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The meeting was held at Mr. Bliss's residence. During the Summer he had built a new house. The family occupied the L, and the main part of the building was left without partitions, and formed an open hall, eighteen by thirty-six feet, that was filled with temporary seats for this occasion. Here the Presbytery held its session. Here the brethren preached the Word, ad the people pressed to hear. Curiosity was excited by the appearance of so many strangers. And then everything was favorable. It was lovely, ripe October, the heat of Summer assuaged, the weather superb. To the farmers it was a time of leisure--the long rural holiday that comes after wheat sowing. And so, of course, the meetings were crowded day and night.
But the gem had a wild and rustic setting. Around them, as they looked out of the open windows, was nothing in view but the wide prairie, covered with its enormous Autumn growth of grass and weeds, gay now with brilliant coarse flowers; the natural pasture for herds of cattle and deer, the lurking place for hares, foxes, wolves, wildcats, panthers, catamounts and bears.
The historical interest of this meeting of Presbytery centers around the far-sighted measures then taken to promote the Sabbath-school cause in their field. Much had been attempted under the auspices of the "American Sunday-school Union," but a thorough and systematic endeavor to fill the rising State with Sabbath Schools and Sabbath-school libraries and influences, originated in this meeting of the Centre Presbytery of Illinois. There was present, to promote this, the Rev. Artemas Bullard [whom the traveling ministers from the west side of the State happened to come across in an inn, and whom they invited to join them at the meeting of Presbytery.] He was the Corresponding Secretary of the Massachusetts Sabbath-School Union. That "State Union" proposed to take Illinois under its fostering care, as it respects Sabbath-school operations; appropriate funds to establish a general "depository" of Sabbath school books for the supply of the State, constantly employ a traveling agent or agents to carry the Sabbath-school system into effect, as far as practicable. Mr. Bullard was engaged traversing the State, to ascertain the existing wants as to Sabbath-school teachers. The object was then to search out and encourage pious lay members of the churches in the older States (male and female) to emigrate to this country and settle down, in their respective occupations, with special reference to Sabbath-school and other benevolent operations. "The East," said one, "has more than fulfilled all her promises to the Christian workers in Illinois.
From October, 1792 until October, 1798, this territory continued under the charge of the Presbytery of Transylvania, and then was allotted to the Presbytery of Washington. During these six years the progress of the church and the settlement of the country were slow, chiefly because of the hostility of the Indians, and the difficulty in the way of reaching the country from the east.
Mr. Kemper is alone in this field for several years. For eighteen months he fails to be at the presbytery, and no elder appears from this side of the river and no supplies are asked for. Mr. Kemper's reasons for absence for eighteen months are sustained. At the first meeting attended by him, at Woodford, Kentucky, April, 1794, Elder Jacob Reeder being also present, the records sho that no other church had been organized in Ohio. October, 1794, Rev. Kemper was instructed to supply the settlements at South Bend and North Bend each one sabbath a month. In 1795, the Rev. John Howe was appointed to supply two Sabbaths at Manchester, or Three Islands, northwest of the Ohio. He was licensed the day of this appointment (October, 1795) at Pisgah Church, near Lexington. It is not certain that he fulfilled this appointment. He had others, and he is recorded as not fulfilling all.
Mr. Kemper resigned his pastoral charge of Cincinnati and Columbia, October 7, 1796. At the same time the church of Columbia was divided into the churches of Duck Creek and Bound Bottom. Duck Creek (alias Pleasant Ridge) had its first place of meetin south of the present location on Duck creek. The presbytery forbid the church of Duck Creek building nearer than five miles from Cincinnati. Round Bottom was a few miles from Columbia, above the mouth of the Little Miami, on the east side. It ceased to appear on the minutes of the Assembly in 1849. Pleasant Ridge and Cincinnati are the two oldest churches in the presbytery. Cincinnati and Columbia having been organized as one and Pleasant Ridge being the successor of Columbia, they are the same age.
