Letter from Rev. Thomas Meredith to James Dixon Roberts, 1886, Caldwell Parish Submitted by Pat Ezell January 14, 2000 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Columbia, La. May 5th, 1886 Mr. James D. Roberts, Amite County Mifs (sic) My beloved old Brother and special friend in the Lord Jesus Christ who would have all men to be saved, but especially them that believe in him and serve him. With your valuable letter before me bearing date of March 26th, I now seat myself with trembling hand to reply. I had waited to (sic) long for a letter from you and none came, and knowing your situation had about concluded the good Lord had sent his Angel after you to carry you home to that blest abode. The Paradice (sic) of god where all his dear children will meet, Thank god for his unspeakable mercies. And now my dear old Brother, what shall I write, first I will say, our covenant is yet fresh in my mind, and believe it has been good for me because when I feel cast down and dejected in Spirit, I then know I have one old brother thats praying for me. Seccondly, (sic) I do thank my god for the strong hope and consolation of his holy Spirit in bearing you up in the midts (sic) of your severest afflictions and in the face of death to enable you to say with the apostle Paul, oh, death where is thy Sting, O, grave where is thy victory. The Sting of death is Sin and the Strength of Sin is the Law. But thanks be to god which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, death will soon be swallowed up in victory. Then my old Brother you will sing that new song. Glory to god and the lamb forever and forever more world without end. I have noticed your meeting with your children, grandchildren, brethren and friends and neighbors. Oh my brother, I know it was a grand meeting and when I read about it, I said I wished I could have been there too, oh how I would have enjoyed it. The close of the meeting is what I liked. The prayer meeting oh I know the throne of grace was often sought and I do hope the Lord has, & will continue to answer the petitions sent up that day. My old Brother, I know it is a great satisfaction to know you have two sons engaged in the work of the Ministry. I bid them gods speed and hope the Lord may add many Seals to their ministry. I am not trying to preach but verry little now. The Spirit is just as willing as it ever was, but the body is too weak. I am gitting (sic) quite feeble. I dont go to meeting much because of my crippled condition. It seems were it not for that I could get (sic) about right smart, my general health is as good as could be expected of my age which is 83. There was an old Brother past away a few days ago about 88 years of age. I dont know of but one more older than I am in this whole country. My Brother, I have been enjoying your correspondence for many years past which has always been sweet to one, but my Brother, I know it will soon have to close. Who then will bear the sad tidings. I here then, make this proposition. If I pafs (sic) out first, will have you informed by some one of my family and if you are called away first, have me informed by some one of your family. But as long as we remain here let us keep up our correspondence, and continue to write to each other. I am sorry my Brother to inform you that Religion is rather at a low ebb in this country. The churches are doing but verry (sic) little here, are cold, with no revivals at all. Through affliction and febleness (sic) I was compelled to give up the Pastorial charge of the old church of my membership which I had for Forty and three years. They called another man to take charge of the church but they have never done well and are much divided and torn up. This hurts my feelings verry (sic) much, but I cant help it. My Brother, you write of the Prohobition (sic) cause in your country. This has been tried at again and again by various states, counties and parishes, but with a small exception have prety (sic) much failed. We tried it here a few years ago and succeeded in gitting (sic) Mr. Whiskey voted out, but it only lasted one short year, when it was voted in again and they are going it again as before. Where is Ephraim Foreman. You did not name him. Where is he, and what is he doing. Is he Preaching much. I think from what he told me when he was here, that he had cut loose from the