Biographical Sketch of
Biographical Sketch of
The Life and Times of Philip Strother
By Rev. Newton J Burchett
Transcribed from the original manuscript by Carolyn MSmith
Philip Strother was born March 27th 1780 inCulpeper County Virginia. His parents were respectable folks and belonged tothe *upper ten. They owned a good farm and had negroes to work it. I think theybelonged to the established Church of England. They however, joined the Baptistchurch and freed their Negroes. His father was Anthony Strother and hismother's maiden name was Frances Eastham. She was set in luxury and ease butwhen they set their negroes free she went to work as though she had always beenused to it. Philip Strother was first cousin to Gen. Zachariah Taylor's motherand to the mother of Gen Gaines. So we see that he was descended from honorablestock. His father was a strong friend of King Charles. But when the fortunes ofCharles began to wane, he thought it best to emigrate to Virginia; which he didand settled in Culpeper County. He was a man of tolerable good education and ofa strong, but sedate mind. He had but little to say, while his wife was of alively disposition and a great talker and Philip seemed to inherit her livelydisposition and no doubt he owed much of his renown as an orator to her.
Philip was raised among a wild set of boys on the southbranch of the Potomac River until he was 12 or 15 years of age. He told thewriter that he could beat any negro in Virginia patting juber.And he said his first conviction occurred in Baltimore. A preacher was holdinga meeting in a private house and he was in an adjoining room patting juber for the boys and having a streak of fun, when thepreacher began to read his opening hymn:
And am I born to die;
To lay this body down;
And must my trembling spirit fly;
Into a worldunknown.
And some of the boys said,South Branch, do you hear that, lets go for them. Buthe said no, let them alone. And he said if you ever saw a little devil run andcry, it was I. But that was all it amounted to for he lived on in sin for anumber of years afterward. Although, he hated the Methodists like snakes hewould not molest them. The boys of Baltimore called him South Branch because helived on the south branch of the Potomac. His father had moved to Baltimore andas they had freed their slaves the boys had to go to work and they followedhauling goods. And the first trip they hired a driver as they thought Philipwas too young to drive but he went along and rode the off horse. They had aswollen stream to cross and although the men were advised not to try and crossit, he put into it. There were two landings and he tried to make the upperlanding but he was drinking and when the horse struck the deep water thecurrent was too strong for them and they stopped and the driver dropped thelines and began to laugh immoderately. But Philip reached over and took hold ofthe lines and turned the horses downstream and made the lower landing nicelyand got safely to land and no damage was done. And when someone asked he man what he was laughing at he said he was laughing tosee how badly that boys was scared. But they told him if it had not been forthat boy he and his team would have been drowned. This shows his great presenceof mind when in danger.
About 1805 he left Virginia and went to Jackson Ohio andengaged in making salt and trading in salt. He worked for or with his brotherRobert Strother. During the War of 1812 General Proctor with his British andIndians were thought to be invading the country and he volunteered. This was in1810 and for his service he got a land warrant for 160 acres of land which hesold to Sam Parker Williams for $100.
He was married on the 10th day of September 1811to Miss Sarah McNew Clemons. She was born in BourbonCounty KY on the 24th of March 1795. Her folks were one of the earlysettlers of KY. He moved to Jackson Ohio to make salt, when his daughter Sarahwas a little girl. When Mr. Strother got acquainted with her he waited untilshe was 16 years old when they were married. She joined the Methodist Churchabout two weeks before her marriage and Mr. Strother who was still wicked andstill hated the Methodists said it would not take him long to break her fromthat. But as the sequel will show shedid not break worth a cent. He did everything in his power to break her offfrom the Methodist Church. But she was steadfast in her faith and immovable inher purpose. She would walk and carry her baby 2 or 3 miles to attend churchwhile Mr. Strother had 2 or 3 fat horses running in the pasture and doingnothing. He would not let her have a horse to ride. At one time on Sunday nighthe went out and commenced cutting corn to aggravate her. She cried and prayed awhile then went out to him in the field and said, Mr. Strother, probably yourparents are at this moment in Virginia on their knees praying for you and whatwould they think and how would they feel if they knew that their son wasviolating God's Holy Sabbath. Conviction seized him and he threw down his knifeand said lets go to the house, but he did not yield at that time but he did notsleep any that night. After this at one time his child was very sick and it wasthought that it would die. And though he was very wicked he prayed for thechild's recovery and promised God that if he would heal the child he would jointhe church at the first opportunity and serve him faithfully. And strange tosay, the child was well and playing in the yard in a half an hour and hebelieved that God had healed it in answer to his prayer. A short time afterthat he was walking the road under conviction and in his mind he seemed to heara voice which said, "What did you promise God"? He answered, "Ipromised God if he would heal my child I would serve him and I will do it".His conviction and conversion were largely due to the faithfulness of his wife.A short time after the foregoing incidents he joined the Methodist EpiscopalChurch, and was soundly converted while he was out behind an old log prayingand he made quite a noise about it. Sometime before this he had joined the freemasons and was working under a dis?...tion. This was at Jackson Ohio. He was Master of the lodgeand sometime before he joined the church. But after he was converted and beganholding meetings and exhorting and felt it his duty to preach the gospel, asthen was a strong opposition to Masonry in the country, he felt it his duty togive up Masonry not that he thought Masonry wrong but he thought it wouldmilitate against his success as a minister of the gospel. The French officershad come over to
