Indiana Baptist History 
                                                                                             1798-1908

                                                                                              Page 165

                                                                                 by Rev. Dr. William T. Stott

Elder William T. Stott was one of the best known and best loved ministers in the Association, and in southern Indiana. He was born in Kentucky in 1789 and at the age of thirteen was received into the Salt River Baptist church. He was a soldier in the war of 1812 under General Hull (who, he says, was a coward). In 1815 he came to Indiana and settled near Vernon; but not being able to meet the payments on his land he was obliged to give it up; he next bought some land on the south branch of Muscatatuck creek, four miles east of Vernon. His brethren of the Concord church assisted him in paying for this land. He was away from home most of the time on preaching tours, and the care of the home rested on his wife, a most excellent and courageous woman. The churches paid him but a mere pittance, but he was unceasing in his efforts to establish and build up the Baptist cause.

He was often in the employ of the Indiana Baptist Convention, doing missionary work in Jefferson, Jennings, Scott and Ripley counties, and for nearly fifty years with the exception of a few interims, he was pastor of the Vernon church. He always took a live interest in matters of state, deeming it his duty to help in the nomination and election of civil officers.

The last twenty-five years of his life he spent at the home of his son John, and continued to preach as long as he was able to travel; he was permitted to baptize nearly or quite one thousand persons who had been led to Christ through his ministry. One who has often heard him preach, has said that he often rose to great heights of genuine eloquence of being very familiar with the word of God and peculiarly apt in illustration; in addition he had a fine commanding presence and a musical voice. He was moderator of the Madison Association for twenty years and was asked to preach the introductory sermon at eight different sessions of the body. He died in 1877 after a few weeks' illness; he had a lucid hour in the midst of several days of unconsciousness, and in that hour be rehearsed his first Christian experience, and his work in the ministry; and spoke of his hope of going home to be with Christ. After speaking personal words to those of the family who stood about him he again lapsed into unconsciousness to awaken in the land of light and love. The funeral exercises were held in the church of which he was pastor so long, and his body was buried beside that of his wife in the Read cemetery, a few miles east of Vernon".