Fountain Elliot Pitts (1808 - 1874)

Born 4 Jul 1808 in Georgetown, Scott, Kentucky, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Martha E Britt — married 14 Aug 1827 in Sumner, TN

Died 22 May 1874 at age 65 in Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Chet Spencer [send private message]

Biography

Fountain was born in 1808 and passed away in 1874. His tombstone says May 12, but his findagrave memorial gives the date as May 22, I would think because of his obituary that is posted on the site, which does not state the date he died. ^[1]

Tennessee, Marriage Records, 1780-2002^[2]

• Name: Fountain E Pitt
• Gender: Male
• Marriage Date: 14 Aug 1827
• Marriage Place: Sumner, Tennessee, USA
• Spouse: Marth Britt

Year: 1850; Census Place: Edgefield, Davidson, Tennessee^[3]

• F E Pitts 42/m, meth epis minister, $45000, KY
• Martha A Pitts 37/f, NC
• Jas B Pitts 20/m, med student, TN
• Jno C Pitts 18/m, student, TN
• Sarah B Pitts 11/f, TN, school
• Juliet Pitts 9/f, TN, school
• Marg H Pitts 4/f, TN
• Lucy West 15/f, KY, school

Year: 1860; Census Place: District 18, Davidson, Tennessee^[4]

• F C Pitts 52/m, m minister, $16000 $6500, KY
• M Pitts 43/f, NC
• Sallie Pitts 21/f, TN
• M Pitts 14/f, TN
• C C Wightman 24/m, machinist, SC
• Mary Wightman 22/f, SC
• Minnie Wightman 1/f, SC
• Charles Wightman 1/12/m,
• S L Finley 35/m, lawyer, MA
• Mrs. E Finley 24/f, TN
• A Garrot 22/m, physician, AL

Year: 1870; Census Place: District 18, Davidson, Tennessee^[5]

• Fountain E Pitts 61/m, minister, $30000 $500, KY
• Martha E Pitts 57/f, keeping house, NC
• John W Graham 30/m, school teacher, VA
• Margaretta Graham 23/f, keeping house, TN
• Pearl Graham 9mon/f, TN (sept)
• Elmore D Pitts 16/m, NC, school
• James Hopkins 30/m, NC
• George Loftin 13/m, TN, school
• Mack Murray 47/m, farm laborer, TN

Obituary

Nashville Union and American, May 24, 1874

A Veteran Minister Gone

Death of Rev. Fountain E. Pitts -- His Career as a Preacher and Soldier

Intelligence was received in this city yesterday of the death, on Friday evening, of Rev. Fountain E. Pitts, pastor of the West End Church, in this city. The disease of which he died was pneumonia, and the sad event occurred at the residence of Mrs. E. D. Hobbs, on the Louisville, Lexington and Cincinnati Railroad, twelve miles from Louisville.

Mr. Pitts was one of the oldest preachers in the Southern Methodist Church, and one of the most notable men in the Tennessee Conference. As a preacher he was a distinguished veteran in the cause, and had been in the intnerancy for fifty years, traveling from one end of the Southern section to the other, preaching always eloquent sermons with power and success, winning the name of "the old man eloquent." He was born in Georgetown Ky., July 4, 1808, and is, therefore, in his sixty-sixth year. He made a profession of religion in 1820, and was licensed to preach in 1824, when only a little more than 16 years old. He was ordained deacon by Bishop Roberts, at Russellville, Ky., in 1826, and Elder by Bishop Soule, of Shelbyville, Ky., in 1828. During a ministry of fifty years, he has been in the Presiding Elder's office fifteen years. He was in the General Conferences of 1832, '36 and '40, and the Louisville Convention of 1845, and subsequently in the General Conferences of 1846, '50'54, '58, and '70. In 1835 Mr. Pitts was selected to go as the pioneer missionary to South America. In the late ware he served six months as chaplain in the Eleventh Tennessee regiment, and subsequently raised, in East Tennessee, the Sixty-first Tennessee regiment, of which he was elected colonel, and while in command was engaged in fighting Federal gunboats for about five months at Vicksburg. While in the army he did a great deal of preaching as well as fighting, and the soldiers gave him the name of the "fighting parson."

