For fifty years Rev. S. H. Henry, of Sumach, Ga., has preached to the people of that community. His ancestors were of Scotch-Irish origin. His grandfather, Henry, emigrated from Virginia in 1795 and located in Blount County, Tenn. His grandmother was born in Pennsylvania. His father professed religion in the revival of 1800, and united with the Presbyterian Church at Brick Mill, Tenn. He was elected an elder in that congregation, but refused to serve because he could not adopt the Westminster Confession of Faith. He and his wife united with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church as soon after its organization as they had opportunity. He was elected an elder in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and was noted for his great power in prayer. S. H. Henry was born at Brick Mill, Blount County, Tenn., June 5, 1827. In 1832 his father removed from Blount County to the Ocoee purchase of the Cherokee Indians. A little later he moved across the border into the Indian country, and six years of his life were spent among the Indians. His education was received largely in the country schools of that day, although he spent some years in Hiwassee College. He made a profession of religion in his fourteenth year at Ocoee camp ground, at a meeting conducted by Rev. Joseph Peeler and Rev. David Cobb. At the close of the meeting a church was organized and he became a charter member. He was received under the care of the Ocoee (now Chattanooga) Presbytery in the autumn of 1846; licensed to preach at Flint Springs in 1848, and ordained at Clear Springs camp ground in 1851. Rev. J. W. Ramsey preached the ordination sermon and Rev. Wm. H. Bell delivered the charge. Rev. A. Templeton, D.D., was his pastor when he united with the presbytery. Immediately after he was licensed to preach he was sent into the State of Georgia by his presbytery as a missionary. There was at that time no Cumberland Presbyterian Church in the State. Rev. A. Templeton, D.D., Rev. Hiram Douglas and others had preached in Georgia but no organization had been effected. He preached every Sunday and taught school for a support until October, 1851, when he organized the Sumach congregation at Hall's Chapel school house, with a few members. Two years later the organization was removed to Sumach, a few miles distant, and a good house was erected and a camp ground established. He was married to Rossie A. Harris, on July 4, 1850, Rev. A. Templeton, D.D., officiating.
The Georgia Presbytery was constituted at Sumach in 1857, and was composed of Hiram Douglas, moderator, J. W. Ramsey, stated clerk, A. P. Earley, J. W. Richey, James L. Reed and S. H. Henry, all of whom have long since "crossed the river" except the subject of this sketch.
From its organization he served the Sumach congregation half his time, since 1875 three-fourths his time, and for many years all his time was given to this work. For eight years he preached once a month at Benton, Tenn., and during his ministry a good brick church was built there. In 1866 and 1867 he supplied the Cleveland, Tenn., congregation two Sabbaths in the month, riding twenty miles on horseback to his appointments. For 18 years he preached once a month to the Flint Springs congregation, which was twelve miles from his home. He organized the Liberty congregation in 1853. He was often called to other fields where the salary was larger and the advantages greater, but he preferred to remain where he was. In 1895, on account of feeble heath and increasing age, he was released from regular work as pastor of the congregation, but still preaches once a month to the Union congregation near his home. During all the fifty years of his ministry at Sumach and elsewhere, he never missed an appointment except on account of sickness, and the same is true in regard to his attendance at presbytery.
During part of the war he was compelled to walk to his appointments because the soldiers and "raiders" had stolen all his horses, but he never disappointed his people. Soldiers of both armies were often quartered on his premises. One morning his family devotions were interrupted by the entrance of three Confederate officers. He explained to them what he was doing an invited them to be seated. They joined in the service with him. By the time the service was over the room was full of soldiers, but all were so much impressed with the scene that heads were bared and all who could knelt in prayer. A part of Cheatham's division was at that time encamped in his barnyard. In the summer of 1865 at the "August" meeting there were one hundred and ten conversions. Many of this number were soldiers who had fought in opposing armies and they still wore the "blue and the gray." In all that country during the "reconstruction period" there was much bitterness and bloodshed. Neighbors and even members of the same families had fought in opposing armies. All the old soldiers on both sides came to church armed. During this meeting many of the soldiers were converted. One day he and one of his elders unbuckled many pistols from the holsters and laid them on the pulpit. The kneeling men at the altar were converted and embraced each other. Sixty-five united with the church at the close of this meeting. Hundreds and even thousands have been converted under his ministry.
