“THE ONLY PERMANENT BASIS OF SPIRITUAL LIFE IS THE BROTHERHOOD OF
SOULS.”
In the preparation of this little book, it has been my earnest desire
to secure my information from reliable sources, and so far, I think I
have succeeded in doing so.
After writing the preceding chapters, it occurred to me that I would
like to read them to some member of the Carr family, before giving them
to the public. So Rev. Luke Fort, of Guthrie, Ky., came to my home, May
13, 1911, and spent a good portion of the day.
Rev. Fort, in antebellum times, belonged to Mr. Lawson Fort. He is
sixty-four years of age, and the most of his useful life was spent on
the Fort plantation. He was married during the 70’s to Annie, youngest
daughter of Uncle Horace and Aunt Kitty Carr.
Rev. Fort not only endorsed as correct what had already been written,
but he gave me additional information that I consider both valuable
and interesting. He spoke in part as follows:
“When I first heard that you wished to talk to me of a family I loved
so well, I was afraid I could be of but little assistance to you,
but after hearing you read what had already been written my mind was
awakened, and the old scenes came back to me.
“I was the son-in-law of these dear old people nineteen years, and
twelve years of that time, (after Father Horace’s death) Mother Kitty
lived with me.
“It was while I was a tenant on Mr. W. D. Fort’s farm. After the day’s
work was done, we used to gather around the fireside in winter, or on
the front porch in Summer, and listen to her talk. Everybody liked to
hear her talk. But after she broke up housekeeping and had no cares, if
possible, she seemed more interesting than at any period of her life.
My regret is, that I did not take more note of what she said.
“Her theme was religion, for she was an every day Christian. During her
widowhood, she went to live awhile with her son, William, who was at
that time living at Indianapolis Indiana, but she was not satisfied,
and soon returned to Tennessee. At her advanced age, she could not get
used to the great difference between town and country life.”
From Aunt Kitty we turned to Uncle Horace, and Rev. Fort continued:
“Father Horace had his own peculiar style of preaching, and often his
sermons would be made up entirely of some good religious experience he
had especially enjoyed.
“He was partial to the Gospel of John, and the best sermon I ever heard
him preach was from the 15th chapter and 1st verse, ‘I am the true
vine, and my Father is the husbandman.’ Feeling the infirmities of old
age coming on, and knowing that Altheus had chosen the ministry, he
often put him to the front in the pulpit, while he sat back, in his
humble way, and directed the service. While sitting beneath the sound
of his voice, in Scriptural language he doubtless thought to himself,
‘This is my son, in whom I am well pleased.’ He seemed to be getting
ready for Altheus to step into his shoes, and carry on the good work he
had begun. The foundation had been laid.”
Rev. Fort then paid fine tribute to the memories of his white people,
Mr. Lawson Fort, and his pious wife. To the latter he said he owed his
first religious impressions. When a mere boy waiting about the house,
she talked to him of salvation in a way that he understood, and he
was led to trust his Savior at an early age. And after he was a middle
aged man, she often invited him to attend devotional exercises in the
seclusion of her family room; on one occasion she requested him to lead
in prayer, which he did.
[Illustration: Rev. Luke Fort, Guthrie, Ky.]
Never having heard of the colored meetings held on the Fort plantation
before the war, only in a general way, I asked Rev. Luke Fort if he
remembered one, and he said he did, very distinctly. It was during the
middle 50’s when he was about seven years old. It was Saturday night,
and the first time he ever heard Uncle Horace preach.
The service was held in what they called Aunt Margaret’s house, a
large, comfortable log room, with a shed at one end, and an upstairs.
There were two doors in the main room, opposite each other, and facing
east and west. Along between ten and eleven o’clock the meeting reached
its most enjoyable stage. The good old time songs were making their
souls happy. Uncle Horace led the songs, and his face wore that placid
look that seemed to speak that no wave of trouble would ever roll
across his peaceful breast, when a rap was heard at the front door, and
before they had time to think, in rushed a band of patrolers!
As they came in at the east door, the confused congregation made hasty
exit from the west door.
The news was quickly conveyed to the kind old master, who sent his
son, the late Sugg Fort, to the scene of excitement. Young Mr. Fort
approached the patrolers in a very dignified manner, and informed them
that his father had sent him to tell them that their services were
not needed on his premises. It was before the county line had been
changed, Mr. Fort’s residence was then in Montgomery county, instead of
Robertson, its present location, and the patrolers were from Port Royal.
(For the benefit of a younger generation of readers, I will state
that patrolers were organized bands of white men, appointed in each
neighborhood, for the purpose of going about at night and keeping
order among a doubtful element of colored people who left home without
passes, or written permission from their owners. The unfortunate
condition of affairs demanded it, and still more unfortunate was it,
that the appointment, or office, too often fell into cruel and inhuman
hands.)
There lived at Port Royal, a fine looking colored man by the name of
Dean Dancy, the property of the late John A. Dancy. It so happened that
Dean was masquerading this particular Saturday night without a pass,
and unluckily fell into the hands of the patrolers. Knowing they would
deal roughly with him under such circumstances, he compromised the
matter by telling them, if they’d let him off just this one time, he’d
pilot them to a negro meeting, where they could find a housefull of
people without passes, and this was why Uncle Horace’s meeting was so
disturbed.
