Greer-Wilson Family Tour, 2012 Part VI

by Glenn N. Holliman

"A Small Travail"

In the early 1800s, the second religious Great Awakening swept across the American frontier and newly founded communities, left behind as the western movement continued to push rapidly across the new United States.  Institutional churches such as the Anglican denomination (now called Episcopalian), the dominant if not the founding church of the original southern colonies, failed to move aggressively to plant churches and provide clergy to minister to the small, isolated villages popping up in the mountain coves and rural landscapes of the newly minted nation.

Into this void came the Baptist and Methodist denominations, both with little ritual in worship and whose clergy were often under-educated.  But the pastors, ordained or otherwise, could preach, and preach they did emotionally of a doctrine of sin, damnation and personal salvation.  Camp meetings and open air revivals, attracted families for miles around.  Many came, were converted and their lives strengthened spiritually.  One such person who left his testimony, was Jesse Greer, Sr. (1778-1869).

Below, the Todd, North Carolina Cemetery where Jesse and Mary Morris Greer lie buried, overlooks a beautiful valley surrounded by high mountains covered again with forests.

He experienced a spiritual conversion experience in 1815, and as he wrote in his notebook, ‘the Gall of Bitterness’ fell away.  Whatever were the sins of this emotional, evidently impulsive ancestor?  Womanizing, drinking, horse stealing, fighting, gambling or swearing – all of the above?  He admits to some of these ‘sins’ in his confession of repentance copied below. Cousin Annie Heaton of Elk Park, North Carolina has his notebook and words written in pencil, which evidently were copied by his son Jesse Greer, Jr.  Here they are below with original spelling.  The cadence of his words capture the feeling and the emotion of his Great Awakening.

A Smawl travil of Jesse Grear, Sr.

“He was born the son of Benjamine and Nancy Grear in Wilkes County North Carolina on the 14th November 1778. then traveled on to the year of maturity under a tender father and mother and at 16 years old I left my Parents much Against their will. then serving the Devil was all my delight. till the year 1800, then married Polly Morris which was born a daughter of Henry and Franky Morris on the 17th september 1787. then went on in the Gall of Bitteness as tho there was no soul to save or to be lost. til the year 1810, at the Baptism of Brother Benjamin, I Began to think that my soul must dwell with the rich man. then I betook my self to trying to pray for about ten months.

But the Devil pursuaded me it was so hard that I could pray no longer. But betook myself to cursing and swearing and drinking and all kinds of sin til the year 1814. very Gardless we went to meeting to the Oldfeel [Old Field] meeting house but there was no ministry Came to preach. but as they thought proper that they should sing and pray one of them began and as I set I saw a small child about twelve or thirteen years old crying as if He would Breake her heart. and it seamed to strike me like a Clap of Thunder, to think that God was at work with such small Children and I still in the gall of bitterness then I went hence trying to pray. but it oppressed? to me that God would not hear my weak pertishion.

I soon began to think that I had passed the day of grace and soon betook my self to my friends and to the people of god to see if they could give any Conslation. but I had to go moving through the wilderness until 1815. I had been from home and on my return home some hour in the night I thought if I was lost I would die a praying. and as I was trying to pray I thought that my Blessed Jesus meet with me and Bid me not fear. then I went home Rejoycing and praising God that I had Been lost But now was found. and in the time to follow his Companion Got a hope that she had made peace with god and we was Received in to the Baptist Church and was Baptised on the 4th Sunday in June 1815.”

     As we read his words today – he must have been a tormented soul – we hope he was happier.  Whatever could his terrible sins had been?  Maybe he neglected his children; he sure did not neglect his wife, the mother of his 17 children!

  A morning sun scatters rays through the tall trees of the North Carolina highlands as  descendants of Jesse Greer, Sr. tend to his rustic gravestone.