America and sown theirinfidelity broad-cast over the land. And this with Calvinism which had producedits pernicious fruits in a dearth of religion in the whole country made everytrue Christian feel that it was time to put on the whole armor of God and beginthe good fight of faith and conquer the world for Christ or die with his faceto the foe; the consequence was that a revival spirit broke out and thousandswere converted and the meetings were attended by some strange phenomena, suchas jerks and people would fall down as dead and lay for hours. Their arms andlegs perfectly stiff and sometimes they would have to be taken home in thiscondition. Mr. Strother was not a preacher but an exhorter of no mean ability.At one time while he was exhorting, the whole congregation fell to the floor assuddenly as if they had been shot through the heart and many of the scenes ofCane Ridge were re-enacted in Jackson and Pike Counties Ohio. No doubt but thespirit of God produced this wonderful phenomena to counteract the spirit ofinfidelity and Calvinism that was then taking such a deep root in the minds ofso many people in the then western country, though the preaching of Calvinismand the dissemination of infidelity through the French. It sometimes appearsthat extraordinary means are required to convince people; not that the Spiritof God will or does forcibly convict men of sin or convert them; but peoplesometimes get into such a state of unbelief or indifference that while Godregenerates them and converts men in the same way by faith in Jesus Christ yet,sometimes the converts are operated on in some strange way. The writer has seensome strange things in revivals in his day, such as people falling and layinglike they were dead for a considerable time, some having jerks and otherstrange actions. They had a great revival in and around Jackson and Mr.Strother bore a prominent part in it, and Mrs. Strother as true as steel stoodby him through it all. She would exhort and pray for hours at a time, a truerwoman never lived. She was full of faith and the Holy Ghost.
About the year 1822 the Kanawha salinesbegan to attract attention and Mr. Strother removed and settled in Elk River 3miles from Charleston for the purpose of building boats for shipping salt, buthe did not do much at boat building; foe he began holding meetings andexhorting the people and had great success so that the people in thesurrounding country were continually sending for him to come to differentplaces and hold meetings which he did and had great success and many souls wereconverted through his instrumentality. His fame as an orator began to spreadover the country and the regions round about Charleston and the salt works. Hehad been frequently urged to take license to preach but had always refused,pleading his incompetency. The Methodist preacher in Charleston had a smallcongregation and he at one time announced without letting Strother know it tillnearly time for the preaching "That Rev Philip Strother would preach inCharleston at 3 o'clock on Sunday evening. And he did preach his first regularsermon at that time to the satisfaction of the preacher and the delight of thecongregation. His text was "What doth the Lord require of thee ofman" and the Lord came in a great power, and they had a wonderful time,many crying for mercy and many shouting the praise of God. After this he movedsix miles above Charleston on the Kanawha River; and at Malden there was an oldPresbyterian named David Ruffner who built a churchat his own expense and named it Ruffners meetinghouse, and he took a fancy to Strother and invited him to preach in his meetinghouse which he did, and the results was a powerful revival broke out. Ruffner was a Christian without prejudice, and when some ofhis own family got to shouting he said "By shores you can make as muchnoise as Strother. (he was a dutchman) About thistime the Methodist preacher appointed a quarterly meeting at Ruffners meeting house and Strother had a special friendthere and he was very anxious that he should join the church. viz; David Whitcomb and at love feast according to theMethodist usage, they closed the door and Strother was door keeper. He hadhoped for great results from the love feast meeting. They had gone through themeeting and no stir among the people. His friend seemed utterly unmoved, and atthe close of the meeting they called on Strother to pray. He got down on hisknees discouraged and sad and began his prayer. He was lost as he expressed it,but in about three fourths of an hour the people outside had pushed him to oneside of the door and rushed in. The P E opened the doors of the church, agoodly number had joined the church and his friend, Whitcomb, was pushing hisway up the aisle to get to the preacher, when someone asked him if he hadcounted the cost. He hesitated a moment and then said, "Cost what it will,I'll go". And David Whitcomb joined the church and soon became anitinerant preacher of fine ability and great popularity. Quite a numberfollowed him into the church, and a gracious revival followed and the peoplewere abundantly blessed.
My informant does not remember the year he was licensed to preachas a local preacher but he continued holding revival meetings with increasingdemands for his services, until at the session of the Ohio conference in 1825he was admitted into the traveling connection; and appointed to the Nicholascircuit in Virginia. He was not well pleased with his appointment, but hispredecessor Rev John W Kenny who was the best preacher he had ever heard, as hethought, had not succeeded very well onthat circuit the year before; and had to sell his horse to get money to leavethe circuit. He thought it bad policy to send him to follow such a man,especially as he had nearly or quite made a failure. But he had put his hand tothe plow and it would not do to look back. He moved to Nicholas County inwagons and they had to cross Gauley Mountains which was rugged and steep and inorder to lighten the load Mrs. Strother and the children had to dismount andwalk up the mountain and she noticed that Mr. Strother was riding along cryingand she asked him what was the matter. He said it made him cry to see herwalking (she could not ride his horse) and toiling up that rugged mountain. Shesaid" if that is all my dear, dry up your tears". This shows clearlythe kind of material of which she was made, she was a woman of strong will andof undaunted courage and she had a strong and abiding faith that never shrank, that spurned seemingimpossibilities. She rarely ever complained and often she would not tell herhusband of the privations and hardships she has to endure in his absence. Shewould tell him that she had gotten along very well. Often she concealed thefact that her store of provisions had been rather scant. In the midst ofprivations, and often wanting the luxuries of life, she was joyful alwaystrusting in the God who feeds the ravens and clothes the lillyswith their gorgeous hues, she was happy in her lot and would encourage Mr.Strother to persevere and be faithful in his ministry. I have often heard herrelate some of her trials and privations and how she would conceal the fact ofher hardships and of her often running short of provisions in his absence, andwhen asked if she did not often regret being an itinerant preacher's wife shereplied "that if she had known all the hardships and privations she wouldhave to endure if I should marry Mr. Strother, I would marry him just as I did,I would be willing to go through it all again".
