“WHO OF US CAN SAY, WHICH IS FAIRER, THE VISIONS OF HOPE, OR MEMORY?
THE ONE MAKES ALL THINGS POSSIBLE, THE OTHER MAKES ALL THINGS REAL.”
In the holy hush of that September afternoon, Aunt Kitty told me of a
vision that she had, during the middle 60’s.
It was my last talk with her, and she seemed so impressed with the
memory of it, that she laid aside her peach peeling, and gave her mind,
and soul, to the subject so dear to her heart.
She said: “Some people call them dreams, but I call them visions. Ever
since God spoke peace to my soul, I had prayed for religious liberty
for my people; so great was my desire in this particular direction,
that it seemed as a heavy weight that was bowing me down.
“But one night, about midnight, the burden seemed to be lifted from
me. The deep darkness drifted away, and it seemed that the sun shone
everywhere, and in a certain direction, I saw a long grassy slope
stretch far away before me.
“I could not tell at first, what it meant, for I saw nothing but space.
By and by, a small table appeared, and seemed to come nearer and nearer.
“I looked away, and wondered, and then I looked again, and a _Bible_
was on the table.
“The third time I cast my eyes, lo and behold! there stood my old man
behind the table, the Bible was open, and he was slowly reading from
its sacred pages!
“Miss Harriet, this may all sound very strange to you, but that vision
was as plain to me, as the sight of you, sitting here before me.
“The old man had been working away from home all the week, so I got up
next morning and went about my daily duties without telling my children
what I had seen.
“Saturday night he came home, and after holding family prayers, and
everything was quiet about the house, I told him of my vision--and
listen, oh, it was joy to my soul! He told me that Dr. Norfleet wanted
us to have a place of worship, and that he was willing to give us land
on which to build a church, about an acre, on the hillside, between Mr.
Bourne’s spring and Sulphur Fork Creek. And he said that many other
white friends would give lumber, and small sums of money.
“Miss Harriet, we rejoiced together that Saturday night, as we never
had before. We had been reaching our feeble arms toward Heaven a long
time, pleading for the blessing that was now in sight.”
Thirty odd years had passed, and a new generation had come, but the
flight of time only served to sweeten the sound of her story. As I bade
her good bye, I was deeply conscious that I would never see her again,
for she was growing too feeble to leave home, and I drove off, feeling
spiritually benefitted from contact with such a Christian character as
Aunt Kitty Carr.
* * * * *
One Autumn afternoon in 1867, a large crowd of the best colored people
of Port Royal and surrounding neighborhoods, assembled on the hillside
where Mount Zion now stands, and organized the church.
Elder Horace Carr was assisted in the organization by Revs. Chess Ware
and Ben Thomas, of Guthrie, Ky. Elder Carr stood under a large white
oak tree, and led in the movement, while his hearers sat around on
rails, logs, stumps, etc.
[Illustration: Mount Zion, Colored Baptist Church, near Port Royal,
Tennessee.]
It was a movement destined to mean much to the colored people of
Robertson and Montgomery counties. Located as it was, near the
county line, its membership was composed largely of both counties, but
since then, other churches have sprung up, and many of the Mount Zion
members joined those nearer their homes.
Alfred Pitt (col.) took the contract for building the first house of
worship. It was 30×30 feet, and erected in a very short time.
Most of the white citizens of the neighborhood contributed either
lumber or small amounts of money, and when the crude little building
appeared on the hillside, all eyes turned to Uncle Horace, as the good
shepherd to lead the little flock of seventy odd members.
This first church building was also used for a school-room, in which
was taught one of the first colored schools in Middle Tennessee, during
what was termed the “Reconstruction Period;” in other words, the years
immediately following the Civil War, when both races were adjusting
themselves to the changed conditions brought about by the emancipation
of the slaves.
This school was taught by Miss Denie Sims, a nice, refined young woman
from Clarksville, Tenn., who conducted not only herself, but her
school, so well, that she was highly esteemed by both white and colored
people of Port Royal neighborhood.
The first building being too small to accommodate the congregations
that rapidly increased in numbers, it was torn away after standing two
or three years, and replaced by one of 36×40 feet.
This stood five years, and was burned at night by unknown parties.
Circumstantial evidence pointed strongly to certain people, but there
was no positive proof.