Three other congregations have been organized from this one. Many young men have gone into the ministry from this field, among whom may be mention J. R. Henry, of Pittsburgh, Pa., J. H. Henry, of Georgia; A. L. Whitfield, S. M. Bennett and J. W. Haggard. He was intimately associated with Hiram Douglas, D.D., in his ministry and preached his funeral when he died. Not only as pastor and minister of the gospel has Mr. Henry labored in this community, but as a citizen he has always made his influence felt for good. For twenty-seven years he has served his county as county superintendent of schools. In this way he has been able to influence every teacher in the county and has had the opportunity to lecture every school at least once a year. There is not a man in Murray County better known than he is.
He is now past seventh years of age and is not able to preach very often, but he loves the work and his all is consecrated to the service of God.
[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, April 14, 1898, pages 1301-1302]
On August 16, 1905, at his home at Sumach, Ga., Rev. S. H. Henry, one of the best-known and most highly respected citizens of north Georgia, and a minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for nearly sixty years, passed from the scene of his earthly labors to his reward above.
Mr. Henry was born at Brick Mill, Blount county, Tenn., on June 5, 1827. He was of Scotch-Irish origin, his grandfather having emigrated from Virginia in 1795, locating in Tennessee. His father was one of those who professed religion in the great revival of 1800, and was elected a ruling elder in a Presbyterian congregation at Brick Mill, but refused to serve because he was unwilling to subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith. He and his wife united with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church as soon as opportunity was given them, and he accepted the office of elder in that congregation. Rev. S. H. Henry, therefore, inherited the spirit of the great revival and the genius of Cumberland Presbyterianism.
In his fourteenth year, at one of the famous camp meetings of the day, he personally accepted Christ and in 1846 placed himself under the care of the Ocoee, now Chattanooga, Presbytery as a candidate for the ministry. He was licensed in 1848 and ordained in 1851. Soon after he was licensed to preach he was sent by his presbytery as a missionary to Georgia, where there was as yet no Cumberland Presbyterian church. Teaching school for a support and preaching every Sunday, his missionary efforts resulted in the organization of the Sumach congregation, in October, 1851. From this date he served as pastor of this congregation until about ten years ago, when he resigned because he had become too feeble to attend to the duties of a pastor. From this congregation three others have been organized and many young men have gone into the ministry, among them Rev. J. R. Henry, now dean of the Theological Seminary; Rev. A. L. Whitfield, Rev. S. M. Bennett, Rev. J. W. Haggard and Rev. J. H. Miller.
All of Mr. Henry's ministry was characterized by an intense devotion to his duties. During all of the fifty years that he was pastor at Sumach, he never disappointed his congregation and never missed an appointment, either at the church or at the meeting of his presbytery, except on account of sickness. This was true during a part of the Civil War, when, because all of the horses had been stolen, he was obliged to walk long distances to his appointments. Several incidents showing how he led men to God and promoted the spirit of brotherly love during that period of bitterness and dissension were recounted in "The Cumberland Presbyterian" several years ago, and are as follows:
"Soldiers of both armies were often quartered on his premises. One morning his family devotions were interrupted by the entrance of three Confederate officers. He explained to them what he was doing and invited them to be seated. They joined in the service with him. By the time the service was over the room was full of soldiers, but all were so much impressed with the scene that heads were bared and all who could knelt in prayer. A part of Cheathem's division was at that time encamped in his barnyard. In the summer of 1865 at the 'August' meeting there were 110 conversions. Many of this number were soldiers who had fought in opposing armies, and they still wore the 'blue' and the 'gray.' In all that country during the 'reconstruction period' there was much bitterness and bloodshed. Neighbors, and even members of the same families, had fought in opposing armies. All the old soldiers on both sides came to church armed. During this meeting many of the soldiers were converted. One day he and one of his elders unbuckled many pistols from the holsters and laid them on the pulpit. The kneeling men at the altar were converted and embraced each other. Sixty-five united with the church at the close of this meeting."
For more than thirty years Mr. Henry served his county as school commissioner, and perhaps no man in north Georgia was so widely and favorably known or so universally loved. Speaking of his death, The Murray News says: "In the death of Mr. Henry, Murray county has lost one of her best citizens, the church one of her strongest ministers and the community in which he lived one of its best neighbors. Through his efforts the county schools were placed on a higher plane than ever before. No man in north Georgia was better known that Mr. Henry, and Murray has lost a man whose place will be hard to fill."
