Nansemond-Isle of Wight-Sussex County Virginia USGenWeb Archives History.....Wellons, Rev. William B., D.D., 1969 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ Wellons Lived, Preached and Died During 'Troubled Years' Old Book Reveals Much About Early Christian Pastor By RICHARD LEE AUSTIN High upon a Suffolk hill stands a silent, impressive monument of stone dedicated to the memory of a man whose stone-like faith in his own beliefs influenced many people to join an infant religious movement during the latter part of the last century... a movement which spawned one of Suffolk's older churches, Suffolk Christian. Peaceful serenity prevails today around the final resting place of Dr. William Brock Wellons, D.D., as branches of ancient trees in the center of Cedar Hill Cemetery shroud a towering monument erected by the minister's friends. During his lifetime, however, Dr. Wellons knew much more of life than the peaceful side as he lived and preached his style of the Gospel when this Southside area was torn by the strife of the War Between the States. Dr. Wellons, who served as first pastor of what is now Suffolk United Church of Christ, died at his Suffolk home Feb. 16, 1877. He was interred in the church's "Willow Hill Cemetery," located near his own home on a site now used by the city as Pender Park. On Oct. 15 of that same year, a large group of people assembled at Willow Hill to pay homage to Dr. Wellons by dedicating the monument. Of pure, white marble, the monument, now a bit green with moss, was constructed by John P. Hall of Norfolk. Upon a base of granite, rest the marble pedestal bearing the inscription "Wellons" in large capital letters. Under the pedestal rest the die block, about two feet square and 30 inches high, inscribed on the front as follows: William B. Wellons Born In Sussex County, Va., Nov. 9, 1821 Died In Suffolk, Va., [Feb. 16,] 1877 On the rear of the monument appear these words of eulogy: "Dr. Wellons dedicated his heart to God at the early age of thirteen years; entered the ministry at twenty-four, and labored therein with great success for thirty-one years, leading thousands to the 'lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world.' He edited the CHRISTIAN SUN for more than 25 years, was a Mason of high order, a warm advocate of Temperance, and an earnest supporter of every measure promotive of the public good." Also, inscribed on the face of the stone are the words: "Erected by his many friends," and a carving of an open Bible and Masonic devices. A detailed account of that dedication ceremony, and many other aspects of Dr. Wellons' life are found, in an old, crumbling volume, "A Biographical Sketch of Dr. W.B. Wellons, D.D.," that has been in my family for several generations. The book, published in 1881, was the combined effort of Dr. Wellons' brother, J.W. Wellons, and Rev. R.H. Holland. A preface to the book, written by Dr. Wellons' brother, notes that "To prepare this volume is some of the last work I can do for my departed brother, whose body now quietly sleeps in Willow Hill Cemtery, Suffolk, Va., while his soul is with the redeemed in the mansions above." While the good doctor's brother is no longer on the earth to know about it, the Willow Hill "resting place" he mentions no longer exists as a cemetery. Dr. Wellons' body, his impressive monument, and 22 other bodies were moved from their original interment place in the Christian Church's old cemetery and reburied in Cedar Hill Cemetery in March 1932 after the church agreed to remove the bodies and leased the property to the city for use as a park. Writing about the monument, however, is a rather backward approach to the story of a man who lived a full life, and whose eloquent delivery of the Gospel message swelled the number of converts to the Christian doctrine to magnitudes in Eastern Virginia and North Carolina during the last half of the 19th Century. It all began in 1834 when a boy of 12 bowed for prayer for the first time in public at a "meeting held at a neighbor's home." The Rev. Mr. Holland, in my old book, recalls his first meeting with the young Wellons, before the latter entered the ministry. "I had heard Rev. William A. Jones (whom I frequently met at Holy Neck Church, Nansemond County, a pious and zealous man of God, then the pastor at Barrett's Church (Sussex County), where he held his membership, speak of him in the most hopeful terms as a young man of promise, who he thought would some day make a preacher," the Rev. Mr. Holland wrote. "About this time," Holland continues, "an article from his pen (which afterwards wielded such a power for good) appeared in the CHRISTIAN SUN, then published by Rev. D.W. Kerr at Hillsboro, N.C. I think it was headed, 'The Way is so Dark,' describing the death-bed scene of a young lady of his acquaintance, who died without hope. And whilst, perhaps, this was his first effort to appear in the public press, it showed a rare gift for writing, in one so young and inexperienced, and was spoken of by many in the most complimentary terms. "Having seen his article in the SUN, and heard our good brother Jones speak of him, I was a little anxious to meet him. It was not long, however, before I was permitted to gratify this desire; for it was my