Hancock Co GA BIOS: Jesse Brown Battle Submitted by Barbara Walker Winge Barwinge@bellsouth.net *********************************************************************** * USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** Jesse Brown Battle Jesse Brown Battle was born in Hancock County, Georgia, September 3d, 1788. His father was William Lamar Battle, a good soldier in the War of Independence. His mother's maiden name was Sarah Whitehead. His paternal grandmother was Sarah Warren, of the Family of Gen. Warren, of revolutionary fame. He died December 2d, 1869, in the 82d year of his age. When the scroll on which Heaven registers the names of the good And useful, through every age, shall be unrolled for the inspection of men and angels, high on the list, will be found the name of him whose virtures these lines are designed to commenorate. There is an ancient heathen maxim, founded alike in wisdom and propriety, which bids us "say nothing of the dead but what is good." This injunction, in the present instance, can be obeyed without a shadow of violence to truth, for Jesse Battle was a good husband, father, citizen, and more than all, a faithful minister of Jesus Christ. He was one of those men who almost seem to have been born to piety and good works, no part of his life, even before conversion, having been given to dissolute courses, such as too often characterize the young men of every generation. He professed faith in the Savior when only sixteen years of age, and was baptized by Rev. Jesse Mercer into the Powelton church, of which he was pastor, in 1804. From that period until the day of his death he was one "whose doctrine and whose life, coincident gave lucid proof that he was honest in the sacred cause." He surely deserved the high encomium paid to barnabas, "He was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost, and of faith." He was married to Miss Martha Rabun, oldest daughter of Governor Rabun, February 23d, 1815. She was one of the lovelist and most amiable of her sex. Religion was her guiding star. It has often been remarked of her that, with the same opportunities, she would have equalled Ann Hasseltine Judson. It can truly be said of this Christian couple that "they walked together in all the Commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." He brought up his children in the nurture and admoninition of the Lord. No better evidence of the care and love bestowed on them do we need than that they loved him devotedly while living, and now mourn for him that he is removed. He was the father of nine children, and except one who died in infancy, they were a baptized household. Only four sons survive him. He was a good citizen, although he did not leave his ministry to take part in politics, as so many of his contemporaries did, in the times of party excitement, in which his last days were passed; his great influence was ever thrown on the side of law and order. While rendering to God the things that are God's, he never forgot to render to Ceasar the things that are Ceasar's. He was especially a good minister. His ordination to the Baptist ministry occured in 1818. The Presbytery was composed of no ordinary men, for among them we find the names of Revs. Jesse Mercer and B. M. Sanders. Those revered fathers on that solemn occasion, laid their hands on one whose labors would entitle him to a place with themselves in the catalogue of "the excellent of the earth," for hundreds have been saved through his instrumentality, and he exerted an influence for good in our denomination which eternity alone can fully reveal. His first pastorate was with the church at Mount Zion, Hancock County, in which county he labored the most of his life. For about twenty years he was pastor of our churches at Island Creek, Bethel, Darien, and Beulah. As a pastor he was enimently successful. Hundreds were baptized by him and built up in the faith of the Gospel. The churches under his charge grew and flourished, and were noted for zeal, purity and benevolence. He was remarkably cautious in the examination of candidates for baptism, and none were admitted without safisfactory evidence of genuine conversion. As a preacher he was lucid, impressive and interesting. His thoughts often came too fast for utterance, which occasionally gave him the appearance being hurried. His personal appearance was fine. About five feet eleven inches in height, and with well formed features, and a countance ever beaming with kindness, he would attract notice in any group. His advantages for education in early life were limited, but with A strong, vigorous mind and close application, he attained Sufficient proficiency to render him a good minister of Jesus Christ; for he made the Bible, "the man of his cousel," and was a pure Gospel preacher. He taught the doctrines as laid down in Scripture, and followed no cunningly devised fables. He was emphatically a Baptist... He died at a very advanced age, at the house of his son, John R. Battle, a planter in Sumter County, Georgia, having survived his noble wife for many years. His fellow-laborers were Revs. R. Gunn, Wm. H. Stokes, Benjamin Roberts, and Asa Duggan. With these well beloved breathren he toiled long and arduously, with eminent success. His labors on earth are ended; he had passed to his reward. As we behold his godly example, let us obey the Scripture injunction and "be followers of those, who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises." How pleasant the thought that his mantle has fallen on his grandson, Rev. Andrew J. Beck, of the Baptist Church at Milledgeville, Georgia. Ref: The Christian Index, HISTORY OF THE BAPTIST DENOMINATION IN GEORGIA WITH BIOGRAPHICAL COMPENDIUM, 1881, Jas. P. Harrison & Co., Atlanta, GA, pp. 27-28.