Robert McGee King was born in Sumner County, Tennessee, near Gallatin, July 30, 1812. His father's name was William King; his mother's maiden name Priscilla Hassell. His paternal grandfather, Robert King, was from North Carolina, and was of Scotch-Irish descent. His ancestors were of the Presbyterian faith to as remote a period as the family have any record of tradition. Robert King was a man of very devout piety and trained his family in the strictest observance of the Sabbath day. Soon after his removal to Tennessee he was joined by a young immigrant whose name was Reed. Before young Reed had become fully acquainted with the strict Sabbath observing habits of his host, he walked out one Sabbath and surprising a number of squirrels which were taking their repast from the crib, threw a stone at the retreating crowd and killed one of them. He took his prize to the house and was exhibiting it to the children and servants. The pater-familias came upon the young gentleman just at this time and, as Mr. Reed told it when he was a very old man, then and there he received the severest lecture upon Sabbath breaking he ever listened to, and one which had exerted a restraining influence upon his entire life. As rigid was the grandfather in the observance of all other religious duties.

In such a home was Cumberland Presbyterianism cradled! Three of its original preachers were from it: Samuel King, a son, and James Farr and Wm. McGee, sons-in-law. The Reed above mentioned was father-in-law of Rev. Hugh B. Hill, of sacred and precious memory.

This Grandfather King was a captain in the Revolutionary war, and fought in the battles of King's Mountain and of Guilford Court House. The maternal grandfather, Abram Hassell, was on one of those privateers which so much harassed the British commerce during our Revolutionary struggle, being a seafaring man in early life.

Both of these grandfathers received "Land Warrants" for their Revolutionary services, with which they entered land in Sumner and other counties in Tennessee, for homes for themselves and their children.

The father of R. M. King died when the latter was an infant of eighteen months, and the mother when he was a child of nine years. He felt the death of his mother very bitterly, and for months would occasionally take the garments which she had made for him, retire to some secret place and look at the stitches which her fingers had drawn and weep that he should never see her again!

He was raised by John Bell, a very intelligent and pious elder of our Church, whose wife was a sister of his father. Two daughters of John Bell, Mary and Elizabeth, by a former wife, a Miss Wear, became the wives of Rev. Aaron Alexander and of Rev. Reuben Burrow, both of whom were distinguished preachers of our Church.

He professed religion at New Hope Campground, Wilson County, Tennessee, on the morning of the 22d of August, 1833. The work of repentance was a very honest business with him. He was immeasurably distressed, almost in the blackest despair, when the Lord graciously enabled him to look to Jesus, and to trust in him for salvation. This view by faith of Jesus as his Savior, turned his darkness into light, his despair into joy, and filled his soul with inexpressible peace. He immediately felt the deepest desire for the salvation of others, particularly his acquaintances and friends.

He owed more to the exertions of his relative, James Mitchell McMurry, afterwards a distinguished preacher of our Church, than to any other human instrumentality. Next to him he owes more to his cousin, Harriet N. Hassell, who professed religion about a week before. He joined the church about a week later, at the old Beech church in Sumner County, and his name was transferred to Gallatin. Rev. Hugh Kirkpatrick was moderator of the session when he joined the church, and Robert Taylor and his brother James, and James Kirkpatrick, were members of the session. A great multitude of new converts joined the church at the same time in that old stone meeting house, and Heaven itself seemed to come down among the new converts, and such a time of rejoicing was seldom ever seen. That summer and autumn he witnessed the conversion of more than five hundred souls. The instrumentalities chiefly employed in these wonderful revivals were Rev. Messrs. John L. Smith, Wm. Ralston, Francis Johnston, John L. Dillard, George Donnell, Thomas Calhoun, and many others. His joy in the Lord was constant for months, and seemed to flow like a river, and his desire for the conversion of souls so increased that it ripened into the firm conviction that God had made it his duty to invite sinners to the Savior.

