Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-11-07
INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES.
The Tragedy as I3rush Greek Camp
GrOund-Old Brother McMahan-
Couldn't Take that Mans Hand.

Couldn't Take that MANS Hand.
Moristown Gazette
Rev. VIM. Hicks, editor of the Religion,
| Herald, printed at Seldom, Va, is publish
/ ing in that paper a series of aatobiograph-
| icsl "Reminiscences, which have proved ex-
ceedingly interesting 70 us, and must be q
| all who like to recall memories of the past,
and linger IL the company of friends Of
slang syne His last paper gives some in
| cidents that occurred while he was on the
,Jonesboro Circnit. The distressing tragedy
at Brush Greek Camp-ground, Washington
county, is fresh in our memory, though we
were a boy when il occurred. No doubt,
his account of it will be as interesting to
many of our readers as it was TO us. He
gives a graphic picture of the storm aud the
tragical scene on the ground:
ION SUNDAY night VIM. Millburn preach
ed a stirring sermon. At the close of his
SERMON mouners were invited to the al
tar, and crowd readily responded, among
them my youngest brother, who now sleeps.
While for all felt deep concern, / was
exceedingly solicitcus for my brother.
While ] was talking to him scene occur
red that beggars description; and yet, in
iustice to the work which l have undertak-
en-, | must attempt a description of the
awfully fearful tragedy. Almost suddenly
the whole encampment was enveloped in a
really oppressive darkness, as black, an
CRY and fIIry-laden cloud threw its heavy
folds around the eonsecrated area, and
as it pressed its dark bosom down upon
the camp, Heavens terrible artillery,
IN threatening peals, shook the shed
and tents, and made the earth trem-
BILE; the "stOrm-king" unfolded his
strong, air-built wings, poured his dread
full screams through every avenue, and
dashed into CONSERVATION the entire en-
campment; the shafts Of lightning shot
wildly among the tents, OF, with varied hue
and daring coruscations, sailed from their
dark and cloudy home, and rolled, danced
and flared upon the ground; the rain, in I'M
measured dIaughts, battered upon the quak-
ing shed, and the faint and glimmering
lights added to the dreadful scene, as their
feeble rays ouly served TO render the dark
ness more visible and the entire tragedy the
more alarming. Just at this juncture, withthe
camps all filled with terror-stricken men
and women, and some five hundred under
the shed, listening TO the plaintive prayers
of the heart broken, a heavy charge of cleo
tricity, accompanied by a deafening peal,
shot and fared through the encampment. /
stood amazed amidst the cries of the
mourners and the thunder's dreadful
shocks; so stood many. At least
five hundred persons felt the shock, as
the subtle fluid went twitching along
their nerves; George Ekin, the venerable,
Wasknocked TO his knees in the preachers
tent; several were manned in their camps;
while, some ten feet from the pulpit, at the
door Of camp, lay three stricken persons
upon the ground Miss Taylor, sister of
Rev. n. G. Taylor, a Mr.. Miller, and anoth-
CT young man whose name l cannot now
recall. Oh, the scene was heart-rending.
Miss TAYLOR and Mr.. Miller were dead; the
other apparently so, though he recovered.
There was a rush Of persons to the sIo.
where Law the dead; among them the
mother of the amiable Miss Taylor. How
that mothers heart was agOnized,-HoW
she prayed Never can l forget that mo-
ment, nor the mothers prayer, as it went
up, up, through the darkness and bending
cloud, Lord restore the vital spark No
answer came; nor wi / there any come.
The beautiful Mary still sleeps, and so does
her mother now; but the day is coming
when the vital spark shall be restored TO
them both, to glow and burn forever.
Happy thought!
The next day, the enemies of camp
meetings and Methodism were somewhat
bold in the statement, that God had plainly
shown his diSapproval of camp-meetingS,
by pouring out his judgments the previous
evening This led DIR. Patton, at IL o'clock.
to preach master sermon on Divine Prov
idence-perhaps the ableSt sermon of his
life. His text was Ex., AXXiii: 21-22. |
will not attempt even synopsis of that
mastery effort; at least, no farther than to
say, the preacher interpreted the manifesto
tiOns Of the Divine Being, on the TemOy-
ing Of His hand, as giving Moses a glimpse
into the future, by which he discovered
much in the onward sweep of Providence,
and became recOnciled to Gods mysterious
dealings with him and his people. This
the preacher applied, in a forcible and sat
isfactOry manner, 10 the mysterious prov
licences connected with the preceding day.
I heard no more Of judgment upon the
Methodists for holding canp-meetings.
'sThat Monday was among the most
solemn days of my life. With two corpses
on the ground, and several who were
MANNED by the dealh-dealing shock the
evening before, the whole encampment was
in mourning; sorrow reigned, too deeply for
utte.ance."
THE WEEPING SERMON.
And this occurred at Sulphur Springs camp
ground:
s'Jas. B. McAIahan, of North Carolina,
was on hand, and preached his weeping
sermon He always took two texts, when |
he expected to give full vent to his foun-
tain of tears, One was Jer, ix:1, which, it |
would seem, is ample for any man to ex-
hauSt his tears upon; but, no; it was not |
enough for brother McMahan, To have an |
ample foundation, and full scope for his |
tears, he coupled with the leading text one |
in the Lam. of Jer., 1:l2. Read it. He |
cried from the beginning OF his sermon; but |
about midway, be Strengthened up, paused, |
and said: Now shall do some powerful |
crying for you" And he did, til you he |
did II looked like I is Thead were waters |
and his eyes a fountain of tears l never |
saw such crying before; but he did the most |
of it, He preached a right good sermon; |
but it had to swim in tears all the way |
through. My old friend is now at rest; and |
he shall weep no more"
WOULDN'T TAKE HIS HAND.
We close our extracts with an interesting |
incident in the life of one of the distin- |
guished lawyer politicians of our State. |
Mr.. Hicks lay the scene at Sulphur Springs |
camp ground:
s'Among the converts was the Honorable |
LandOn c. Haynes, now of Memphis, Ten |
nessee. l witnessed his conversion; and l |
wrote down his name when he joined our
church. IfIfelt at liberty to dot, could here |
give an incident which should bring shame |
to the cheeks of a great man to this day. He |
opened the door of the church; and, when |
L. c. Haynes came up to join, saw the
preacher turn away, and refuse to take his |
hand. Another took his hand and wrote |
down his name. He who turned away did |
not impress me fayorably; nor has his reli
gion been of an eclipsing character, but |
The 'igreat man" referred to may have
been the individual now known as Senator |
Brownlow. In them days he was a way
ward cuss, too frequently. But he's hunky
now!