Liberty County, Georgia - The Grave Yard, 1903

The Grave Yard

The day after the arrival of Messrs. Bacon and Baker, the - pioneers of the colony, Mrs. Susannah Baker, the wife of Mr. Benjamin Baker, died. The place of her sepulture is unknown. Perhaps she is sleeping alone in one of the fields, or : __ perchance by some roadside. The present cemetery was doubtless not laid off until after the permanent location of - _ the meeting house in 1756. The cemetery lies west of the 4S ~church and immediately across the public road. It is en- __~ closed with a solid substantial brick wall, six feet high, _. eighteen inches thick, and with outstanding pilasters every twenty-four feet, with an iron gate. As early as March, 1800, the question of enclosing the yard was agitated, and the Society authorized the select men to secure an addition to the ground and arrange for a brick enclosure. At the annual meeting in 1807 a committee, consisting of Messrs.

James Powell, Daniel Stewart and- Peter Winn, was ap- 'pointed to open a subscription and arrange for its construction. Not, however, until about 1813 was the work - completed: The estimated cost was $2,600.00, to which 'was added $165.00 to have the same covered with a coat of plastering to preserve the brick. . The iron gate was pre- 3 sented by the Independent Troop, the money with which it __ ~ was bought being won in a tilt at Savannah at one of the Squadron parades.

The plat of ground, though added to aed the wall was built, is considerably less than two acres,. and yet how many -_ graves!.and what precious dust lie commingled there! The existence, nearly all of whom are buried in that small place. _ Here lie entombed the remains of one governor, Nathan - ; Brownson; one senator, John Elliott; one commodore, John and consecrated men and women that have ever lived. I. seriously doubt, if considering the size of the cemetery, the time of burial, and number of interments, a greater amount of precious consecrated dust can be found in any other acre upon the surface of the globe. The following are the ministers buried there: __ 1. Rev. John Osgood, Congregational, died Aug. 2,1773. 2. Rev. Stephen Hoyt, Congregational, died Sept. 10, 1803 3. Rev. Thomas S. Winn, Baptist, died Jan. 27, 1819. 4. Rev. James C. Cosby, Presbyterian, died Nov. 27, 1837. 5. Rev. Augustus O. Bacon, Baptist, died July 3,1839. 6. Rev. Peter Winn, Presbyterian, died Jan. 18, 1847. 7..Rev. Robert Quarterman, Pres., died April 19, 1849. f 8. Rev. Sam'l J. Cassels, Presbyterian, died June 15, 1853. _ 9. Rev. Henry J. Stevens, Baptist, died Oct. 10, 1854. 10. Rev. Moses Way, Methodist, died Dec. 12, 1859. 11. Rev. Chas. C. Jones, D. D., Pres., died March 16,1863. - The yard contains quite a number of substantial and even elegant monuments. Here may be seen the family vaults of Hon. John Elliott and James Powell. Here the tomb of John Lambert, the philanthropist, who, though dead, is still living in his benefactions. Here is buried Mr. Louis Le- - Conte, the father of the celebrated professors, John and Joseph LeConte, a man characterized as much for his scientific research as his modest unassuming character, and who, with the least encouragement on his part, could have been elected Professor of Natural Science in the State University. Here is buried that remarkable man, John Quarterman, one

1. Buried outside the south wall. A movement was on foot to enlarge the yard at the commencement of the war, and several families had commenced burying without.

of the original settlers, from whom have descended twentytwo ministers, four of whom, with two ladies, were missionaries to foreign fields. Here rest the remains of that "'mother in Israel,'"? Mrs. Eliza Winn, the mother and grandmother of four ministers and two foreign missionaries. Here rest, sleeping side by side, the father and mother of United States Senator Augustus O. Bacon. Here lies buried Mrs. Aramintha Gildersleeve, the wife of the Rev. Cyrus Gildersleeve, whose many virtues her husband has embalmed in the following lines upon her tombstone:

Among the many young people who lie sleeping in this camping house of the dead is the tomb of a young man who died in early manhood, of heart disease, after several years of declining health, around whose life clustered much interest and in whose tomb many fond hopes were buried. The young man was Macon Baker, the son of Mr. W. Q. Baker, born May 11, 1829, and brother of several ministers of that name. The deepest interest was felt for him by the entire though clearly marked as an early victim of the tomb, he was not a professor of religion which stirred many a pious heart with earnest desire for his salvation. Just before his death, which occurred Nov. 21, 1852, he composed the following lines, which not only showed the struggle going on moss hanging in sad funereal folds, fit emblem of the place. Under its outspreading foliage and covering at least a quar- - ter of an acre, several families have enclosures for theirdead. .

Bid me not to hope it; never Will my anxious fears depart. ; "No; those fears are too well grounded, : oe a's 4 4 y This you'll find when 'tis too late; . > Question not a heart that's wounded,

"May I not yet hope to see Thee, Heavenly Father, God of love? Wilt Thou not, oh, Father, free me From my guilt, my sin remove? ? "Ves, Thou wilt, fot Thdw Hast said it, ey 'Tis recorded in thy word; % " There full often have I read it, i To Thy wiil I bow, O, Lord." ;

Beneath and close to the trunk of this oak may be seen the tomb of Dr. Abner Porter, a native of Virginia, and practicing physician, with his office at Riceboro, who committed suicide.February 6, 1808, in the thirty. fourth year ofhis age, by severing the femoral artery. The occasion for this rash and sad deed, it is said, was the fact of his being repulsed in _ his attentions and offer of his hand in matrimony, by one of the fair dames of the neighborhood. The tomb is very much lifted by the increasing size of the growing roots.