In April, 1798, a call was sent from Cincinnati for the Rev. Peter Wilson, and also a remonstrance against his settlement. He had been preaching for the congregations about nine months. The issue was resolved when Rev. Wilson died in Cincinnati July 29, 1799. Matthew Green Wallace came to Cincinnati a few months after Mr. Wilson's death. He was a licentiate of New Castle Presbytery. After preaching seven or eight months, he was called as pastor in April, 1800, and was ordained October 7, 1800. Two years afterward, in October, 1802, the relationship was dissolved because the congregation could not pay him what it had promised. He continued as stated supply for the next year and a half. The church in Cincinnati, from April 1804 to April 1805 was not a little tainted with New Lightism; so that presbytery refused to allow a ruling elder to sit as a member of presbytery. The church allowed the suspended New Lights to preach in its pulpit, and the people were much distracted for nearly two years. In the spring of 1808 Joshua L. Wilson took charge of the church and occupied its pulpit for 38 years until his death, July 25, 1846. He was licensed at Spring Hill, Tennessee, in 1802, and ordained in 1804. He labored chiefly before his removal to Cincinnati at Bardstown and Big Spring, Kentucky.
Mr. Kemper continued to preach at Duck Creek and Round Bottom, the two divisions of the church of Columbia. In October, 1801, he gave one third of his time to Duck Creek, and one third to Sycamore, and the rest to the supply of new points. Sycamore was not far from Montgomery, near the Little Miami. In October, 1892, Mr. Kemper was appointed to give his whole time to Duck Creek and Sycamre for one year. In October, 1803, he was again appointed at the request of the people, and the name of Sycamore was changed to Hopewell. In October, 1804, calls were presented through the presbytery from Duck Creek and Hopewell for Mr. Kemper to be their pastor. His installation occurred April 4, 1805. The Rev. David Rice, being present, preached the installation sermon, and the Rev. John E. Finley delivered the charges. In April, 1807, Mr. Kemper applied for a dissolution, against which a remonstrance was filed by the churches, declaring their ability and desire to retain him. In October, 1807, Mr. Kemper was released from his pastorate, and appointed a stated supply for six months. After this, April, 1808, leave was granted him to travel out of the bounds of the presbytery for one year, and soon after he went to Kentucky, and was called to Fleming and Johnson in Kentucky, in October, 1809, having previously labored in these places.
The churches of Duck Creek and Hopewell, now called Pleasant Ridge and Montgomery, were supplied by Daniel Hayden, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Erie. He was called as pastor and accepted. He was ordained November 17, 1810 by the newly created Presbytery of Miami, a child of the Presbytery of Washington.
The Presbytery of Miami began its career in 1810. Their work at
first was largely to gather the fragments scattered by various schisms
(New/Old Light, Cumberlandism, Shakerism). The second meeting was held
at Dick's Creek, April 3, 1811. James
Welsh was appointed for one year at Dayton as stated supply with occasional
Sabbaths at Yellow Springs and Honey Creek; William
Robinson two thirds of his time at Lebanon, Matthew
G. Wallace at Hamilton, Dick's
Creek and Seven Mile, Joshua
L. Wilson, Cincinnati, with one Sabbath at Springdale,
and Samuel Baldridge at
Lawrenceburg and Whitewather; Archbald
Steele licentiate one half of his time at Honey Creek and one quarter
at Yellow Springs. These supplies with Mr. Haydon, pastor at Pleasant
Ridge and Hopewell, provided for all the churches in the presbytery.
Source: Semi-Centenary of the Presbytery of Cincinnati: Historical Address
The churches of this Presbytery had been long in existence before they became united under the Presbytery. Southampton Church was organized in November, 1640, and the others within twenty years thereafter. They were all churches of English Puritans, and the ministers were called and their salaries paid by the respective towns. The towns of Brookhaven and Smithtown, and some in the Manor of St. George, called the Rev. George Phillips, April 30, 1697. The Church of Southold, subsequently connected with the Presbytery, was organized as a town church, October 21st, 1640. It is the oldest church now in connection with the General Assembly. Easthampton, Bridgehampton, Huntington, Hempstead and Mattituck are also very old Puritan town churches. Some of them were Presbyterian from their origin. The first minister of Mattituck was Joseph Lamb, a graduate of Yale, who was ordained in 1717, by the Presbytery and two years later the church united with it. These early Long Island churches were never Congregation churches of the modern type of Congregationalism. This original Presbytery of Long Island continued twenty one years. It was, in 1738, united with other ministers and churches in New York and East Jersey to form the Presbytery of New York. Its records are lost. Its real successor, though not the legal inheritor of its records, was the Presbytery of Suffolk, which was self-organized at Southampton, April 8th, 1747. The ministers who organized it were Ebenezer White, Nathaniel Mather, Ebenezer Prime, Ebenezer Gould, Silvanus White, Samuel Buell. Members of the churches of Easthampton, Bridgehampton and Southampton, on the south side of the island, and of Mattituck and Cutchogue, on the north side, formally united, the next day, with the ministers, in their undertaking to bring the churches of Suffolk county, so far as practicable into Presbyterian order. The three churches of the Hamptons forthwith acceded. This Presbytery determined at the same time that it would in due season send delegates to the Synod of New York and the Rev. Messrs Prime and Buell were chosen for the purpose.