Mr. Henry had been in poor health for a number of years, but preached frequently as long as his strength would permit and contributed freely of his means to the support of the church which he had served. Since the death of his wife, formerly Miss Rosie A. Harris, to whom he was married on July 4, 1850, who died fifty years later, he has constantly desired to be at rest with those who had gone before, and when the end drew near rejoiced exceedingly at its approach. All of his conversation was about his heavenly Father and his heavenly home, and his death, like his life, was a witness to the reality of the spiritual life and the value of the Christian religion.
A vast concourse of people attended the funeral services, which were conducted by Rev. J. H. Miller, assisted by Rev. A. R. T. Hambright, an intimate friend for more than half a century. Among others who were present and made brief addresses was Judge Fite, of Cartersville, Ga., who adjourned his court out of respect for the deceased. Five sons and four daughters have known the care and influence and now mourn the loss of a noble father and wise counselor.
While others have lost much in Mr. Henry's death, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church has lost, in the truest sense, a part of its very self, for not only the ministry but the character and the prayers of such men, together with the honor and love in which they are held, are the things which give the church its power among men.
[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, September 7, 1905, page 252]
"While others have lost much in Mr. Henry's death, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church has lost, in the truest sense, a part of its very self, for not only the ministry but the character and the prayers of such men, together with the honor and love in which they are held, are the things which give the church its power among men." (1. "A Fallen Father in Israel; The Cumberland Presbyterian, September 7, 1905, p. 252.)
The Reverend Samuel Houston Henry is one of the earliest Cumberland Presbyterian missionaries to bring the doctrine of Cumberland Presbyterianism to northwest Georgia. He was the first Cumberland Presbyterian minister to settle permanently in Georgia and was instrumental in the establishment of Cumberland Presbyterianism in the region.Through his missionary efforts, the doctrine of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was presented to the pioneer families who began settling there in 1838.
S. H. Henry's ancestors were of Scotch-Irish origin. (2) His grandfather, Samuel, who was born in 1761 and reared in Virginia, was probably a kinsman to Patrick Henry. (3) During the Revolutionary War, he served as a Quartermaster Sergeant in the Virginia Militia. In 1778, following his military service, Samuel and his brother James moved to Washington County, North Carolina (today Tennessee). There he was appointed Tax Assessor of the region. (4)
In 1779, Samuel served as a member of the Shelby Expedition against the Cherokees in northeast Tennessee. While a member of this expedition, Samuel, like many of his comrades, staked a claim to the property for future settlement. The area which he claimed is in present day Blount County near Brick Mill, Tennessee. In September, 1788, Samuel moved his family to this area. In 1795 he was appointed by Governor Blount of Tennessee as a commissioner to survey a site for the county seat of Blount County. In 1796 he donated a small piece of his property to the Baker's Creek Presbyterian Church for the construction of a building and the location of a cemetery. In 1815 he was granted a permit to build a wheat and corn mill on Baker's Creek. This mill operated until the early 1940's. (5) Samuel died on July 13, 1824 at the age of 63 and was buried in the Baker's Creek Presbyterian Church cemetery. (6)
Samuel's eldest son, William W. was born in Virginia on March 25, 1781. During his lifetime he was married three times and fathered thirteen children. His first wife, Margaret "Peggy" Montgomery, bore him four children before her death on February 20, 1820. (7) His second wife, Sarah Utter, whom he wed on October 7, 1820 died suddenly on January 17, 1822. In 1823 he married his third wife, the former Jane Logan Tulloch, a widow with three children. To this union was added nine children. (8)
In the Great Revival of 1800, William professed Christ and united with the Baker's Creek Presbyterian Church. (9) Here he came under the influence of Presbyterian ministers like Dr. Giddeon Blackburn, the Rev. Isaac Anderson, and the Rev. Samuel Doak. (10) Later he was elected as an elder in this church but declined to serve because he disagreed with the principles of the Westminster Confession of Faith. (11)
In 1832, following the Ocoee Purchase, William sold his 308-acre farm in Brick Mill to his brother James and moved his family to Polk County, Tennessee. (12) Shortly after settling there, he moved his family across the border into the Cherokee Nation where they lived among the Indians until 1838. (13) While living there William came under the influence of Cumberland Presbyterian missionaries like Rev. John Tate, Rev. Robert Tate, and Rev. Joseph Peeler, and allied his family with this denomination. (14)
