MRS. MARTHA JANE GILBERT
I was born in Lee Co., Virginia, Feb., 1818.
My father was Robert Gibson. My mother was a daughter of Gen. James Renfro
who lived and died at Cumberland Ford. He came from Virginia to Kentucky
at an early date. He owned a great deal of land. He reared a large family
- 9 daughters and 2 sons. One son, James, was killed by a falling limb.
The other son, William, lived and died in Missouri.
Father Gilbert was the most saintly man I ever knew. God seemed to bless
his ministry to the salvation of souls. Incidents. He was preaching. At
the close of the service he was impressed that there was someone present
who would never have another opportunity to be prayed for. He gave an
invitation and a man from the rear of the house came forward. He prayed
earnestly for him. Before morning he was sent
for, to visit him;
when he reached the house he was drawing his last breath.
Another. He said to Mrs. Ambrose,
"Have you ever had any thought of your eternal happiness?"
She abruptly left the room without making a reply. A few months later
her husband, who was a minister, wrote to him to come and baptize her.
She told him that she had no peace after that till she found the Savior.
Another. He had an appointment in Harlan County. The man left his own house
where the appointment was. He preached he determined never to go back to
that county again. [sic]. He stayed all night in the neighborhood. At the
house where he stayed he asked the lady of the house if she had ever
thought of her eternal happiness. She treated him just as the other woman
did, with great coldness. He was deeply impressed to return to Harlan when
he broke his vow and went back. Just before he had reached the house where
he had stayed all night, he was taken with great hunger. He went and asked
the woman for something to eat. She burst into tears and said, "I want to
tell you what great things the Lord has done for my soul." She said after
his visit there and her cold treatment of him she became deeply convicted
and had no peace till she obtained a hope. He went to the same place he
had preached before and preached again. The man remained at his home and
apologized for his treatment at the former
visit. A revival broke out and
a large church was established at that place. Among the converts God raised
up a minister to watch over the flock. A favorite remark of his was, "We
are blessed in duty." He went a great deal over the country, many of the
sick called on him for medicine. His medicine was greatly blessed. A man
named Hawks visited his family to visit his daughter. The old gentleman
entertained him with religious conversation. He asked him to go to church
but he did not go. He rode with him some distance and when they parted he
said to Mr. Hawks, "If the Lord be God follow him, if ("Baal? RBC) then
follow him." Mr. Hawks, a horse driver, later stayed with us with a drove
of horses. The above incident I received from his own lips.
He was greatly impressed with Father Gilbert's piety.
ABIJAH GILBERT
When my father came to Clay County
there was plenty of buffalo, elk and deer. He went to Richmond to get his
license to marry. His wife was Mary Bolling. She
had brothers:
Eli, John, William, Levi; sister Nancy (John Sizemore).
Her son, William Sizemore, lived with my father. He gave him a farm on
Middle Fork on Rockhouse Creek. His brother, John Sizemore,
assessed Clay County many times.
MARTHA GILBERT
Father Gilbert was visiting our house here where we now live.
A man living at our place was at the house. Father Gilbert said to him,
"Did you ever pray?" The man said, "No." That question was used of the
Lord to the man's salvation. He became deeply convicted
and professed a hope in Christ and died in triumph.
ABIJAH GILBERT
My father had 11 children, only five reached majority.
My oldest sister ---- [blank] married Andrew McRoberts,
a farmer of Knox Co., but born and raised in Lincoln. She had one child,
a daughter who married Silas Woodson, his first wife. She had one chld,
a son, who died when a young man. I was elected to the Senate in 1860 to
fill the unexpired term of --- [blank]. I voted against Kentucky seceding
and for this my house was burned during the war. I removed then to Clay's
Ferry, in Fayette County. I rented the ferry. The rebels burnt my boat and
it cost me $300 to build a new one. I tried to get Congress to pay me for
my boat but could not. A Union officer stationed at Richmond ordered me to
build a new boat and he pressed one above me at Comb's Ferry till I got one
built. The Union authorities refused to pay regular rates for ferriage which
reduced my bill $4800. I ferried all night once, putting a regiment of Union
soldiers over. I could carry 25 men and horses at once. The river was out of
the banks, drift running. I paid $1205 a year for the ferry part of the
time and $1600 part of the time. The Union soldiers killed a desperate Negro
on the ferry boat. He had robbed and stolen, searched women, etc. A man
called from the Madison side one day, it was raining. I told the ferrymen to
wait till the shower was over. The man swam the river though it was very
high. He said the Rebels were coming, that he had dispatches, that six men
had drowned and he would report me for refusing to carry him over. I was
alarmed. Dough White of Clay County came over the next day. He said no
Rebels were coming, that doubtless the fellow had stolen something and was
escaping justice and the story of drowned men was a fabrication. I have
never heard of him anymore. I served two terms as door keeper of the Senate,
one term while I lived in Fayette County. I afterwards (later) served a term
in the Lower House from Clay, Owsley and Estill. Brashears of Perry opposed
me in my race for the Senate. My cousin, Asa Gilbert, Democrat, opposed me
in the last race. Red Bird was killed by some hunters below the mouth of Big
Creek and thrown into a hole of water. I do not know whether my father
helped bury him or not. I have heard my father talk about Red Bird but I do
not remember anything definitely now. There was no justification for the
murder of Red Bird. The hunters quarreled with him about furs and killed him
out of greed. He had an Indian with him, called Jack, who escaped.
~~~~~~
Gilbert Renfro Ambrose Hawks Bolling Sizemore
McRoberts Woodson White Brashears
=Lee-VA MO Knox-KY Lincoln-KY Fayette-KY
Owsley-KY Estill-KY Perry-KY
|
~Sandra