The Presbytery of Suffolk grew and prospered, though it speedily lost two of its members; for within a year the Rev. Ebenezer Gould returned to his native New England and the Rev. Nathaniel Mather died. But it soon received under its care various churches in Suffolk county, and other parts of Long Island, and even beyond the island. Its activity is indicated by such proceedings as these: March 30th, 1748, it took under its care the Church of Huntington. June 15th, 1748, it ordained and installed the Rev. James Browne pastor of Bridgehampton, in place of the reverend and venerable Ebenezer White, resigned. Mr. Browne was a graduate of Yale, September 21st, 1748, it united with other ministers in the installation of the Rev. William Throop, of the First Church of Southold. October 19th, 1748, it voted to forego its desire to be represented in the Synod of New York by delegates, only until the Synod's purpose of becoming a delegated body should be accomplished. The next day it licensed Nehemiah Greenman, A.B., of Yale, and a beneficiary of the Rev. David Brainerd, and directed him to preach at Moriches. December 20th, 1748, it licensed Thomas Paine, A.B. of Yale, and directed him to preach at Cutchogue. April 13th, 1749, it licensed John Darbe, A.B. of Yale and directed him to preach at Mattituck and Aquebogue. August 9th, 1749, the Rev. Azariah Horton of New York Presbytery and the Rev. David Youngs, of New Brunswick Presbytery , became members of the Body, according to its request and the vote of the Synod. Both were graduates of Yale College. Horton was the missionary to the Long Island Indians. Youngs was the pastor of Brookhaven. Both were Southold men. The next day it licensed Naphtali Daggett, A.B., of Yale, and directed him to preach at Smithtown. December 14th, 1749, it ordered Mr. Greenman to leave Mastich and Fire Place and on the fourth of the next April dismissed him to the New York Presbytery, to preach at South Hanover (Madison, N.J.) to the new society there. At this time, Mr. Jonathan Whitaker, in behalf of the people of Baskingridge, desired a candidate, but the Presbytery was not able to send one. May 22nd, 1751, Rev. Samuel Sackett was admitted from the New Brunswick Presbytery. On the 18th of September, 1751, the Church of Smithtown was organized and the Rev. Naphtali Daggett ordained its pastor. He was afterwards President of Yale College. May 27th, 1752, it approved of the call which Mattituck and Aquebogue gave to the Rev. Joseph Park, of New England, and on the 10th of the next month organized the Church of Union Parish, Mattituck and Aquebogue, and installed the Rev. Joseph Park the pastor thereof. April 4th, 1753, it dismissed the Rev. Samuel Sackett from the pastoral care of Bedford, and approved Hanover's call to him. January 2d, 1754, it ordained Eliphalet Ball, A.M., of Yale, and installed him pastor of Bedford. June 6th, 1754, it exhorted those of its churches that had no ruling elders to elect them. October 23d, 1754, it ordained Benjamin Talmadge, A.M., of Yale at large and approved of the preaching of Abner Reeve, A.B., of Yale, a licentiate, at Moriches and Ketchabounuck. November 6th, 1755, the Presbytery incomporated the Church of Moriches, the act taking place in the Western Meeting house and ordained the Rev. Abner Reeves to be the pastor thereof. The Rev. Ebenezer White of Bridgehampton, died between February and June, 1756, and about the same time the Rev. Azariah Horton became the minister of South Hanover, New Jersey. On the 10th of November, 1755, the Presbytery ordained the Rev. Jonathan Barber, M.D. and the Rev. John Darbe, M.D., both having received the degree of A.M. at Yale College. June 14th, 1758, it ordered its members, in succession to supply the pulpit of Jamaica while its pastor, the Rev. Elihu Spencer, was absent as a chaplain in the army during the campaign then in progress against the French and the Indians. The next day it ordained the Rev. Abner Brush, A.B. , of Nassau Hall, and among its candidates or licentiates, about this time, were Messrs Benjamin Conkline, Ezra Horton, Moses Baldwin and Wheeler Case, all of them graduates of Nassau Hall. On the 16th of November, 1758, it ordained the Rev. Moses Baldwin; and on the 30th of August, 1759, the Rev. Sampson Occum, and ordered him to pursue his ministry at Montauk, and among the other Indians. The Rev. Elihu Spencer became, by order of the Synod, a member of the Presbytery, October 9th, 1759, and the next day the Presbytery ordained the Rev. Ezra Reeve, an alumnus of Yale College.
