Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-24
A VETERAN MINISTER GONE.
Death of Rev. Fountain Il. Pitts-HIs
Career rs a Preacher and soldier.

Career rs a Preacher and soldier.
Intelligence was received in this city yes
terday of the death, on Friday evening, of
Rev. Fountain E. Pitts, pastor Of the West
End Church, in this city. The disease of
which he died was pneumonia, and the sad
event occurred at the residence of Mrs. K.
d. Hobbs, on the Louisville, Lexington
and Cincinnati Railroad, twelve miles
from Louisville.
Mr.. Pitts was one of the Oldest preach
ers in the Southern Methodist Church, and
one of the most notable men in the Ten
nessee Conference. As preacher he was
a distinguished veteran n the cause, and
had been in the ltinerancy for fifty years,
travelling from one end of the Southern
section to the other, preaching always elo.
auent sermons with power and success, win
ming the name of ''the old man eloquent"
He was born in Georgetown, KY, July 4,
1905, and is, therefore, in his sixty-sixth
year. He made profession of religion in
1870, and was licensed to preach in 1924,
when only little more than sixteen years
old. He was ordained deacon by Bishop
Roberts, at RuSsellville, KY, in 1926, and
Elder by Bishop Soule, of Shslbyyille, KY,
in 1928. During ministry of fifty years,
he has been in the Presiding Elders Office
fifteen years. He was in the General Con-
ferences of 1892, 'S6 and 40, and the Louis
vile Convention of 1916, and subsequent
ly in the General Conferences of 1916, 80,
"a, IS, and 20. In 1885 Mr.. Pitts was Sc
lected to go as the pioneer missionary to
South America. In the late war he served
six months as chaplain in the Eleventh
Tennessee regiment, and subsequently
raised, in East Tennessee, the Sixty-frst
Tennessee regiment, of which he was
elected colonel, and while in command was
engaged in fighting Federal gunboats for
about five months at Vicksburg. While in
the amy he did great deal of preaching
as well as fighting, and the soldiers gave
him the name of the ''fignting parson."
The Louisville COTier-Joundi of yes
terday, says of the deceased:
"LaSt week he filled his seat in the Gen
eral Conference, and was an active worker
in all the measures that came up for con-
sideratiOn, Last week he preached twice
at Olive Branch Church in the country,
and was apparently in his usual health, but
early in the week he was stricken down
with disease. Or. McFerrin went out on
the train yesterday afternoon and attended
his venerable brother in his last moments,
and closed his eyes after his spirit had de-
parted. He died rejoicing in that faith by
which he had lived for three-score years.
His remains will be brought TO Louisville
to-day, and funeral service will be held
at Walnut Street NJ, E. Church at o'clock
p. VI.
The remains will arrive from Louisville
this morning.
We have heen reouested IN nuhlish the
following announcement:
All preachers and official members of the
Methodist Churches in and around Nash
vile, are requested to meet at the Louis
vile Depot, at $50 A. NJ. to-day, TO receive
the corpse Of our beloved father and broth
er, Rev. Fountain Elliott Pitts, and attend
it TO McKendree Church, where the funeral
services will take place, at 10:3J a. NJ.