privilege to be at Union Church, Southampton County, where our good brother Jones also ministered in holy things." The year was 1845. At the conclusion of the service; the Rev. Mr. Holland recalled, Rev. Jones called upon a young man ... Wellons ... sitting near the entrance to the pulpit, to close by prayer. "The prayer was offered in quite a meek, unassuming manner, yet with fervor and freedom of speech. This prayer satisfied me that there was something good in the young man, and I felt a desire to form his acquaintance," he wrote. The Rev. Mr. Holland continues his description of Wellons at the age of 24. "The most casual observer could not fail to trace in the physiognomy of his face, something striking and unusual. I could but admire his broad, high forehead, his large, full blue eyes, seeming in their ready expression to blend the wisdom of the serpent with the harmlessness of the dove. His hair then, though dark, was not black, and his features regular and well delineated, indicative of high resolves and nobleness and firmness of purpose..." The Rev. Mr. Holland recalls that the first time he heard Wellons preach was at a religious assembly at "Old Chapel," in Isle of Wight County, where Antioch Christian Church now stands. He describes this as the turning point in the life of young Wellons, who a short time later entered the work of the ministry in the Eastern Virginia Christian Conference. He took charge of Damascus Church, Gates County, N.C., Cypress Chapel, Nansemond County, Antioch, Isle of Wight, and Bethlehem, Nansemond County - the last named church having been raised up under his own auspices. "Previous to its organization," the Rev. Mr. Holland states, "the community around was very immoral and irreligious - indeed noted for dissipation and vice. But soon, under his faithful ministrations, a great reformation was brought about." (NOTE: Cypress Church had a membership then of over 400, Rev. Holland wrote.) Under Dr. Wellons' guidance, Antioch Church grew from a membership of 75-100 to over 600, till it became the largest house of worship in the Eastern Virginia Christian Conference. Soon, this church became too large "to conveniently worship in one place, and other branch churches were deemed advisable. As a result, Mt. Carmel and Windsor Christian Churches were formed. Other churches also sprang up during Dr. Wellons' years as pastor. Included were Suffolk Christian, Berea at Driver and Oakland at Chuckatuck. When Dr. Wellons decided to give up the itinerant field and take a pastorate, he located in Suffolk, because it was a central point, easy of access from his whole charge, and a nucleus around which he could operate. In addition, he was assistant editor of the Christian Sun and Suffolk possessed good mail facilities. (Afterwards he became editor-in-chief, and the press and fixtures of the Sun were moved to Suffolk.) Up to this point Dr. Wellons' life was filled with his church work. Then, in 1861, the peaceful scene began to change. Even as the War Between the States was raging in '61, Dr. Wellons did not hesitate to advocate Southern rights in his newspaper, as much as the character of a religious journal would allow. In 1861 and 1862, quite a number of Confederate soldiers were stationed in and around Suffolk, and he kept himself well posted in all their movements and "made to himself many friends among the soldiers by his urbanity and kindness toward them and his vigilant watchings over the sick and dying in the hospitals." But, in May, 1862, the Confederate authorities decided to evacuate Norfolk, Suffolk and Smithfield, with the lower counties of Virginia and North Carolina, and the national cloud of darkness grew darker and thicker. The CHRISTIAN SUN, which "had been shining beautifully from Suffolk near the seacoast for seven years," was suspended. The SUN office there was taken over by Federal forces and its presses used to publish orders of the Federals, as it had done for the Confederates. Dr. Wellons decided to leave the city, going to minister to the needs of the Confederates in the battlefield. The ladies of Suffolk prepared a petition, which was presented to the Federal occupying authorities, asking that Rev. W.B. Wellons be permitted to go to the battlefield on the Peninsula to look after their wounded and dead friends. This was taken to General Mansfield (?) who was then in command, and Dr. Wellons was summoned before him. After some conversation, the General permitted him to go. In the words of Rev. Holland, the incident that followed is described: "As he left the office a soldier approached him with a sword in one hand, and a copy of the CHRISTIAN SUN in the other, demanding to know if he was the editor of that paper? He answered in the affirmative. When he demanded of him to know if he wrote a certain article, he answered that he did not write all that appeared in the paper. The soldier repeated the demand. About this time a sudden excitement was produced by a difficulty with one of the citizens (Mr. Richard Woodward, who they cruelly treated) and the soldier was attracted thither. Dr. Wellons went on on to the Provost Marshal's office, and there his permit was signed by them, after some delay. "But he had scarcely reached his home on Kilby Street, when