_ There is something else concerning this resting place of the a dead worthy of note. Among the monuments, there are % some head and foot pieces of pine and cypress wood that have been, and are still standing in the ground, over one hundred years. I have a piece of one of them now before me, that stoodin the ground from 1776 to 1889, one hundred and thirteen years, the in- ment of every one who visits the ground. : But time has commenced doing its work. It fills the heart with intense sadness to visit the oid spot and see the decay that is going on. For twenty years the old church building > was given the colored people, the only compensation required being that they should care for the cemetery. During that time the yard became very much neglected. Ma y the monuments were allowed to fall; others were upturned by trees growing up beside them. In the burning of limbs ose: and rubbish and grass, many of the monuments weresmoked - " ae and greatly marred, insomuch that at the end of that time the contract was rescinded and the church used only by the - whites at the annual reunionsin March. Thecemetery now presents much of a neglected appearance; many of the inscriptions being wholly illegible on account of a covering of moss, which has been accumulating upon them. No one, - however, can visit the place and look upon the old church, standing solitary and alone at the junction of two roads, - without a single home in view; her worshipers all gone; her doors closed; her careening steeple still pointing heaven- - ward, with the tops of her faded monuments silently lifting _ up their heads from underneath an arch of pendant moss, and peering over the massive brick wall, which encircles the - resting place of her dead, without feeling that heis standing upon consecrated ground. : + The following lines written by one of her sons, who him- _ self has passed away, and whose remains, at his own request, were brought back from Florida, his recent home, and buried here, will be a fitting close to this notice of this __ 'hallowed spot, which I give not for their beauty of rhythm, - but loving sentiment. Only those born and reared under the influence of that church can enter into the peculiar emotion excited by its perusal. I have taken the liberty to make a few changes in the language.

Old Midway Centennial Celebration

Resolved, That, in token of respect to the memory of our ancestors and of gratitude to our Preserver, we will celebrate that day with suitable sa ance; and further,

As the 5th of December was the Sabbath, the exercises" commenced with a sermon appropriate to the, occasion, reviewing the past and offering encouragement for the future, - menced to gather from all quarters. The roads werecrowded with vehicles, carrying loads of occupants, journeying with unusual interest to the Mecca of their hearts. By ten o'clock a congregation was gathered, which was never before witnessed. From a Liberty pole in front of the church floated the national colors. The procession formed from a point in the Sunbury road, and marched to the church to music furnished by the German brass band of the Artillery company. The venerable Col. William Maxwell, wearing two blue rosettes, was president of the day, assisted by Captains Peter W. Fleming and Abiel Winn, as grand marshals. A broad banner bearing the inscriptions: 'Our Fathers, St. John's Parish, 1752,"' and "Our Country, Our Whole Country, the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, 1852," was borne by Mr. Thomas Q. Cassels, chairman of the committee of arrangements, supported by Captain Cyrus Mallard. On entering the church, after prayer and an ode sung, composed for the occasion by the Rey. Samuel J. Cassels, a historical address was delivered by Mr. John B. Mallard, setting forth the incidents and circumstances connected with the early settlement of the colony, the trials and sufferings of the Revolutionary War, together with present development and growth. After the address and music by the band in the gallery, the congregation repaired to the spot selected in front of the building for laying the corner stone of a monument proposed to be erected in honor of our forefathers. After prayer by Rev. Dr. C. C. Jones, and an address by the Rev. John Winn, the corner

- stone of the monument, containing many relics and memorials, was laid. After a salute fired by the Artillery, the multitude repaired to a special banquet spread near by, accompanied with the usual hilarity, drinking of toasts and speech-making, which wound up the festivities of the day. It was on this occasion that Rev. S. J. Cassels, then an invalid confined to his room in Savannah, had his toast presented and read, which the writer well remembers hearing, church, where they were highly entertained and instructed ; by an eloquent address by the Hon. William E. Law, one of her most honored sons, though at that time a citizen of Sa vannah. a

I here give two brief extracts from the address now before me me: as "Hail, venerated county, in this wide world the net ie honored spot to me! Place of my nativity, sweet home of - "4 my youth, scene of my earliest childhood, endeared by ae thousand recollections and associations of early life! Long - ".) a wanderer from the fold, [come up this day to lay my © humble offering upon the altar of your honor and yourfame, - bor and to commingle my congratulations and rejoicings with | you, 1y fellow citizens, on this happy = auspicious occasion.'

"Here the patriotic Screven sealed with his blood his dt = votion to his country and the cause of liberty. Here the blood of a Baker flowed. Here the youthful, but gallant - Stewart, unsheathed a sword, which was never againtofind its scabbard until the victorious shout of liberty tcingaphies ant rung through the land. Departed spirits! A grateful - posterity have immortalized your virtues in the baptism of the counties of Georgia, which have your honored names. Yes, as long as Georgia shall exist, the names of Jones, Screven, John Baker and Daniel Stewart, will beremembered RA, by Georgians." > ee,

Thus ended the first Ccbtcasial of the old church. The occasion was one long to be remembered. Nothing occurred to mar its pleasures, and every body went away delighted and pleased with all that was said and done; and with profounder reverence for their forefathers, and a 'feeling of .con-: ~~ = scious pride at the thought of being Fas descendants of such worthy sires. -