Georgia, Elbert County, Biography of Dozier Thornton

Dozier Thornton Biography, GA File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives 
by Laura Stotler 
Lstotler@aol.com
Source: Georgia Baptists: Historical and Biographical by J. H. Campbell. 
Macon, Georgia: J. W. Burke & Company, 1874, p. 241 
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Dozier Thornton Biography, GA File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives 
by Laura Stotler 
Lstotler@aol.com
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Dozier Thornton

The subject of this notice was also a Virginian. Lunenburg county was the 
place of his birth, which occurred April 14th, 1755. His father's name was 
Mark Thornton, and his mother's Susannah Dozier. The former was a High 
Churchman and the latter a Baptist. In youth he was fond of playing on the 
violin and other instruments. When he left the paternal roof, he engaged in 
the business of overseeing in the upper part of North Carolina, where he had 
opportunities of hearing the gospel from the lips of a Baptist minister of 
the name of Lunsford.
The word was sanctified to his conviction, and after enduring great distress 
of mind for several weeks, he was enabled to embrace Christ as his Saviour 
while following his plough in the field. He immediately ungeared his horse, 
went to the house of his employer, (a widow woman,) and told her and the 
family of the great things God had don for his soul. He then asked permission 
to talk to the servants, which being granted, he exhorted them to forsake 
their sins and turn to God. Thus he began to preach Jesus before he joined 
the church. He was baptized by Elder Lunsford, and soon thereafter ordained 
by him and others.
He soon extended his labors far and wide, and preached incessantly. Several 
churches were raised up as the fruits of his early labors. After his marriage 
to a Miss Hill, he removed to Georgia and settled in Elbert county, about the 
year 1784.
The brethren in North Carolina whom he left so reluctantly, obtained a 
promise from him to visit them as often as possible. He accordingly made 
several tours back to the old North State, in one of which he experienced a 
gracious revival in one of his old churches and baptized a considerable 
number. During his journeys to and from North Carolina, many things occurred 
which are worthy of being recorded. A few of these only can we introduce 
here. Stopping at a house one evening, where he intended to pass the night, 
he saw some signs which led him to inquire of his host "If the family had 
been to meeting?" "Yes." "To a Baptist meeting?" "No, they area a people that 
I hate; I would not give house room to any of them." "You must, then, turn me 
out of doors, for I am a Baptist. But what objections have you to the 
Baptists?" "They are an ignorant people, and I will not come down so low as 
to talk to them." His horse was immediately brought out, and our preacher 
left the inhospitable abode of his Episcopal landlord.
On another occasion, he met a female near one of his appointments, whom he 
asked, "Have you heard of meeting at such a place?" "Yes." "Are you not 
going?" "No, I can't go; I have no shoes to wear." Having passed her a short 
distance, it occurred to him that he had but one dollar; yet, as the 
scripture came to his mind, "He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord," 
he turned around, and calling the woman, gave her that one dollar, telling 
her to buy herself shoes and go to meeting hereafter-then went on his way 
with a light heart. He was then three hundred miles from home, and not a cent 
in his pocket. Having reached his appointment and preached, however, his 
brethren (who knew nothing of his want of funds,) presented him with four 
dollars.
Late one evening he rode up to a house. The woman was engaged in milking 
cows. The first salutation was, "I say, good woman, are you a christian?" "I 
hope so?" Having obtained her husband's consent to pass the night with them, 
he alighted. Supper over, he asked the woman to give a reason for the hope 
she professed. She related a sound christian experience, whereupon he 
inquired, "Why have you not been baptized?" "It is what I have greatly 
desired, but there is no church within some forty miles of us, and I have as 
yet had no opportunity to obey the Saviour's command in this matter." "Are 
you willing for me to baptize you now?" "Yes, by all means." A torch was soon 
prepared by her husband; they three repaired to a creek some half a mile 
distant, where he buried this believing woman in baptism. The next morning he 
left with her a certificate of her baptism and proceeded on his tour.
