The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-17

abundant IN fruit. yielding to the stern
demand of an imperious necessity Iaid asida
ler armor and drawing around her the
"a apeIy OF her couch, laid herself down
TO resi-. N'"''
me people of Midway were always a
ioyai ana patriotic people. They were the
ilrst TO assert their independence. and the
i is TO surrender TO British supremacy,
ouhbury being the last. military nost
upon whose ramparts hoated The colonial
nag when the province was overrun in 177S
WithdraW.ng from the provincial Con-
gtess on account of the hating and dali
nance OF the other parishes she sought ad-
mission to the Charleston association. but
was refused. She then decided to act for
hefseli, and in advance of the rest of the
province, sent her own representative. DR..
Lyman Hall, to the Constitutional Con
sress IN Philadelphia, who, it is said, went
an the way on horseback. DR.. Hall was
dItef" ards regularly chosen as the rep
resentatlye of the whole province. and
win Sutton Gwinnett, signed the Doclara-
ton of Independence.
Midway had her fun share of repre-
sentatives on the committee which draft
Ell the resolutions for adoption at the his
lollc meeting at Tondee's Tavern in this
city III INA, aud which has been STYLED the
birthplace of the freedom of Georgia"
She furnished her fun quota of men to
the war of independence, and was the
hrst TO offer upon the altar of
her county, in the cause of freedom, a
commissioned officer of any prominence,
Gen. Screven. She still displays the same
military spirit in the maintenance of two
cavalry companies, one of which, 'the In
dependent Troop has been perpetuated
since just after the revolution. The other
is the Liberty Guards
Four of the early Governors of the state
and TWO of the signers of the Declaration
of Independence were from Midway. The
Governors We're Button Gwinuett. Rich
ard Howley, Nathan Bronson and Lyman
Hall The signers of the Declaration were
Gwinnett and Hall, To the Midway
Church and congregation belong the honor
OF giving the names TO six counties, Lib
erty, in honor of the early and conspicuous
devotion of the people of the parish to
the cause of freedom Screven, in honor of
Gen James Screven, who was killed
near Midway; Hal after DR. Lyman Hall;
Gwinnett, after Button Gwinnett; Baker
after Col. John Baker and Stewart after
Gen. Daniel Stewart Among the mill
tary men of the parish were those of the
historic Mcintosh family. Gen. John
kell, adjutant general of Georgia, is
native of Liberty county. and was one
of the signers of the articles of incorpora-
ton of the Midway Church and Society.
the settlers of Midway. Judge William
B. Low, Hon. John E. Ward, Col. Charles
c. Jones, Jr., the brothers LIE Conte and
scores of men in all the professions and
minister's of all denominations, who have
honored Georgia, were natives of Liberty,
and descendants of the settlers of Midway.
The old burying-ground at Midway is
an historic spot. 1t was laid off in 1855.
The plat of ground is considerably less
than two acres The records show that
at least 1900 people have died during the
church's 113 years of existence, and near
ly all of them are buried in that small
space. There lie the remains of one Gov
ernor, BrownSOn ;one senator, John Elliott;
one commodore, John Mcintosh; two gen.
erals, James Screven and Daniel Stewart;
eleven ministers of the Gospel and hun
dreds of plous men and women.
The burying-ground is draped with
a grove of moss-covered trees. On
the northern side, and just
within the old wall stands a
majestic oak, nineteen feet In circumfer-
ence. with the drapery of long moss hang
ing in sad funeral folds. Under its out
spreading foliage and covering, at least
a quarter of an acre, several families have
Enclosures for their dead. Among the
monuments are some head and foot pieces
of pine and cypress, still standing which
were erected over a century ago.
The centennial of Midway was celebrat-
ed in an imposing manner in 1852. In his
history of the parish, its church and its
people. Rev Mr.. Stacey has made an in
teresting contribution to the annals of
Georgia.