Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-11-22
COL. HALL AT OLD BIRMINGHAM.

"a Quaker Burial Place." as Seen by an
Up-to-dsse Pittsburg Newspaper Man.
West Chester Local News.
Under the date Of West Chester, No.
yember 7th, Dol. Henry Hall, bright
member Of the editorial staff of the
Pittsburg Times, publishes the follow
ing letter of what he saw at Birming-
ham Meeting House:
THE old Birmingham Meeting
House, around which the Battle Of
Brandywine was fought. stands in
front Of little Gods acre, enclosed
by a low, vine.grown stone wall. With
In that enclosure there are no tomb
stones to mark the graves now level
with the ground. Quaker simplicity
forbade display in death az we'll as
in life. With the flight of years the
little graveyard has become inadea uate
for the demands made upon it. and ad-
dition las been made. Here the changes
wrought by time and environment are
shown. Nearly every grave is marked
by little monument, pain as BELTS
plain people, and recording that such
an one. born first month, eleventh
day, died tenth mouth, third day, and
was here laid to his eternal rest.
while these are the rule, there are
exceptions. These exceptions are re-
markable, and show the affection and
patriotic fervor of one man. They
have all been erected by q wealthy and
prominent citizen of West Chester, a
descendant of Revolutionary family,
and one in whose life the tenderest
romance and the deepest patriotic feel
which is carefully laid out and sur
rot,ndal h, Ion ba
graves OF his father. mother, uncle,
aunt, wife and child. Their remains
are all laid away in vaults, and covered
with cement or concrete, making per-
| fectly smooth surface. Father,
Mother, Uncle, Aunt are the in
scriptionh of the first four. but the
memorials to the wife and child, buth
of whom died many years ago, and
within short time of each other, are
exceedingly ornate and costly. They
are singular as well, and seem odd amid
their plain surroundings. Perhaps the
most striking feature is a life-sized
statue Of our Saviour, carved in Italy
of Carrara marble, by a distinguished
sculptor. 1t stands on a square pillar,
about IL feet high. the STATUE being
enclosed in plate glass. Beneath is
inscribed: God SO loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whatsoever believeth in Him should
not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 5: III. Below is added There
is no death. Our dear immortal
spirits ever near us, though unseen.
1.-The gentleman who has erected these
monuments Just described, and which
must represent an expenditure of per-
haps $50, 600, has also put up two
others, both of polished granite, to
ancestors Of his. One commentaries
Col. Joseph Mcclellan, who served in
tine brigade OF Gen. Anthony Wayne,
OF the Battle of Brandywins, and the
other Joseph Taylor, Quaker, from
England. 1907 who bought /, los acres
on the Brandywine, dying in l744, and
of his sons, Benjamin Taylor and Col.
Isaac Taylor, the latter of whom was
in the Seventh Regiment of Pennsyl
vania militia, and also served il
Anthony Wayne's Brigade at Brandy
wine.
at seemed strange to see these elabo
rate and costly monuments erected in {
little country graveyard, all of then
the tributes Of private citizen to thos,
whom he loved and these whom hi
honors. Perhaps some might carp a
! the inscriptions, and say that sucf
} memorials should bear more preten
tious language. These inscription
are. however, but the words of plail
man, and the spirit which prompted
them speaks for itself"
[Col. Hall is in error in his referenc,
J to the Col. Mcclellan monument
was erected by his descendants. Ed. ]