Hi everyone,
Hope your summer is going well. I was browsing in a rare and used book
store
today and found "History of Gwinnett County GA 1813-1943 Volume I
by J.C. Flanigan and found a story regarding Hosea Camp. He is not
of my direct line and the book was a first edition and cost $225 so I
didn't buy it, but the store proprietor was kind enough to photocopy
the essay regarding Hosea and gave it to me free! This essay is from
Chapter XII and was written by a Judge Winn who was a contemporary
of Hosea Camp and others in the county. He wrote an essay regarding
about 50 early settlers to Gwinnett County. This is the transcript of the
essay:
"1871
Rev. Hosea Camp
Hosea Camp was a local Methodist preacher and was born in South
Carolina about the year 1774 and removed in early life to Georgia and
settled on the Mulbury River near the present residence of Mr. D.R. Lyle, in
Jackson County, where he resided for some time and afterwards removed eight
to ten miles farther west to what is now know as his old home place, some
thirteen of fourteen miles east of Lawrenceville, the present residence of
William
Jackson, where he resided until 1847. He was distinguished for his quiet
and
unobtrusive deportment, never engaging in controversies either of politics
or
religion, though firm and decided in both. He was a firm and unwavering
Whig on
politics and a staunch and unyielding Methodist in religion; but being
strictly
honest in his principles himself, accorded the same honesty to those with
whom
he disagreed. This was a commendable trait in the character of our old
friend
and let us commend this spirit to the readers of this sketch as and
illustrious example
to be followed by them.
Men generally have too little charity for those with whom the
differ in politics and more especially with those who differ with them
in religion. This illiberality and uncharitableness among men
professing to be the followers of our Savior is, to my mind, the most
unreasonalbe and inconsistent spirit that prevades the human mind,
all professing to serve the same Lord whose law is charity and love;
striving for the same heaven and yet falling out and quarreling by the way.
If heaven be pure and holy, the soul must be purified
from all this base material before it can ever enter its blessed
portals. Such was not of our old friend. With him his neighbor
might be a Democrat and a patriot, a Presbyterian or a Baptist and
a Christian.
As a minister he classed respectably. His sermons were plain
and yet forcible; and while the opening was somewhat tame, generally
his perorations were stricking and touching. He was the neighbor
and compeer of Samuel Anthony and with him was a co-worker in
the salvation of souls. Wherein they differed, "they agreed to
disagree" without controversy.
Mr. Camp was happy in his domestic relations, rearing twelve
children and all of them taking honorable positions in their
communities, and were useful and respected citizens, following
in his footsteps and governed by his example. In social life he
was pleasant and greeable in his manners, soft and gentle and
somewhat mirthful. He was a good laugher, not a smiler such as we
sometimes see, and such as I always suspect of deceit and treachery;
nor such as was Shakespear's Iago "Smile and smile and yet a villain," but
his
was the ringing, pealing laughter from an honest, cheerful heart that
makes digestion good and draws nails from the coffin, of the "laugh
and grow fat" specimen.
Save me from the smiler. So obsequious, "so happy to see you" with
the "how are you, my brother" and then strike you under the
fifth rib. After a somewhat long experience and some observation of
men's character, I never knew such a one but, if not a scoundrel,
was a hypocrite.
Another beautiful trait in his character was that he never spoke
evil of his neighbor. He had not the tongue of the back-biter nor
the slime of the slanderer so prevalent in the present day. If it
was my prerogative to speak of it, I would say it is one of the
greatest evils of the age, the most damnable and diabolical...
we commend especially this beautiful trait in Hosea Camp's character
to all who may read these lines and let them try and profit by his
example.
He removed from Gwinnett to Polk County, having been a citizen
here for forty years and one of the best of the old fathers.
He died in 1859 or 1860, aged 86 years, exceeding the Psalmist's
limit by 16 years."
The essay continues with the verse from Psalms and a poem about
living a good life.
Hope this helps someone.
Carle