He immediately started to school at Gallatin, Tenn., to James T. Leath, Esq., and commenced the Latin Grammar, not knowing what would come of his impressions, but very desirous to be prepared for any emergency. He went to school there a year and then went to Cumberland College, at Princeton, Ky. In the fall of 1835 he presented himself before the Princeton presbytery, gave a relation of his experimental acquaintance with religion, and his internal call to the work, and was received as a candidate for the holy ministry. There were present at that meeting of presbytery, Rev. Messrs. F. R. Cossitt, Richard Beard and others.

He was afterwards transferred to the Nashville presbytery, and licensed to preach at Springfield, Robertson County, Tenn., in October, 1838. The ministers of the presbytery were mostly present when he was licensed. Among them were John L. Smith, Wm. Ralston, S. G. Burney and James Smith, known among us as Scotch Smith. He preached his first sermon, soon after licensure, eight miles east of Nashville, at an appointment of Rev. Joseph Pope.

He graduated at the University of Nashville, on the 3d of October, 1839, and in November took charge of Carrick Academy, at Winchester, Tenn. He taught here successfully for eighteen months. Here he found boys in school, Nathan Green, now (1877) Chancellor of Cumberland University, Lebanon, Tenn., R. P. Decherd, Professor in Trinity University, Texas, W. W. Estill, now a successful and able preacher of our Church, and others who have become distinguished in civil life. He received the degree of A.M. from the University of Nashville, in October, 1841.

He was ordained to the full work of the Gospel ministry in October, 1841, at Cane Creek meeting house, Lincoln County, Tennessee, by Tennessee presbytery, after undergoing a very rigid literary examination before a committee of the presbytery. Of this he writes: "The examination was conducted by Rev. David Spyker, an old school teacher. I had never before witnessed so rigid and searching an examination. I thought it was done to try my mettle, as I was the first graduate of the University of Nashville, who had ever been before the presbytery. My examination on Theology, conducted by Rev. Albert G. Gibson, was no less thorough. For these rigid examinations, I felt thankful, for they placed my status fully before the presbytery." Rev. Samuel M. Cowan preached the ordination sermon, before a vast congregation, from Ist Timothy, 4th chapter and 16th verse. "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." Rev. Robert Donnell presided and gave the charge. There were present most of the preachers belonging to the presbytery. Besides those named there were T. C. Anderson, A. J. Steele, J. C. Elliott, M. F. Moses and others.

On the last day of 1840, he was married at Winchester, to Miss Amelia Judd, with whom he lived happily for ten years and seven months. She bore two children, who have long been with their mother in the good world. He afterwards married Miss Sarah H. Braly, daughter of Rev. Frank M. Braly, of Missouri. They have had six children, five of whom are living (Oct. 1876.)

He resigned his situation in Carrick Academy in 1841, with the express understanding that the Board of Trustees would bestow the situation upon Rev. T. C. Anderson, afterward President of Cumberland University, who had become involved in security debts with Rev. James Smith, proprietor of the Cumberland Presbyterian newspaper.

From Winchester he went to Gallatin, Tennessee, and took charge of the Transylvania Academy, located at that place, and, also preached for our little church there, on alternate Sabbaths for one year. A precious revival of religion took place with several additions to the church. The little church here was very feeble, and failed entirely after he left, because the people did not unite their little means and bestow it upon some worthy preacher, but waited for some extraordinary Providence to occur, by which they should enjoy the means of Grace without any special efforts or sacrifice on their part.

From Gallatin he went to Piqua. Ohio, and spent three years and a half in that State, teaching and preaching. Upon their own invitation, he visited a colony of colored people about 35 miles north of Piqua, once a month. There were many pious people among them. They numbered about two thousand in the colony, and attended service in great crowds, and seemed to enjoy "coming to meeting" very greatly. A few years after this, John Randolph, of Roanoke, sent his freed people to this colony.

From Piqua, Ohio, he went to Missouri, and himself and wife, by earnest invitation of the Board of Trustees, took charge of Spring River Academy, in Lawrence County, in the fall of 1846. The country was new and sparsely settled. The buildings answered very well the demands of the country at the time. They were erected chiefly at the expense of the late Judge Thomas Kerr, an esteemed elder of our Church. The late Finley Danforth, another pious elder, gave such apparatus and fixtures as the demands of the school required. Judge Kerr erected at his own expense a boarding house, without which the institution could not have succeeded. Freeman Elmore, another esteemed and pious elder, erected buildings also, and for a number of years kept boarders, and did a good work in helping to sustain the interests of religion in the community.

