July 10, 1875
Transcribed by Debra Tumlin. We owe her a big thanks for her efforts.
THE RECORD
CEDARTOWN, GA, July 10, 1875
Early History of Polk County
BY ONE OF THE FIRST SETTLERS
Continued
The Cedartown Baptist Church remained at the old academy until the new and present church was built in 1852-3.
I must go back to 1833. Ephraim Mabry and Henry Peek, afterwards prominent citizens, moved to the valley in the fall of 1833. Mabry was truly a good and worthy man. he joined our slick company and done good service -- was a Clark Democrat, and the husband of the amiable Mrs. Mabry who resides near Cedartown. Henry Peek was quite an old man, a revolutionary soldier, and at that time near seventy years of age, and drawing a pension from the government, but was a sprightly as a boy and as vicious as an __. He spent his opinion freely to any and every body and was as independent as a wood sawyer. He was a good judge of corn whisky, and used as much of it as he pleased, and when and where he pleased. With all his peculiarities he was a good, honest man and much respected. He died in 1840 or 41. Many good citizens resided on Tallapoosa river -- Wyatt Williams, Nathan Gahn, Wm. Philpot, Joe Hobbs, Galamore, Renfroe, Witcher, Wm. Hogue, John Y. Algood, Wilkerson. And on Euharloe was J.C. York, J.C. Derott, Carnes, and others, and on Pumpkin Vine was Bryson, Broughton, Box, Adier, McBrayer, Colium, Lawrence, Parlier; and on Raccoon creek was E.R. Forsyth, Hartville, Lee, Buck, Hicks. Those are some who were here at the organization of the county, and some of them are here yet. I must not forget to tell of the great phenomenon of the falling stars in October, 1833, of which I was an eye witness.
I and three other gentlemen slept that night in a little Indian hut. One was a Methodist preacher, one a Baptist, and the other a very wicked drinking man. I and the __ slept on the same bed. A little before day my bed fellow got up and went to the door, and yelled out “Lord of mercy, the whole world is one fire; everything will be burned up in ten minutes.” Up jumped the preacher with a loud groan, followed by the Baptist. On getting to the door, the preacher commenced, “Lord have mercy upon us.” He was soon down upon his knees, praying the most __ prayer for his Lord to help and stay. His hand __ . He had suddenly caught so many unprepared, followed up by the Baptist brother, “grant it, Lord send it, Lord help; help us now!” As to myself, I was not frightened much. I sat up in bed and looked out through a crack and saw a thousand torches and blazes passing and repassing in every direction. I fell down in bed and covered up head and arms, and even then got so cold that I had an old fashioned buck ague. I thought I would not see myself burn up, but a great lump came up in my throat, and it continued to grow larger and larger, and at last a Negro woman, who saw the falling stars, screamed out at the top of her voice, “Oh, Miss Katie, the world is on fire -- we are all burning up, oh, Lord, what shall I do?” I thought her clothes were in a blaze. About this time you ought to have seen me come out of that bed. I ran over preacher and Baptist. Had I stayed in bed a minute longer, I believe that I would have bursted wide open. I thought the fool Negro had ran through the blaze and her clothes had caught on fire, and she would run in the house and there would be a general conflagration. I belted out of the house and thought to myself, “I will bow my neck and die like a man.” I didn’t preach nor pray, but I am sure I done some mighty good thinking. I ran in a stupid posture when I first came out of the house, fearing that a blaze might strike me, and I was afraid to look. The whole clements were in a __ with blazes and torches of fire. A little fright finally wore off and I could look at things as they __. The preacher and the Baptist that I __ ran over were up and at the __. By this time the fright was about over and we began to conjecture as to the result of this awful phenomenon. The preacher was quite an old man, and could come to no definite conclusion. He did have several scriptional interpretations, but nothing satisfactory. He suggested war and famine; that God, in his wisdom, had warned people in many ways for their __. I think he was truly a __ man, and I never shall forget words of consolation in a time of this fearful excitement.
This winds up all the important matters up to December, 1883.
Faithfully transcribed as printed on July 4, 1999. Debra Tumlin