In 1841 William became a charter elder in the Ocoee Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He was often noted for his power in prayer. (15) He remained active in this church until he moved to Belton, Texas in 1854. His wife Jane became suddenly ill and died before their anticipated departure to Texas, and is buried at the "Cumberland Shed" cemetery in Ocoee, Tennessee. (16) William lived in Belton, Texas until his death in 1863 and is buried there. (17)
Samuel Houston Henry was born in June 5, 1827 at Brick Mill. He received his primary and secondary school training in the country schools of Polk County. Later he spent four years studying at Hiwassee College in Madisonville, Tennessee. (18) In 1841, at the age of 14, he professed Christ at a revival conducted by the Rev. Joseph Peeler and the Rev. David Cobb at the Ocoee camp-ground (today called the "Cumberland Shed"). (19) Following this revival, several families led by Samuel Parks and William Henry, decided to organize the Ocoee Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and S. H. Henry was one of the charter members. (20)
S. H. Henry was received under the care of the Ocoee (now Chattanooga) Presbytery on October 2, 1847 as a candidate for the ministry. (21) In 1848 he was licensed to preach at the Flint Springs Cumberland Presbyterian Church. (22) In 1849 he and James T. Johnson, also a licentiate, were appointed by the Presbytery to serve the New Prospect Cumberland Presbyterian Church located four miles west of Cleveland. (23) On July 4, 1850, he married the former Rossie Ann Harris, daughter of John Nicholas and Nancy Garner Harris. (24) The Rev. Allison Templeton conducted the ceremony. (25) To this union was added six sons and four daughters. (26) In 1851 S. H. Henry was ordained at the Clear Springs camp-ground. "Rev. J. W. Ramsey preached the ordination sermon and Rev. William H. Bell delivered the charge. The Rev. Allison Templeton, D.D. was his pastor when he united with the Presbytery." (27)
Immediately after S. H. Henry was ordained, the Ocoee Presbytery sent him to Georgia as a missionary. He settled on the Old Federal Road (today U.S. Highway 411) and began preaching at different locations in the community every Sabbath. To supplement his income, he taught school at the Hall's Chapel School. (28) At this time there was one organized Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Georgia. This church was The Pleasant Grove Congregation near Cohutta, Georgia. (29) The Rev. Hiram Douglass, the Rev. Allison Templeton and other Cumberland Presbyterian circuit riding missionaries had preached in Georgia as early as 1838, but no organization of church, except at Cohutta, had been effected. Mr. Douglass had been preaching to a regular circuit in Georgia for several years and had organized several congregations in Northwest Georgia. It is believed that Douglass had gathered together a loosely organized Cumberland Presbyterian congregation near Sumach in 1846 or 1847 and that this congregation was a forerunner to the Sumach congregation. (30) According to the late John Morgan Wooten, the Ocoee Presbytery Minutes of 1846 reveals that the Ocoee Cumberland Presbyterian Church petitioned the Ocoee Presbytery to limit its southern boundary to the Georgia state line. This action allowed for the organization of a Cumberland Presbyterian church in Murray County, Georgia. It is believed that the Rev. S. H. Henry, in October 1851, organized this congregation into a cohesive church group. (31)
In 1853, Mr. Henry and his congregation constructed a church house and permanent campground at Sumach, Georgia. At this time the church took the name of the Sumach Cumberland Presbyterian Church. In 1857 the Georgia Presbytery was constituted out of the Ocoee Presbytery at Sumach. The Rev. Hiram Douglass was elected as the first moderator of the Presbytery and the Rev. J. W. Ramsey, the first stated clerk. Charter pastors of the Georgia presbytery included A. P. Early, J. W. Richey, James L. Reed, and S. H. Henry. (32)
From 1851 until 1895, the Rev. S. H. Henry served as the pastor of Sumach. His salary ranged from $65.00 to $200.00 a year. In 1895 he retired as the full-time pastor of Sumach due to failing health. From 1895 until his death, however, he never allowed the pulpit at Sumach to be vacant. He always answered the call to serve Sumach and any other church in the area that was without a full-time pastor. He also continued to participate in revivals and other religious services sponsored by the church. (33) It can be easily said that S. H. Henry served the Sumach Church loyally for fifty years. (34)
The Rev. Mr. Henry not only served Sumach from 1851 to 1895 but also served or organized other Cumberland Presbyterian churches in Georgia and Tennessee.
