New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-27
uONrNENT TO COLONEL SAMNONS
ERECTED NEAR FONDA BY JOHN Fl. sTAKlN
MAJOR ". L. STONE ORATOR
OE TIE DAY

monument erected by John II. Starm 10 the HleHl-
DRY OF his uncle Colone, Simeon Sammons the gal
liant soldier and commander Of the iron-hearted
18th Regiment Nev-York Volunteers was I'M
yelled to-day with imposing ceremonies at the
Summons family cemetery, midway between fohda
and Jamestown. There was large gathering 10
witness the celebration The parade from the sta
ton was composed as follows: Amsterdam Military
Fife and Drum Corps the 45th Separate Company
o, Amsterdam; the Johnstown City Band. the Full
tonville Fire Department; Smell Hose Company, OF
Fonda: s,terly Hook and Ladder Company, or
Fonda: Thirteenth Brigade Band OF Amsterdam,
survivors Of the 18th Regiment G. A r. posts and
veterans and carriages containing the speakers.
The line was headed by General James H.
O'Belrne. Of New-York who was in charge OF the
exercises; John H starin and his grandson. Arthur
Carroll acted as aids. General o Berne made the
opening address, and introduced the Rev. Edmond
p Easterbrook OF Minavil!e. who made the IN
vocation Mr. Easterbrook was chaplain OF the
ID and 20Sd regiments in the Spanish American
War . John II. starin was next introduced Inen
Barbara Sammons. granddaughter OF the oeao
The following programme OF exercises was, later
carried out Selection BY Thirteenth Brigade Band
address BY the KEY sy ,bs iih Separate Company
Fife and Drum Corps Grafton by MAJOR w INA y
address az enlisted men 10 Colonel Summons by
comrade seeiey Hanover; Of Amsterdam sele &C.
the Rev. John A. Debaun. OF Fonda.
The monument cost 5000 Near tne nlonu 1
is an immense gun, which was fired today Guns LIn
az Fonda and starn Place, Fultonville. were also
"'eu MAJOR STONES GRAFTON
uator Stone IN his Grafton spoke in part as fol-
lows;
cS a song lhe w seT he ND Himself among
women, though puzzlng questions are not beyond ono
ossuaries entered the famous nations of the dead
and slept with princes and councillors might ad-
NIT a wide solution. But who were the pro-
prtetors OF these bones what bodies these ashes
made up were questions not TO be resolved by
coursed Sir Thomas Browne. who has been called
the laureate Of the King OF Terrors' IN me-
which ne was led 20 write By the discovery Of the
celebrated in field OF old Walsinsham
natey for this day and this occasion. no such
mystery hangs over the graves OF NOSE WnoIs
This spot nevertheless IS consecrated ground.
We may here hgurativey at least, tread upon the
I nave said that we were treading upon the ashes
OF kings It IL that the royal title was un-
among the rude forefathers OF the hamlet sleep. .
But in their patriotic rank their order ot descent
they were In truth soverelgns. Patriotic kings
they indeed were. Kings who reveued not IN volup-
tuousness. nor wasted their time among te uels ~ =
plying the distaH like Sardanapolis; nor yet were
they Of those who sought mmorIay py rea sbna
cities and palaces and solemn temples IKE mos,
OF Thebes and Babylon and Tyre. They anecteq
tbe axe 81 their glory By the stupendous pyramid
or the costly mausoleum. They are not OF me
and whose powers and characteristics were OF
mingled moral grandeur and primitive sinPAclty'
mythoogy seemed born amid the commissions OF
terrible border warfare In cloud and In storm IL
is 10 this patriotic race tnat We owe inc pteSetls
celebration. Help me. then, with reverend nands
10 lft the veil which has too long shrouded these
patriots from the ken Of the present generation
Mr.. Stone then related at length the histories of
the starin and Summons families, who settled in
the Mohawk Valley In 1905: OF John Starin and
Jane his wife OF Revolutionary days who are
buried beneath the monument which was un-
yelled: OF Sampson Sammons, who fired the first
shot In the American Revolution west Of the Hud-
son. and Of Thomas Frederick. Valentine Sammons,
Simeon Summons and Myndert starin Nj Stone
ended with these words:
From these brief sketches It will be seen that
n IA a mistake that either Lexington or bunker
Hill was the first school In which the coionists
were taught their ability TO struggle with veteran
soldiers IL was IN the Mohawk Valley that this
lesson was first learned; and II Is very doubt
ful II the colonists would have dared 20 take the
stand they did had II not been for me lessons OF
The old French war In which. as We have seen,
the Starin family were the leaders In the Mona X
Valley provincial prowess signalized its sefrely-
ing capa biites: and Putnam and stark the Starins
and the sammonses. came into the old French
war as 70 military acadamy, 70 acquire the Art
OF warfare which they all exercised al Bunker Hill.
George Washing,on ana as mary man an
world amid the forests OF the Alleghenies and in
view Of the rifles and tomahaNks OF these French
and Indian fighters led by the Starin and Sam
mons families.
Lake George. Saratoga and the Mohawk Valley
are contiguous not merely In territory. but In
heroic associations.
AS these conflicts in the Mohawk Valley were
certainly "A measure at least, a source OF our
present National life. so should the names Of those
who took such a prominent part deserve TO be-
commemorated not only in story anc In song but
in enduring granite and bronZe-One in fact. is
but the correlative OF the Others Mems sana in
corpore is true OF the body polite OF the
body physical: and II our existence united
nation is TO be preserved. II will De by keeping
intact the mental and physical energies OF the
folders" said Napoleon. the Of one OF
his greatest battles. and in one Of those bulletins
with which ne electrify all Europe
Soldiers from yonder pyramids forty centuries
are looking down on you Bug during the Ameri-
can Revolution, from far nobler and grander
heights the Providence or God looking down
upon that little band OF patriots In the Mohawk
Valley moulding and shaping their deliberations
so that their influence upon American civilization
should endure. not for this world but throughout
the ages.
nm