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2013 Cemetery Walk - Carter Tarrant (1763-1816) War of 1812 Chaplain - portrayed by Ron Nelson.

 

 

 

CARTER TARRANT
Portrayed by Ron Nelson

I was born in Amherst County, Virginia, November the 4th, 1763, raised in Henry County, where in the 18th year of my age, I became acquainted with religion, and was baptized by elder Michael Dillingham, and joined Lether-Wood Baptist Church, with whom I was always happy.

I lived a private member in said church three or four years. The church was under the watch-care of Elder Robert Stockton, by whom and Elder Joseph Anthony, I was ordained.

I moved to South Carolina, Greenville County, where I stayed one year; thence returned to Henry County, Virginia, and took the over-sight of the church I first joined, took also the care of Banister Church; continued in the oversight of these two churches, two years; thence returned to South Carolina.

From my former residence in Virginia to my residence in the south was 300 miles, which I traveled seventeen times. While in Carolina, I took the oversight of Brush Creek Church. I joined Bethel Association.

While in the south, I traveled much through Georgia and to the city of Charleston almost constantly for seven years, and tried to preach about three hundred times a year. In my last removal to the south, I continued there five years; thence removed to Kentucky.

Since my residence here, I have traveled through Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana and Louisiana. I joined a small association in Kentucky, consisting of five small churches, which have since increased to upwards of twenty. We formed a union with the Elkhorn Association.

After the union aforesaid, I moved south of Green River, Kentucky, and took the oversight of Mount Tabor Church. We shortly formed an association called Green River Association. Although our beginning was small, the Lord added to the number until two associations were constituted from the old one, called Russel's Creek and Stockton's Valley.

After continuing two years and a half in the Green River country, I returned to Woodford, Kentucky, and took the oversight of Hillsborough Church, and continued in the same about three years. In February 1806, one of the members of said church brought forward a query: "Is it agreeable to church for the doctrine of emancipation from slavery to be preached among them?" Answered in the negative.

Out of this action came the organization of the New Hope Baptist Church, this was formed out of the Hillsborough Church. New Hope was openly an Emancipation Baptist Church. This is the type of Baptist Church that President Lincoln's parents, Tom and Nancy Lincoln, joined.

It was this same movement which had a great influence on Indiana and Illinois. Several of our earliest Baptist churches were organized on the rules I laid out, called "Tarrant's Rules". Auxier Creek Baptist Church, established in 1829 and located on the Hamilton-Wayne County line, was just one of these.

For a few years, I was very active in promoting emancipation. But becoming much reduced in worldly circumstances, I accepted a position as Chaplain in the American Army, during the War of 1812, from 1812-1815. I died on February 17, 1816, somewhere between New Orleans and Nashville, Tennessee.