Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-07-25

4 /" OhuSl were Hluc hulluS ElueT
in the church.
In November, 1S41, the churcl
enjoyed glorious revival of reli
gion. The pastor was assisted, il
a meeting of eighteen days, by Rev
Matt. Marshall and others, whe1
ninety persOns.were hopefully con
verted; and, as usual, when The
spirit of God is poured out upon :
church, the difficulties and division:
of the church were all healed. Ii
1912, the books report 27O mem
bers, Notwithstanding the large
colony which had been sent out to
form Mt. Tabor Church. In 1913,
fifty more were added to the church
and for the second time the church
numbered over 300 COMMITMENTS
In 1874, Samuel Anderson, Will
son L. Watkins and Gordon W.
Shanklin wero made Ruling Elders
in the church.
The church record contains q
brief notice of a camp meeting,
held at Sulphur Spring Camp
Ground, from the 9th to the 21st of
September, 1912, when one hun
dred and fifty persons made a pro-
fession of religion.
In 1851, the Legislature OF Ten
nessee passed an act of incorpora-
ton, by which the pastor and elders
of the church, and their successors
in office, became body corporate,
blythe name and style of the Pastor
and Elders of the Presbyterian
Church at Murfreesboro, to ohain
and hold property Of any descrip-
ton, etc.
In 1854, q large colony was sent
out to organize the Sulphur Spring
Church, the second daughter of the
MurfreesbOro church. In the latter
part of the same year Mr.. J. NJ.
Baird and VIM. B. McFadden were
called to the office of Ruling Elder.
For several years now the church
diminished in membership. Not
withstanding a goodly number were
added every year, the drainage by
removals and colonization was SO
great that the membership in 1857
was only 1873. In 1858, thirty-five
were added to the church, and in
1859 forty-two more, bringing up
the membership again to over 200.
During this year the Presbytery of
Shiloh, the New School Presbytery
to which the church belonged, was
dissolved, and the MurfreesborO
church united with the Presbytery
of Nashville, (Old SCHOOL,, with
which it has ever since held con-
nection. The losses and gains of
the church for the next two years
were about equal, so that in the
spring Of 1861, at the breaking out
of the war, the membership Of the
church was 200.
Services in the church were I'M
interrupted until October, 1862,
when the pastor, DIR. Eagleton, on
account Of i'll health, had to leave
his home and church.
Among the many deeds of van
dalism perpetrated by the Federal
army was the pulling down of the
Presbyterian Church, building in
which we and our fathers had wor-
shipped for forty-fo years. The
aged pastor returned in March,
1864, to find his home desolated,
his church destroyed, and his flock
scattered. Many had fed from
their homes, never to get back
again many had gone to their final
rest, and those that remained were
oppressed and discouraged. DR..
.Eagleton preached as best he could,
from house to house and around in
the neighboring country. After
the close of the war, in the spring
OF 1865, the brethren of the Cum
berland Presbyterian Church kind
" offered DIR. Eagleton the use Of
their church part of the time, which
was the only one, it is believed, at
the time, in a condition to be used.
He preached there, as occasion of
fered, until March, 1866, when he
fell with his armor on. Thus passed
away a man who, in the providence
OF God, was permitted to serve one
church for thirty seven years. The
memory of this good man is too
fresh in the heart of this cOmmu-
nifty to require anything to be said
in his favor here. 1t is not too
much TO say that DIR. Esgleton, on
account Of his official position, his
guileless life, his noble work and
his long ministry, was enabled to
accomplish more good in this com
munity than any other man who
ever lived in it.
In 1861, the Prcsbytery of Nash
vile, TO which the MurfrecsbOro
church belongs, in common with
all the Presbyteries in the Southern
States, withdrew from the General
Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church of the United States, on
account of its political differences,
and in the fall of the same year
a Southern General Assembly was
formed, called "The General As
sembly of the Presbyterian Church
in the Confederate States" After
the close of the war, tho name
was changed to "The General As
sembly of the Presbyterian Church
of the United States" The name
Of the Northern Assembly is "The
name of the Northern Assembly is,
"The General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church Of the United
Statess!f Americd."
The present pastor of the church
commenced his labOrs in December,
1866. Having no church building,
public services were commenced in
the upper room of the Courthouse,
which was fitted up for the purpose,
The scattered flock was gathered
| toratha, auain NJ ~ Drina