The Rev. C. Y. Hudson was born in Orange County, N. C., July [sic] 2, 1815; came with his parents to Middle Tennessee when quite small; was married in 1836 to Miss Mary M. Pardue, of Giles County; he raised three sons and four daughters, his oldest son and second daughter having gone to their reward some time before him; he professed religion at Mt. Joy, Maury County, Tenn., at which place he was received into the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, by the Rev. G. W. Mitchell, about 1844--exact date not known; commenced his work as a minister in Lewis County, about 1851, when about thirty-six years of age. He came to Hardin County in 1853, where he labored, both as a minister and a teacher, for ten years, with great acceptance. Many were the revivals held by him with the Revs. J. M. Walker, T. B. Wood, J. B. Calhoon, N. M. McIntosh, J. R. Alexander, and others, and multitudes professed religion under his ministrations, and will rise up to call him blessed. He was very social and quite affable, which made him quite popular wherever he went, and though more than twenty years have passed since he left Hardin County, yet many speak of Brother Hudson as the man who led them to the Saviour at some protracted meeting, or in some private conversation. He sometimes delivered Masonic and Temperance addresses. He did great service for the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Hardin County, and was much regretted when gone. He went to Ashley, Ill., about 1863. As there was no Cumberland Presbyterian Church at that place, he did not engage in regular preaching. In 1867 he moved to Bethany, Ill., and took charge of the Church at that place, where under his charge the church greatly prospered for three years; after which time he moved to Freeland's Point, where he organized and built up a church with a large membership. He served them as pastor till 1880, when his voice failed, worn out with labor for his Master. he finally resigned his pastorate, losing all hope of recovery. He moved back to his son's, Dr. George Hudson, near Ashley, Ill., in September, 1882. The following January he received a paralytic stroke, from which he never recovered. In June, 1883, he was taken to Medina, Tenn., by his son, Dr. C. A. Hudson, with whom he remained till his death, Sept., 4, 1883. His funeral sermon was preached by Rev. J. D. Lewis, Milan, Tenn., from Dan. xii.3. His remains were deposited in Moriah cemetery, two and one half miles from Medina, Tenn. From 1880 he could speak above a whisper only with difficulty, but still retained the same love and zeal for his Master's cause. After the paralytic stroke his mind was never clear on any subject save that of religion, on which subject he frequently conversed with clearness at all times, and frequently spoke of his departure with strong faith and firm hope. While in Hardin County, he frequently wrote for the Banner of Peace. His aged companion is left behind, but her loss is his gain. May her husband's God sustain her by his grace till her race is ended. He also leaves two sons and three daughters behind, while two of his children are with him in glory. The rest are all religious and moving heavenward. God help them gain the happy shore, and then be ready for

 The far away home of the soul,
Where no storms ever beat on the glittering stand,
  While the years of eternity roll.

O how sweet it will be in that beautiful land,
  So free from all sorrow and pain;
With songs on our lips and harps in our hands
  To meet one another again.

O think of the friends over there,
  Who before us the journey have trod,
Many so dear to my heart over there
  At the beautiful gate
Waiting and watching for me.

Savannah, Tenn.
[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, May 8, 1884, page 2]

On the 11th inst. I read with peculiar yet sorrowful interest the article in memorium, by the rev. J. T. White, of the Rev. C. Y. Hudson, I at once felt the impulse to add some further memorials of that beloved brother. I will be pardoned for correcting some dates in said article:

1. He was born the 2d day of August, 1815, being just one day older than I--a fact of which we have often talked.

2. His profession of religion at Mt. Joy was, I am quite sure, in July, 1846.

His father, when Chesley was about eight or ten years old, came to Maury County, Tennessee, and obtained employment, being a very poor man, and lived for many years with Jas. W. Jennings, Esq., in the neighborhood of Mt. Joy church.

Chesley was about fourteen years old when he first went to school at Mt. Joy, and began his studies in the alphabet. I have often said that I never knew any one who made such rapid progress in elementary studies as he. Here our associations and friendships commenced. From this initial step in his education was waked up an aspiration for learning and a purpose to make a man of himself which conquered all difficulties, and was intensified and strengthened with the continuous success that encouraged him on to the goal. I never knew any one who made such attainments from, in every respect, such a humble beginning--any one of whom it could be so emphatically said that he was a self made man.

His religious experience dates from the fall of 1832. At a Methodist camp-meeting at Smith's chapel, about one and a half miles south of Mt. Pleasant, in his neighborhood, he went to the altar one night, but left discouraged. It was, I believe, at that meeting the Rev. Geo. C. Stockard professed.

I professed in June, 1833, and was licensed in the fall of the next year, and in a few years took charge of Mt. Joy church, one mile from my native home, which I sustained until December, 1852. Chesley was a regular attendant at this church nearly all this period, and until July, 1846, was always at the altar when opportunity was given to penitents.

In the many interviews others and myself had with him at the altar and elsewhere, he never would admit that he had at any time experienced any change upon which he could entertain any hope of heaven. Though many of us believed he was converted, yet the most skillful utterly failed to elicit any admission from him favoring the idea.

It was during a revival at Mt. Joy, at a basket-meeting, in July, 1846, in a private interview with a brother after the morning services, he, it seems, inadvertently made a disclosure about his experience that night at the camp-meeting which he had, until now, studiously concealed, which, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, was sanctified in giving him the clear light, and enabled him, by faith, to claim the evidences of his salvation, and to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. In this happy frame he said, "I must go and see George;" and it was but a few moments until we were rejoicing together. This was about fourteen years after (as he then claimed) he was converted. He held prayers with his family that night, and was so filled with the joy of salvation that he spent nearly the whole night in shouting the praises of God. he joined the Church, and after a time (the date not remembered) he said to me privately, that there were some who desired me to preach a sermon on a call to the ministry. With out intimating to him that I could guess at least one who desired it, I promised I would. He attended the appointment, and there and then fully decided to offer himself as a candidate for the ministry at the next meeting of the Presbytery. Just after this I went to Alabama, and, in the course of time, he to Illinois. He came to the meeting of the General Assembly at Lincoln, Ill, in 1868, as he said, especially to see George once more. His memory to me is precious. May God bless Sister Hudson and all her children. Will George please write to me at Oxford, Miss.?
[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, June 19, 1884, page 2]

DECEASED MINISTERS
Decatur Presbytery - C. Y. Hudson - September 4, 1883.
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1884, page 28]