These churches included:
1. The Liberty Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Calhoun, Georgia. Mr. Henry organized this church in 1853.
2. Chickamauga (today Silverdale) Cumberland Presbyterian Church. This church was organized in 1851 by the Rev. Hiram Douglass but became disorganized by 1855. In 1855, Mr. Henry reorganized this church with 22 members.
3. Flint Springs Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Mr. Henry served this church from 1861 to 1866, and preached there once a month until 1879. The Rev. A. R. T. Hambright served as Henry's assistant at Flint Springs from 1862 to 1866.
4. Cleveland Cumberland Presbyterian Church 1866 to 1867 for two Sundays a month.
5. Benton Cumberland Presbyterian Church 1867 to 1875 for two Sundays a month.
6. Ocoee Cumberland Presbyterian Church 1867 to 1869 and 1873 to 1874 for two Sabbaths a month.
7. Mr. Henry organized the Lebanon Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Dawnville, Georgia in 1869 and served as the pastor for a number of years.
8. In 1886 Mr. Henry assisted the Rev. A. R. T. Hambright in organizing the Cohutta Cumberland Presbyterian Church and preached the installation sermon of Mr. Hambright as the first pastor of this church.
9. In 1889 the Rev. Mr. Henry organized the Union Cumberland Presbyterian Church near Eton, Georgia. This small congregation functioned until 1899. (35)
It is believed that Mr. Henry conducted revival services at the following churches: Liberty Cumberland Presbyterian Church; Bartow Cumberland Presbyterian Church; Tunnel Hill Cumberland Presbyterian Church; Dalton Cumberland Presbyterian Church; and the Cohutta Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He also held revival services in southeast Tennessee at Pine Hill, Ocoee, Cleveland, and Benton. He may also have served several other Cumberland Presbyterian congregations in Tennessee and Georgia not specifically mentioned. (36)
It was not unusual for Mr. Henry to ride as much as twenty miles by horseback each Sunday to meet his appointments. Many times churches would offer him a larger salary and other benefits which the Sumach Church could not offer, but he preferred to remain at Sumach. (37)
The Rev. Mr. Henry was also active in community affairs and projects. In 1870 he was appointed a charter trustee of the Flint Springs Academy, and around 1876 he founded the Sumach Seminary. (38) In 1871 he was elected as the first county school commissioner of Murray County. He held this position in local government until his death in 1905. (39) He was always opposed to any groups or organizations which gave Murray County a bad reputation. On July 31, 1895 he delivered an address before several newspaper reporters and influential citizens in which he stated his opposition to the "Ku Klux Klan, whitecapping and illicit moonshining."
"Rev. S. H. Henry, who has been preaching in Murray (County) for forty-six years, made the first talk in other than a religious meeting. His remarks were to the point and fervid. He condemned in no measure or unmistakable terms the things that have contributed to tarnishing the name of his county." (40)
During the War Between the States three interesting war incidents occurred in S. H. Henry's life. The first encounter occurred early in the war. A troop of soldiers and "raiders" (no record of which side they were on) entered his farm and impressed all of his horses. Without the use of his mounts, he was forced to travel on foot to meet his appointments. Throughout the entire war, Mr. Henry was never late to a religious service. (41)
The second incident involved an attempted theft by confederate soldiers of Mr. Henry's smokehouse. These confederate troopers were part of Cheatham's Division which was camped in his barnyard. (42)
"One morning while they were having family devotions, during the Civil War, three army officers entered the room without announcing themselves, and asked for the keys to the smokehouse, if we did not want the locks broken. Grandfather (referring to Mr. Henry), without getting up from his knees, explained what he was doing and asked them to be seated and he would talk with them after family worship. They sat down. Soon the room was full of soldiers (they felt that something had happened to the officers) and most of them removed their hats and kneeled. Instead of robbing the smokehouse, they thanked grandfather for the prayer and left." (43)
