7
THE FRIENDS OF MOUNT HOPE CEMETERY VOL. 21 NO.2 SPRING 2001 GEORGE HENRY HARRIS (1843-1893) ROCHESTER'S HENRY DAVID THOREAU by Bill Om'is (Editor's Note: George H. Harris has been called "Rochester's most capable amu- leur historian." As a youth, he spent a lot of time in Tall Chief's Seneca encampment and wrote The Aboriginal flistory oj Rochester. He worked in Mount Hope Cemetery under Superintendent George Stillson, learning surveying, drafting, and landscape garden- ing. With this training. Harris laid out and beautified Little Lake Cemetery in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. and later was appointed superintendent of Elmwood Cemetery in Detroi!. Returning to Rochester in 1877, he became the manager of the Reynolds Arcade. Part I. covering these firsl 34 years of Harris' life. was published in the last issue of the Epitaph, Winter, 200 I. Part II is presented here.) PART II. I n 1877 at age 34, George Henry Harris brought his wanderings to an end and moved back to Rochester to manage the Reynolds Arcade for Mortimer Reynolds. The arcade housed offices of lawyers, the telegraph office, the post office, art studios, retail shops, the Athenaeum and its library, a lecture hall, and business offices. Automobile inventor, George B. Selden. had his office in the arcade. Daniel Webster delivered lectures there. It was the business and cultural center of Rochester in the 19th century. Once he was settled back in Rochester, Harris focused his research on early area inhabitants and white pioneers. Evcry holi- day was spent cxploring thc sites of villages. lines of trails, the burial grounds and camp- ing places for the Indians of the Gcnesee country and in studying their customs. At the same time, he collccted data concerning the white pioneers to the area. His collection of books, and Indian relics grew rapidly and his notebooks filled fast. George Henry Harris (184]·1893) was (I prominent Rochesterilll1 with brolld lind abilities. His search along the tmils of native Americans was started by a chance find of an Indian burial or an artifact in a fanner Indian village. When infomled of a possible discovery site, he would hasten to it and make a careful scientific evaluation of the find. For example. he studied an ancicnt Indian fireplace, which was found 20 feet below ground in Gaines. He rescued frag- ments of several mastooons. including one at Nunda and another one near Plymouth Avenue, which were excavated during the construction of the Genesee Va11ey Canal. Harris traced the route of Denonville's expedition from lrondC(]uoit Bay to Victor and determined from evidence where the stopping points had been. Many of thc arti- facts hc gathered were the result of his own findings. A careful analysis of the find at old Carthage revealed mounds that contained a pipe similar to the mound-builders' pipes in Ohio. He found evidence of a two- to three- acre fort and a nint worker's shop near Hanford Landing. Not content wilh discovery alonc. Harris was zealous in writing newspaper articles about his archeological research. He was a member of the Rochester Historical Society and lectured there frequently. as well as at other historical societies in Genesee country and at many schools. He sometimes carried as many as 1.000 artifacts to illustrate his lectures. He regularly visited John Minard, Allegany County historian, and together, they studied the last Seneca habitation on the Genesee River, Chief Gordon's house at Canadea. In 1892. using his Kodak camera. he made the lasl photographs of the Gordon house before it blcw down in a windstonn two weeks later. Harris' interviews with early pioneers were extensive. Horatio Jones, who had been captured by the Seneca lndiuns. much as Mary Jemison was. proved to be an inter- esting subject for his research. At his death. much of Harris' work on early area pioneers was given to the Buffalo and Eric County Historical Society. His writings on Captain Hosea Rogers was published by the Rochester Historical Society in Volume IX of their history series. His research of the Markham family in Rush was given to the family. His extensive writings about thc Abelard Reynolds family was published in a local newspaper. George Harris also interviewed many early settlers in the Penfield and Brighton areas. These stories are now in the Local

GEORGE HENRY HARRIS (1843-1893) ROCHESTER'S HENRY … · 2008. 4. 18. · George Henry Harris (184]·1893) was (I prominent Rochesterilll1 with brolld illlere~·lslind abilities

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Page 1: GEORGE HENRY HARRIS (1843-1893) ROCHESTER'S HENRY … · 2008. 4. 18. · George Henry Harris (184]·1893) was (I prominent Rochesterilll1 with brolld illlere~·lslind abilities

THE FRIENDS OF MOUNT HOPE CEMETERYVOL. 21 NO.2 SPRING 2001

GEORGEHENRY HARRIS(1843-1893)ROCHESTER'SHENRYDAVID THOREAU

by Bill Om'is

(Editor's Note: George H. Harris has

been called "Rochester's most capable amu­

leur historian." As a youth, he spent a lot of

time in Tall Chief's Seneca encampment andwrote The Aboriginal flistory oj Rochester.

