Unknown County GaArchives Biographies.....Newton, William 1818 - 1861
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 February 4, 2005, 4:59 pm

Author: J. H. Campbell

WILLIAM NEWTON.

  This highly gifted man was born in Warren county, Tennessee, February 28th,
1818. His parents were poor, and thinking they might improve their worldly
condition, they removed to McMinn county, while William was yet an infant. His
father, Edward Newton, was a Baptist minister. The subject of this sketch gave
evidence of a change of heart, and was baptized before he attained to manhood.
But little is known of his early years, except that his education was quite
limited, and that he grew up in the midst of extremely rude society.

  When only in his eighteenth year, he married his first wife, Miss Temperance
Smith, January, 1835. Soon thereafter he was licensed to preach the gospel, but
he seems to have entered upon the work with many misgivings. In the fall of
1839, he set out with his little family to Missouri. But, for some cause, he was
permitted to proceed no further than Southeastern Illinois, where his wife died,
October 1st, 1840, leaving three small children. With these helpless ones, (the
infant being only three months old,) he undertook to return to his friends in
Tennessee, and was actually successful in his undertaking, making the whole
distance in a one-horse carriage, and alone, except his dependent charge.

  The following year, 1841, he married his second wife, who proved to be an
help-meet indeed. While in Illinois, Jonah like, he did not make himself known
as a preacher of the gospel, and it would seem that, like Jonah, he was fleeing
from his duty. But upon his return to his native State, he threw himself fully
into the work, and was soon ordained, at the request of the Oostanaula church,
by Revs. Edward Newton and William Forrest. In this region he preached
acceptably for several years; yet his usefulness, as well as his improvement,
was much hindered by the policy of the churches, which was to require their
ministers to preach while they withheld from them all pecuniary assistance. It
was in this state of things that Mr. Newton fell in with an eminent minister of
upper Georgia, Rev. Edwin Dyer, through whose influence a new field of labor was
opened up to him in Walker county, which he entered in 1847. Here he was soon
employed by the Coosa Association as a domestic missionary, was well sustained,
and was enabled to increase his library and to devote a portion of his time to
study.

  Eight years of the prime of his life were spent in Chattooga county, serving
the village churches of Lafayette and Summerville, and several country churches,
all of which prospered under his ministry. His growing popularity, however,
proved a snare to him, for in 1850 he must needs study law. He was admitted to
the bar and entered upon the practice with encouraging prospects; yet his
prosperity in this respect was destined to be short-lived, for the Lord began to
deal with him so as to bring him back to his duty. Severe affliction was visited
upon his family, his wife having been confined to her bed for six months, and a
favorite child being removed by death. The courts had no jurisdiction in such
cases. On his way to one of his courts, he lost his way in the mountains and
spent the night in much peril and anxiety. During those hours of darkness and
suffering, he was constrained to renew his resolution to devote his life to the
ministry of the Word. Thenceforth his whole time was demanded by the churches,
and he was better sustained than formerly. He gave up the practice of law and
resumed his legitimate work with redoubled energy and zeal.

  In the fall of 1857 he removed to Cave Spring, Floyd county, devoting half his
time to the church there and the balance to neighboring churches. Here, also,
his ministry was much blessed. His churches had peace and prosperity, and their
numbers were increased by the addition of new converts. He continued in this
field until death terminated his career, which event occurred August 4th, 1861,
in the forty-fourth year of his age. He had raised a company for the service of
the Confederate Government in the late war, but was prevented from leading it
into active service by an attack of typhoid dysentery, of which he died in ten
days. He spoke freely of his approaching end, expressing the most unwavering
faith in Christ. Among his last words were, "I shall soon be at rest with
Jesus,” repeating with holy ecstacy the word "rest, rest!"

  His doctrinal views were decidedly Calvinistic, and, while he had Christian
fellowship for all good men, he was a most decided Baptist in sentiment, and on
all suitable occasions was ready to maintain his views as such. In fact, he had
several public disputations with poedo-Baptists, in which he displayed great
tact and ability, considering his deficiency in education.

  Mr. Newton was fully six feet in height, of a robust constitution, fine
personal appearance, had a rich, sonorous voice, which he never strained in
speaking, and was naturally a most captivating and powerful preacher.


Additional Comments:
From:

GEORGIA BAPTISTS: HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL
BY
J. H. CAMPBELL,
PERRY, GEORGIA.


MACON, GA.: J. W. BURKE & COMPANY. 1874.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by
J. H. CAMPBELL,
In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.


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