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REV.LEWIS FEUILLETEAU WILSON.

CHAPTER XXV.
REV. LEWIS FEUILLETEAU WILSON.

THE Rev. Mr. James Hall, upon giving up his pastoral charge of Concord and Fourth Creek in Iredell county, in the year 1790, was, in the course of two or three years, succeeded by the man whom on account of his private friendship, and his estimation of his talents for usefulness, he would have chosen of all others, recently entered upon the office of the ministry of the gospel, Lewis Feuilleteau Wilson. A foreigner by birth, Mr. Wilson both loved and served the country of his adoption; and was beloved and honored by all that were favored by his acquaintance, in his office as a physician, in which capacity he served in the Revolutionary war, and the more serious one of a minister of the gospel, in which he closed his days.

On his mother's side of French extract, on his father's of English, he was born on St. Christopher's, one of the West India Islands, June, 1753. His father, a wealthy planter, preferring an education in England for his son, to the indulgence and desultory life of planters' children in the islands, embarked his two sons, Lewis, then about four years of age, and a brother two years older, for London, to be put to school under the care of his connexions. The brother died on the voyage; and Lewis, an entire stranger, commenced his education in his tender years. Some time after his father removed to London; and the son was continued at the grammar school until he completed his seventeenth year. At that time an uncle of his emigrated to America and settled in New Jersey; young Wilson accompanied him, and soon after his arrival entered upon the course of studies at Nassau Hall, in Princeton.

In his literary course Mr. Wilson was successful, and received the Bachelor's degree with honor. In his religious course he was kindly crossed by the Providence and Spirit of God, and from being an opposer was changed to an humble, yet firm believer in Jesus. In the year 1772 a very general revival of religion took place in the college; and so great was its influence, that he and thirteen of his class, after they had completed their college course, turned their attention to the study of theology in preparation for the gospel