The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1950-01-05

county history and the story of
John Gray who lived at Hirams-
burg until he was 104.
This is a request column, for
Leal wrote: "Why don't you get
on Ben Hayes and have him iron
this out, and don't let him up un-
til he tells us all about it."
1t is a pleasant duty to again
tell the story of John Gray. He
had to wait until he was 102 be-
fore the government gave him a
pension-that alone is enough to
merit mention. And without the
agitation Of Private Dalzell, an.
other nationally known Noble
county figure, the old soldier
probably never would have re-
ceived a pension.
John Gray lived from Jan. 6
T1764 to March 20, 1868. His birth,
day is Friday. He was born ex'
dClly lou ySdlo dSo.
He was born at Mt. Vernon. He
returned to this place after the
end of the war, and his first
work was as a hand on George
Washington's plantation.
John Gray volunteered at 16
as soon as he learned his father
had been killed in the battle oi
White Plains. For the remain.
ing two years of the Revolution
he carried his fathers musket
He was in skirmish at Will,
liamsburg, and was in the army
at Yorktown when the British
finally surrendered.
John Gray decided to move
westward in 1895. He lived al
Grave Creek in Pennsylvania
then after Ohio became a state
| in 1903, he came into the Hirams'
burg neighborhood. He worked
.. as a farmer. When past 100, he
joked about eating hog meat ano
hominy, and how much comfort
| he derived from chew of to-
bacco and the company of {
, hound dog.
He married three times, out
living all three wives and al
children except a daughter, who
lived to be past 80. The last AZ
years of his life, Mr.. Gray lived
| in a hand-hewed log house north
of Hiramsburg.
More than 1000 people attend
ed his funeral. The early April
, weather in 1868 was fairly de-
cent, so the funeral was hello
outdoors in a grove near his
cabin. That he was the last OF
Washington's soldiers has beer
clearly established. No others
not even the spurious Mr.. Hutch
ins, lived until 1868.
Have you seen his grave!
This question was asked at the
recent Noble county dinner ir
Columbus. Few hands were
raised.
l went to see the burial place
of John Gray three years ago.
had always guessed" that his
grave was in that small hillside
cemetery west of Hiramsburg.
was wrong. After inquiry, we
headed north of Hiramsburg
and after much ridge-running
and winding, reached what peo-
pie told us was the McElroy
cemetery.
Among younger Noble coun-
tians who have seen the wealth
cred headstone are Jane and
Janet Ogle of Crooked Tree
They were going to Columbus
with us, to visit Chalmer Haines,
their cousin. They thought this
was the craziest roundabout way
possible to Columbus. We took
several side excursions that sum-
mer day, but the trip to McElroy
cemetery, to me, was most salts
flying.
The thin slab-stone still
stands, as pictured in Henry
Howe's History of Ohio. ''The
Last of Washington's Compan-
ions," says the lettering. "The
Hoary Head is a Crown OF
Glory"
The cemetery is right beside
the road. I believe it can be
reached easiest from the Glen
wood Cumberland road.
So Leal Farley helps to pro-
tect one of our county's claims
to historical fame. "Hayes knows
me-" he wrote from Canton. That
is true. AS soon as / saw the
signature, / said: Good Old Cab
bage!"
We always called him "Cab-
bage." And if he's forgotten, l
can tell him why. One wet June,
way back then, Mark Hardesty,
Cabbage" and I went down
Duck Creek valley in Marks
robin's-egg-blue model T Ford to
spear carp in Chat Wharton's
bottom south of Macksburg. We
had pitchforks. The creek had
flooded the bottoms that day and
was receding.