until his death he in fact believed and taught "that the Scriptures were a sufficient rule of faith and practice." His church was therefore practically in substance and effect, what the churches of the Restoration were, minus the name. James Shelburn therefore was in a very essential sense, the forerunner of Campbell and his associates who soon after his death appeared in Eastern Virginia. He had well prepared the ground for their labors.

Silas Shelburn called "The 'Raccoon' John Smith" of Virginia, was born at the Shelburn home near Reedy Creek, about five miles from Lunenburg court house June 4, 1790. He early decided to follow in the footsteps of his father as a minister and sometime between 1810 and 1815 began to accompany his father on his preaching tours.1

The young man early began to help his father in his ministrations, and eventually they held joint meetings.

"In one of the first meetings they held together several persons presented themselves for baptism and church membership. Father Shelburn said, 'Let the candidates be examined to see if their Christian experiences are satisfactory,' when his son, Silas, spoke up and said, 'Father, that is not in accord with the Scriptures; that is not the way the Apostles did. How can these men, who have been sinners all their lives, and who have never lived a Christian life, give a Christian experience? You might as well require every young couple who comes to you to be married to give a married experience before you perform the marriage ceremony.' 'Go on, Silas, and do right,' said the old man, and from that time forth they baptized believing penitents on their confession that 'Jesus is the Christ, the son of God.' "2

It is recorded that shortly before his death in 1820 James Shelburn thus addressed his son Silas: "Oh, my son, the church lies heavy, very heavy, on my mind. I fear that a cold and trying time is approaching, and that many will be seeking a more fashionable religion. Watch over their souls as one who must give an account unto God, and keep yourself unspotted from

1Hodge: The Plea and the Pioneers in Virginia, 265.

the world. Do not aspire after men of great swelling words, but study the Scriptures, preaching the Gospel in its simplicity; be meek, lowly and unassuming in your manners, with all holy conversation, as becometh the Gospel of Christ. Never aim at things too deep, and incomprehensible for mortals to know, remembering that there is as much made plain as it is the will of our Heavenly Father we should know; for 'Secret things belong to God, and things that are revealed belong to us.' Throughout life, whatever difficulties you may have to encounter, never return railing for railing, but contrariwise, in doing which you will overcome ten where you will one by any other method."

Although a true and unquestioned reformer Silas Shelburn remained nominally in the Baptist ranks much longer than many ministers with whom he fraternized, and with whom he entertained identical views. This was due to the failure of Abner Clopton to have Shelburn "dis fellowshipped" by the Meherrin Association. Ultimately, however, the group of churches for which he preached dissolved their relations with the Baptist Association and "became simply churches of Christ."2

Silas Shelburn finally discontinued serving a local group of churches, and became an evangelist, and in this capacity travelled all over, and preached throughout the length and breadth of Virginia. He died September 7, 1871.

It is said of him that he was not highly educated so far as scholastic attainments were concerned, but he was deeply versed in the Bible and its philosophy. Says one: "Few could get the marrow and fatness of Scriptures as he could."

On one occasion he was scheduled to preach at a meeting where Alexander Campbell was to be present. He was one of the best educated men of this time, and some one remembering Shelburne's lack of educational attainments, asked him if he was not afraid to preach before Mr. Campbell. "No," he answered, "I have preached before God Almighty many a time, and I don't know why I should be afraid to preach before Alexander Campbell."*

1Hodge: The Plea and the Pioneers in Virginia, 266.

2Id.

3Id. 267. 4Id. 268.

While he was, it is said, one of the kindliest of men, he was not averse to taking the wind out of the sail of the pretentious, especially those who seemed to have too exalted an opinion of themselves. Two anecdotes of him, which have been preserved illustrate the fact.

"A young preacher who had rather an exalted opinion of his powers, after preaching in the presence of Bro. Shelburn, asked him what he thought of the sermon. 'Wall, brother,' said the old man, 'there's a pint down on the Eastern Shore they call "Pint No Pint." You were as near there today as you'll ever get.'"

