In the early part of his Ministry in Paxton
the Northern Indians under French influence
were every Season committing the most horrid
murders — the early Settlers had small improve-
ments with little stock — and this their little all
they were frequently obliged to abandon—the
Government was at length induced to raise pro-
tection for these unfortunate People by the erec-
tion of a line of Forts on the frontier — these forts
32
were established at the south side of the Blue
Mountains beginning at Hunter's Fort on the
Susquehanna & extending thence to Schuylkill,
Lehigh etc. — at these Stations Scouting Parties
were kept constantly in motion for the protection
of the Inhabitants, leaving sufficient force in the
Forts for garrison duty.
July ll^h 1763, the Rev^ John Elder was ap-
pointed by the Gov^. to the Command of this
Service with the Commission of Colonel — the
duties he performed with fidelity & skill & to the
entire satisfaction of the Gov* until hostilities
ceased by the Treaty at Fort Stanwix. Dur-
ing all this time he also attended with care to his
pastoral Duties in the Paxton & Derry Congrega-
tions.
33
One of Many Quaint Markers.
The Old Graveyard, Seen from the Manse.
IV
THE OLD GRAVEYARD
"I would rather sleep in the southern comer of a little
<}ountry churchyard than in the tomb of the Capulets." —
Edmund Burhe.
In their quiet resting place close by the old
church lie men and women who have made his-
tory. They were no weaklings, those Elders,
Harrises, Maclays; those Kutherfords, Gil-
<^hrists, Espys and Wallaces; those McClures,
McArthurs, McKinneys and McEwens; those
Kirkpatricks, Mehargues and Calhouns; those
Awls, Alexanders, Biggers, Fultons, Grays,
Grouches, Jordans, Kearsleys, Keans, Simpsons,
Wiggins and Walkers; those Cowdens, Dor-
rances, Galaughers, Hayes, Kuhns, Whitleys,
Whitehills and Wilsons. Without those brave
untiring men and women, Scotch-Irish Presby-
terians for the most part, who lie within this
ancient burial ground, civilization in this valley
would have been retarded for generations.
From those forefathers who sleep beneath their
worn stones in the old walled enclosure have
sprung ministers and elders, skilled farmers,
statesmen, warriors and teachers, men of affairs
and men of science, women who are a power in
the twentieth century battle for the right. They
stood for God and education, those brave men
and strong, loyal women. We should take just
35
pride in them, for were they not the bulwark of a
nation in the making.
The old graveyard has a history it is not well
to forget. The early settlers buried their dead
anywhere in the clearing to the south and south-
east of the church ; the graves seldom marked for
fear of raiding Indians, were soon neglected ; and
when fencing and gravestones came they were
too irregular to make proper care possible.
Therefore, in 1792, the congregation enclosed
those graves marked by stones or fences with a
stone wall, most of which still stands, testimony
to an age when shoddy work was not tolerated-
The ground within the graveyard had been prac-
tically buried over once, in some places twice, be-
fore the wall was built.
Page 11
Presented as published in 1913. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
In the early part of his Ministry in Paxton the Northern Indians under French influence were every Season committing the most horrid murders — the early Settlers had small improvements with little stock — and this their little all they were frequently obliged to abandon—the Government was at length induced to raise protection for these unfortunate People by the erection of a line of Forts on the frontier — these forts
were established at the south side of the Blue Mountains beginning at Hunter's Fort on the Susquehanna & extending thence to Schuylkill, Lehigh etc. — at these Stations Scouting Parties were kept constantly in motion for the protection of the Inhabitants, leaving sufficient force in the Forts for garrison duty.
July ll^h 1763, the Rev^ John Elder was appointed by the Gov^. to the Command of this Service with the Commission of Colonel — the duties he performed with fidelity & skill & to the entire satisfaction of the Gov* until hostilities ceased by the Treaty at Fort Stanwix. During all this time he also attended with care to his pastoral Duties in the Paxton & Derry Congregations.
One of Many Quaint Markers.
The Old Graveyard, Seen from the Manse.
THE OLD GRAVEYARD
"I would rather sleep in the southern comer of a little country churchyard than in the tomb of the Capulets." — Edmund Burhe.
In their quiet resting place close by the old church lie men and women who have made history. They were no weaklings, those Elders, Harrises, Maclays; those Rutherfords, Gilchrists, Espys and Wallaces; those McClures, McArthurs, McKinneys and McEwens; those Kirkpatricks, Mehargues and Calhouns; those Awls, Alexanders, Biggers, Fultons, Grays, Grouches, Jordans, Kearsleys, Keans, Simpsons, Wiggins and Walkers; those Cowdens, Dorrances, Galaughers, Hayes, Kuhns, Whitleys, Whitehills and Wilsons. Without those brave untiring men and women, Scotch-Irish Presbyterians for the most part, who lie within this ancient burial ground, civilization in this valley would have been retarded for generations.
From those forefathers who sleep beneath their worn stones in the old walled enclosure have sprung ministers and elders, skilled farmers, statesmen, warriors and teachers, men of affairs and men of science, women who are a power in the twentieth century battle for the right. They stood for God and education, those brave men and strong, loyal women. We should take just
pride in them, for were they not the bulwark of a nation in the making.
The old graveyard has a history it is not well to forget. The early settlers buried their dead anywhere in the clearing to the south and southeast of the church ; the graves seldom marked for fear of raiding Indians, were soon neglected ; and when fencing and gravestones came they were too irregular to make proper care possible. Therefore, in 1792, the congregation enclosed those graves marked by stones or fences with a stone wall, most of which still stands, testimony to an age when shoddy work was not tolerated- The ground within the graveyard had been practically buried over once, in some places twice, before the wall was built.