He worked in Mount Hope Cemetery under

Superintendent George Stillson, learning

surveying, drafting, and landscape garden­

ing. With this training. Harris laid out and

beautified Little Lake Cemetery in

Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. and laterwas appointed superintendent of Elmwood

Cemetery in Detroi!. Returning to Rochester

in 1877, he became the manager of the

Reynolds Arcade. Part I. covering these firsl

34 years of Harris' life. was published in the

last issue of the Epitaph, Winter, 200 I. Part

II is presented here.)

PART II.

In 1877 at age 34, George Henry Harris

brought his wanderings to an end and

moved back to Rochester to manage the

Reynolds Arcade for Mortimer Reynolds.

The arcade housed offices of lawyers, the

telegraph office, the post office, art studios,

retail shops, the Athenaeum and its library, a

lecture hall, and business offices.

Automobile inventor, George B. Selden. had

his office in the arcade. Daniel Webster

delivered lectures there. It was the business

and cultural center of Rochester in the 19th

century.

Once he was settled back in Rochester,

Harris focused his research on early area

inhabitants and white pioneers. Evcry holi­

day was spent cxploring thc sites of villages.lines of trails, the burial grounds and camp­

ing places for the Indians of the Gcnesee

country and in studying their customs. At

the same time, he collccted data concerning

the white pioneers to the area. His collection

of books, manuscripl~. and Indian relics

grew rapidly and his notebooks filled fast.

George Henry Harris (184]·1893)

was (I prominent Rochesterilll1 with brolld

illlere~·ls lind abilities.

His search along the tmils of native

Americans was started by a chance find of

an Indian burial or an artifact in a fanner

Indian village. When infomled of a possible

discovery site, he would hasten to it and

make a careful scientific evaluation of the

find. For example. he studied an ancicntIndian fireplace, which was found 20 feet

below ground in Gaines. He rescued frag­

ments of several mastooons. including one

at Nunda and another one near Plymouth

Avenue, which were excavated during the

construction of the Genesee Va11ey Canal.

Harris traced the route of Denonville's

expedition from lrondC(]uoit Bay to Victor

and determined from evidence where the

stopping points had been. Many of thc arti­

facts hc gathered were the result of his own

findings. A careful analysis of the find at old

Carthage revealed mounds that contained a

pipe similar to the mound-builders' pipes in

Ohio. He found evidence of a two- to three­

acre fort and a nint worker's shop near

Hanford Landing.

Not content wilh discovery alonc.

Harris was zealous in writing newspaper

articles about his archeological research. He

was a member of the Rochester Historical

Society and lectured there frequently. as well

as at other historical societies in Genesee

country and at many Roche.~ter schools. He

sometimes carried as many as 1.000 artifacts

to illustrate his lectures.

He regularly visited John Minard,

Allegany County historian, and together,

they studied the last Seneca habitation on

the Genesee River, Chief Gordon's house at

Canadea. In 1892. using his Kodak camera.

he made the lasl photographs of the Gordon

house before it blcw down in a windstonn

two weeks later.

Harris' interviews with early pioneers

were extensive. Horatio Jones, who had

been captured by the Seneca lndiuns. much

as Mary Jemison was. proved to be an inter­

esting subject for his research. At his death.

much of Harris' work on early area pioneers

was given to the Buffalo and Eric County

Historical Society. His writings on Captain

Hosea Rogers was published by theRochester Historical Society in Volume IX

of their history series. His research of theMarkham family in Rush was given to the

family. His extensive writings about thc

Abelard Reynolds family was published in

a local newspaper.