These are specimens of the acts of the Presbytery which made it efficient and thrifty and the churches fruitful.
The Synod, in 1763, transferred its Westchester county ministers and churches to the newly self-organized Presbytery of Dutchess; for Dutchess Presbytery, like Suffolk Presbytery, and others, sprung up spontaneously, without any action of Synod.
On the 16th of June, 1763, the Presbytery admitted the Rev. Thomas Paine, of Cutchogue, to membership, and received the Church of Christ in Cutchogue under its care. On the 25th of October, 1763, it determined that it would appoint the day for the annual fast in the Spring and the annual thanksgiving in the Autumn. June 27th, 1764, the Rev. Benjamin Goldsmith, an alumnus of Yale College was ordained at Aukabang. In this year the Rev. Messrs Darbe and Brush were transferred to the Presbytery of New York, by order of the Synod; at the same time the Rev. Mr. Baldwin was transferred to the Presbytery of Boston, and the Rev. Abner Reeve to the Presbytery of New York.
December 4th, 1765, the Presbytery ordained the Rev. David Rose, a graduate of Yale, to be pastor of Moriches, Manor of St. George, south part of Brookhaven and Winthrop's Patent. June 11th, 1766, Elam Potter, A.B., of Yale, was ordained at Shelter Island. Though the Presbytery had not a full supply of ministerial service for its own wants, yet one of the best pastors was sent this year to preach in the "Southern Provinces;" and it was ordered that collections be made for the promoting of Christian knowledge among the Indians and the poor white people upon the frontiers. The church of Middletown and the church of Hempstead were taken under the care of the Presbytery, November 4th, 1767, the former being a new organization. At this time a licentiate was directed to supply Shelter Island, Ketchabounuck, Middletown and Hempstead. April 6th, 1768, notice was taken of an order of Synod enjoining the Presbyteries to erect Societies for the Reformation of Manners, and the ministers of the Presbytery were ordered to erect such societies in their respective congregations as soon as possible. In these years the Presbytery habitually appointed three ministers to attend the meetings of the Synod; but in later years it appointed two only. In 1770, it sent one of its pastors to the "Southern Provinces" and other pastors were ordered to supply his pulpit during his absence. The Presbytery often directed its churches to apply to the Rev. Dr. Bellamy, President Daggett, or other well known ministers in New England, for candidates to supply their respective pulpits.
The Presbytery was prevented from meeting by "civil war," during a period extending from October 31st, 1775 to April 4th, 1784, when the Moderator, the Rev. Samuel Buell, opened his house for it, in Easthampton, and four of the nine ministers and one ruling elder were present. During the nine years of the "civil war," Rev. Messrs Prime and White had died; the Rev. Benjamin Talmadge died between December, 1785 and April, 1786. April 13th, 1787, the Presbytery unanimously voted to present a petition to the Synod for a dismission from that venerable body, because of numerous inconveniences resulting from its local situation, and because it was supposed its churches would not consent to the plan of government and discipline lately devised for the Presbyterian churches in America. On the same day the Rev. John Storrs and the church and congregation under his pastoral care, at Southold, mutually applied to this Presbytery as an Ecclesiastical Council, requesting the dissolving of his pastoral relation to them and the request was granted.
The Synod appointed a committee to confer with the Presbytery and the conference toook place at Huntington, September 6th, 1787. The result was that the Presbytery determined to reconsider its purpose to withdraw from the fellowhsip of the Presbyterian Church. On the 8th and 9th of April, 1788, this subject was reconsidered and the Presbytery voted to revoke its petition for a dismission from Synod. At this time the ministers present were Buell, Wetmore, Rose, Hart, Woodhull and Woolworth. The absentees were Brown, Goldsmith, Williams, Russell, Potter and Occum. The only delegates present from the churches were Nathan Woodhull and Nehemiah Smith.
