On Christmas eve morning, of each year, after moving to their home near Horse Shoe Bend, he would wend his way quietly back to the old Carr homestead, with his well earned $200.00 for Miss Nancy, who always felt safe in making her Christmas purchases a week or two ahead of the holiday season, knowing he would be true to his promise. And she always had a present for his family, often a pig, with some corn to feed it.
People of that date, were practical, in their present making, at Christmas time. Uncle Horace professed religion when quite young, during a revival at Red River Church, under the ministry of Elder Reuben Ross, a distinguished pioneer Baptist who came from North Carolina, to Tennessee, over a century ago.
After his profession, he felt a great desire to preach, and as the years passed, the desire grew stronger, till he felt convinced that he was Divinely called. So about ten years before the Civil War, he was ordained to preach.
His ordination took place in Red River Church, the primitive building on the hillside, a mile or two north west of Adams, Revs. F. C. Plaster, and W. G. Adams, officiating.
There was a large congregation present, and the ceremony was said to have been a very impressive one.
Mr. Lawson Fort was present and took great interest in the proceedings, and followed Uncle Horace out on the church grounds and said to him:
“Horace, I am a Baptist preacher’s son, but I do not belong to any church, though I have great respect for religious people.
“I want to say to you, whenever you feel like preaching, or holding a prayer meeting, come to my house, and feel welcome, and I will see to it that you are not disturbed by patrolers.
“You will understand, Horace, that my negroes are first-class, and I don’t care to have a mixed crowd on my premises at night. I guess your little family, and my thirty or forty, will give you a pretty fair congregation. It will be best to hold your meetings in Judy’s house, as she has no small children.
“She has her Indigo dye-pots setting around in every corner, but I guess she can move them out.