George Harris also interviewed many

early settlers in the Penfield and Brighton

areas. These stories are now in the Local

Page 2: GEORGE HENRY HARRIS (1843-1893) ROCHESTER'S HENRY … · 2008. 4. 18. · George Henry Harris (184]·1893) was (I prominent Rochesterilll1 with brolld illlere~·lslind abilities

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In a beautifullribute 10 George Harris.

John Norton said. "He was a true lover of

nature and found the fields. the woods. and

Ihe streams ne\'er-ending sources of inSlruc­

lion and delight. Men. eminent in learning.

counted the moments precious that they

could spend communing with George Harris

about lhe secrets time had hidden from com­

mon eyes, The fanner felt a new inlerest in

the fields he titled after the graphic recital ofIndian wurfare or pioneer adventure thut Ihe

research of Harris localed within his bound­

aries. ·n.e dusky sons of the forest loved him

as a brother and sought his aid. his counsel.

and his hospitality as freely as though he

was by binh. instead of by adoption. a mem­ber of Iheir tribe:'

All of his life. Harris spenl as much

time as possible oUldoors 10 offset an illness

that had plagued him from early childhood.In 1892. however, his heallh failed him. In a

"Surely. it is Ihe most marvelous con­

trast. worthy of the accrediled powers of Ihe

gods. and far surpassing in its magnitude

and grandeur. the fabled kaleidoscopicchanges wrought upon the destinies of men

by the powerful genie of old:'

Because of his interest in caooeing.Harris organized and was the leader of IWO

canoe clubs: the Genesee Canoe Club on the

river and the Rochester Canoe Club on

lrondequoil Bay.

-1--

"Today. we are here. the living repre­

sematives of a greal city containing within

ilS limits 100.000 souls. Nonh. south. easl.

and west. in every direction eXlend broad

avenues lined wilh palatial StruCIUres and

modesl homes. Columns ofsmoke curlingupward denote the centers of industrial occu­

pation in the form of great manufaclories.

while the slirring sounds of labor and busy

hum rising from the thousand mans of trade

sound to our listening cars like the glad

music of a steadily increasing prosperity,

voices of mnure, the soft breezes of summer

- swaying lhe emer:tld treetops 10 and fro ­

sang a mournful requiem of Ihe days ofprimitive peace soon 10 pass away forever.

George Harris' gfCll'eJlOlle is {oct/tetl ill

Lut 51, Section E, MOllnt HOlM Cemetery.Pl1otogrttpli by Pl"lmk A. GilIesl,ie.

"Follow the line of the SlreelS away

from the confusion of congregated sounds in

the city center. pass beyond the town. 10 the

natural roads thai stretch away in the dis­

tance. and we behold smiling fanus with

their divided fields. bending orchards. com­

fortable houses. and outbuildings well stored

with abundanl products of agriculture. On

every hand we sec accumulating and W'lend­ing proof of the presence of a people with

the possession of lands. houses, flocks.

herds. and goods of every product peculiar

to the requiremenl of civilized life; with

unlold millions expended in improvements

required for the public welfare.

History Division of the Rochester Public

Library. Harris. incidentally. organized the

first collection of books for the library.

Typical of Harris' descriptive style is

Ihe following passage:

"One hundred years ago the present sile

of Rochester was a wilderness. Here. nmure

reigned supreme in the majesty of solitude.

and the changeful hand of approaching civi­

lizmion had not yet marred Ihe beauties nor

altered the nalural features of the landscape.

"From ils mountain sources. on ils way

down to meel and mingle with the blue

waters of the great Lake Ontario. came the

beautiful Shen-e-se-ho (the pleasanl valley).

the ri\'er of the Senecas winding in and OUI

around sharp comers of rock. sweeping ingreat folds and curves like the trail of a

mighty serpenl. gliding sl110lJUily alongthrough the plain and by-Ihe side of 10swamps. rushing. roaring. and lumbling

Ihrough deep gorges over huge boulders and

high precipices. CUlling a broad channel in

the rock foundations of the earth. its strong

current.s as yet unfettered by the works of

man. in its ncver-.ceasingjoumcy through

the wilds.