Aaron Woolworth was ordained by a Council, pastor of Bridgehampton, August 30th, 1787. He forthwith became a member of the Presbytery, and very prominent and efficient in its activities. It adopted in April, 1789, for the first time, standing rules to direct its proceedings. At the same meeting, the Rev. Messrs. Joshua Hart and Joshua Williams were appointed the Commissioners to the first General Assembly. The last meeting of the Presbytery of Suffolk of which there is a record was held at Bridgehampton, June 23d, 1789, for the ordination of the Rev. David Hale.
Its name was subsequently changed by the Synod. It was named the Presbytery of Long Island, and all the churches on Long Island were put under its care. The first meeting of this Presbytery of Long Island was held in Jamaica, November 30th, 1790. The ministers present were Noah Wetmore, David Rose, Joshua Hart, George Faitoute, Nathan Woodhull and Aaron Woolworth. The ministers absent were Samuel Buell, Benjamin Goldsmith, Elam Potter, Joshua Williams, Thomas Russell, and Wait Cornwell. Four elders were present namely, Jeffrey Smith, Smithtown, Benjamin Coe, Newtown, Uriah Beadle, Hempstead; and Daniel Sayre, Southampton.
Mr. Lyman Beecher was taken under the care of the Presbytery April 11, 1799 and ordained August 22, 1799 and the following year was chosen representative to the General Assembly of 1800. Mr. Nathaniel S. Prime was taken under the care of the Presbytery April 24th, 1805. Mr. Richard Salter Storrs, grandson of the Southold pastor, and the eminent son and father of eminent ministers of the same name, was taken under the care of the Presbytery, April 13, 1808, licensed on June 16.
In 1808 and 1809, the presbytery was involved in a controversy with the convention of Long Island (the Congregationalist body), which had admitted into its membership a minister of the Presbytery who was on trial for extreme immoralities (and of which he was later found guilty and deposed from the ministry). The Presbytery resolved, April 13, 1809: "that it is inconsistent for the members of this body to hold ministerial communion with the Convention so long as they retain their present course." The Convention has long since passed out of existence; but on the 18th of November, 1812, it condemned it own former course in this matter and fellowship between it and the Presbytery was resolved.
In the Autumn of 1809, the Synod transferred the churches of Jamaica, Hempstead and Newtown, with the ministers, George Faitoute, William P. Kuypers, Nathan Woodhull, Peter Fish, to the Presbytery of New York, and the bounds of the Presbytery of Long Island were reduced to the territory of Sufflok county.
November 6th, 1811 the Presbytery resolved: "unanimously, that
hereafter, ardent spirits and wine shall constitute no part of our entertainment
in any of our public meetings; and also ,that it be recommended to the
churches not to treat Christian brethren or others with ardent spirits
as a part of hospitality in friendly visits." Dr. Woolworth and Mr.
Prime were appointed a committee to draft a letter to be addressed to teh
churches on the subject of the above resolution.
In October, 1798, the Synod of Virginia passed an act to divide the Presbytery of Transylvania into three presbyteries viz:
1) Transylvania -- To be bounded on the northeast by the Kentucky river, on the north and northwest by the Ohio, as also on the south, comprehending all the settlements of the Cumberland river and its waters.
2) West Lexington--Bounded by the Kentucky river on the south and southwest, but the Ohio on the north and northwest, and by main Licking on the north and northeast.
3) Washington--Comprehending the remaining part of Kentucky lying northeast of Main Licking and the settlements on the northwest side of the Ohio.
In 1802, the Presbytery entered the new Synod of Kentucky and the following members of the Presbytery were noted:
Of the Presbytery of Transylvania, ministers present: David Rice, Samuel Finley, Matt. Houston, Sam'l Robertson, Archibald Cameron; absent, Thomas Craighead, Terah Templin, James Balch, James McGready, Wm. Hodge, John Bowman, Wm. McGee, John Rankin, Sam'l Donald, Wm. Mahon, Sam'l McAdow, John Howe, James Vance and Jer. Abel. Elders: Andrew Wallace, James Bigham and Court Voris.
In 1811 the Presbytery of Transylvania was split up into the Presbyteries of West Tennessee, Muhlenberg and Transylvania.