The third incident came at the end of hostilities. During the annual summer revival held at Sumach in August, 1865, the Rev. Mr. Henry, aided by an elder, Dr. Thomas Leach, unbuckled pistols from many Union and Confederate soldiers and placed their firearms on the altar. During this revival 110 conversions were made and 65 people joined the church. This religious experience was gratifying because:
"Many of this number were soldiers who had fought in opposing armies and they still wore the "blue and the gray." In all that country during the 'reconstruction period' there was much bitterness and bloodshed. Neighbors and even members of the same families had fought in opposing armies." (44)
Following the War Between the States, S. H. Henry sold his home on the Old Federal Road, and bought a large house from George Hill near the Sumach Church. Here Mr. Henry raised his family and continued to serve the Church he founded. It is said that he married many young couples at his home near Sumach. As the years passed and Mr. Henry was no longer able to continue his ministerial duties on a full-time basis, his daughter Mattie and her husband James McEntire came to live with the Henrys. Mattie and James took care of both Mr. Henry and his wife until their death. (45)
On the morning of February 23, 1895 the Sumach church house burned. (46) One of Mr. Henry's sons, Nick, was among the party of men who tried to save the structure. Their efforts to save the building were unsuccessful but several articles were rescued from within the doomed structure. Later that same year, a second church house was built near the site of the first. The Rev. Mr. Henry requested that he be buried where the pulpit had stood in the first church. (47) On November 23, 1895, Mr. Henry retired as Sumach's first full-time pastor.
On December 11, 1901, Mr. Henry's wife of fifty-one years, Rossie, died. He survived her by almost four years. On August 16, 1905, at the age of 78, the Rev. Mr. Henry died. He was buried near the location he had requested nearly ten years before. "A vast concourse of people attended the funeral services." (48) Among those present and making a brief address was Judge A. W. Fite of Cartersville, Georgia who had adjourned his court out of respect for Rev. Henry. (49) The Rev. J. H. Miller, who had attended Sumach as a boy and was the present minister at Sumach, and the Rev. A. R. T. Hambright, a close friend and associate of Mr. Henry, officiated at the funeral service.
S. H. Henry's influence in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was strong. He not only organized the oldest Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Georgia today, but served other Cumberland Presbyterian Churches in Georgia and Tennessee. He was instrumental in converting over 2800 people. (50) He also gave a son, J. R. Henry, a grandson, J. Walter Haggard, and a son-in-law, Samuel Bennett to the Cumberland Presbyterian ministry. "To follow his record alone is to see an ever widening influence for good." (51) He was one of those early Cumberland Presbyterian missionaries who possessed the ability to instill courage and faith in people. Through his efforts, the Cumberland Presbyterian church was firmly established and sustained in Georgia.
1. "A Fallen Father in Israel; The late Rev. S. H. Henry," The Cumberland Presbyterian, September 7, 1905, p. 252.
2. "A Living Hero--A Half-Century Pastor," The Cumberland Presbyterian, April 14, 1898, p. 1301.
3. Descendants of James and Samuel Henry; Revolutionary War Soldiers, Knoxville: Padd Letter Service, Publishers, 1962, p. 1.
5. Ibid., pp. 11-14; see also: Inez Burns, History of Blount County Tennessee, From the War Trail to Landing Strip 1795-1955, Nashville: Benson Printing Co., 1957, pp. 98-99.
9. "A Living Hero--A Half-Century Pastor," p. 1301.
10. John Morgan Wooten, History of The Ocoee Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Cleveland, Tennessee: unpublished manuscript, 1939, p. 1. Hereafter cited as Wooten.
11. "A Living Hero--A Half-Century Pastor," p. 1301.
12. Descendants of James and Samuel Henry; Revolutionary War Soldiers, pp. 177-178.
13. "A Living Hero--A Half Century Pastor," p. 1301.
16. In Descendants of James and Samuel Henry; Revolutionary War Soldiers, p. 178 is recorded: "In the Bible of her son, Rev. S. Houston Henry is the following entry: "Jane Henry, the mother of S. H. H., departed this life May 27, 1854. Her death was very sudden. She is buried at Ocoee Church, Polk County, Tennessee. No brighter Christian ever lived than she."
18. Robert Henry, The Life of S. H. Henry at Sumach Church, unpublished manuscript, p. 1. This paper was presented at the centennial celebration of the founding of Sumach Cumberland Presbyterian Church in May, 1953.
