The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1888-07-14
50 soagRsMINIso6NcEs or THE PAST
By COL !. NJ GALLEST.
Preachers Of oIdsn Times


MURTRIE, ANTE Co., MISS.
Editor Southern Herald You
have suggested to me to furnish |
your readers some account Of the
different ministers of the Gospel
who have labored in the county IN
its early days, and have furnished
me with number of names to be
included in the list. Some of the
men named ! never had any per-
sonal acquaintance with, and never
heard them preach, and conse-
qusntly know nothing Of their per- |
sonal history or of tteir labors,
but have no doubt but they were
worthy minlsters, and served their
day and generation we'll. All the
men whom you mention, and the
others of whom shall speak,
With a few exceptions, were In the
county before me, and / know
uothing Of their early lives except
two / haye no doubt there are
men now living in this county who
can give fuller and moro accu-
rate account of the labors of the
Baptist and Methodist ministers
than I can For / can only
speak of their labors in the church,
es that came under my observa-
tion. and can therefore give only
Il very Inadequate account of their
ministerial career. The m 5 t
prominent ministers of the Baptist
church in this county when / came
to it, as far as | can remember,
were Revs. Wilkinson, Courtney,
Fielder and Reeves. Mr.. WIlkin-
son preached several years, part
of his time at the Providence
church, but at what other church,
es do not know, and then with
drew from hs denomination and
joined what il called the Primitive
Bapiists, il ! am not mistaken,
and continued his connection
with that denomination up to his
death MIR. Courtney preached in
this county and in Louisiana, Civ
ing more Of his time probably Il
Ebcnczer church than any othel
one in the county. The latte
part Of his life was spent, ! think
altogether in Louisiana. Reys
Fielder and Reeves supplied ths
churches ia the eastern and ;iorth.
ern part Of the county, and occa
sionally a church in the westeIr
part of lt.-These two ministers
spent long, laborious and usefu
liyes in the service of the church
and proyably did more in bui.dlns
up and extending their denomina
tion III this county than any othe
two ministers thar ever preache'
IL 1t. The Rev. Henry ROBBERS
was native Of South Carolina
and was well educated mar
having graduated, ] think, 10 th
South Cnolina College. More 0
his ministerial labors we're i
Louisiana than in this county, bu
he occasionally supplied churcbe
III it. In 1916 he supplied th
church in Liberty, and probabl
some Others, which, so FAR as
can recollect, closed bis minister
al labors IN tais county. / car
not remember where he died, bl
have the impression that it was
some of the middle or upps
counties of the State. At a som'
what later period some other NH
listers served some OF the churcht
for a time. Among the numbs
were the Revs. Bond and Youni
The latter, though quite an D
man, was a Jealous minister, ar
bis ministerial labors cxtende
over a large scope of countr'
There were probably some 9TH
ministers, whose name have esca]
cd my memory, v ho have lahore
IN this county for longer or shor
Ell periods of time, and who d
served notice. If there should
any such, or if ] have failed to ,
justice to any that ! have notice
orto any minister may b srea
Ter mention, | trust II will not
attributed TO any disposition
my part to depreclate their sc