Donna, I hope you don't mind if I answer to the list re: your hopes that I had more info on our grandfather JOHNSON. One of the benefits of having an uncle that is not only a minister, but also a genealogist, is his church histories. In Sept of 1882, Raft Swamp Baptist Church called our grandfather, the Rev Elias DAVIS JOHNSON to be pastor there, and in October he accepted, but before that, he was a founding member of Great Marsh Baptist Church in St Pauls. Uncle Nash wrote a history of Great Swamp in honor of its Centennial year in 1972 and dedicated it to our grandfather and tells us a little bit about him. Here, in part, is what Nash has to say: The Early Beginnings The Great Marsh Baptist Church, located about a mile south of St Pauls, was organized in mid-summer of 1872. The Presbytery to constitute the church included Elder Furney PREVATT, pioneer Robeson County minister, and his son, Elder F. A. PREVATT, and Elder Elias DAVIS JOHNSON. We are told there were 12 men and women of Baptist persuasion who became the first members. The following list was more likely included in this number: Elder Elias DAVIS JOHNSON and his wife, Sarah Caroline HUMPHREY, W. S. JOHNSON, J. H . JOHNSON, J G FISHER and wife, Charity FISHER, Archibald ODUM and his wife, Eliza ODUM, J R BELCH, Solomon BELCH and Wrial (sic) WILLOUGHBY. The site for the first church building and meeting place ( the present location) was donated by Rev Elias DAVIS JOHNSON and Archibald ODUM. Elder Elias D JOHNSON was called as the first pastor following the constitution of the church and the first deacons were Duncan HUMPHREY and J S JOHNSON. Elder JOHNSON served from 1872 until 1884 and from 1886 until his death in 1893 for a period of 21 years. [He served concurrently at Raft Swamp until at least 1891] He was the son of Samuel JOHNSON and Sarah DAVIS of Bladen county. He was born Aug 6, 1828 in the Hickory Grove Baptist Church community of Bladen county and died on Feb 7, 1893, at his home near the Great MARSH Church. He is buried in the Great Marsh Church Cemetery. He had given much of the land for the cemetery and he gave part of the land upon which the church was built and led in the organizing of the church. He was married to Sara Caroline HUMPHREY of the Saddletree Baptist Church Community. At the age of 17 he was baptized into the fellowship of the Hickory Grove Baptist church by a Rev McFALL. He was ordained to the gospel ministry in the year 1855 at Raft Swamp Baptist Church in Robeson County by Elder Furney PREVATT and Rev Isham STONE. His education was limited, but he was apt and quick to learn. As a preacher, he was popular and always had every Sunday engaged during his ministry. He preached in Robeson, Cumberland, Sampson, Bladen and Columbus counties. He was pastor of the Raft Swamp Baptist Church when Robeson Association was organized there in 1882. He was also pastor of Cedar Creek Baptist Church of Cumberland County when the Cedar Creek Association was organized at that church. He was also surveyor and a barrel maker in addition to being one of the largest farmers in Robeson county. He served also as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Lumberton during the Reconstruction years following the Civil War and was also Treasurer of Robeson County. At least seven of his descendants have been leaders in the Great Marsh Church and the First Baptist Church, St Pauls, as well as many other churches throughout the state. I have a copy of a eulogy written by J G FISHER which Uncle Nash gave me, so it might be the same one as you have. Rev FISHER identifies Sarah DAVIS as being sister to the Rev Elias DAVIS and he says Samuel JOHNSON was a Methodist and Sarah was a Baptist. He says that at the time of our grandfather's marriage to Sarah HUMPHREY in 1849 and for some years afterwards, he was not worth any more property than it would take to pay his debts. This is all that I have, Donna. I hope I was able to help you out. For those of you who wonder why I haven't as yet given any of Raft Swamp's history, I'm still thinking about it because of the copyright thing. I haven't heard from anyone yet who thinks I shouldn't, so maybe it will be all right if I do. Lynn [email protected]