He entered on his work on Nicholas circuit with somemisgivings as to his success. He made two or three rounds on the circuit andthere were no visible results. No one converted and no one convicted as far ashe knew. He had not been used to that kind of work and he became disheartenedand concluded that he had missed his calling. In those days there was not manychurches and the preaching was generally done in private houses. He hadpreached one day at the house of an old mother in Israel, and he told her ofhis determination to go home. After dinner she took a seat by his side andtalked to him for more than an hour, she talked and cried like a whipped childbegging him not to give up the work. And the result of her Godly and motherlycouncil was that he was somewhat encouraged and went on to his next appointmentthe next day, and while he was preaching, the murky clouds of doubt that hadbeen hanging over him were dispersed and the power of God came down upon thecongregation, and many penitents were soon crying for mercy and Christians wererejoicing and shouting aloud the praise of God. And they had a glorious time ofrejoicing together. And he went on to his next appointment with a glad heart.It was a four weeks circuit and he had only two rest days in the month. Atevery appointment after this he was greatly encouraged and soon he had aglorious revival all over the circuit and closed the year with a grand campmeeting. At several places the strange phenomena that we have mentionedappeared, persons would fall and lay apparently dead for hours. As of old theLord added to the church such as should be saved. The number of conversions andadditions to the church during this year is not definitely known, but it was a yearof glorious revival in Nicholas Circuit.
The next year 1826 he was sent to Point Pleasant whichembraced the Kanawha Valley from a few miles below Charleston to its mouth. Inone place on that circuit he had a little opposition from the Newlights who were Arians. A band of them with more zealthan grace determined to mob him. Of this he had no knowledge at the time, butsome of his friends stood near the pulpit especially two of them were stalwartmen, and the mob did not attack him or interrupt him in any way. The result washowever, a public controversy with a preacher named Baker. This was his firstpublic debate. The Lord gave the victory to his people. The arguments of RevStrother were convincing and simply over whelming. After this the Methodist churchhad peace and rest in that region. About 400 were added to the church duringthe year.
At the ensuing conference he was ordained Deacon by BishopRobert R Roberts. And the Bishop was heard to remark that he had rarely if everlayed his hands on such a head. On his examination hediffered with the committee the eternal sonship ofChrist, they were followers of Benson and he was a believer in the doctrine asset forth by Adam Clark; and the result was that he rather got the better ofthe committee in the argument. The people of Point Pleasant circuit wereanxious for his return, but he asked his presiding Elder Rev Zachariah Conell not to return him to that circuit, for he had saidthat he had told them all he knew. But they did return him to Point Pleasantand when he saw his P E he said that all he could tell him was for him to readan pray. And he did read and pray. And the result was that he had as goodsuccess if not better than he had the year before. While on that circuit he waspreaching in a grove at Letart Falls on the OhioRiver. He was standing under a large tree and he happened to look up, but hedid not know why, and he saw a large limb falling and he thought it was abouthalf way down. He had no time to say anything to the congregation, but hemotioned his hands to them in the direction of safety and sprang in thatdirection himself. He escaped unhurt and so did most of the congregation; oneor two of them were slightly brushed but no one of them seriously hurt. Thisseemed to be a direct intervention of the Divine providence of God in theirbehalf and he believed that God had ordered it for his special protection, inwhich he had always so firmly believed even when he was wicked.
About 25 miles above Point Pleasant on Kanawha River there isa shoal called Tackets shoal, near that shoal therewas a knob in the river hills which was the highest knob in the surroundinghills called Tackets Knob. On top of that knob stooda large pine tree that towered above all the other trees of the forest called Tackets Tree. That tree became historical from thefollowing circumstance. A man named Tacket had beencaptured by the Indians and they bound him to that tree and were going to burnhim to death. The fagots were piled around him and the fire was kindled when asudden shower of rain extinguished the fire. They lighted the fire the secondand third time and each time the rain put it out. The Indians then turned himloose and said that the Great Spirit did not intend for him to be burned.On the day that Mr. Tacketwas 100 years old he preached at Tacket's house whichwas in sight of the tall pine tree, from Ps 71:18 'Now also when I am old andgray headed O God forsake me not until I have showed thy strength unto thisgeneration and thy power to every one that is tocome'. He took a general view of theremarkable providences of God in the preservation of his people in Asia,glanced at the direct providence of God in older times, then related someprovidential occurrences in Europe and other places, then crossed the Atlanticocean to America and showed how God had protected certain persons and amongothers George Washington when an Indian who was a good marksman with a goodrifle had taken several fair shots at him at short range from the brush andfailed to hit him a single time, and the Indian said that the Great Spirit hadturned his bullets aside. He then narrated the foregoing circumstance of the attemptto burn a man on Tackets Knob and that three timesthe rain put the fire out. That God had intervened to protect that man andcaused the clouds in pity to shed their tears in such profusion as to quenchthe flames that were intended to burn that man to death and caused the Indiansto set him free. And Mr. Tacket rose up in thecongregation and said "I am that man". And he and his wife joined thechurch that day. He had never belonged to the church before.