he was again summoned back before the Provost Marshal, and again detained for awhile; but on his return all arrangements had been made for him to leave. He was soon on his way out of the lines, accompanied by a Sergeant of the Federal Army, by order of the Provost Marshal. He left behind his wife and his daughter an only child. Fat and healthy as he was then, weighing 270 pounds, he made his way through the scorching sun, by way of Petersburg and Richmond, down to the battlefields, speaking words of comfort to the hearts of those there wounded, sick or dying." On Oct. 29, 1862, he met his wife and little Florine (Flora) and the family servants on the Blackwater River, they having left their home in Suffolk, which was made into a Federal hospital. After a stop at his father's home in Sussex, the family moved on to Petersburg. Soon, Petersburg was being surrounded by degrees, and a decision was reached to send Mrs. Wellons and Florine to Alamance County, N.C. He stayed with General Robert E. Lee's army until the surrender, and the book mentions many instances of close calls, before he headed home at the war's end. The country about Suffolk had been laid to waste, many of its houses being in ashes and the farms fenceless. He concluded, however, to return and make an effort to rebuild his home and his churches. He took his little family and started across the country for "home" as train cars were not running over the railroads at the time. Reaching Suffolk, he found that what had been his home was now only a part of one. The doors, shutters and window sash and blinds were all gone. The house was abused of grease, spitting, cotting, carving, penciling, filth and every cause conceivable, to damage what remained of it. Pailings were gone, fencing burned and a beautiful yard destroyed, and the shrubbery all taken up and gone. The printing office and fixtures were all removed and it was simply a frame without floor and weatherboarding. Other houses of all kinds were in like condition. Thus, he was almost homeless and without furniture, except for a few pieces saved by a friend. He rolled up his sleeves and began the task of rebuilding. Only a few days passed, however, before an officer dressed in blue came and arrested him and carried him to Norfolk. He was charged with being a leading spirit in the rebellion. Through the intercession of a Federal officer, influenced by his wife (who at the offset of the War had been married to a Confederate captain), Dr. Wellons was released and permitted to return to his home. The indebtedness of the new church in Suffolk, by this time, had begun to be agitated and had to be met, as the subscription was lost by the destruction of the men and property in and about Suffolk. Bethlehem had been made floorless and used as barracks for a long time by the Federal pickets and even for stabling horses, and the remaining plaster was smoked black and the "whole a mass of ruin." Cypress, Damascus, Berea and Antioch all received some injuries, more or less. So, Dr. Wellons had his work cut out for him. He worked and worked and worked, but at last his health began to fail, to 1876, when the time came for the Conference to meet in Suffolk, for the first time in many long years, he was absent. He died in February the following year. [photo, captioned:] Impressive monument marks Dr. Wellons' "final" resting place. [engraving, captioned:] Dr. Wm. Brock Wellons, DD [not correctable] [engraving, captioned:] Suffolk Christian Church... 1860 Style Rev. William Brock WELLONS, D.D., Christian minister, Confederate chaplain, editor of "The Christian Sun," b. 9 Nov 1821, Sussex Co., d. 16 Feb 1877, Suffolk, interred in Willow Hill Cemetery, Suffolk, moved to Cedar Hill Cemetery (Block C, Lot 64*), Suffolk, Mar 1932, "Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 47, No. 52, Sun., Mar. 2, 1969, Section II, p. 11 - Feature Page [blocks out of sequence] *Additional information: Cedar Hill list, an extension of the Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/cemeteries/cedar_v.txt Photos of his markers & one of him are posted with Find A Grave Memorial #9799823. His obit ("Staunton Spectator," Feb. 20, 1877, p. 2) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/obits/w452w5ob.txt A report on the organization of the Christian Church South, and its early ministers & missionaries, to the 36th regular session of the Southern Convention of Congregational Christian Churches, Reidsville, 2 May 1944, by Prof. W.E. MacClenny, appears in an article ("Suffolk News-Herald," May 3, 1944, p. 7) posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/isleofwight/history/chr_chs.txt A more in-depth history of the Christian Church South, also by Prof. MacCLENNY, focusing on it's founder, Rev. James O'KELLY, ("Suffolk News-Herald," Apr. 4-8, 1941) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/history/chr_ch.txt Newpaper articles (text corrected) at: https://virginiachronicle.com/ Antioch Christian Church, near Windsor, is the mother church of the remaining Christian congregations in Isle Of Wight Co. - Mout Carmel, Isle Of Wight & Windsor. (King, "Historical Notes on Isle Of Wight County," p. 317 &c.) Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/history/w452wwdd.txt