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Chapter 46: The Narrative of John Eudaly, Second Section |
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"We did not think we had found the place we had started to find so on the 27 of July Reed Cox, John A. Walton and myself with a 2 horse wagon and one odd nag started to look for a country Arkansas was our notion we crossed Current River at Indian ford stopped near there a day or too from there we went to Jackson Ark.
Took the fort smith road to the north fork of white river hear Reed Cox took a nag went north up to Missouri to look at that section the best I can tell about Thomasvill there he like better than any place he had seen he was off about 4 days we then continued our course to carrolton in carrol county from there we turned north into Missouri crossed white river at Forsithe a newly located town in Taney county from there to Springfield in green county when we staid all night the 16 day of August 1841 we continued north to boliver (Bolivar) a newly located town in poke county from hear we turned wast to Bufalo head prararie (prairie) hear Reed Cox took a nag and up to Boonvill to look at that county to see James Ohawill (probably O'Howell) left me and John Walton with the wagon to make our way home about this time we hoth had chill and fever which made us very sick tho we only had to lay up half day but what one or the other could drive we passed massy iron works through Calledonia Farmington Fredericktown then hom got hom about the first of September beat Reed Cox hom about one week we geathered in our crops and disposed of our corn and started to move again about the last of November expecting to go our to the county about Thomasvill when we got to Logans creek we herd about the vacant land on Cane creek and ten mile we there hired a pilot to go down and show us when report com we all desired to turn our corse come to Cane creek and on 11 days of December 1841 we stretched camp on Cane creek about 8 miles avove where I now live that was on Saturday night Sunday morning we left camp com down Cane creek Monday looked at ten mile all decided to take Cane creek Turesday hitched up and made our way down through the brush as at that time there was no road each man begun to select him home as there was no person then hear to say yea or nay.
in the year 1843 the Scott Kearby Kittrells and other determined to start a camp ground on ten mile creek at a place owned by Jesse Scott now the Wilson place Reed Cox, Dudley Cox and myself went over and built us a camp and occupied it the next fall 1844 on the 8 day of September Reed Cox died Dudly Cox and myself continued to move occupied the camp for 4 years 1846 was the last meeting was had there as the land had changed hands in the fall of 1847 if we had any more camp meetings we had to select another set a day was appointed to meet on ten mile creek to consult and agree on som place Cane creek turned out with a force with very few others the Cane creek people fournd out that they were about all that would build and the principal part of the work would be done by the Cane Creek boys so it was decided if we had to do the work we would build som where on Cane creek and the place where the old camp ground was begun with a rush here me and Dudly (Cox) singled and each put him up a camp I believe the meeting commenced the 6 day of August 1847 with J. U. Kelley PE (Presiding Elder) Jet Proctor PC (probably means Preacher in Charge) with my self Dudly Cox John A. Walton Heardy Box Eiliza Mays and som others about 8 campers at this meeting there was an impression made on my mind that I was not what I should be about religion and had wrode down home one evening on returning to the meeting you claim to have ben converted about 8 years have you had that energy and perseverance in religious matters that you have in worldly matters when you under take to do anything if you cant excel you like to be up with any or take your gun and go hunting you tried to keill as many dear as any one else while in religion you don't seem to try to keep up no person by myself can tell how those impressions bore on my mind I then and there become determined if there was a briter evidenc in religion I would have it from this time forward I would seek and make the salvation of my soul the great leading desire of my heart at this camp meeting I obtained som brighter evidence but did not stop but from time to time the evidence growd brighter and brighter at this camp meeting Polley my oldest daughter professional religion on April 18, 1873 and wife died in infancy all the other children lived to have familys and members of M E C South (Methodist Episcopal Church South) all the above named camp ground meetings were held every year up to 1860 except 1855 this year we had 2 camp meetings 1861 war commenced by the close of the war the camps were about all roten down tho in the fall of 1865 there was held what was called the brush camp-meeting at which time we had a good meeting in the fall of 1866 there were som very good camps still standing at 3 springs near Black river so it was determined to move down there and have a camp meeting myself William S. King and dothers mobbed down there were several of our friends professed religion from which we got 2 preachers to wit R. Walton & Lafayett Hull now it was thout best under circumstances if we had any more camp meetings we must select a new site after looking around it was hard to find a place till I proposed to give the site where the church (Shiloh) now stands made a deed to Methodist Episcopal Church South 2 ? acres which is recorded 1867 the first camp meeting was held put up a fram from an arber the next fall 1868 Green Copeland was hired to cover said arber and paid dollars $50.00"
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