old Episcopal Methodist church and had joined in with the Protestant church. This, then causes me to enquire of you what denomination of Methodist do you hold to. Is it Episcopal, Protestants, or Free methodist, or Free love. I merely enquire for information. The cotton here last year was quite sorry. The corn crop was pretty good, but yet many persons are scarce of corn. What the present crop may do, I cannot tell. It is the latest, and most backward spring I almost ever saw. The people here are not near done planting yet, and that wich (sic) is, is not growing, and does not look well. It is predicteed (sic) that there will be an overflow in the River this spring. All the talk here now is the rail Road, running from Fort Scot, down through Arkansas, to Monroe, by Columbia, and down to Alexandria. I take no intrest (sic) about it whatever. Now I must close, give Aunt Lovey my best regards, also Brother Ephraim and family, and to your own dear old Selfe (sic) and family a large, large portion. May the Lord our god blefs (sic you in your affliction and save us in heaven is my prayer for christ sake. Do try and let me hear from you again. Your old Brother in christ. Thomas Meredith _______________ NOTES: This original letter was provided to Pat Ezell on 14 April 1998 by Lena "Bobbie" Roberts Bullock, of Jena, La Salle Parish, LA., dgt. of Henry Dixon Roberts. It was among the papers of Thomas Jefferson Roberts (b.13 April 1846, Amite County, MS - d.21 August 1916, Jena, La Salle Parish, LA). At one time the letter had been in the possession of Ettie Lena Roberts Ford (b.8.Dec.1893, Gloster, Amite Co. MS - d.26 July 1987, Jena, La Salle Parish, LA),daughter of Thomas Jefferson Roberts, and, who, along with Ed Roberts (1919-1995) of Monroe, LA., is credited with much of the original research of this Roberts family. Tom Roberts was the son of James Dixon Roberts to whom the letter was written. As much as possible, the original spellings, capitalization and punctuation has been included. It was customary in this period of time to make a symbol immediately prior to a double consonant in a word. This symbol appears similar to an "f" of sometimes a "p". For the purposes of these letters the letter "f" has been used rather than entering the consonant which was usually an "s". In addition, (sic), has been inserted. Rev. Thomas Meredith, born: 7 June 1803, Fairfield District, SC - died: 1887, Caldwell Parish, LA. Buried: Old Mount Pleasant Cemetery, (about 7 miles west of Columbia, State Route 4) Columbia, Caldwell Parish, LA. Son of John & Catherine Meredith; grandson of Thomas R. Meredith, Sr. and Abigail Naley. Thomas Meredith, Sr. died in Amite County, MS in 1812. (Probate record in Amite County, MS). Apparently Thomas Meredith and his family moved from Amite County, MS around 1828-9 to a part of Catahoula Parish, LA that later became Caldwell Parish, LA. While in Amite County, MS, he married Lucinda "Lucy"Adeline Faust (born: 26 May 1807, SC - died: 14 Nov. 1864, buried: Old Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Columbia, Caldwell Parish, LA) on 6 Nov. 1823. She was the dgt. of W. James Faust, Sr. After her death, he married Mary Humble (1812-1891) on 12 June 1867, Caldwell Parish, LA. According to H.Ted Woods in his book, Caldwell Parish in Slices: Biographies, Continuing a Brief History of Caldwell Parish, La 1838-1971, c1983, Claitor's Pub. Div, Baton Rouge, LA., Thomas Meredith and Lucy Faust had the following children: John James Meredith (b.21 Nov. 1825 - d.12 Feb 1889) married: Celina Cole (Hardscrabble Plantation) Asa M. Meredith (b.10 Apr. 1827 - d. 18 Oct 1902) married: Elizabeth Peters Henry M. Meredith (b.27 Sep. 1828 - 24 Jan. 1883) married m1) Elizabeth W.Kirkland m2) Sarah Anne Jones Jeptha Meredith (b.1829 - ) Ansley A. Meredith (b.28 March 1830) married Sarah Frances Kirkland Harmon Meredith (b.1832 - died 1863, siege of Vicksburg) - married Palmyra Caffrey Dempsey Meredith (b.1835 - ) Loretta Catherine Meredith (b.1837 - ) married W.M. Guice Mary Meredith (b. 1839 - ) Cynthia Meredith (b. 1847 - ) Woods reported that Thomas Meredith was a Baptist minister and helped organize many early Baptist churches in the hill section of Caldwell Parish, La., one of which was the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church (organized 1844) and still active as