In the fall of 1828 the conference sent him to Burlington inLawrence County Ohio. Calvinism had taken a pretty deep hold on the people ofthat county. The Presbyterians and perhaps others had sownthe seed of predestination election and reprobation, with a liberal hand andStrother was sent there to counteract their pernicious doctrines, which he didin a masterly manner, generally taking those texts upon which they relied toprove their positions. The Presbyterian preacher was a man named McDonald andhe opposed the Methodists with all his power. He would take the same texts anda last he became so bold that he sent an appointment to Burlington at the samehour that Strother was to preach there, and Strother sent his son Joseph HStrother to tell the people to go to the court house to hear McDonald and thatHe would preach at the church at 3 o'clock pm that evening and he went to hearMcDonald himself. Strother did not pitch in to Calvinism direct, but he tooktheir favorite proof texts and gave the Armenian view of those texts, theresult was that before the year was out Rev McDonald had a call to go somewhereelse. In the latter part of that year there was a great deal of fever inBurlington and Mr. Strother among many others had a severe spell of fever atthe mouth of Sims Creek. Consequently he could not attend conference. He waseligible to Elders orders and no doubt would have been ordained if he couldhave attended conference. He was appointed to Barboursville where he had aboutthe usual success. He had considerable affliction in his family especially Mrs.Strother was afflicted with what seemed to be pulmonary consumption and sheappeared to be at the point of death. She had not been able to raise her heador help herself in any way for sex weeks. And one night some of her friendscame in to see her die and suddenly she sprang up and said "that the Lordhad healed her soul and body; but they all thought she had lost her mind andwas crazy. And the doctor told Mr. Strother that he might prepare himself forthe most trying ordeal of his life, for death had struck her and the end wasnear. But the next day she seemed to be well and could have gotten up and wentabout her business and would have done so no doubt but they would not let her.She remained well from that time on this was a remarkable case of the interpositionof God in his healing power. A short time after this there was to be aquarterly meeting at Guyandott and she was veryanxious to go, but the doctor thought she would better not go. And Mr. Strotherwas not willing for her to make the attempt being sure it would make her sickagain. But at last the doctor and Mr. Strother consented for her to go, thedoctor said that perhaps her anxiety and worry would do her more harm if shestayed at home than for her to go. And she went but they cautioned her not toexert herself as it might bring back her disease and she tried to keep quietand at one time she was sitting back in the house and there was a number ofpenitents at the altar and the preacher went to her and asked her to go to thealtar and pray for a sister and she went and prayed and talked and exhortedtill nearly daylight without any bodily harm. And during the rest of themeeting she continued to pray and exhort, and went back home improved in healthand strength to the utter astonishment of every bodyin and around Barboursville and Guyandott.
The conference that fall returned him to Barboursville andduring that year they bought a parsonage and the money they payedfor the parsonage was largely the money he would have gotten and consequentlyhe got but little money that year. At any rate the buying of the parsonage socut his salary down that they gave him the parsonage. He however gave it backto them. Owing to there being so much sickness on the Ohio and Kanawha rivershe concluded to locate and seek a healthier clime. About this time he becameacquainted with Robert Calahan who advised him to goto the Big Sandy River about Prestonsburg. He made a trip to Prestonsburg incompany with Calahan before he moved to that place.On the night before they got to Prestonsburg they stayed all night about ninemiles below the town. Now there was a man in Prestonsburg named John Friend andthat night he dreamed that he saw two men come to town and one of them was apreacher, and he preached from the text "touch me not for I am notascended to my Father but go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto myFather and your Father, to my God and your God." And as they rode intotown Friend was telling his dream to some friends. He described the man and hishorse and even his cloak. And about this time Strother and Calahanrode up and Friend said, "there is the very man". He dreamed he hadjoined the church. They had Rev Strother to preach in the town that night andstrange as it may seem he preached from that very text. But Mr. Friend did notjoin the church that night, but did shortly afterward. He became the son-in-lawof Rev Philip Strother.
He moved to Prestonsburg in 1831 and engaged to teach schooland soon a great revival broke out in Prestonsburg and the whole country wasstirred for some distance around and they began sending for Strother to come todifferent places and preach for them, so that he had to quit teaching at theend of three months and put his son Joseph H Strother into the school. And hewent out into the surrounding country and preached at several different placesand they soon had a great revival all over the country. He went up to Pikevillewhile he lived in Prestonsburg and held a revival meeting. He lived in Prestonsburg3 years and then moved to Pikeville where he lived three years. He preached inPikeville and the surrounding country and had glorious revivals at severaldifferent places in fact, he did more preaching while he was a local preacherthan he did when he was a circuit preacher and more than most circuit preachersdid then and more than most of them do now.
