Breathitt Co. Kentucky Interview

Here are a few excerpts from an interview I found while researching some family history.


by J. Green Trimble 91 years of age.
(no relation to me, myself or I)

(Describing Breathitt Co. Kentucky tributaries. I believe they were aptly named.)

The names of the tributaries on the east side of the Kentucky river in Breathitt county are: Troublesome, Quicksand, Frozen, Holly, Bloody, Upper Devil's creek, Lower Devil's creek, Walker's and Hell creek. Cutshin and Hell- for-Certain are tributaries of the Middle Fork.


How to spot a Baptist preacher:

The Cope family on Quicksand consisted of two brothers, James and Wiley, and a sister. James had three sons, Wiley, William and Alfred Wiley, Sr., emigrated to Missouri about 1838, and took all his family with him except his son, James, who lived an honored life and died at a ripe old age on Frozen creek, leaving a family of respected sons and daughters. The sister married Mason Williams of Morgan county, who was a farmer, a preacher and politician. He was a man of more than ordinary ability, and was gifted as a speaker, and represented his district four years in the Kentucky Senate. In making his canvass he addressed a large number of his constituents one Saturday evening at a village in the Sandy Valley, and one of his brethren who lived two miles away invited him to partake of his hospitality until Monday and preach for them on Sunday. He gave Mr. Williams direction how to find his home, saying that it was not convenient for him to accompany him, but that his wife and daughter would entertain him until his arrival. When Mr. Williams arrived at the house he found two or three of the neighboring women there, and informed them that he was going to preach at the school house the next day; and it being one of our hottest July days, he laid down under a shade tree in the yard to rest and cool off. As he lay there an argument started among the women in the house as to what denomination he represented. It was conceded that he was not sufficiently well dressed to be a Presbyterian minister, also that his horse was too poor for a Methodist circuit- rider. Another suggested that he might be a Mormon disciple, some of whom were then traveling over the country. Finally one of them remarked that she could soon settle the question by examining his hymn book, and she ran her hand into his saddle-bags which were lying in the room, to find his hymn book. The first thing her hand encountered was a quart bottle of whiskey. She held it up and exclaimed: "Oh, he's an old hard-shell Baptist; here is his bottle of whiskey!" which was taken as conclusive evidence. I got this story directly from Mr. Williams himself, who has often partaken of my hospitality. He is a great, great uncle of Thomas Cope and Kelly Kash, two prominent lawyers of the Jackson bar



One of the most prominent and wealthy ladies of the county visited our store on one occasion, and seemed to take a fancy to me. As I was selling her a bill of goods, she remarked to me jestingly that she had a very pretty daughter about my age (I was then less than 14), and that at the proper time she would like to give her to me, and said that the next time she came down she would bring her with her and show her to me. A few weeks later she again visited the store, accompanied by a very pretty girl about 14 years old, well dressed with long golden ringlets, rosy cheeks and a fair complexion. I was as polite as a young Chesterfield, and said to the lady that I was glad to meet her lovely daughter, and that I hoped I could have the pleasure of extending our acquaintance. She replied : "Mr. Trimble, you are mistaken; she is not my daughter. She is one of my negro servants." The girl was afterwards sold at a fancy price to a prominent bachelor lawyer, who gave her a position as his house-keeper until Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation


A strong argument for Baptism by immersion:

There was a protracted meeting held at Jackson by Rev. Joseph Nickell, who represented a denomination that preached the doctrine of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and that remission occurred in the act of baptizing. Among the converts was a man who had formerly been a tenant of Mr. Cockrell's and with whom he had had some difficulty. Mr. Cockrell happened to be in town that day and he followed along with the large crowd of over 100 persons to see the baptizing. As his former tenant was being immersed, Cockrell called to the parson in his loud and stentorian voice that could be distinctly heard a quarter of a mile, and said : "Souse him again, Joe for he's a dam'd dirty dog, and it will take two dips to wash away his sins!"