Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-04-18
Saturday, April IS, 1908.
A Church of the Other Augusta.


A reader of the Journal who lives
in the sunny South writes US that in
our long article on Augusta, Georgia,
last week mention Of one very impor-
tant feature Of the city was omitted.
This is ST. PauIs church and grave
yard, landmark of great interest to
all visitors to the city and a church of
many more historic associations than
are possessed by any church which
our own Augusta can boast CT. The
present st. Pauls church dates from
1913 and is the third of the same name
erected in 1850, close beside Fort Att
gusta, and was the only place of wor
ship in that part of Georgia for many
years. It's early rectors were mission
aries TO the Indians or chaplains in the
arrny.
The rector during the years 1771-8i
was Rev James Seymour who saw Au
gusta three times taken and retaken
and his church used by both the pa
triots and the British for military pur-
poses. In 1880 the British commander
fortified the churchyard and the bury
Fort Augusta to Fort CORVALLIS in
honor of his lordship, who became IA
NOUS at Yorktown, but was then COM
n1ander in chief Of the department of
the South. Light Horse Harry Lee
captured it in 1881 after desperate
fight ir which the turf of the church.
yard was drenched with blood and the
graves were covered with the bodies
of the slain The church itself was
almost destroyed in that battle and
Rev. Mr.. Seymour, who was a Tory
and was accused of giving aid and
comfort to the soldiers of the king,
fed into the tall timber for refuge,
and after many privations made his
way on foot to Savannah.
In the old cemetery beside ST. Pauls
are buried some of the greatest men
of Georgia's history. George Steptoe
Washington, nephew of our first
President. died in Augusta Jan. TO- 1909,
and was buried in the churchyard, bat
no stone was ever erected to his MEM
Dry. and the site Of his grave has been
forgotten. Lieutenant General Leon!-
das Polk, bishop of Louisiana and
ate army, is buried in a vault under
the sanctuary. He is the only bishop
that was ever q lieutenant general,
and the only lieutenant general thar
was ever a bishop His monument is
n work of art and was made in Paris
ut the expense of the officers of his
staff. Another important memorial
has been erected to Judge John p.
King. for two terms senator of the
40 years president of the Georgia rail-
road. In the churchyard on the east
crn side is the grave of Rev. Washing
ton Mcknight, the first Presbyterian
minister in Augusta. On the other
side is the tomb of William Long
street. who, it is claimed. invented the
steamboat and operated one success
fully on the Savannah river in 1866,
one year before Fulton's Clermont dis
turhed the waters of the Hudson. One
of the most conspicuous tonlbs is that
of Commodore Oliver Bowen, admiral
Of the navy" who, by a clever and
daring attack. captured shipload of
British powder off Savannah and sent
half Of it to General Washington, thus
enabling him to drive the British out
u Boston. Another revolutionary hero
thews. one of the earliest governors of
Georgia. who. according to his epitaph,
died in Augusta in 1872. He comman-
led the Ninth Virginia regiment in the
revolution, which stood firm at the
Battle of Brandywine and enabled
Washington to rally the rest of his
badly ratified troops. If any of us
from the northern Augusta ever visit
the beautiful old southern city of the
same name we must not fail to visit
historic St Paurs and it's churchyard
81 10,