About this time he had a public debate with Daniel Dillon ofthe Reformers. JH Strother thinks thisdebate took place in 1839. The propositions were baptism by immersion is theonly move taught in the Bible. Dillon affirmed the Spirit of God operates onthe heart of man independently of the word of God Strother affirmed. RevStrother came down on the doctrines of the Reformation like a winter cycloneand swept away every visage of Dillons argument ormore properly his bold assertions so Brother Dillon was glad to reef his sailsand seek a more congenial clime in some sequestered harbor where he would besecure from the shot and shell from Strother'sbattery. A more important debate took place in 1834 in Logan Co VA between Rev Gilby Kelly and Elder Joseph Nicolsof the current Reformation and a Kelly was young and inexperienced he invitedRev Strother to go with him. Which hedid, and when they met at the appointed day Strother proposed to turn it into aprayer meeting but Elder Nicols objected. He saidthat half of that congregation belonged to him and they wanted light and whileI do not know the exact propositions discussed Brother Kelly though a beardlessboy gave them light abundantly. The judge who had been chosen from the world atthe close of the two days discussion refused to give a decision till he couldhear Mr. Strother preach the next day from "except a man be born of waterand the Spirit he cannot see the Kingdom of God. And the people wanted to hearhim. And he preached from that text and handled it in a masterly style showingthat it had no reference to the mode of baptism and when he closed elder Nicols got up and said he would not attempt to answerbrother Strother but he wanted to say that Strother was not a Methodist fro hedid not believe like Wesley for John Wesley said it meant baptism to whichStrother replied that he was not bound to believe like Wesley that while Mr.Wesley was a good and great man he was not infallible and might be mistaken andhe did not believe anything simply because Mr. Wesley said it. He said he wasnot like the Campbellites for if Alexander Campbellwas to immerse a frog, the Campbellites would all beready to swear that it was a valid baptism. Nicolsjoined in the hearty laugh of the whole congregation and cried out"Enough, enough, enough" and said when a man hollers enough you oughtto let him up. To which Strother replied that he would let him up on conditionthat here after he would let a beardless boy alone. Kelly made a star preacherand was to the Campbellites what the long haired sonof Dan was to the Philistines.
The Reformers had captured three Baptist churches in MorganCounty and were marshalling their forces to besiege the fourth. When theBaptists sent for Strother to come over and help them. This was while he livedin Prestonsburg. And he, always ready to stand in for the truth, went to theirrelief and completely frustrated their designs so they failed in their attempt.The Reformers said that the Baptists were willing to let Strother stab themunder the fifth rib to get him to pound the Reformers to death. He also had adebate with a man named Adkinson at Old Town. Thiswas some years afterward. I think he lived in Greenup County. But to return toour narrative;
In 1836 the Kentucky conference left the Pikeville circuit tobe supplied and Rev Philip Strother was appointed to fill. And during that yearhe had some good meetings and several additions to the church. He had a finecamp meeting during that year and had a glorious time. He attended a campmeeting in Fleming County where they had some fine preachers and among othersJohn Newland Moffitt who Strother thought was one of the best and most eloquentpreachers he had ever heard preach. And who was considered the most giftedpreachers in the whole country. They had some fine preaching. But there was alot of tough fellows who would not behave themselves. They were always on thego. And they put Strother up to preach and he said that the preachers hadstripped the world of everything that was good and left him rag tag and bobtailand he would take for his text "Fools mock at sin". He began bysaying that the ancients had a legend that when God made the world and hadfinished it, and went to make man, he made a pile of heads and layed them in a pile, and he made a lot of bodies and putthem in a pile and so of the arms and legs. But when he was putting themtogether a lot of them jumped up and ran off before they got any souls. Then hesaid if the legend of the ancients be true would you not suppose that thosefellows who have been running around and talking while these brethren have beenpreaching those fine and powerful sermons were the very fellows who ran offwithout any souls. The result was that when he went to preach after that thosefellows took their seats and kept quiet.
In March 1838 he moved to Greenup County and lived at ClintonFurnace and began teaching school again but the people began sending for him tocome and preach at different places both in Kentucky and Ohio so that he had toput his son J H Strother into the school and went all over the border ofKentucky and Ohio preaching and holding revival meetings. He was a remarkableman in several respects. In the first place he was a man that would impress acongregation as a man in dead earnest. His oratory was of a high order oftenvery eloquent. He was not only logical but very strong in his presentation of aproposition. His arguments were irresistible and were built from the ground upof the very best and strongest kind of material and he could beat any mantelling an anecdote that I ever heard and he had a fine store of them always onhand. But he did not tell them merely for fun. He always turned them to goodaccount. He would often have the whole congregation in a roar of laughter andthe next moment if they did watch they would be crying. He told those anecdotesto get the attention of his congregation, when he wanted to make a statement ofsome important truth. He had a very strong voice on a high key and he hadperfect control of it. It had a range o fat three octaves and he could go fromone extreme to the other with perfect ease. His voice never seemed to tire orbecame hoarse. As a debater he had but few equals and as an orator he scarcelyhad a peer in southern Ohio, northern KY or western VA
About this time he had some controversies. He had a debatewith George W Kouns on the east fork of the LittleSandy near Canonsburg on universalism and the verdict of the congregation wasthat Strother won the day and carried off the palm. And shortly afterward whileliving at Clinton Furnace he preached at Greenup on universalism and thegeneral opinion of the town and surrounding country was that he had givenuniversalism its death blow in Eastern Kentucky.
