Tennessee's Pioneer Baptist Preachers

Sketches Of

Tennessee's Pioneer Baptist Preachers

J. H. MORTON

(pages 387 - 388)

John Houston Morton, a son of John and Mary Morton, was born near Montvale Springs, Blount County, Tennessee. December 18, 1833. He professed faith in Christ December 29, 1851, and the following April was received for baptism by the Six Mile Church, near his home. He was educated at Mossy Creek (now Carson and Newman) College, graduating the first year of the Civil War. In the army he was chaplain of the Third Tennessee Cavalry, later was appointed second lieutenant of the 3rd Regiment, Company F, and at the close of the war was Captain of Company K, 3rd Regiment, Cavalry.

November 10, 1864, he was married by Elder Isaac Hines to Mary Jane Wade of Sevier County. May 19, 1867, he was married a second time, to Mary L. Parks. To this union were born six children, three sons and three daughters.

December 1, 1865, he received a commission from the Home Mission Society to do missionary work in eastern Tennessee, salary $500 a year, with a bonus of $200, to be collected on the field.

October, 1862, he was a messenger of Boyd's Creek Church to the Tennessee Association, and a member of the committee on resolutions. Returning from the war he gave himself to the Lord's work as much as the exigencies of supporting a family would permit, and as he had opportunity He was pastor of Boyd's Creek, Six Mile, Maryville, Miller's, Cove, Pleasant Grove, and other churches in Blount Comity and contiguous territory. He was a well-posted and instructive preacher; in his style of preaching was doctrinal rather than evangelistic; was better adapted to building up churches than holding meetings. "He had a good knowledge of Scripture, was a brave man and preached the truth in all plainness and boldness but his delivery was not as good as that of some preachers who were less scholarly and not so well posted in the Bible." (J. W'. H.)

In addition to his ministerial work he was farmer, county surveyor and county superintendent of public schools, Blount County, trustee of Chilhowee Institute, trustee of Carson College (Carson-Newman), and so forth. The last few years Of his, life he was active in the work of the Chilhowee Association, in which body he was a trusted counselor and whose progress and prosperity greatly concerned him. His death occurred July 17, 1892; be was buried in the cemetery at Piney Level Church, Blount County, Tennessee.

Burnett, J .J. Sketches of Tennessee's Pioneer Baptist Preachers. Nashville, Tenn.: Press of Marshall & Bruce Company, 1919.

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