19. "A Living Hero--A Half-Century Pastor," p. 1301.
21. Penelope Johnson Allen, "Leaves From The Family Tree . . . The Ocoee Presbytery," Chattanooga Times, Dec. 2, 1934, pp. 13-15, and Dec. 9, pp. 12-15.
22. "A Living Hero--A Half-Century Pastor," p. 1301.
24. R. Houston Gregory, Memorial Address to Rev. S. H. Henry, p. 1. This address was delivered on August 22, 1965 at the dedication of a memorial plaque commemorating fifty years of faithful service by S. H. Henry to the Sumach Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
25. "A Living Hero--A Half-Century Pastor," p. 1301.
27. "A Living Hero--A Half-Century Pastor," p. 1301.
29. Nell Suttles Abbott, Within Our Bounds; A History of Cherokee Presbytery 1844-1974, Rome Georgia: The Cherokee Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in U.S., pp. 9-10; also see: Mrs. Estelle Giddens Shugart, Presbyterianism in the Cohutta Community, Whitfield County, Georgia, Cohutta, Georgia: First Presbyterian Church of Cohutta, Georgia, 1961, p. 1.
30. Wooten, pp. 3-6; also see: Hiram Arnett Douglas, The Story is Told: The Rev. Hiram Douglass D.D., A biographical Sketch, Minneapolis: unpublished manuscript, 1940; Z. M. McGhee, "Our Dead Heroes; The Rev. Allison Templeton, D.D.," The Cumberland Presbyterian, vol. 56, no. 5 August 12, 1897, pp. 168-170; Z. M. McGhee, "Our Dead Heroes, The Rev. Hiram Douglas, D.D.," The Cumberland Presbyterian, vol. 56, no. 27, June 6, 1898, pp. 852-853; Walter L. Swartz, History of Sumach Church, Cleveland, Tennessee; unpublished paper, 1974, p. 1.
31. "A Living Hero--A Half-Century Pastor," p. 1301.
35. See: "A Living Hero--A Half-Century Pastor," P. 1301; History of Silverdale Cumberland Presbyterian Church, March 23, 1969, p. 4; John Morgan Wooten, History of Bradley County, Tennessee, Cleveland, Tennessee: Published by the American Legion Post No. 81 with the cooperation of the Tennessee Historical Society, 1949, pp. 121-122; Ocoee Presbytery Minutes, 1867-1874; Cohutta Cumberland Presbyterian Church Session Minutes, October, 1886. These minutes are in the possession of Ms. Elizabeth Hambright of Cleveland, Tennessee; telephone interview with Mr. Arthur Rollins of Dawnville, Georgia informed me that the Rev. S. H. Henry and not the Rev. S. R. Henry founded the Lebanon Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Dawnville; Lillard, Roy G. (ed.), Studies in Polk County History, monograph no. 1, Benton Tennessee: The Polk County Historical Society, 1965, p. 2.
36. Since many of the old Cumberland Presbyterian churches in Georgia that were located at Tilton, Resaca, Adairsville, Stamp Creek, Bronco, Cassandra, Lookout Mountain, Fairmount, Sonora, Subligna, and Atlanta, are no longer in existence and their church session records cannot be located, it is impossible to categorically state the Rev. Henry participated in religious services at these churches. It is believed, by this author, that Rev. Henry being an active missionary and pastor may have been involved in religious services at one time or another at these churches.
37. "A Living Hero--A Half-Century Pastor," p. 1301.
38. See: History of Bradley County, Tennessee, p. 98; Memoirs of Georgia: Historical and Biographical Sketches, vol. 2, Atlanta: Southern Historical Association, 1895, p. 599.
39. Charles H. Shriner, The History of Murray County, Georgia, no publisher 1911, p. 15.
40. "Straight Talk from Murray County Citizens," North Georgia Citizen, August 2, 1895, p. 1.
42. "A Living Hero--A Half-Century Pastor," p. 1301.
44. "A Living Hero--A Half-Century Pastor," p. 1301.
46. Ms. Helen Shope provided me with this date. She discovered it in the North Georgia Citizen, 1895 issues while running a genealogical survey of her family line. The quote she found is as follows: "The Sumach Church burned February 23, 1895."
47. Rossie McNeely, Notes on Rev. S. H. Henry, unpublished paper, 1974, p. 1.
48. "A Fallen Father in Israel; The Late Rev. S. H. Henry," p. 252.