He only lived at Clinton one year and then moved to Grayson.And put in most of his time preaching in Grayson and Carter, Greenup and BoydCounties Kentucky and in Lawrence County Ohio. He preached a great many funeralsermons and was in great demand on public occasions such as the fourth of Julyand other celebrations to deliver orations which he did in a masterly manner.He preached the funeral sermon of President Andrew Jackson at Grayson from thetext, "This day a prince and a great man is fallen in Israel". Andwhile living in Grayson whenever he had an opportunity he preached in the townand was always sure to have a large and enthusiastic congregation even Dr Landsdown who was a very wicked man and rarely ever went tochurch was sure if possible to be present. He was an ardent admirer ofStrother.
At one time Burrel Spurlock and a Campbellite preacher had a debate at Louisa KY and Mr.Strother had started up on Big Sandy to preach a funeral and he stopped atLouisa and Spurlock wanted him to stay and help him, but one John Smith of the Campbellite church was at Pikeville blowing his horn andbantering the Methodists generally; and the Methodist preacher at Pikevillenamed Rathburn sent for Strother to come up and helpthem. And in the presence of the renowned John Smith he announced that RevPhilip Strother would preach at his next appointment in Pikeville and take upall the controverted points between the Methodist andthe Campbellites. Brother Spurlock was very anxiousfor Strother to stay at Louisa and chock for him. But he felt that Spurlock wasamply able to take care of himself and Methodism and he said, "Why shouldI stay here and bark at a possum when there is a coon ahead". Smith hasreceived the sobriquet of Coon Smith from the following circumstance. A manwent after Smith to go several miles to marry him and he went and after he hadperformed the ceremony the man turned round and untied the comers of hishunting shirt and dropped a roll of coonskins on the floor and said,"There's your pay". And from that time on the name Coon Smith clungto him like the leprosy to Ghazi. And Strother went and preached a series ofsermons taking up all the disputed points between the Methodists and Campbellites but the redoubtable Coon Smith had left for amore congenial clime and did not stay to hear him. Strother discussed the controverted points to the entire satisfaction of Brother Rathburn and the Methodists generally. He came down on Campbellites like a cyclone in a pile of dry chaff. Hesimply blowed all the rubbish away and peace andquietude reined in Pikeville for a long time.
He was not ordained Elder at the time he was eligible becauseof sickness, as before stated, and he was not ordained till the annualconference of the M E Church, south held in Louisa. I think it was 1854. BishopJohn Early presided at that conference.
He lived in Grayson 11 years which were years of activity. Hepreached a great part of his time and delivered a great many orations. He wasno unpreaching prolate. Whileliving in Grayson he was appointed assessor of Carter County and whileattending to the duties of that office he came to the house of William Waring who was the son-in-law of Joel Cook. They had bothbelonged to the Baptist Church but had joined the Campbellites.Waring wanted to argue with him or explain why he hadleft the Baptist Church but Mr. Strother told him that he had no time to argue.He got a list of his property and started for Joel Cook's. He had to go round ahill and Waring took a near cut across the hill andgot to Cook's first and posted Cook that Strother was coming. So Cook wasfirmed for an argument but Strother told him that he was out doing business forthe county and had no time to argue. So he got a list of his property and thensaid, "Brother Cook, you at a certain time professed to beconverted". Cook said, " yes, but I have got new light"."But hold on Brother Cook till I get done. Then you gave in yourexperience to the Baptist Church, told them that you had been converted, theypronounced you a good Christian and gave you the right hand of fellowship andyou joined the Baptist Church and afterward you were baptized and you became aBaptist preacher". "Yes, but Brother Strother, I have got new lighton the subject". Strother then said, "Brother Cook, I have but thisto say to you. If you were acting the possum all that time I am afraid there isa little possum tail hanging to you yet. Goodbye Brother Cook". And hethen started and Cook cried out "Stop Brother Strother, stop". But hesaid, "Goodbye Brother Cook", and rode away.
About this time he preached his famous sermon and proposed toprove by the Campbellites themselves that they werewrong and that there was such a thing as conversion and heartfelt religion. He said, "I will take Joel Cook. Come into courtBrother Cook. Brother Cook at a certain time you professed to be converted gavein your experience to the Baptist Church and they pronounced you a goodChristian and you joined the Baptist Church and afterwards they baptizedyou". "But Brother Strother". "Stand aside BrotherCook. I will next take Billy Everman. I will not take Sam Evermanfor most people think Sam never had it. Come into court Brother Everman. Brother Everman, at ameeting held at your father's house on Barrets Creek,you professed to be converted and you shouted and made considerable noise andthen gave in your experience to the Baptist Church and you joined the BaptistChurch and you was baptized by a pine torch in BarretsCreek that night". "Yes". "Stand aside Brother Everman. I will next call Gabriel Scott. Brother Scott,after you were married you lived with your father-in-law, Andrew Zorns on Buffalo". "Yes". "And theywere holding a revival at your father-in-laws house and you got underconviction". "Yes". "And one day you were chopping woodacross the creek and the creek was up considerable and you were converted whileover there and you began to shout and made considerable noise and you startedto the house, you did not take time to go round by foot log but just bouncedinto the creek about waist deep and waded over. You gave in your experience tothe church and after that you joined the church and was baptized inBuffalo". "Yes". "You can stand aside Brother Scott. Nowfrom the testimony of these four brethren we prove that there is such a thingas conversion on dry land and that it does not take place in the act ofimmersion as taught by the Campbellites and they allsubsequently joined the Campbellites and arecompetent to testify unless they were mistaken or were acting the possum orhypocrite and no one who knows them will be willing to charge them withhypocrisy".
