Bedford County Baptisms

[What follows is an excerpt from a letter from George J. Woodbury written on February 2, 1885 at Beech Creek, Wayne County, Tenn. It led me to the records of four people baptized in Bedford County in 1885, the earliest I have found so far.]

A few days ago I received a letter from a gentlemen in Bedford county by the name of Daniel C. Walker requesting me to send him some tracts, and papers, also to write to him. He said he had met two of the “Mormon” Elders some two or three years ago and had a short talk with them and it had been on his mind ever since. He said he had read with sorrow of the murder of Elders Gibbs and Berry and hoped that the guilty parties would be caught and punished as they deserved; also requested us to come and see him as soon as we possibly could. I think he is an honest man from the tone of his letter, and have just mailed him some tracts and papers with good sermons in them. We will take another trip soon and will likely call on Mr. W. Things seem very quiet in this section of country at present and I hope and trust that no more of the elders will be called to sacrifice their lives; still if we are forced to do so in the defence of truth, great will be our reward.

I have not found who the other missionaries were, but previous to writing his letter, Daniel Walker lived in Wayne County, Tennessee (1850-1870) and then in Lawrence County (1880) before moving to Bedford County. Daniel C Walker joined the church on 31 Jul 1885; followed by Annie Johnson (his daughter) and Mary Bell Crutchfield (Her mother was Martha Walker so perhaps Mary was Daniel's niece) on 27 September 1885; and then by another daughter, Josephine Walker, on 25 December 1885. Daniel passed away in Nashville on March 24th, 1887.