JAMES HILL BONE was born in Madison County, Kentucky, January 13th, 1797. His parents were Hugh and Mary Bone. He is a brother of Rev. M. H. Bone, a sketch of whose life is the second in this book.

He was baptised in 1798 by Rev. Matthew Houston. Embraced religion at Smith's Fork Camp-ground, Wilson County, Tennessee, Monday, August 10th, 1807. Ministers in attendance, Samuel King, James B. Porter and Thomas Calhoun. Ruling Elders in attendance, James Thomas, James Stewart, John Kelly and Hugh Bone.

He was ordained Ruling Elder at Rose Creek Camp-ground, Hopkins County, Kentucky, October, 1825, by Rev. Aaron Shelby.

Thus it will be seen that he embraced religion at the early age of ten years--has been a professing Christian seventy years, and a Ruling Elder nearly fifty-two years.

We proceed in his own language:

In 1829 I removed from Rose Creek church to Clarksville, Tennessee, and united with Macedonia church, Rev. M. H. Bone, pastor, assisted by Rev. Messrs. H. B. Hill, Collins J. Bradley and John Morgan, and Elders Hugh H. Smith and Nicholas Marr.

In 1832 I removed to Todd County, Kentucky, and united with Elkton church, Rev. M. H. Bone, pastor, assisted by Dr. Conley, H. B. Hill, Joel Penick, Hiram McDaniel, Caleb Weedin and William J. Caskey, and Elders U. E. Kennedy, James Campbell, John Hollingsworth, Joseph Frazier and Willis L. Rieves.

In 1835 I again removed to Hopkins County, Kentucky, and again united with the Rose Creek church, Rev. Edgar, pastor, assisted by Adlai Boyd, Robert P. Hill, William L. Caskey and Joel Lambert, and Elders Thos. Hill, Bradford Porter, A. M. Bone, Eli M. Lansden, Mark Bone and Abner Bone.

In 1842 I removed to Livingston County, Missouri, and assisted in organizing the Salem congregation, Rev. William Clark, pastor, assisted by Wiley Clark, William Thompson, Daniel Patton, Hugh R. Smith and Luther White, and Elders James A. David and John Simpson.

In 1847 I removed to Calloway County, Kentucky, and assisted in organizing New Salem church, Rev. Josiah Wilson, pastor, assisted by T. Baucum, Charles Hay, C. W. McBridge, E. T. Matthis, William Ward and Joseph Webb, and Elders A. J. Bone, J. R. Patterson, W. Robertson, S. Britton and L. Huse.

In 1859 I removed to Yell County, Arkansas, and assisted in organizing Piney Fork church, Rev. David Anderson, pastor, assisted by G. W. Williamson, and F. M. Latta, and Elders David Robertson and A. J. Bone. This church was disorganized during the recent war, and was reorganized in 1867.

My health is good. My usual weight is two hundred pounds. My wife is seventy-three years old, and I make my own and her support by my own labor.

I had two brothers, Thomas and M. H. Bone, one son, A. J. Bone, and nine full cousins, all Cumberland Presbyterian preachers. I am now waiting to be called to my home in heaven, I trust.
[Source: Crisman, E. B. Biographical Sketches of Living Old Men, of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, in Six Volumes. Vol. I. St. Louis, Mo.: Perrin and Smith, Steam Book and Job Printers, 1877, pages 130-132]