Nobody knows the troubles our churches have seen
…Elder N. Conner offered the following preamble and resolution, prefacing the same with the following remarks—to wit:
Central Baptist Association minutes, September 1859, page 7
According to a witness provided on page 7 of the 1859 Central Baptist Association minutes, the New Salem Church at or near Douglass in Nacogdoches County had been “legally dissolved” – but afterward a portion of the church assumed the name and authority of New Salem Church and had received as members some who had been justly excluded. Additionally the Red Land Church, also in Nacogdoches County, had received as a member one who had abandoned his family and had been excluded from his church.
The Mt. Zion Association met beginning September 16, 1859 (starting Friday before the 3rd Sunday).
New Salem delegates that year were: William L. Eddings, N. H. Morgan; they had received 15 by baptism and 3 by letter; total members 37. (The previous year’s messengers had been N. Conner, E. P. Spivey, and T. J. Sanders.)
Red Land delegates that year were: L. B. Ward, Robert Watters, Thomas Jones; they had a total of 20 members. (The previous year’s messengers were Robt. Waters, John Brewer, J. W. Ashly.)
The Central Association met beginning the 24th of September 1859 (so, about a week after the Mt. Zion Association had met).
Central Association minutes, 1859, Page 9: “Elders J. L. Mills, J. D. Williams, J. T. Millstead and Brother R. J. Alexander and Thomas L. Stewart were appointed a special committee to set in proper shape, and lay before Mt. Zion Association, for her consideration, the apparent disorder existing in two of her constituent members, at her next session.”[i] (This was the disorder in the Red Land and New Salem churches, which were members of the Mt. Zion Association. Elder N. Conner was concerned that the association did not have general knowledge of the actions of these two churches.) This committee would have attended the 1860 session of the Mt. Zion Association. However, no 1860 minutes of either the Central or Mt. Zion Associations are available to indicate how this situation was resolved. We can assume it was eventually resolved to the satisfaction of the Central Association (and Mt. Zion), since the next minutes I find – 1866 of Mt. Zion and 1869 of Central – show (1) these two churches are not represented in the Mt. Zion Association, and (2) the two associations are in fellowship and correspondence.
Loudon Bailey Ward married Mary W. Johnson in Middletown, Connecticut in August of 1844. By 1853 he was in Texas, without his family (Central Association minutes; The Texas Republican, Saturday, May 28, 1853, p. 2; and The Texas State Times, Saturday, January 26, 1856, p. 3). He was a member of the Douglass Lodge No. 43, in 1859 (Nacogdoches Chronicle, Tuesday, March 29, 1859, p. 3).[ii] Ward is found in the 1860 Nacogdoches County census.[iii] He served as a private in Company E of 7th Regiment, Texas Cavalry (CSA), and wrote a poem during this experience. He also served as a postmaster of Douglass, Texas. He is probably the Loudon B. Ward in the 1870 census at Brenham in Washington County, Texas (at that time a railroad employee). At that time he is married to Ellen/Helen Ward (born circa 1831; no children listed).[iv] In the 1880 census they are living in Austin, Travis County, Texas, and his occupation is listed as “Farmer.” Loudon B. Ward died in Austin, Texas in 1883.
[ii] In 1850, they had one daughter, Mary M., aged 3 (1847-1867). They had a son Merrels who lived from September 1850 to September 1851.
[iii] In the 1850 census, L. B. Ward is living in Middletown, Middlesex County, Connecticut, and he was a “Mason” in the construction industry. In 1860 he was enumerated in the home of Felix Luther and Cora McKnight, and his occupation was merchandising. To the left of this household, the census taker wrote “Hotel” – suggesting the Johnsons had a hotel or were renting rooms to the others living there.
posted by R. L. Vaughn at 10:33 AM
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