On opening this school, he found five boys and two girls present the first day, and the entire avails for the first session of five months, for both departments, amounted to only one hundred and seventy dollars--not so much as one-third of a respectable salary for a single teacher. But this was a school of the Church, and the cause of religion and of our Church imperiously demanded that it should be sustained, and this could not be done without heavy sacrifice on the part of the teachers, which has often been done under similar circumstances by other teachers in most of our literary institutions.

Ten acres of land had been deeded to the Board of Trustees, with the buildings, to have and to hold for the use and benefit of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, that its people in this section of the country might have the benefit of a good classical school, and that our young men preparing for the ministry might enjoy the means of a liberal education.

Our Church had few educational advantages in this new and far-west country, either for her people or for the rising ministry, until the establishment of this school, and this portion of our Church is under a lasting debt of gratitude for his very timely benefaction, and although the institution has long been extinct, the Church is still feeling its benefits in its intelligent ministry.

The following are some of the ministers who received more or less of their educational training at Spring River Academy, viz: Stephen A. Taylor, Wm. B. Rogers, Solon B. Abernathy, (deceased,) Charles Shepherd, (deceased,) James W. Beasley, Harvey M. Boyd, James B. Logan, D.D., John E. Thomas, Wm. H. Duff and others. Some of those who have distinguished themselves in civil life, are Wm. M. Cravens, Jordan E. Cravens, S. N. Holliday, Robt. A. Campbell, R. T. Kerr, Drs. Andrew M. Patterson and Eberle Wilson.

There were several revivals of religion during his connection with this school. At one, in 1848, there were about thirty who gave evidence of conversion, mostly pupils of the school, Rev. J. B. Logan being pastor of the Church.

After about two years, the school became moderately remunerative, and the teachers were able to rejoice that their sacrifices had sustained it in the days of its beginnings until ultimate success and extensive usefulness crowned their efforts.

The principal of the female department having died in 1851, the principal of the school accepted the presidency of Cane Hill College in 1852, where he labored five years.

This institution is located in Washington County, Arkansas, in one of the most delightful regions west of the Mississippi River. Here also the beginnings were small, but at the close of five years, the school had a President and a Professor of Ancient Languages, and one of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, and about one hundred pupils. It is still in a successful course of honorable usefulness to the Church and world. During the war its buildings were destroyed, which had cost some $12,000 or more, its library, which was the best in the State, and its apparatus, which was extensive and costly.

This school did a great work for Arkansas, as some of its prominent men of state were educated here. And quite a number of our preachers, now high upon the walls of Zion, first walked the paths of knowledge in her halls. Among these were J. T. Buchanan, Peter Carnahan, F. M. Latta, Frank Bernard, S. H. Buchanan, D.D., and J. P. Russell. Some of its sons would have gone to the foreign field, had it not been for our civil war.

In the spring of 1857, he returned to his home in Missouri, and devoted his time to superintending his farm, and in preparing for and attending two days meetings on Saturdays and Sabbaths. This was the time of his greatest usefulness in the pulpit. He generally preached three to four times a week, and traveled from twenty to fifty miles, getting home Monday afternoon: thus traveling fifteen hundred to two thousand miles per annum in the interests of religion. In the summer and fall all our preachers spent their entire time in attending protracted and camp-meetings. They would be at home generally but once a week. Owing to this self-sacrificing toil of our preachers, the Church gathered in many precious souls and the cause of God was successful and prosperous. At the formation of the Ozark presbytery, in about the year 1850, it had about three hundred communicants. At the beginning of the war it had fourteen hundred.

During his residence in Arkansas, a new neighborhood had been formed eight miles west of the old Spring River Academy. The settlement was dense, and they had never had any regular preaching from any source. There were a few Cumberland Presbyterians, Methodists and Baptists. Among others we had a member, Pinckney Woods, who was a great singer. Of Sunday afternoons he would meet the young people, and they would spend two or three hours singing. We had a very efficient elder and a good brother, O. R. Clark, who would attend on these occasions and they would always close the exercises by one or two prayers. At the close of the summer Mr. King proposed to the congregation to have a union-protracted meeting, the Methodists and Baptists each to secure a preacher of their own church, and he to procure such help as he might be able. At the time of beginning the meeting, no preacher but himself was on the ground. Bro. Clark and Bro. Arthur Love, a Methodist, rendered very efficient assistance. There were upwards of forty professed religion.