Monday morning Mr. Fort ordered his saddle horse brought out unusually
early; he rode over to Port Royal and informed Mr. Dancy of what his
boy Dean had done, and the trickster had to make some pretty fair
promises to escape punishment.
On the same night that Dean Dancy led the patrolers to molest the quiet
worshipers on Mr. Fort’s plantation, an amusing scene was enacted in a
dry goods store at Port Royal. It was during the late fall, and several
of the village clerks had put up a notice that they would pay liberally
for a fat, well cooked o’possum, delivered at Dancy and Kirby’s store.
Joe Gaines, a tall brown skinned man belonging to W. N. Gaines, gleaned
the persimmon trees round about the Gaines premises, and failing to
find an o’possum, conceived the idea of substituting a fat house-cat.
After it was nicely cooked, he stepped out by the light of the moon,
with his pass in his pocket, and hope in his heart of bringing back a
silver dollar.
The clerks from the other business houses assembled at Dancy and
Kirby’s, where a spread was set for eight o’possum eaters. Dr. J. T.
Darden a young physician from Turnersville, had a short time before
located at Port Royal, and was invited to the feast. When the dish
containing the supposed delectable marsupial was uncovered, it was
observed that the young physician began to view it with a suspicious
eye. He called Mr. T. M. Kirby to one side and told him the carcass
was not that of an o’possum and they must not eat it. Upon closer
examination it was very plain that it was a cat.
Without a word, Mr. Dancy walked to the front door and turned the key,
locking them in; a pistol was placed on the table, and Joe was informed
that he must devour that cat, or suffer the consequences.
It required the effort of his life, but he choked it down. If Dean and
Joe ever had good intentions, Satan certainly run rough shod over them
all that Saturday night.
* * * * *
Along with the progress of colored churches within the past four
decades, that of orders, and societies is worthy of mention.
Within a short distance of each other, they have, near Port Royal, both
Odd Fellows and Benevolent Society halls. Of the latter society I
shall speak more in detail, from the fact that it is much older as an
organization, in this community, and has done so much for its members.
It was organized, October, 1872, in a little log school room, on what
was called Sugar Camp Branch, on Miss Ellen Yates’ farm.
Dennis Neblett, a good colored man of that vicinity, was the prime
mover in the enterprise, and called to his assistance in its
organization Granville Wilcox and Henry Roberts (col.), of Clarksville,
Tenn.
They organized with thirty charter members, and Dennis Neblett was
elected President, which office he faithfully filled for thirty-seven
years.
This feeble but faithful little band met three years in Sugar Camp
Branch school room, after which the house was moved farther down the
creek, on Mr. Henry Rosson’s farm. Being too remote from the majority
of its members, they lost interest and failed to attend the meetings as
they had formerly done, so the officers adopted the plan of meeting in
the homes of the members, and occasionally at the churches.
The change awakened renewed interest, and from that time on, it
gradually increased from thirty members to something near one hundred
and fifty. Its noble mission is to assist the disabled, nurse the
sick, and bury the dead.
In the early 90’s they bought a lot on the principal street of Port
Royal, on which they erected a very modest little hall. They were
fortunate in making this investment at that date, as the remainder
of their treasury, $200.00 (two hundred) deposited in a Clarksville
bank, was lost during the failure of several banks at that time in
Clarksville. After meeting at Port Royal lodge a number of years, they
decided to purchase a more suitable location. The old Carr home near
Port Royal had been dismantled, and the land was bought by Mr. Joshua
Ford, a prosperous farmer of District No. 5, Montgomery county. Mr.
Ford disposed of his purchase in lots, Jerry Fort (col.) being the
first purchaser of five acres, on which he built a comfortable little
home.
Jerry and Harry Grant, as Trustees for the Benevolent Society, were
appointed to purchase three acres of the same tract, adjoining his,
for a burying ground, and also a parade ground for the society. The
purchase was made, but afterward sold for residence lots, now owned and
occupied by Jane Davis, Lecie Hollins and George Watson.
A large tobacco barn on the opposite side of the road, fronting the
Fort home, had been used for several years as a shelter for the society
when the members gave barbecues and other out-door festivities. This
barn, including one-quarter of an acre, was bought by the Trustees,
the building sold to Sim Polk (col.) and moved to his farm on Parson’s
Creek, and a nice Hall, Benevolent Treasure No. 7, erected on the site,
at a cost of something less than a thousand dollars. This building
speaks well for its enterprising members, and is an ornament to the
roadside.
Added to the membership, is a juvenile branch of the order, consisting
of about fifty polite boys and girls, ranging from four to sixteen
years of age.
In its first organization, 1872, this society was known as Benevolent
Society No. 3, but a few years ago changed conditions made it necessary
to reorganize, after which it was called Benevolent Treasure No. 7. Its
present officers are as follows:
Sim Polk, President.
John Person, Vice-President.
George Watson, Recording Secretary.
Waymond Polk, Assistant Secretary.
Harry Grant, Treasurer.
Willis Northington, Chaplain.
Wright Watkins, Lizzie Dortch, Chairmen of Sick Committee.
Demps Trabue, Chairman Executive Committee.
The meetings are held semi-monthly.