Gideon Potter - Autobiography
from the Gospel Messenger, November 1888 I have no distinct knowledge of my family further back than my grandfather, who was born in England, and moved to this country before the Revolutionary war. In his infancy, he was taken into the English church but when he came to years of maturity he joined the Regular Baptists. I remember hearing him say that his "godfather failed to do what he promised; he promised to raise him up in the ways of holiness, but failed to do it." My grandmother’s first name was Judah, and she, too, was born in England; but I do not know whether they were married before or after they moved to the United States. They first settled in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. I remember hearing him speak of his ministers: of Elders Leland Joshua Carter, Lee and Maston. The last was 80 years old or more when I could first remember. He was a Regular Baptist minister before the Revolutionary war, and told of being imprisoned and whipped on account of his religious sentiments, and I saw the sears on his back made by the whip. He said he had felt as happy while preaching in prison as he ever did at any time. I often heard grandfather talk of the Revolutionary war, and one thing I remember with pride, and that is, that there was not a single Regular Baptist ever known to be on the Tory side. They were without a single exception, friends to the Colonies, so far as I have ever heard. Grandfather raised seven sons and three daughters, my father being the sixth child. Father was sixteen years old the year that Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, and thus ended the Revolutionary war. He had four older brothers who went through the war Two of them, however, were killed; the other two were with Washington, and I suppose, were present when Cornwallis surrendered. I often heard these two uncles, named Moses and Lewis speak of their hardships during the war. The oldest remained in Virginia, and the youngest went to North Carolina, and lived there till he died. One settled in Kentucky, and Benjamin and my father came to Indiana. Benjamin settled in Orange County, and was the last person that old Bro. Jonathan Jones baptized, and they were both very old at the time. Father settled near Bedford about the year ‘32, and only lived a short time afterward, and died near the age of seventy. When I went to see him last, he told me he was going to die, saying: "I have lived out my three-score and ten years, and am now about to leave this world; I am prepared to go; my Master has called for me, and I am willing to go." My mother’s name was Martha Phipps, and was of Welsh descent. She joined the Baptist when I was about four years old, and was baptized by Elder Abraham Mitchell in Mitchell’s river, North Carolina.. Father was a member of the Regular Baptists before I can remember. Although I was so young, I can well remember seeing mother baptized. I remember that I was out of humor with Elder Mitchell on account of it. Mother lived twenty-six years after father died, making her home principally with me and Brother Benjamin. In her dotage she seemed to think much about religion, and often related her experience of grace. She too was willing to die, and went as willingly as any one I ever knew. Father raised six boys and four girls. They were all living when mother died. My three oldest brothers were in the war of 1812; I was too young to take part in that war, The two oldest, Benjamin and William, first joined a rifle company in North Carolina, and went to join General Jackson in his war with the Creek Indians. They were present at the Battle at the "Horse Shoe." They also went with Jackson to reduce the French fort at Pensacola. While there their time for which they volunteered had expired, and nearly all their company came home; but they volunteered again and went with Jackson to Now Orleans, and were in the battle there. Stephen volunteered later, and was not in any battle. My oldest brother, Benjamin, finally settled in Missouri (Jackson county), and during the last war he was foully murdered by what was known as the "home guard." He and four other men were shot and laid in a heap, he having four balls shot through him. His sympathies were known to be with the South. He had two sons in the rebel army, and on this account, no doubt, on was murdered. I felt very much irreconciled to this affair for a long while, but have become fully resigned, knowing that God will ultimately vindicate the right. William settled in Virginia., lived and died there; he joined the Regular Baptists there, and was baptized by Elder Wm. Davis. Stephen finally settled in Missouri and died there. John and Lewis settled and died in Lawrence county, Ind.
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