Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-12-04

hundred and ten feet square, is surrounded
by dry wall of Kentucky blue limestone
and is five feet high with a coping eighteen
inches wide. The ground is covered with
dense growth of ivy. intermingled with
weeds and brambles. The pathways are
completely hidden by this rank and nox-
iOus growth, rendering Il walk through
them quite difficult and very unpleasant.
The vault, in which repOse the remains of
General Taylor and his wife 1.-THE latter
having died only few months after himl,
it is built on a gentle slope on the eastern
side of the enclosure and is in n delapidated
condition. The material used in its con-
structiOn is Kentucky limestone, the front
face Of which is particularly trimmed.
There are six courses of stone. The entire
vault is covered with ivy and weeds. the
front alone being discernable, and the ap-
prOaChes TO this are so matted and en-
tangled with the same growth that they
look as if the foot Of human being had
never trOdden them. There is an iron
door about five feet high and thirty inches
vide, and above this is 4 plain marble slab,
about three feet in length and eighteen
inches wide, on which are inscribed the fol-
lowing words
L. TAYLOR,
!iorn November "a, 1874;
Died July Q, 1850.
This slab is now in a falling condition,
and is supported in its place only by a de-
/ cayed fence rail, about Il feet long, which
was propped against it by some friendly
hand. The vault is literally falling to
. pieces, and on its sides, between its front
and inner courses Of stones, are cracks and
openings from one-tOurth to half an inch
wide. Near the eastern side Of the vault
I are two venerable blackjack trees, which
were leafless when gazed upon them, but
from the branches of which were springing
green clusters of misletoe, emblenatic of
the life immortal that springs from DEATH /!
On the south east side are four Leautifu !
pines, planted in 4 row, which were proba- |
bly, placed there about the time General |
Taylor was buried. l am credibly inform |
ed that when the vault was opened some |
three years since the casket containing the |
remains of the il!ustrious deceased was
found to be very light, showing that nearly !
all that was mortal of the old hero had
mOuldered into dust. \ small marble bust
of the deceased President was also found
in the vault at the time referred to, but by
whom it was placed there ! could not
learn.
THE RESTING PLACE OF TWO GENERA
TIONS.
In this desOlate-lo looking grave yard there
are buried two generations of the Taylor
family. There are about thirty monu-
ments and headstoncs. and many graves
wholly unmarked, while few have plain
wooden head and foot boards uninscribed.
The most conspicuous of the monuments
is n granite shaft, fourteen feet high, erect
ed to the memory Of Colonel Richard Tay-
lor (the father Of General Taylor, who,
the inscription tells us, was soldier of the
Revolution and a native Of Orange county,
Virginia ; born April 3, 1744 died Janu-
ary 10, 1929" Also, of Sarah StrOther,
cOnsOrt of Col. Richard Taylor, born De-
cember, IA, 1863 died December II, 1872. -
There is also 4 plain marble monument,
eight feet high, adorned with Il simple
carved flower, inscribed Sarah B. Gray,
born June II, 17S9; died September 6,
1S5l." \ plain marble shaft four feet
high, marks the resting place of Richard
Lee Taylor, born December 6, 1888 died
4 pril II, 1886. At the grave Of VIM. +.
Jouett is plain marble headstone which
tells us that he was IA Lieutenant Colonel
in the |. 5. army born in WOodford
county, Ky, April II. 1895; died at
Louisville, Ky, May l., 1852 ~ and near,
in line are four heaGstones to denote the
graves of other members of the Jouett
family. There are also headstones marking
the graves of John Gibson Taylor. native
Of Orange county, Va, who died May,
1929, aged 43 years and 4 months; Eliza
beth Lee, daughter of Col. Richard Taylor,
and wife Of John &. Taylor, aged IS years
lnd > months; very old granite head
stone in memory of Thomas Owens, OF
Westmoreland county, Pa, who died June
y, 1884, in the 27th year OF his age;
marble slab. ornamented with Il plain
cross, to the memory of NIildreth Hornsby, '
wife of y. N. Lewis, born February Is,
l774; died October 80, 1917, and bearing
The following poetica! inscription
ain my hand no price bring;
Simply To thy cross cling. i
LII the centre of the grounds is the REM G
nant Of an old arbor, around which the ivy 7
is clnging as if to keep it from falling TO f
the earth. /
When contemplating this silent city Of I
the dead in the calm Of that bright October '
afternoon, while not a sound disturbed the I
solemn stiffness, save the chirping of the /
little birds that flew from tree to tree, I
could not help passing in review the event |
ful life of The old hero whose remains were i
mOuldered in the vault before me, and $
thinking how evanescent, after all, is hu- '
man glory, and how forgetful are the living |
of the memories of the dead. f.
ST. PATRICE.