The same day he came in sight of a fine dwelling, discoverable through a 
beautiful avenue, shaded with trees in either side. A strong impression came 
upon his mind to go up to the house and pray for its inhabitants. Without 
hesitation, he turned up the avenue. The lady came to the door, to whom he 
promptly stated his errand. She kindly invited him to alight and come in, and 
though neither she nor any of the family made any pretensions to religion, 
the strange preacher was treated with great respect. The husband being 
absent, the lady, two sons and two daughters, with the domestics, listened to 
the good man's exhortation, his song, an bowed with him in prayer, while he 
fervently plead with God on their behalf. This done, he bade them farewell 
and departed, expecting to see them no more this side of the eternal world. 
Several months afterwards, two strange young men came into Elbert county, 
inquiring for Rev. Dozier Thornton, who proved to be the sons of the family 
above referred to, and who, with their mother and sisters, had, by his visit, 
all been awakened to a sense of their lost condition as sinners, had been 
hopefully converted, and had now traveled all the way from North Carolina to 
seek baptism at the hands of him whose prayer had been answered in their 
salvation. They were accordingly baptized and returned homewards rejoicing.
For a time, in connection with Thomas Johnson and Littleton Meeks, he acted 
as a missionary to the Cherokee Indians.
A flourishing church, situated on Hightower river, was constituted and kept 
among them until their emigration to the West. In this service he endured 
great deprivations and hardships. Once he and Littleton Meeks lost their way 
among the mountains and after traveling until a late hour at night, they were 
compelled to take up in the woods, without fire or food, and wait for the 
dawning of the day. They were prevented from closing their eyes in sleep by 
the barking of the foxes and the howling of the wolves.
The churches at Dover's creek and Van's creek were raised up under his 
ministry soon after he came to Georgia, of which he was pastor near forty 
years, with the exception of about twenty months, which he spent in Kentucky. 
He removed to that State with a view to a permanent residence, but soon 
became convinced that he was not acting under the guidance of Providence, and 
returned to his old neighborhood in Elbert county, where he spent the 
remainder of his life. It is related of him that on one of his journeys to 
Kentucky he fell in with a family among the mountains, living in a small, 
fertile valley, which was thickly settled by a most irreligious community. 
Finding out that he was a preacher, they invited him to stop for the night, 
promising that they would blow the horn in a certain manner, which would 
cause the neighbors to collect, when he could preach to them. He was the more 
willing to comply when he was assured there had not been a sermon preached 
among them for twelve years. About sunset, the horn was accordingly blown, 
and he had a congregation of about thirty, to whom he dispensed the word. The 
most of them were much affected and begged him to leave an appointment for 
his return. He accordingly agreed to preach to them again on a certain 
evening on his way home. When he did return, however, it was with several 
other travelers, with whom he was desirous to keep company through the Indian 
nation, as it was perilous to pass through that region alone. As they would 
not wait, however, he permitted them to leave him behind. His meeting in the 
valley of the mountains was one of so much interest, that he concluded to 
continue, waiting upon the Lord several days. He accordingly held a 
protracted meeting, baptized a goodly number of believers, whom he 
constituted into a church. With one of their number, who seemed to possess a 
gift for teaching, he left his Bible and hymn book, admonishing him and his 
brethren to continue faithful unto death.
About a year afterwards, Mr. Thornton, after spending a restless night, rose 
early one morning and told his wife he must go and see his children whom he 
had left in the wilderness. The same day he was on the road. When he reached 
the valley, to his surprise he found the people had erected a comfortable 
house for the worship of God, and that many others had experienced saving 
grace through the instrumentality of him with whom he had left his Bible and 
hymn book. This brother Mr. Thornton ordained, the new converts were 
baptized, they were all commended to the care of the Good Shepherd, and he 
bade them farewell, to see their faces no more on earth.
He raised eight sons and eleven daughters, all of whom are members of the 
church except one. Rev. Reuben Thornton, an excellent minister, was one of 
his children. He departed this life in Franklin county, in this State, in 
September, 1843, in the ninetieth year of his age.