The wriling skills of George Harris

were exemplary. William H. Samson. edilor

of a local newspaper and president of the

Rochester Hislorical Society. said. '1"hose

chapters of his concerning the history ofRochesler will have a place in literature aslong as the English language is read:'

'"To Ihe river's verdure-trimmed banks

and sandy shallows. lhe timid deer came to

drink. On its restless bosom. flocks of wild

fowl flomed undisturbed. From hiding places

in the tangled thicket on the shore, the dis­

mal howl of the wolf. the sullen growl oflhe

bear. and the scream of the panther were

heard. Through the narrow trails leading

back into the deep recesses of the woods. lhe

fleet-footed Indian pursued his course in

search of game and bore his message of

peace or war 10 the neighboring tribes, High

up in the heavens the giant monarchs of lhe

foresl reared their heads, writhed and

elashed their mighty arms in fierce storms.

while o\'er allihe varied sounds of munnur­

ing waters, cries of wild beaslS and other

2

Page 3: GEORGE HENRY HARRIS (1843-1893) ROCHESTER'S HENRY … · 2008. 4. 18. · George Henry Harris (184]·1893) was (I prominent Rochesterilll1 with brolld illlere~·lslind abilities

01/ the Civil War tollr lasr Seplember, Belt Mar)'nildi. read a

elilogy to Primle Henry Cltrr. II was rhe sfJeech originally deliv­

ered by Chaplain Philo Cook rill Ihis sire ill 1865.

At the graveside service for PrivateCalT. AmlY Chaplain Philo Cook deliveredlhe following eulogy. (The scene was reen­

acted by Ben Maryniak at last fall's CivilWar tour of Mount Hope Cemetery onSeptember 16. 2000. That tour was led byFriends trustee Marilyn Nolte and her CivilWar reenactment friends.) That eulogyreads:

"My brothers and sisters, four yearshave passed away since the firsl gun of tren-

lener from the Jackson Sanatorium inDansville addressed 10 Jane Parker. Harriswrote. ''The frightful menial and physicalstrain to which I have been subjected endedin my complete breakdown in November. 1have been an invalid since December I

(1892). The doctors tell me 1 have passedthe danger line and with proper care andrest. they see no reason why I shall notrecover." But he did not recover. He died inOctober 1893 and was buried in MountHope Cemetery.

At his funeral, representatives of themany clubs and societies of which he hadbeen a member formed a line and marchedafter the horse-drawn hearse. The canocclubs provided a noral piece in the shape ofa canoe. Various lodges perfomled appropri­ate ceremonies. His fire-fighting helmettopped his casket. (He had served as the

elected head of the Rochester Volunteer FireDepartment.) There was an outpouring of

testimony of his service to the community.John Norton said, "His keen intellect. bril­liant talents, and untiring industry won ouradmiration, but it was his pure and noble

nature. his generous and unselfish devotionthat gave him so wann a place in all of ourheans. He was always so helpful and full ofenthusiasm. with a mind so active and clearthat it was impossible to realize how slenderwas the hold he had on life. We were fortunateto have known and loved him while he lived,

and in the rich legacy he bequeathed us."

What is his legacy to the community?There are the first 15 chapters he wrote forWilliam F. Peck's semi-centennial history ofRochester. There is a collection of over 200folders of his papers in the Local HistoryDivision of the Rochester Public Library.His many lectures are reprinted in the publi­cation fund series of the Rochester

Historical Society. And there are additionalGeorge H. Harris papers in the Rare BooksSection of the University of RochesterLibrary. His lifelong search for the begin­nings of the Rochester community and hisexemplary life will not be forgotten.

(Bill Davis is a Kodak retiree and a

local historian. One day while researchingearly Rochester history at the public library,he saw Stephen Thomas, executive director

emeritus of the Rochester Museum and

Science Center, and expressed his interest inGeorge H. Harris. Thomas pointed out thecomplete collection of Harris papers nearby,and th:tl started Davis on a 20-year search ofHarris' materi:tl - at the Smithsonian

Institution. the New York State Museum, theWheatland Historical Society, the AlleganyHistorical Society, the Buffalo and ErieCounty Historical Society, and the OntarioCounty Historical Society,)

A EULOGYFOR PRIVATEHENRY CLAY CARR

by Union Army Chaplain Philo Cook

Private Henry Clay Carr, w:ts killed at

Perryville on March 2,1865 in theclosing days of the Civil War. He was

lhe onty Union casualty in a bnttle where theConfederates knew thaI defeat was immi­nent. Private CnlT's body was returned toRochesler in November, 1865. and he was

buried in Section O. Lot 9.

