The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-03-15

| An eHceIleut picture OF tne Ola
church is here presented. 1t stands
like sentinel at the intersection of
two old colonial roads, looking down
a long avenue of oaks beneath which
the red coats marched over one hun
dred and twenty-five years ago, and
under which the heavy tramp of the
yankee columns awoke the echoes in
the same quiet woods eighty odd years
later. Where its tottering and ancient
steeple inclined like the leaning tow
er of Pisa, points heavenward the
Indian still roamed when the church
was first built.
The present church was built in 1892.
The main portion of it is in a remark
able state of preservation. The back
of the old building is as plumb and
substantial as if it had been built in
recent years, but the roof is sagging
and the side walls of the old structure
are warping inward. 1t will be neces-
sary in order to preserve the building
to make these walls stable with the
use of steel stays.
SeIectmen Seek Assistance.
1t is in contemplation to preserve
the cemetery as we'll as the old church.
1t is to this fund that the president
| has been asked to contribute. In the
letter sent to President Roosevelt and
disseminated among those who in the
opinion of the selectmen might be in
| terested in the movement this interest
ing reference is made to the old ceme-
terry:
"Beside the church is Midway Gene
| terry, covering little more than an
acre of ground, but within its moss
covered walls, beneath the spreading
branches of majestic live oaks, lie
entombed the remains of more distin-
guished dead and of those who have
given their country more noted pos
terity than in any other plat of ground
of equal area in this broad land. In
] its bosom repose the remains of one
governor, Nathan Brownson; one
| United States senator, John Elliott;
one commodore, John Mcintosh; two
revolutionary generals, James Screw
en- and Daniel Stewart; eleven minis
tiers of the gospel, and many hundred
good men and women, distinguished
in their various professions and voca-
tions of life. Even now two of the
highest positions of the nation, yea,
of the world, are filled by descendants
of the Midway Society-Hon. Theo-
dore Roosevelt, president of the Unit
ed Stairs, and Hon. A. O. Bacon,
! senior United States senator from
Georgia.
Senator Bacon's Parents.
| The tombs of Rev. Augustus o. Ba
con and his wife, Louisa Jones Bacon,
are side by side in the old cemetery.
! Senator Bacon, their son, has a reg
ular attendant to look after these
/ graves. Old residents say that the
visits of this old servitor are very in
! frequent, and their statement is veri-
fed by the telltale weeds which have
taken possession of the lot on which
the tombs are situated.
The graves of Commodore James
Mckay Mcintosh is marked by one of
! the handsomest stones in the old Gem
etery. The inscription on the monu-
ment is as follows: ''To the memory
of James Mckay Mcintosh, a distin-
guished officer of the United States
navy; born at SunburY, Ga, Nov. 10,
1872; died while in command of the
navy yard at Pensacola, Fla, in
1860. This stone is erected by his
loving children.
Near the tomb of Commodore McIn-
tosh is the newest grave in the GENE
terry. The laurel wreath laid upon it
by loving hands has not yet lost its
verdure; the earth heaped upon the
remains is still fresh, and no head
stone yet perpetuates the spot where
lies all that is mortal of the late John
f. Ward. He died at a ripe old age
but few months ago. He was the
first minister plenipotentiary from the
United States to China, which Office
he held from the time of his appoint
ment in 1858 until the secession of
Georgia. Mr.. Ward was chairman of
the democratic convention which NOM
mated Buchanan for the presidency,
and during his long and useful public
life held many positions of distinction
and honor. He was for several years
mayor of Savannah