church from 1909 until his death, and still~ another, H, G, (Hugh), at Olivia Church from 1917 vntil HIS DEATH, ALL- TOLD, THESE FOUR REMARKABLE BROTHERS HAVE BEEN ELDERS IN THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FOR SOME TWO-HUNDRED YEARS I And so, as Duncan McCormick wrote so many yeap,s ago, "continues the work which had been started so long-ago, AND WHICH SINCE THEN HAS BEEN CARRIED ON BY SO many different laborers - different in so' many respects, and yet all working with the same purpose., toiling un-ceasingly at that work that will never be finished Till He comes," And so to one and all the Auld Kirk still opens its doors - painted doors now « and extends the hearty GREETING, " CeUD MlLE FaILTe!" Correction: page 35: The love gift to Mr, Car.r was MORE THAN $600,00 RATHER THAN £330,00, The DEBT HE CANCELLED WAS SOME ELEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS, No tes : 1, Where did "Barbecue" get its name? The story of the British forces holding a Barbecue on the church ground during the revolutionary p/ar may be true, but the church did not get its name from this, land GRANTS AND OTHER RECORDS MENTION BarBACUE CrEEK SOME TWENTY YEARS PREVIOUS TO THE REVOLUTION, THE MOST *. 41 - LOGICAL EXPLANATION IS THAT SAILOR NeILL McNEILL, WATCH-ING THE HIST OF EARLY HORNING RISE FROM THE CREEK, WAS ' REMINDED OF BARBECUE PITS HE ' HAD SEEN IN THE WeST INDES, and named the creek for- them, the church, like most churches of early times , was named for its location: Barbecue Greek, 2 m Where were the first two churches (1765 and 1800?) located? There ar,e two deeds which limit the possible locations. The first, dated 1771, is for one acre- of land (the north-east acre of our present property) , AND states that a meeting house-1 stood on that acre,' this would be the old log church, erected about 1765, the ' second deed, dated 1864, is for three' additional acres, This deed describes the original acre, and also states that a' church stood on it, this would be the second church, the frame building that stood from about 1800 until it was torn down in '1896 and rebuilt into the home now occupied by dave godfrey, this means that we must look for both of these churches on this original acre, The first church would have stood behind the second. Earlier this year the young people cleared off the traditional site of the old log church and found two beams, one in fair shape, the other rotted away, about 27 feet long and 27 feet apart, running almost due north and south, this would be the old log chup,ch, as there is no room behind it on church property for another building, the second church would have to stand between this building and the south border of the acre, i do not know where, but strongly suspetct it was in the cleared place at the back of the cemetary WHERE THERE ARE NO MARKERS, THIS IS VERIFIED BY Mr « Will McLean, who remembers seeing this church as a BOY, AND ALSO BY LAWYER JAMES BaNKs' STATEMENT IN 1858 that Barbecue Church was located in a beautiful grove, and that all wround the church sleep the mothers and FATHERS, a cknowled gements .* James Banks: Address at the Centennial of the three churches delivered at Old Bluff, October 18, 1858, Foote: Sketches of North Carolina Histories of Barbecue by Duncan NcCormick and'D, P, IIcDon- ALD, AND HISTORICAL WRITINGS OF LeON NcDoNALD, Correspondence with three Church of Scotland ministers: --42- Rev* Norman MacBonald of Inverness,, who has patiently and gracefully answered all my questions, no natter how trivial some of them must have seemed to himi Rev* Alexander Fraser, also of .Inverness-shtre, who sv kindly supplied his notes from the presbytery of inver-ary Minutes, reproduced on the first four pages of this history. This information is of great value, and was unknown to local HISTORIANS, , - -;. - ' „ .. Rev, Bonald Budge, author of Jura, an Isle of Argyll} from which i quote at length on pages ten and eleven* Flora MacBonald 's stqi y is so well known that it hardly needs to be documented, one source of my 'informatibn was a Life of Flora MacBonald by Rev, Alexander MaoGregor , Inverness, 1882, As I write I have received word from Rev, Budge that he has had sent to me the book "The Truth About Flora MacBonald," by A, R, MacBonald, which is the standard work on her life. : '* . .. The information on Bugald Crawford weigh is in addition to, and in some respects contradictory to, local tradi-tion COMES FROM FaSTI EcCLESIAE ScOTTICANAE, A SET THAT provides biographies of Scottish ministers* -> ' x The Ministerial Birectory, 1861 - 1941 The Ministerial Birectory, 1861 - 1951 These two volumes provide biographical information about Presbyterian Ghurch, U, S,, ministers. The first volume I BORROWED FROM Br, ArrOWOOD; IT IS QUITE RARE, AND HE ' WAS ONE OF THE FEW PERSONS I WAS CERTAIN WOULD HAVE ONE* It was Br, Arrowood, I believe, from whom I first[ -heard' - the traditional reason our inland scots are so far super-ior to those who settled nearer the ocean, according to the story, as they disembarked from the boat, there was a sign that read, "better land further on," those who could read continued inland, and settled in this area* Local people who have helped me with this history are so numerous i hesitate to list them lest i forget someone, But certainly Hugh Archie McGormick, who still possesses his grandfather f s manuscript, should be mentioned, along with others: Alta Warwick for copying valuable infor-mation I HAD BEEN ABLE TO BORROW; - BOT HALES FOR ALLOWING ME TO USE HER HISTORICAL MATERIALS Mrs, AddIE ' CAMERON, Bave Godfrey, Carey Howard, Mrs, Bick McNeill, Mrs* R. A. Cameron and others who told me what they knew and LOANED ME THEIR NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS AND OTHER INFORMA-TION, Mrs, Perry Cameron is the source for the para-graph on the four Cameron Brothers, I also used the MATERIAL IN THE POSSESSI ON OF MaLCOLM FoWLER, AND IN - 4-3 - the Historical Archives of Synod and at Montreat* Still , it should be recorded here that this is but a rough draft of a history, written in a hurry to meet a deadline, and' typed directly on the hiheograph stencils, ' one day, god willing, i hope to write a better one, and' to this end i solicit any assistance you,- the reader', nay be able to give he, any corrections, additions,'- criticisms, will be gratefully received, and perhaps together we hay COHPILE A HISTORY WORTHY OF THE OLD CHURCH, ThI S one was written over the space of a few weeks, and as i type this closing sentence, it is tuesday horning, August 24, 1965, The Bygone Years - a poeh by Addie H, Caheron The Bygone Years As we speak these words, sohe have gone from this church, where year after year we het, a herry and joyous circle of friends, Many of the hearts that throbbed so gaily in the long AGO have ceased to beat, hany of the faces that ' shined so brightly then have ceased to glow, and hany of the hands we clasped have grown cold, The eyes we sought have hid their lustre in the grave, AND YET, THIS OLD CHURCH, THIS GROUND, THE HERRY VOICES, THE SHI LING FACES, 'THE LAUGHTER, THE TRIVIAL CONVERSATIONS CONNECT US WITH THOSE HAPPY HEETINGS VF LONG AGO, And CROWD UPON OUR HEARTS AT ' EACH reoccurence of this gathering, , , , just as if the long ago assemblages had been but yesterday, Happy are the tihes that can win back for us our younger days, that can recall for us', the happiness of our youth, once more, before our eyes are closed forever and we are nuhbered ahong,,, State OfMorfh Catena The bygone years. Rateigb, N.C. STATE LIBRARY OF NORTH CAROLINA 3 3091 00593 4724 |
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