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"Raccoon" John Smith
1784-1868
John Smith was born on October 15,
1784 in East Tennessee, in what is now known as Sullivan County. He has been
called the Peter Cartwright and Lorenzo Dow of the Restoration Movement. He was
truly a unique character, a product of the age in which he lived. Alexander
Campbell is quoted as saying: "John Smith is the only man that I ever knew
who would have been spoiled by a college education." He meant that the
unique character would have been so greatly modified by an education that he
could not have done the work that he did.
John
Smith had very little schooling. He attended school four months in a log
schoolhouse when he was but a lad. A little later he enrolled as a student in a
private school. This school was so crude that it accomplished very little. The
teacher was a drunkard and gave but little attention to his duties as a teacher.
It is said that young Smith, to express his contempt for such a teacher, poured
a shovel full of hot embers in the teacher's pocket while he sat before his pupils
in a drunken stupor. This broke up the school, and Smith never enrolled any more
as a student. These few months' schooling quickened his thirst for knowledge,
though they furnished him but little opportunity for the acquisition of
knowledge.
His
parents were Calvinistic Baptists in faith and were rigid in their enforcement
of their peculiar theories upon their children. As young Smith verged into
manhood he became interested in the subject of religion. He sought the Lord
after the custom of the Calvinistic theory. He anxiously waited for the Lord to
call him; he truly expected him to call him as one of the elect. He freely and
unconsciously imbibed the teaching of his father's creed. All the stories of
conversion at that time were full of marvelous incident and spiritual adventure.
John Smith listened to the narration of these stories and prayed that they might
be made his own experience. His father died about this time, leaving John Smith
to take charge of the family affairs. The death of his father and the
responsibilities that now fell upon him caused him to more earnestly seek
salvation. He tried in vain, it seemed to him, to "get religion." He
next turned to reading the Bible, thinking that he might get some comfort from
his distressed condition. I've had strong convictions that he was a sinner, and
his struggles were painful indeed. Finally he was told that he had been
"converted." He rejoiced to hear this and believed it; however, he had
not had the marvelous experiences that commonly attended conversions of that
kind. There was an element of doubt in his own mind. He was assured that this
doubt was one of the tokens of God's mercy to him. He submitted his case to the
Baptist Church, and the church unanimously passed on his conversion and he was
immediately taken into the fold of the Baptist Church.
Soon
after he became a member of the Baptist Church he had a strong desire to be a
preacher. He worried no little about "a call to preach." He could not
understand why he should have such a strong desire to preach and yet the Lord
would not call him. He began to talk at prayer meeting, and the more he
participated in the prayer-meeting work, the stronger grew his desire to preach.
He continued talking at prayer meeting and at the houses of his neighbors. He
was reprimanded for preaching "without a call." Finally he persuaded
himself that he had received the "call to preach." He lost no time in
getting into the work of a Baptist preacher.
He
began reading the New Testament and pondering over the word of the Lord. He
memorized much of the Scripture, which was a strange thing in that day. He read
and studied the New Testament until, when he would arise to preach, he quoted
freely from it. Some of his Baptist brethren who were preachers again
reprimanded him for preaching so much of the Bible. It was a rare thing for
preachers then to quote any of the Bible. The reprimand of his brethren
distressed him, and he tried earnestly to satisfy his mind on the proposition.
He presented the matter seriously to them in the following way: "Brethren,
what shall I do? I must preach; I cannot preach if I do not study the New
Testament." He was told that the Lord would give to him what he should say.
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Horse Hollow Cabin
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Located In Monticello, Kentucky
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These shots were
contributed by Ancil Jenkins, March, 2002 |
About
this time he began reading the Christian Baptist, published by Alexander
Campbell. From this he learned much and was led into a fuller appreciation of
the New Testament teaching. Some time after this Alexander Campbell made a visit
to Kentucky, where Smith was living. There was much discussion among the
Kentucky Baptists as to whether Mr. Campbell knew anything about
"experimental religion," or "heart felt religion." All
agreed that Mr. Campbell was a learned man, but many doubted whether he was one
of the "elect." So when Mr. Campbell came into Kentucky he was
received with some hesitancy on the part of the Baptists. John Smith said that
he could tell just what Mr. Campbell was if he could hear him once. He did hear
Mr. Campbell. He sat and listened for two hours and thirty minutes, and the time
seemed to him only thirty minutes. Some one asked Smith afterwards what he
thought of Mr. Campbell if he was one of the elect or not. Smith replied:
"I know nothing about the man; but, 'be he saint or devil, he has
thrown more light on the Galatian letter and on the whole Scriptures than I have
received in all the sermons that I have ever heard before." Through the
help he received from Mr. Campbell and an earnest, prayerful rereading of the
New Testament Scriptures, Smith saw that the Baptist Church was not the church
of his Lord and that the theories which were preached by Baptists were not the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He at once renounced the Baptist faith and
embraced the faith of the gospel. It was a hard task to turn away from the
religion of his mother and the fellowship and friendship of the Baptist
brotherhood. it was quite a task to turn away from such a large and popular
brotherhood as was the Baptist Church in Kentucky at that time and become
identified with a despised and weak religious body, as were the true disciples
at that time. However, he did not hesitate to make the sacrifice. He did it with
joy in the newfound truth of the gospel.
He
now devoted himself faithfully to the preaching of the gospel. He labored hard
to get others to accept the truth, and his labors were not in vain. He was able
to get entire congregations of the Baptist faith to turn away from their creed
and theories and accept the Bible and work and worship as it directed. He was
happy in this great work. He could preach the gospel with convincing power in a
unique way. Few could withstand or resist the truth as presented by him. His
unique way of handling a subject reached the hearts of the people of the rural
sections of the country where he lived. He did a work among them that no other
man could do. This he did without the promise or hope of any earthly reward or
financial aid. He thus labored for the love of the truth and the salvation of
souls. Perhaps John Smith is remembered more for his witticism and repartee than
anything else. Many amusing incidents are related about his work. At one time he
was preaching on the gospel and contrasting the different theories in religion
with the gospel. He said that the gospel had this mark which was peculiar to it:
"Whosoever does not believe it shall be damned." This could not be
said of any of the theories of man. He put the different theories to the test,
and showed that even those who believed in these theories did not claim that
those who did not believe them would be "damned." At another time,
after he had shown the absurdities of the mourner's bench theory of getting
religion, he was asked: "What is the difference between your baptism and
our mourner's bench?" He replied: "One is from heaven, the other is
from the sawmill." He preached at Sparta, Tennessee, before a number of
lawyers and judges. Afterwards he was asked if he was not very much embarrassed
in the presence of such learned men. He replied: "Not in the least; for I
have learned that judges and lawyers, so far as the Bible is concerned, are the
most ignorant class of people in the world, except Doctors of Divinity." Again he said that he had spoken in the
presence of all the great preachers of Kentucky, but, "I confess that the
first time I ever preached before Alexander Campbell I did falter a
little."
John
Smith died on February 28, 1868, and was buried in Lexington, Kentucky, He died
in the triumphs of the faith of the gospel. His sacrifice and service in the
cause of Christ made him a hero in the service of God. Every young preacher can
gain much information and inspiration from a study of the life of
"Raccoon" John Smith.
--From
Biographical Sketches of Gospel Preachers, H. Leo Boles, Pages 37 - 41