The next year there were the same troubles about assistance. At the beginning of the meeting he had for three days the assistance of a licentiate, Bro. John E. Thomas; for three days at the close, of Rev. Robert Waters. This second meeting resulted in upwards of sixty conversions. At the close of it they commenced one in his own neighborhood, at which about fifty-five conversions took place.

The summer of 1863, he held a protracted meeting at his own home, with about thirty converts. At all the various meetings there were upwards of two hundred professions of religion. During the last meeting the war was all around and the meeting was broken up by two of the neighbors being murdered a little distance from the meeting. He was assisted on this occasion by Rev. James McGehee, a minister of the Methodist Church, South. He and King were the only ministers who were left at home for several counties around, and they were soon gone. One sermon after this meeting, to his old esteemed neighbors, closed his labors with them. At the close of this service they prayed together for the last time, called upon the Lord to be with and protect them to the end, and bade one another a final adieu, expecting to meet no more in the flesh.

In September 1863, in the very midst of the war, it raging all around them and all over the land, he and family started for California, via St. Louis, New York and the Isthmus of Panama. They landed at San Francisco, on the 8th of November, at three o'clock P. M. Here they met their brother-in-law, James M. Braly, who had provided lodgings for them. They rested two days and took boat for Alviso, (no Railroads then) where they met Rev. John E. Braly and other relations of Mrs. King, who received them into their homes, and treated them with very great kindness and hospitality for ten days, when Mr. King found himself installed as principal of Union Academy, at Alamo, Contra Costa County.

Here he taught for five years; witnessed several revivals of religion, and at three o'clock A. M. of the 6th of July, 1868, they were awakened from sleep just in time to escape with their lives, from the falling walls of their burning house. Everything was consumed: not even a garment was saved for some of them.

He was offered 650 acres of fresh land to cultivate upon advantageous terms--sowed it in wheat. The rust totally destroyed the first crop--a northern sirocco the second. This business then closed out and he moved to the foot hills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, thirty miles east of Stockton. Here he taught school, and his son put in forty acres of grain--all that they could raise means to cultivate. Drought destroyed this crop--it neither gave bread, provender or seed. He engaged thus largely in cultivating the soil that he might have the means of devoting himself to the interest of religion, and rode about two hundred miles a month in its interests. The enterprise--cultivating the soil--by providential interposition, totally failed. He taught school five years in the new locality and found himself again in possession of a few hundred dollars, when he took charge of Union Congregation at Mountain View.

In the southern part of the congregation, in the summer and fall of 1875, was a most gracious revival of religion. Several professed, and four joined the church.

At the beginning of April, 1876, he was confined to his bed with an old chronic disease of more than fifty years standing. He kept his bed for two months, and now, November 1st, 1876, has been able to attend religious services but twice for about seven months, and has no hope of ever being well again.

Since the 30th of July, 1876, he has been in his 65th year. He thus writes, November Ist, 1876:

"Is it asked what of the prospect now? Bright as the day star as it rises high above the horizon. The pearly gates are almost in sight. Sometimes the music of Heaven seems to fall upon me. Soon, ah, very soon, I shall be there, leaving my beloved Church scarcely out of the wilderness, but, bless the Lord, leaning upon the arm of her beloved."

[Source: Biographical Sketches of Living Old Men, of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. By E. B. Crisman. St. Louis, Mo.: Perrin and Smith, Steam Book and Job Printers, 1877, pages 53-70]

San Jose, Cal., March 24.
Rev. Robert McGee King, A.M., died yesterday morning at his late residence in Mountain View. He was buried to-day from the old Union church, Mountain View, where he last proclaimed publicly the word of life.
D. E. Bushnell.

[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, April 10, 1879, page 4]

[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, pages 15, 82]