After the excitement, incident to such an occurrence, had subsided,
Uncle Horace gathered together a portion of his little flock, and
cautioned them to say no harsh words, that all would be well, for he
felt that the good people who had assisted them before, would do so
again, and they would rebuild. They rebuilt on the same foundation, and
all went right for a few years, or, until a band of colored gamblers
became a menace to law, and order. So bold did they grow in their
wickedness, that one night they actually gambled in front of the church
door, from the same light that guided the good minister in reading the
Gospel from the sacred desk!
It was more than the Christian congregation could stand, and strenuous
measures were taken against the offenders.
That same week Mount Zion again went up in flames, but faith, and
persistency, are Life’s architects, and the fourth building was
erected, and there it stands today, a monument to the courage of a
faithful few.
For the benefit of those who would like to know the charter members of
Mount Zion Church, I give below a list of their names; true it is, a
few may have been overlooked, but in the main, they are as follows:
Sydney Allen.
Rev. Horace Carr.
Kitty Carr.
Horace Carr, Jr.
Rev. Althens Carr.
Lucinda Carney.
Sylvia Carney.
Easter Carney.
Isaac Carney.
Aleck Carney.
Ann Dunn.
Judy Fort.
Margaret Fort.
Charlotte Fort.
Katie Fort.
George Francis Fort.
Jim Fort.
Peggy Fort.
Rev. John Fort.
Daniel Fort.
Sampson Fort.
Henry Fort.
Frank Fort.
Sarah Grant.
John Grant.
Bear John Grant.
Nelson Grant.
Vinie Grant.
Wallace Gaines.
Maria Gaines.
Phil Gaines.
Dennis Gaines.
Martha Gaines.
Clarissa Gaines.
Malachi Gaines.
Eliza Gaines.
Eliza Holmes.
Waddy Herring.
Sallie Ann. Herring.
Rachel Izor.
Sam Izor.
Mark Mitchell.
Patsy McGowan.
John McGowan.
Martha Newton.
Sookey Northington.
Vinie Northington.
Caroline Northington.
William Northington.
Jack Northington.
Angeline Northington.
Seely Northington.
Chaney Northington.
Elijah Northington.
Louisanna Northington.
Bettie Northington.
Dennis Northington.
Rebekah Northington.
Allen Northington.
Neptune Northington.
George Northington.
Sam Northington.
Almira Northington.
Betsy Neblett.
Kitty Norfleet.
Adeline Norfleet.
Rildy Polk.
Lucy Parks.
Demps Wimberly.
Delphi Waters.
With few exceptions, nearly all of the above charter members had
been members of Red River and Harmony churches before the Civil War.
Scarcely a dozen of them remain with us in the flesh.
During its forty-four years’ existence, Mount Zion has had the
following pastors:
Rev. Horace Carr.
Rev. Altheus Carr.
Rev. Edmond Northington.
Rev. Paul Dennis.
Rev. George Mimms.
Rev. Turner Parish.
Rev. M. Fox.
Rev. L. Jones.
Rev. A. J. Moore, D. D.
Of the original Deacons, only one is alive, Aleck Carney, the other six
in active service are:
Dan Fort.
George Fort.
Demps Fort.
Albert Steward.
Wright Watkins.
Will Randolph.
It is a noticeable fact, that the second and third generations of some
of Mount Zion’s charter members, are at present among its best workers;
as for example, Rev. John Fort’s son Dan, and grandson George, upon
whose shoulders a father’s religious mantle has fallen.
Soon after the donation of land by Dr. Norfleet for Mount Zion Church;
Mr. William Bourne, on an adjoining farm, gave land for a colored
cemetery.
Mr. Bourne was a citizen of fine standing. He was the son of Ambrose
Bourne, a prominent pioneer Baptist minister.
By strange coincidence, Rev. Ambrose Bourne helped organize Red River
Church, 1791, within a few hundred yards of where Mount Zion now stands.
Red River is one of the oldest Baptist churches in Tennessee, and the
Bourne Spring at that date, was called Prince’s Spring, and the little
log church building was known as Prince’s meeting house. After its
removal to Robertson county it took its name from its nearness to Red
River. In the early days most of the churches took their names from the
streams nearest which they were located, as Spring Creek, West Fork,
Red River, etc. Rev. Horace Carr named the church he loved so well,
from the New Testament. Hebrews 12: 22, in which Moses said, “But ye
are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem,” etc.