Stained Glass At Cane Ridge,
Designating 1832 Union Of Christians & Disciples
B.W. Stone On Left & John Smith On Right
Photo Taken By Scott Harp In 2000

John Smith, though not greatly
educated was one of the most successful and beloved preachers of his day.
It was Alexander Campbell, a dear friend to Smith, who once
said that John was the only preacher that he had ever known that an education
would hurt rather than help.
Smith was greatly
involved in the New Year's Day, 1832 union of the Disciples and Christians in
Lexington, Kentucky. He preached the first unity sermon. In it he said,
“Let us, then my
brethren, be no longer Campbellites or
Stoneites, New Lights or Old Lights, or
any other kind of lights, but let us come to the Bible, and to the Bible alone,
as the only book in the world that can give us all the light we need.”
With
this mentality, representing Campbell and the Disciples, he shook the hand of
Barton W. Stone, the representative of the Christians.
The result was unity among churches of Christ. Smith traveled with John Rogers to
tell the brotherhood of the joining of two great forces, and to continue preaching New Testament
Christianity to the lost and dying world of their day. He baptized thousands
into Christ. Only eternity will know of the great accomplished by this great ole' backwoods Tennessee preacher.
 Audio Lectures

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Life of
"Raccoon" John Smith (1.9 Megs; 31:04 Min.; Everett
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Directions To The
Grave Of John Smith
Lexington Cemetery is one of the
most beautiful old cemeteries in America. It is located on West Main Street
heading away from downtown Lexington toward Leestown Pike. Turn right into the
main entrance past the office. Once inside the gates take the second turn to the
left that leads up to the front of the Clay Monument. Then turn left onto West
Main Avenue. Follow the road on around past Section "D & H" Then
you will come to Section "O" Smith is buried in Section
"O" just across from the corner of section "I" where John T.
Johnson is buried.
Note: While at
Smith's grave be sure to see the graves of Dr. Henry H. Halley,
Lewis L. Pinkerton, John T. Johnson, I.B. Grubbs &
Robert Milligan who are
buried very near.

GPS Location
N38º 03.507' x WO 84º 30.631'
21 Ft. Accuracy
Grave Faces Southwest
Section O Lot 130

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As The Monument Looked In
2000
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In
Memory Of
JOHN
SMITH
An
Elder Of The
Church
of Christ
Born
Oct.
15, 1784
Died
Feb.
29, 1868
True,
genial and pious,
the
good loved, and all respected
him.
Strong through
affliction
and wise
in
the study of God's word.
He
gave up the creed of
his
fathers for the sake of
that
word. By its power
he
turned many from error.
In
the light he walked
&
in its consolation he
triumphantly
died.
__________
In
his sacrifices and
service.
His companion
shared.
She gave her life
to
God & her death
was
precious in his sight.
_________________
NANCY
SMITH
Born
Nov.
15, 1792
Died
Nov.
4, 1861
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S

As It Looked In 2003

Monument Had Been Cleaned In
2003

As The Monument Looked In 2003
See
Where Smith Is Buried At Lexington Cemetery
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