San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-09-28
MILES sTANDIsH's TOMB.
The Site, Long a Matter OF Doubt,
Has Been Found.

Standish had two points in common;
both were leaders of q band of pill
grims ard the burial place of neither
| has never been found. This was q
fact, until recently, concerning Stan
| dish, but historians and antiquarians
will be interested to learn that the
| pilgrim captains last resting place
| is at last located with every prObabili-
ty that the true spot has been found.
| Historical writer's have maintained
that Capt. Standish was buried at
| Sandwich, Mass, where he owned
farm on the high land called Cap
tain's Hill, the spot where his house
| stood being clearly defined to this
day, while that of his son Alexander
is still inhabited and is on the slope
| of the hill. On the summit Is the
commanding tower, surmounted by a
huge granite statue of the former
owner of the hill-in whose honor
the shaft was erected and will be
dedicated this coming summer. More
or less elaborate theories concerning
Standish's burial place have been ad-
vauced from time to time, but the
writer, knowing that a tradition had
existed in the past, concerning the
location, began search in 1887 to
find the lost clew.
In September of that year his
search was rewarded. Miss Caroline
B. Hall lives at HALLS corner in this
village, and is lineal descendant of
Miles Standish in the seventh genera
ton, and is older than her famous an
cestor was when he died in l656-his
age being calculated from Queen
Elizabeth's commission to him setting
him at y. Miss Hall related that her
mother was told by Capt. Benjamin
Prior at some time previous to 1858
where the bones of the fighting pill.
grim laid. Mrs. Hall, daughter of
Olive Standish, felt interested and
made a memorandum at the time,
reading as follows: "Miles Standish
1860 the first was Buried in old grave
yard, to- three corner stone to his
grave" The words 1.-The first" leave
no doubt as to which Standish is
meant. Benjamin Prior was at one
time wealthy ship builder, but
meeting with reverses he ended his
days in the town aims house. He
died In October, 1869 or 1870, at the
age of 90, and during his life was not
ed for mis- memory of events and
dates.
Prior's home and that of his ances-
tors is now q ruin, but it stands with
In stones throw of the cemetery
which is drawing so much attention.
He said he had the tradition from his
father, who was boy of 10 when
Standish died, and the funeral was
attended by him (Prior). The three
cornered stones marking the graves
were easily found, but showed marks
of resetting. This had been done
a short time before by man in charge
of the cemetery, In 1887 the matter
was brought before the public and in
terest enough excited to cause the
Rural improvement Society to get per-
mission TO open the graves-for there
were indications of four in the neigh
borhood of the stones. In April, 1887
committee, OF which Fred B Knapp,
formerly of Harvard University, was
Chairman, made two excavations of
of the grave marked by the stones.
Close by this was q second ancieD
grave on the same line as the others.
When opened the bones of a man
about feet 6 or inches in height
were disclosed. He was plainly much
older than the women, as the single
tooth found showed much wear.
Near the skull was a small quantity
OF hair, rather short and quite white,
though stained little by the earth.
Various writers speak of Standish as
a short man, though by what author.
ity is not known. Fred. B. Knapp,
Rev. z. J. V. Hilgipn, G. B. Wheeler
and others made further excavations
and found on the other side of the
old man the remains of young
woman, over 25 years of age, and
probably not over 80. The teeth
were white and perfect, a little ir-
regular, but all there, and the edges
of the incisors but little worn. The
hands were crossed and bound
together with hOmespun cloth, white,
with a very fine blue strip. The
bandage was probably to keep the
Limbs in place when the body was
carried by the pall-bearers. Some Of
the coffin was still in place; the knots
bad decayed, but the top, bottom and
one side were comparatively whole.
Finding the skeleton of young
woman on either side of the old mans
bones is strong link in the evidence
OF the grave being that of Capt. Stan
dish, for his will directed that he "be
laid as neare as conveniently may be
30 my two deare daughters, Lora
Standish, my daughter, and Mary
Standish. my daughter-in-!aw.n
The will refers to his dear loving
wife, Barbara" as still living. Mary
Standish was the daughter of John
| Diugley of Marshfield. She married
| Josiah Staudish-third son of MiIes-
in 1854 and died that same year. A
bit of corroborate testin oly to the
| P iOr tradition is as follows: Mrs
r Ith Hall some time before she died
70 ated that when girl she, with her