of 1983. He also helped organize the Hebron Baptist Church, Old Union, Harmony Grove Baptist, Palestine (Ward 5) and Old Bethel, (4 miles west of Clarks). He was the first postmaster at Mt. Pleasant when the post office was established on September 19,1847. He was involved in the organization of the Knights of the White Camellias in Caldwell Parish, a short time after the end of the Civil War and was one of the lieutenants. A portrait of Thomas Meredith is reported to hang on the wall behind the pulpit of the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Caldwell Parish, LA. Although these letters refer to James Dixon Roberts as "Brother," no biological relationship between Thomas Meredith and James Dixon Roberts is known. There are also references to "Aunt Lovey." Again, no biological relationship between Thomas Meredith and Lovey Taylor are known, but this is not an impossibility as the Taylor relationships and various family members have not been as well defined in this transcriber's research. James Dixon Roberts (born 16 Dec. 1815, probably Franklin or Amite County, MS - died 12 Nov. 1887, Bewelcome, Amite County, MS) was the son of Abraham Roberts III and Sarah Taylor (1796-1883). Sarah Taylor and Lovey Taylor (1800-1894) were sisters. In 1840, James Dixon Roberts married Elizabeth Foreman, (b. 2 Sep. 1824- d.Nov. 1890, MS) who was a daughter of Edward Foreman and Phoebe Stampley of Amite County, MS. There is reference in one letter to his having two sons who were "engaged in the work of the ministry." This writer only knows of one son who officially became a Minister, and that was Rev. Nathan James Roberts (1853-1917) who married Emma M. Van Norman, daughter of William Lester Van Norman and Rhoda Wilkinson of Amite County, MS. However, this transcriber's great grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Roberts (1846-1916), although not formally educated as a Minister, was known to get up and preach at church services on Sunday until the Circuit Minister arrived. Reference is made in a letter to the loss of a daughter by James Dixon Roberts. This refers to the 1883 death of Margaret Mary Jane Roberts (1849-1883) who, in 1869, had married Zachariah Jefferson Wilkinson, son of John Cain Wilkinson and Philadelphia Van Norman. Reference is made in the letters to Ephraim J. Forman. There are two known Ephraim J. Foreman's. The one to whom Thomas Meredith is likely referring is Rev. Ephraim James Foreman (1820-1895), son of Edward James Foreman and Phoebe Stampley, and brother, to Elizabeth Foreman, wife of James Dixon Roberts. Rev. Ephraim James Foreman married Amanda Fitzal Roberts (1818-1905) on 13 Jan 1842. She was the daughter of Robert Middleton Roberts (1786-1843) and Lovey Taylor(1800-1894). The other Ephraim J. Foreman was born about 1840 also in Amite County, MS. He was the son of Abraham Foreman and Mary Melvina Roberts. He married Amanda S. Anders in 1864 and then after her death, married Frances L. Anders in 1875. Mention is made in one letter to the sons of Enoch Harris. Although this writer has limited information on the Harris family, it is known he had a son named Elijah Harris. Enoch Harris was born about 1827 in MS, and was the son of Elijah Harris and Mary Dunn. He married Rachel Roberts who had previously been married to a Collins. Rachel Roberts was the daughter of Robert Middleton Roberts (1787-1843) and Lovey Taylor (1800-1894, Amite County, MS). The reference to Stephen Butler is Stephen Heard Butler (b.3 Feb 1811-d.4 May 1858), son of John Butler (b.1784, Hancock County, GA - d. 1852, Caldwell Parish, LA) and Elizabeth "Gincy" Heard (1789-1864, Caldwell Parish, LA). Stephen Heard Butler was married to Sallie Meredith (b. 27 Sep. 1829 - d. 18 Apr. 1884), sister to Thomas Meredith. Thomas Meredith made reference in his letter to his sister's illness and the fact that she couldn't survive much longer. She died approximately one month after he wrote the letter to James Dixon Roberts. This writer has been unable to determine the identify of "old Peggy" and her "sons-in-law, Hammoch and Hunt." The identity of "Johny Dun" has also been undetermined as there were a number of John or Jonathan Dunn's. Transcribed and submitted for posting to Rootsweb, Caldwell Parish Archives by Pat Ezell, a descendant of James Dixon Roberts. PatEzell@worldnet.att.net