At another time a "preacher who had gone rather deeply into some metaphysical speculation in a sermon, to which Silas Shelburn had listened, asked him what he thought of his metaphysics. The reply was, 'Metaphysics.' Wall I didn't know what kind of physic it was, but it made me mighty sick."2

Besides Reedy Creek, among the earliest of the churches of the Disciples of Christ in Lunenburg were Mt. Olivet, which stood (and still stands) on the Rehoboth road, between the North and Middle Meherrin rivers, Bethany, which stood near Wattsboro, on Cox road, Cool Spring, which was located northwest of Rehoboth, on the road leading northwest from McCormick's Mill, in the section between Juniper Creek and Grassy Fork of Middle Meherrin river, Perseverance, in the lower end of the county on the Two Notch road, and Spring Hill church on Flat Rock Road near Non Intervention.

Between 1818 and 1844, Silas Shelburn, Pleasant Barnes, Daniel Petty and Chester Bullard seem to have been the most active of the members of the Disciples of Christ Church in performing marriage ceremonies.

In addition to those identified with the several denominations mentioned, the Lunenburg County marriage records show marriages by various ministers whose denominational affiliations are not indicated by the marriage returns. Some of these performed great numbers of marriages over a considerable period of time.3

1Hodge: The Plea and the Pioneers in Virginia, 268.

3 For details as to each see Chapter IX, Vol. II.

The list of those whose affiliations are not indicated embrace: Archibald McRoberts, Matthew Dance, M. M. Dance, Charles Ogburn, Renard Anderson, Garner McConnico, John Paup, Edward Almond, Joel Johns, William Davis, Richard Dabbs, Hezekiah W. Lelland, Jesse Brown, James Robertson, Milton Robertson, William Richards, Stephen Jones, George Petty, Caleb N. Bell, Francis Smith, Thomas H. Jeffreys, William Hatchett, Joshua Featherston, Sterling W. Fowler, John Thompson, Benjamin Watkins, Abner Watkins, James Smith, John Wesley Childs, J. W. Fowler, Thomas D. Garrott, Robt. J. Carson, Thodowick Pryor, James M. Jeter, W. S. Wilson, B. R. Duval, Samuel G. Mason, Freemon Fitzgerald, Albert Anderson, Thomas Y. Castleman, George A. Bain, Robert Michaels, Wm. Wilson, Richard E. G. Adams, Louis Dupree and Wm. Doswell.

CHAPTER X

Slavery, Secession and the Civil

War

SLAVERY AND THE SLAVE TRADE

CAUSE which succeeds, seems in the opinion of many, largely to justify itself in history, by the very fact of success. Especially is this true if its history, as well as that of the opposition to it, is written by the victors. But a cause which is defeated in an appeal to arms must, at least to the unthinking, justify itself by truth and reason at the bar of history. Presumptions are not indulged in its favor.

If one, therefore, maintains that the offenses which caused the Civil War were committed by the North, that the North was the aggressor in bringing on the war; and that the South was wholly justified in its course, one must produce his evidence and submit his case. Especially is this necessary in view of the false histories, and the erroneous impressions conveyed by the general literature of the North, for there is what amounts to a widespread determination amounting in substance to a conspiracy in that section to suppress the truth respecting the Civil War.

It has been well said that "History is the great purifier, the great leveller of mankind. Its recording angel is no respecter of persons. It is the impartial custodian of truth. It analyzes the actions of men, discovers their motives and makes plain their purposes. It separates the true from the false. It lifts up on high real heroes and drops into obscurity the base and ignoble."

But this is true of history in the abstract. For the verdict of history to properly purify and level, it must proceed upon truthful narratives. Its records must be made without respect to persons. History cannot always have its materials preserved by a "recording angel." It too often happens that those who mar and confuse her records are anything but impartial custodians of truth.