In the year 1850 he moved to TygertsCreek and settled near Pleasant Valley on a piece of land belonging to his son,J H Strother, where he lived till his death. He was still an active preacherand preached in a great many places. He went to Frankfort and was there a weekor two and preached every night while he was there and no preacher ever createdsuch a sensation in the capital as he did while there. He and his wife were themoving cause of the Methodist Church being established din that community. Theconference sent a preacher named Wright and John A Shaw out there. Wright madeone trip and then they divided the circuit. Wright took the Little Sandycountry and Shaw took the Tygert Valley and he sowedthe seeds of Methodism and John T Johnson, William Downtain,C F Crooks and others who followed reaped the crop. Johnson came to the circuitin the fall of 1852 or 53 remained 2 years. Downtainfollowed him 2 years and under his ministry there was a general revival and alarge number of conversions and additions to the church. He was at the Flatwoodsonce and hear Rev Allen Shim preach from the text "follow after peace withall men" and Shim took the ground that a man if a Christian must not fightor resent a wrong or insult under any circumstances and he called on Strotherto conclude the services. Strother said that he did not agree with Brother Shimfor there was times and circumstances when a man ought to fight; that a man hada right to defend himself; that self protection was one of the first laws ofhuman nature, and showed several instances when if a man did not defend himselfwhen he was attacked he was a dastardly coward and culpable in the sight of Godand man. He said that one time he was at a camp meeting at Fincastle VA andthere were a lot of fellows who would not behave but would run around and talkand keep up a general disturbance and could not be kept quiet. But at last theyput up Billy Cravens to preach and he got up and pulled off his coat and rolledup his sleeves and he said that he was built like iron works and had an armlike a mill post and he raised his arm to its full length and exclaimed,"Glory to God for bone and sinew, by the grace of God I can whip any manin Fincastle and now if you fellows don't come in here and sit down and behaveyourselves I will whip every one of you". And they said Uncle Billy Cravins has lost hisreligion and we would better go in and sit down or he will whip us and they didbehave nicely after that. So there were no more disturbances during thatmeeting". Shim got up and said he did not want the people to go away andtell that Brother Strother had hopped on Brother Shim and used him up for hewanted them to know that there was no difference between them and that heperfectly agreed with Brother Strother about this matter. But Strother said thathe never had any respect for Shim afterward that if he had stuck to what he hadsaid and told the people that Strother was a bad man advising the people tofight and to be ware of him for his doctrine waswrong he would have given him credit for being an honest man and true to hisconvictions. He was once at PleasantValley at a meeting held by Barnabas Kinder a Campbellitepreacher, and he would have Strother to preach on Sunday at 11 o'clock andKinder concluded and bragged on Strother's sermon andtold the people that he had given them good advice and he had an appointmentfor 3 o'clock and Strother did not get back till Kinder was opening the serviceand he said that he concluded that he would not go in so he sat down outsideunder the window that was just behind the preacher. And Kinder began to riddle Strother's sermon and told the people that it was adangerous doctrine. Strother waited till he thought he had gotten far enoughalong that he could not back out and he got up and put his hat under his armand went in. The preacher tried to back out and finally sat down and askedStrother to conclude the service. He got up and told the people how BrotherKinder bragged on his sermon that fore noon and now when he thought that he wasnot there he had pitched into him and tried to controvert what he had said andwhen he came in had tried to back out and cover it up. Now he said if he hadtold you this morning that this
Strother was a bad man and was preaching a dangerous doctrine I would thoughthim an honest man, though mistaken. But when he has acted as he has done as youall know I can have no respect for him as a Christian or an honest man and hethen showed up Campbellism in its true light andhandled it without gloves. The consequence was that the said Barnabas Kindernever preached at Pleasant Valley as long as Strother lived and never preachedthere during his life so far as I know.
He preached at the Flatwoods in the summer or fall of 1864.This was his last sermon at that place and some of the home guards went inhaste to Boone Furnace and tried to get Sebastion Eifort to bring over the home guards to prevent him frompreaching but Eifort told them "no he was notgoing to interrupt Pap Strother, just let him preach all he wants to for I willnot interrupt him. Pap Strother is no rebel". Well he did preach apowerful sermon from the text "suffer me yet a little and I will show thatI have yet to speak on Gods behalf. I will bring my knowledge from afar andascribe righteousness to my maker".
About this time he had a little spat with Sanford Doyle atGrayson KY. It was however a small affair. Doyle soon hauled down his colorsand left the field and went to seek a more healthy region beyond the reach ofRev Strother's artillery. Strother said it was a meresnaping of pop guns.
