History of Barbecue Presbyterian Church, Harnett County, North Carolina

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State Library of North Carolina
Raleigh
Presented by
Mrs. Patterson
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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-
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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
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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*
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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,
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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,
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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.
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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