The Presbytery of Washington met according to the appointment of the Synod of Virginia, and constituted with prayers. The Rev. Peter Wilson not being present, the Rev. John E. Finley, the next senior member, opened Presbytery with a sermon from Exodus 32:26 (middle clause of the verse): " Who is on the Lord's side?" Let him come unto me," and presided until a new Moderator was chosen. The members present were Messrs. John E. Finley, John P. Campbell, John Dunlevy and Richard McNemar, ministers; Wm. Johnston, Sebastion Sroff and Joseph Darlington, and John Hart, who appeared the second day, elders. Absent, the Revs. Peter Wilson, James Kemper and Wm. Speer. Mr. Finley was chosen Moderator and Mr. Campbell, Clerk."
The churches or preaching places mentioned in the minutes of the first meeting were Johnston's Fork meeting house (Nicholas Co., Kentucky), Union, which petitioned for supplies through their commissioner, Moses Beard; Springfield, (at Springdale, Hamilton Co., Ohio) now in Cincinnati Presbytery, organized in 1792; the congregation in Hold's Creek settlement; Eagle Creek congregation (Adams Co., Ohio, about three miles from West Union) which petitioned, through Mr. McNemar, to be taken under the care of Presbytery and supplied; Clear Creek, which, with Orangedale (Warren Co., Ohio), presented a call for Mr. Archibald Steel; Lee's Creek Church (Mason Co., Kentucky); Cabin Creek (Lewis Co., Kentucky); Mr. Hornes's at Brush Creek; Denny's Station on Mad River; Chillicothe (Ross Co., Ohio); and Washington, Kentucky, after which the Presbytery was named, complete the list of preaching places mentioned in the first meeting.
The first ordination of the new Presbytery was of Mathew Green Wallace in October, 1800 at its meeting in Cincinnati. The second was of John Thompson at the meeting at Red Oak, April, 1801.
In 1809 the Presbytery decided to apply to the Synod of Kentucky for a division into two presbyteries, the Presbytery of Miami (the eastern portion: the mouth of the Little Miami on the Ohio River to the mouth of the Licking), the Presbytery of Scioto (west of the Virginia Military District). The Synod granted the formation of the Presbytery of Miami, but did not change the name of the remaining presbytery to Scioto, leaving it "Washington." The ministers who were set off into the new Miami Presbytery were: Rev. Messrs. James Welsh, William Robinson, Matthew G. Wallace, Joshua L. Wilson and Samuel Baldridge, together with the licentiates, Archibald Steele and Daniel Hayden. The members remaining after the set off were: Robert G. Wilson, pastor at Chillicothe; William Williamson, stated supply at Cabin Creek, Manchester and West Union; James Gilliland, pastor at Red Oak; Nicholas Pittinger, pastor at Hillsborough, New Market and Rocky Spring; James Hoge, pastor at Franklinton (Columbus); Samuel Woods, pastor at Liberty; John E. Finley, without regular charge, supplying at discretion; James Kemper, at Fleming and Johnston's Fork, Kentucky (immediately thereafter dismissed to the presbytery of West Lexington); Robert Wilson, stated supply at Washington and Germantown, Kentucky; Robert B. Dobbins, supply at Smyrna and Williamsburgh. James Henry Dickey, a licentiate, was received from West Lexington Presbytery at this meeting.
In 1811 the presbytery resolved to notify the Synod of Kentucky that the Presbyteries of Washington and Miami, together with the presbytery of New Lancaster, under the care of the Synod of Pittsburg, would apply to the next General Assembly to form them into a new synod. The Synod of Kentucky refused to consent to the division until the General Assembly ordered them to reconsider. In 1814, the new Synod was allowed, to be called, the Synod of Ohio, with the Rev. Robert G. Wilson to preside at the first meeting at Chillicothe.
At a meeting of the Synod of Ohio in 1821, it was enacted: "That the counties of Ross, Fayette, Highland, Pike, Adams, Brown and the eastern parts of Clermont and Clinton, shall constitute a Presbytery called the Presbytery of Chillicothe. The following members compose the Presbytery of Chillicother: Revs. Robert G. Wilson, William Williamson, James Gilliland, John Andrews, William Dickey, James H. Dickey, Samuel Crothers, Dyer Burgess, Reuben White, Robert B. Dobbins, Samuel D. Hoge and John Ross.