50. W. S. Bogle, "Area Picnics Held at Tilton, Murray," Daily-Citizen News, May 1964, p. 4.
[Source: Gregory, Jr., Conway. Sumach on the Hill: Tracing the History of the Sumach Cumberland Presbyterian Church From 1846 Through 1976. Chatsworth, Georgia, 1977, pages 102-106, 206-208]
The Rev. Samuel Houston Henry was one of the early pioneer Cumberland Presbyterian ministers to serve the Cleveland Church. He was pastor from 1866 to 1867 and preached two Sundays a month.
His ancestors were Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. His grandfather, Samuel Henry, who served in the Virginia Militia during the Revolutionary War, later settled in Blount County near Brick Mill, Tennessee, and gave the land for Baker's Creek Presbyterian Church, S. H. Henry's father, William W., professed Christ during the Great Revival of 1800 and joined Baker's Creek Presbyterian Church. Later he was elected an elder but refused to serve because of disagreements with the Westminster Confession of Faith.
In 1832 William Henry sold his 308 acre farm at Brick Mill on June 5, 1827, received his early education in Polk County, and later attended Hiwassee College in Madisonville, Tennessee, for four years. On July 4, 1850, he married Rossie Ann Harris, with the Rev. Allison Templeton conducting the ceremony. Six sons and four daughters were born of this marriage.
At the age of 14, S. H. Henry professed Christ at a revival at the Ocoee Camp Ground (Cumberland Shed). He became a charter member of the the Ocoee Cumberland Presbyterian Church when it was organized in 1841, later coming under the care of Ocoee Presbytery as a candidate for the ministry on October 7, 1847. He was licensed to preach at Flint Springs, was appointed by the Presbytery along with Licentiate James W. Johnson to serve the New Prospect Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and was ordained in 1851 at the Clear Springs Campground.
After ordination he was assigned by the Ocoee Presbytery to Georgia as a missionary and preached in different locations each Sunday. He also taught school to supplement his income. In the early 1850's the only organized congregation was the Pleasant Grove Church at Cohutta. The Reverends Hiram Douglas and Allison Templeton had been Cumberland Presbyterian circuit riders in North Georgia several years earlier, and there were a few loosely organized groups when S. H. Henry was making his rounds. The Rev. Mr. Henry led in the organization of a Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Murray County, Georgia, in 1851. In 1853 the congregation built a church house at the Sumach Camp Ground and took the name of the Sumach Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Mr. Henry served as pastor of Sumach from 1851 to 1895.
During the War Between the States, the area around Sumach was occupied by both Confederate and Union soldiers. On one occasion a troop of raiders impressed all of the horses. Mr. Henry owned and he had to travel on foot to meet his appointments. On another occasion soldiers were planning to take the contents of his smokehouse. When they asked Mr. Henry for the keys, he told them that we would not talk until after family worship. After the worship service the soldiers left without disturbing the smokehouse. He led a revival in 1865, with soldiers of both sides placing their arms on the altar; and 110 conversions were recorded.
Mr. Henry was active in the civic affairs of his community. In 1870 he was appointed a Charter Trustee of the Flint Springs Academy, and in 1876 he founded the Sumach Seminary. He was elected the first Murray County School Commissioner in 1871 and held this position until his death in 1905. In 1895 he delivered a speech to newspaper reporters and other influential people expressing his opposition to the "Ku Klux Klan and illicit moonshining."
His wife of fifty-one years died on December 11, 1901. The Rev. S. H. Henry died on August 16, 1905, at his home in Sumach and is buried in the Sumach cemetery. A large number of dignitaries attended his funeral, and Judge A. W. Fite of Cartersville adjourned his court out of respect for Mr. Henry.
The Rev. S. H. Henry was very influential in bringing the Cumberland Presbyterian doctrine to North Georgia and Southeast Tennessee. He was influential in the conversion of over 2500 people. Son J. R. Henry, grandson J. Walter Haggard, and son-in-law Samuel Bennett also became Cumberland Presbyterian ministers.
[Source: Morelock, Ann and Katharine Trewhitt, eds. History of The First Cumberland Presbyterian Church Cleveland, Tennessee 1837-1987. Cleveland, Tennessee, 1989, pages 206-209]