The Louisville Courier-Journal of yesterday, says of the deceased:

"Last week he filled his seat in the General Conference, and was an active worker in all the measures that came up for consideration,last week he preached twice at Olive Branch Church in the country, and was apparently in his usual health, but early in the week he was stricken down with disease. Dr. McFerrin went out on the train yesterday afternoon and attended his venerable brother in his last moments, and closed his eyes after his spirit had departed. He died rejoicing in that faith by which he had lived for three-score years. His remains will be brought to Louisville to-day, and a funeral service will be held at Walnut Street M.E. Churche at 3 o'clock p.m.

The remains will arrive from Louisville this morning.

We have been requested to publish the following announcement:

All preachers and official members of the Methodist Churches in and around Nashville, are requested to meet at the Louisville Depot, at 8:30 a.m. to-day, to receive the corpse of our beloved father and brother, Rev. Fountain Elliott Pitts, and attend it to McKendree Church, where the funeral services will take place, at 10:30 a.m.

Nashville Union and American, May 26 1874

Elder Fountain E. Pitts

The Last Sad Rites over the Honored Dead

The Remains of the late Elder Fountain E. Pitts reached Nashville from Louisville at 8:30 Sunday morning, where they were met by a large number of pastors, officers and other members of the Methodist Churches in the city, and conveyed to McKendree Church, where the funeral services were held at 10:30.

The hymns sung were all favorites of the deceased, the "Old Ship of Zion" being selected as a voluntary. The first hymn was read by Rev. R.K. Brown, and the opening prayer was offered by Rev. Dr. Weakley. Dr. Sawrie read the first lesson, Rev. F.R. Hill reading the second.

Rev. J.W. Hill then read the second hymn, after the singing of which Dr. Kelley delivered an appropriate address, giving an interesting description of the life, character and preaching of the late Elder Pitts. He was followed by the Rev. W. Burr, of Clarksville, who gave an account of the last illness of the deceased, his death, and the impressive funeral services which were held at Louisville.

Rev. E.T. Hart then read a hymn, Rev. W. R. Warren followed with prayer, and the services were brought to a close with the benediction, pronounced by Rev. Dr. Green.

The remains were conveyed to Mt. Olivet Cemetery and deposited in the vault, where the services were finally closed by the singing of an appropriate hymn, and a prayer offered by Rev. Dr. Kelly.

At the penitentiary, appropriate exercises were held by the Sunday school relative to the death of this veteran minister of the gospel. Elder Pitts was Chaplain of the Penitentiary at the time of his death, and had won the confidence and love of officers and prisoners. Hence it was thought fit that some expression of the feelings of the prisoners should be made.

The following resolutions were drawn up by a committee of prisoners and unanimously adopted by the school by a rising vote:

"Whereas, it has pleased Almighty God, in his Providence, to call from earthly labor to heavenly joys, as we trust, our beloved pastor and venerable minister, Rev. F.E. Pitts; and, whereas, in him we lose an able preacher of the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the Church a strong stay, therefore

Resolved, by the Prison Sabbath-school that we recognize in his death the hand of an all wise God, and while we mourn his loss yet we rejoice that his life and death show forth the triumph of the Christian faith.

Resolve, that we will endeavor to follow his precepts and practice his virtues that our end may be like his, that of peace.

Resolved, the we tender to his bereaved family and many friends, especially the Church of Christ, our heart-felt sympathy.

In behalf the Prison Sabbath-school.

Thos. G. Boyd, W.E. Smith, J.W. Furman, Committee.

Remarks were then made by J.O. Griffith and R.S. Bennett, Associate Superintendents, relative to the life anc character of the deceased and the circumstances of his death. The exercises were listened to throughout by all with tearful attention. Source; findagrave.com

Sources

1. ↑ 'Rev Fountain Elliot Pitts Find A Grave: Memorial #98429012
2. ↑ Tennessee, Marriage Records, 1780-2002; Original data: Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002. Nashville, TN, USA: Tennessee State Library and Archives. Microfilm. [1]
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCDH-YDJ : 12 April 2016), F E Pitts, Edgefield, Davidson, Tennessee, United States; citing family 1187, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8T1-J65 : 12 December 2017), F E Pitts, 1860.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD8G-HVM : 12 April 2016), Fountain E Pitts, Tennessee, United States; citing p. 3, family 12, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 553,021.

• WikiTree profile Pitts-1111 created through the import of Spencer Family Tree 4 2002.GED on Nov 28, 2011 by Chet Spencer.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_E._Pitts
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/98429012/fountain-elliott-pitts