I believe I have already mentioned a debate he had at OldTown Greenup County KY with a Campbellite namesAtkinson. I know nothing of the propositions discussed or how they came out.He, in conjunction with the writer established an appointment at Olive Hill inthe spring of 1865 and agreed that we would keep up an appointment during thesummer if not longer as the southern Methodist preachers had fled from thefalling shrine of southern Methodism and they were destitute of preaching. Weheld meetings there on the third Sunday in April and third Sunday in May atwhich time he preached his last sermon at Olive Hill. I do not remember histext. Rev Zachariah Tyree was present and was sitting by him. He was a NewLight preacher of no mean ability and during the sermon Strother had occasionto refer to the mode of baptism and he patted Tyree on the head and said,"Now I don't want you to think I am throwing what I am going to say at mygood friend Brother Tyree, for I am not. But none of them can prove immersionfrom the Bible for I have tried their best ponies.
We left an appointment for the third Sunday in June but alashe did not live to fill it. It was filled by your scribe and Rev. S Crawford.We preached that day to a sad congregation. Pap Strother was dead and could notbe there to fill his appointment. I was intimately acquainted with him for thelast ten or fifteen years of his life and I believe he was a much better manthan the world ever gave him credit for. He always seemed to be intenselyreligious and delighted to talk on religious subjects around his own firesideand many are the lessons that I learned from him. He delighted to explain thescriptures to me and especially the difficult passages. He taught me how to overcomethe positions of the Campbellites and Predestinarians, Universalists and others, and I feel thatI owe a great deal of my success to him. He took great pains to teach andexplain to me the doctrines of the Methodist Church. We now approach the closing scene of his long and eventful life. Hewas called over on Big Sinking Creek to preach the funeral sermon of a soldierwho had died in the army. And in that sermon he said that if God foresaw that aman would repent in ten years, the rebels could not shoot bullets enough at himto kill him. He preached for two hours in the open air, the house not beinglarge enough to hold the congregation. And it is supposed that that was theimmediate cause of his death. This was on the 4th day of June1865. They brought him over to the houseof Judge Harvey Henderson on the 5th where he stopped to stay theremainder of the day and night and he died before midnight. After dinner hetook a severe pain in his neck and shoulder about one o'clock pm. They bathedhis neck and shoulder with such remedies as they had at hand and wanted to sendfor a doctor but he would not let them, and said "this may prove fatal orit may not; if it does it is all right". The pain ceased after a while andhe appeared to be about as well as common and conversed cheerfully and freelywith the Judge and his wife the rest of the evening. And at prayer that nighthe seemed to enjoy it greatly and prayed with as much fervency as usual andperhaps more and retired for the night. About 11 o'clock, Judge Henderson awoketo and found him at the door and he said that he had been suffering intenselyfor half an hour or more. Henderson and his wife got up and proposed to sendfor a doctor but he would not agree for them to call a doctor. The Judge thensaid that he would heat some water and bathe his feet. He said he might do thatand he was kindling the fire. And he said this may terminate fatally or it maynot, before day, if it does it is all right, for I love Jesus and I know heloves me and ceased to talk. The Judge looked up and saw that he had pitchedforward and told his wife that he was dying, and they took him to the bed, and he gave one gasp and all wasover; his spirit had fled and the great Philip Strother was no more of earthfor God took him on the 7th day of June 1865. We layedhis mortal remains to rest in the old Rice Cemetery near Pleasant Valley inCarter County KY. His burial was attended by a large congregation of friendsand relatives and if we remember correctly, the writer read the burial serviceof the Methodist Episcopal Church, south, and performed the last sad rites overhis mortal remains. And although he was a great funeral preacher and hadpreached a great many funerals, his funeral has never been preached. We layed him down in the cold grave to await the last lovedtrumpet sound to call him from his grave at the general resurrection of thejust; when all the vast generations of men shall come forth. He ceased at onceto work and live.
Resthere loved saint, till from His throne;
Themorning break and pierce the shade;
Breakfrom His throne illustrious morn!
Attendo earth His sovereign word!
Restorethy trust; a glorious form;
Shallthen arise to meet the Lord;
Hehas finished his work and his journey is over;
Thewar is accomplished, the triumph begun;
Helaid down his armor beside the cold river;
Andbrilliant with stars is the crown he has won.
Mrs. Strother lived ten years after the death of her husbandand though greatly afflicted most of the time she was generally cheerful andhappy; her mental powers had so impaired that she was not permitted to giver her dying testimony as her consort had done but herlife from the time of her marriage had been one continuous testimony of thelove and goodness of God to her and the power of Jesus Christ on earth toforgive sins. She preached Jesus as Saviour ofsinners where ever she went for fifty six long eventful years by a pious walkand a good conversation. She gave her heart to God in August 1811.
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Notes*
*upper ten: Upper TenThousand was a term used in the late 19th century to denoteBritain's ruling elite; those rich and landed persons and families, titled anduntitled, who were thought to control the vast majority of the country'spolitical and financial system. This term included not only landed gentry.aristocracy, and the peerage; it also the industrialists and financiers of theday. The invention of this term was a response to the broadening of the Britishelite caused by the Industrial Revolution.