DeSoto Parish Louisiana

David Rogerson Williams McIver, Sr.

January 08, 1794--February 10, 1863

[contributed by Carol Lee Colunga <cl7462@sbc.com>]

David and his brothers, John, Thomas and Alexander received their education in The Walls of South Carolina College now known as the University of South Carolina. In 1820, he married Caroline Wilds, they had 8 children. He moved from Charleston S.C. to Society Hill, S.C. around 1836. Caroline died in 1837.



In 1838, he married Martha Elizabeth Scriven Grant, they had 8 children. In 1841 moved from Society Hill to Cheraw, S.C. a few miles up the Great Pee Dee River where he continued to follow the occupation of farming. In 1843 moved from Cheraw, S.C. to Carlowville, Alabama, bought a plantation called Pomona where they lived for four years.



In 1844 at the age of 54 he was ordained a Baptist minister and from that time on until his death, he devoted his time to the Master's work. The ordination was conducted in the Carlowville Baptist Church by the following presbytery: Platt, Stout, M. Kervin, I. I. Session, Carter Hawthorn, Devotee and Jesse Hartwell D.D. The ordination sermon was preached by Rev. Devotee, prayer by W. M. Kervin and the charge and presentation of the Bible by Jesse Hartwell. Dr. McIver served as supply to the  Carlowville Church until called to the pastorate of the Wetumpka Baptist Church. He also preached at Prattsville. He accepted the call to the Wetumpka Church in 1847 moving his family to Wetumpka where he lived and was pastor of the church nine years. He had an overseer to take charge of his plantation and slaves, and her devoted his entire time to pastoral work.



Dr. McIver had a very strong clear voice and while he was living in Alabama, his friends made a wager on the distance he could be heard and called on him to give a proof. It was agreed that at exactly noon the following day, Dr. McIver was to stand on the bank of a certain lake which was quite wide, and speak three times any word or words his friends might listen for on the opposite shore. At the appointed time, they heard
the words: bull beef, bull beef, bull beef coming clearly and distinctly across the waters. Another instance which shows he had a most remarkable voice and which happened probably while they lived on the Pomona Plantation in Alabama was related by Dr. Lockwood Alison. One summer evening as Dr. Alison sat on his porch, he heard Dr. McIver who lived some distance away call to his servant and say "Carolina catch a horse and ride over to Dr. Alison's and tell him to come at once to see my sick child. Dr. Alison had his horse saddled and was ready to ride when the messenger arrived.



One afternoon while living in Wetumpka, Dr. and Mrs. McIver were agreeably surprised to see Mr. Boykin Witherspoon and family whom they had known in Society Hill, S.C. drive up to the gate and stop. Mr. Witherspoon was then moving to Louisiana and had pitched camp near by for the night. This was between 1847 and 1856.



In 1856, Dr. McIver accepted a call to the pastorate of the Kingston and Mansfield Churches of De Soto Parish, Louisiana. He sold his plantation and some of his slaves but as was always his custom in both buying and selling, he did not divide any of the slave families. The slaves he brought with him were John and Jane Evans, Carolina and Betsy Pleasant and her daughter Bina Leah, Old Daddy Bill, and others. This trip or a least a greater portion of it was by steamboat during the winter months and it is related that the slaves got so cold on the lower deck of the boot that Dr. McIver was uneasy about them and asked the Captain's permission for them to come in and warm by the cabin fire. After many days of travel and undergoing varied experiences, the family, slaves, and what household goods he had not sold were landed at the wharf in Shreveport, Louisiana. The family was taken to Mr. John Marshall's home where they remained until their house near Kingston was built. Dr. McIver purchased a small tract of land upon which a home was erected, and cultivated a small farm. The slaves not needed at home were hired out to the neighboring farmers by the month or year. The parish records of 1861 show that he paid taxes on 19 slaves. He served the Mansfield Church from 1856 to 1862. He also preached at Union.



In January 1863, Dr. McIver drove to Shreveport where he underwent an operation and contrary to his physicians advice, came home in his buggy the same or following day, a distance of about 30 miles. Upon reaching home, he took to his bed and died some days later, Feb. 10, 1863. He was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery. Rev. Thomas Hall conducted the funeral services at the grave. He left a widow and four daughters who farmed the home place, rented additional land, and raised cotton and corn. Two years later, the slaves were freed and Mrs. McIver was forced to give up this as a means of livelihood.



Most of this information comes to me in a letter left to me by my Grandmother.

 

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