Andrew S. Scott

ANDREW S. SCOTT b. 21 Nov 1786 N.C. or S.C. s/o John Wilson & Nancy Keith Scott d. Friday evening, 16 Sept 1859 Berlin, Sangamon co. Ill. ("after a short illness") m/1. 28 May 1808 Jackson co. Tenn. Anna Longest, d/o Caleb & Hanna Folson Longest b. 18 Oct 1791 now Carteret co. N. C. d. 14 Sept 1853 Sangamon co. Ill.; 11 children. Andrew m/2. 28 Feb 1856 Sangamon co. Ill. Mrs. Mary "Polly" Ellis Maxwell b. 12 Dec 1814 Warsaw, Gallatin co. Kentucky d. 12 Apr 1861 Sangamon co. Ill. (she had m/1. 6 Nov 1840 Elias Maxwell, who died before 1850, and they had one son), thought buried Old Berlin Cemetery, no children. Andrew was a minister in the Christian church.

Andrew's son Gaddial Scott's biography in Knox co. Ill. says his father was born in North Carolina.

Andrew and Anna moved from South Carolina to Jackson (now Clay) county, Tennessee about 1804; they settled on the Little Trace Creek near the present-day town of Hermitage Springs.  They then moved to Lincoln co. Kentucky about 1810 and lived on Cane Creek; from there to Giles co. Tennessee on the Pigeon Roost branch (or creek) of the Elk river, in 1811/12; from there to Harrison (later Orange, then Crawford) co. Indiana 1813/14 (first settling in Whiskey Run township, then settling near what became the town of Hartford, Indiana), then to Illinois, first living near Richland, in Cartwright Township, Sangamon County, Illinois.  They are said in more than one place (here and here) to have moved to Illinois in 1818, but they were in Indiana when the census was taken in 1820; perhaps they returned for a short time.  They settled in Island Grove, Sangamon co. in 1824. It is not yet known if the whole extended family moved with them between Jackson co. Tenn. and Indiana, but they did follow them to Sangamon co. Ill., moving on to what was to become Dewitt co. Ill. about 1827.  It would be helpful to see land records for Lincoln co. Ky. and Giles co. Tenn. for that time period, to see if Andrew and family were moving alone or with the rest of the family (or if they even bought land).  I'd also like to see the bible that these carefully-placed birth dates seem to originate from!

From the 1878 History of Knox County, Illinois, published by Charles C. Chapman & Co., Chicago, pages 100-127: "In 1827 Andy Osborn, Andrew Scott, John Slatten and Gaddial Scott, four sturdy young men from Sangamon county, made a tour through this country (now Know co. Ill.) in search of honey.  They pushed ahead, over prairie and through timber, until Henderson Grove in this county was reached.  Here they discovered two well filled trees, and without trouble were soon possessors of their delicious contents.  They remained for one week, during which time they met neither white man nor negro.  The only persons these explorers met, from the time of their leaving Sangamon county until they returned, were a Mr. Atwood and his son, who lived south of the old Galena road... Mr. Gaddial Scott seemed to have formed a good impression of Knox county, for we find him moving here a few years after".

According to History of the Disciples in Illinois 1819-1914 by Nathaniel S. Haynes:

"He was a minister whose aim was to teach and preach the true faith and the pure gospel. He at once began to hold meetings in the log cabins of the pioneers. In 1824 he settled near Island Grove--the woods skirting Spring Creek--a mile or two northwest of the site of old Berlin. There he met Theophilus Sweet, a Baptist preacher of the old school. It was not long until Mr. Sweet was in accord with Mr. Scott in his Christian faith and preaching. Their united labors soon developed a Christian Church on Spring Creek that met for worship in the log schoolhouse. It was doubtless organized there. Much as we admire those brave pioneers whose voices rang true to the word of God, still we are reminded that they were fallible. In a time after the beginning of this church, one of its members, named William Grant, accused Preacher Andrew Scott in plain speech of lying.  Of his defense the subjoined documents have come down to us:

TAZWELL COUNTY, Illinois, June 30th, 1830.--We whose names are undersigned, having been formerly members of the church at Spring Creek in Sangamon County, by permission of the church in the big grove on Kickapoo, do send to the churches and all whom the presents may concern, that Brother Andrew Scott was and is a minister in good standing among us.

Signed: ISAAC CARLOCK, JAMES R. SCOTT, SAMUEL P. GLENN, LEVINA MARTIN, RUTH B. GLEN, JOHN P. GLEN, DANIEL VINCENT, NANCY GLEN, ANN VINCENT.

I, John Glen, a member of the church of Christ at Big Grove, Kickapoo, do hereby certify that I have known Andrew Scott for forty years, and that I ever did consider him a man of truth and strictly honest.

Given under my hand this 10th day of June, 1830.

Signed: JOHN GLEN.

The genuineness of these documents is attested by the following:

I, M. B. Robertson, a Justice of the Peace in and for Sangamon County, Illinois, do hereby certify that the above are accurate copies of letters of commendation received by Andrew Scott, from the above parties.

Given under my hand and seal this 15th day of October, 1913.

M. B. ROBERTSON, Justice of the Peace.
BERLIN, Illinois, Oct. 15, 1913.

From these statements it is clear that there was a church of Christ in Big Grove, on the Kickapoo, in 1830. Nine members of this church had previously been members of the Spring Creek congregation. The latter was formed previous to this time, probably near 1825, the year after Messrs. Scott and Sweet began to work together.

Those who are curious will be interested in the following. On the reverse side of the sheet of paper containing the above testimonials this certificate is written:

This is to sertify that I was at the meten on Spring Creek for the perpes of setlen of Deficelty betwen Brother Scott and Brother Grant he charges Brother Scott of lying But DID not prov it it was not setled to the satisfaction of Brother Scott But was left to ware out.

JESSE WILSON.

The church of Christ in Big Grove, on Kickapoo, was short-lived, or soon met in another place under another name. None of the historians mention it, nor is there a tradition of it in the memories of octogenarians."

Andrew and Anna had 11 children:
Author: Matt Scott