3

Page 4: GEORGE HENRY HARRIS (1843-1893) ROCHESTER'S HENRY … · 2008. 4. 18. · George Henry Harris (184]·1893) was (I prominent Rochesterilll1 with brolld illlere~·lslind abilities

son summoned us to the defense of our gov­ernment. In those four years. we have cometo a fresh evaluation of the principles whichour government pretended to represent.There has been work enough and sorrowenough in these years, and gray hairs have

been made more rapidly than usual.

"We have been sternly taught to knowthings we never before suspected, Wc had toquickly revise what we used to believe, Wenow have to count our acquisitions by marksof suffering. New York State can count hergraves by thousands of sons. Sons who took

the field for the common defense. Sons forwhom all the ordinary implements of tradeand labor were welded into n weapon.

"When our state - from Lake Erie to theNew York harbor - cnlJ count its graves by

thousands of sons. there is n unity like I1mtwhich sorrow creates within a house. Thereis a common throb of anguish and pride, acommon prnyer for strength. a common glo­rying that death cnme in the way of dUlY.

"Every time I henr a father read his

dead son's last leiter, it seems to me as if thesouls of these brave boys had not gone toheaven, but that they have come home.Death said to them, 'Your country must bereinforced,' and these sons hastened to thecall. Their denths deepen our religiousness.Their deaths inflame our patriOlism. Theirdeaths con finn our thoughts with the sinceri­ty which they gained in dying.

'They died in defense of their country!What is more eloquent than the majesticsimplicity of that phrase - 'their country?'

Let not him try to measure the length andbreadth of these words. who thinks of hiscountry only as a place to buy and sell, and

get gnin. Let him not try to sound the depthof these words, whose idea of his country isonly n place where he shall get public office,and honor, and profit. Let him nOt aspire tothe height of the.c;c words, who thinks thatpeace is better than righteousness, safety

better than mnnhood.

"They who endured hardship and daunt­lessly met the fiery storm. They who pouredout their blood and lay with their white facesupturned to God; they knew - in their life­time knew - what 'our country' means.

''They. in their graves. tell us that nocoulllry can live withoUllaw and liberty, and

true manhood. Because they saw, in ournational flag, the soul of the Great Republic,with strong hearts and chivalric daring they

plantcd themselves by the Stars and Stripes.and now slccp until the reveille of the resur­rection mom,

"Comrades and citizens, you havewalked by many gravestones on your wayhere today. Better than my words do the

things of this day speak. Hear them. In truth,everyone here today has been brought by a

voice that softly calls to you from thesolemn trees which surround us. A voice thatcomes from the many battlefields that borderthe Potomac, the Rappahannock. and theAppomaltox rivers. A voice that comes fromAntietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and

We have been sternly taught to

know things we never be/ore

suspected, We had to quickly

revise what we llsed to believe.

the Shenandoah Valley. A vOIce that asks akind recognition for those who sleep in asoldier's grave, Theirs are the holy rites ofcommemoration that we celebrate today,

'Think of all that the remains of thisboy have pased through, Picture in yourmind all that happened to them since the stal­

wan and beautiful frame to which theybelonged left his peaceful home for the campand the battlefield. Benten up and down by

all the storms of war, carried back and fonhby the changeful movement of the anny,blackened by the sun and bleached by thefrost. Exposed to all the mutations of theweather, pinched with hunger, stiffened withcold. drenched with rain. hardened by toil.sleeping on the ground. begrimed by smokeand powder. a target for saber cut and forrifle ball, shot down in battle, buried. with noshroud but his coat. In hostile soil, liftedfrom the ground and brought here at last.

"His return home was a long time com­ing. But he is here at last. And we are here,honored by the presence of his remains. This

body tells a touching and solemn story oftoil, fatigue, suffering, peril. and death, Butit also speaks of patience, fortitude, bravery,and cheerfulness. It also manifests the devo­tion of a generous, pure, and earnest hean.

"I cannot utter words of common con­

solation here, Certainly. there is the thoughtof the infinite God, just and loving, There is

the vision of a kind and tender Providence.A Providence which allows nothing to bewnsted. A Providence which picks up the

fragments of our broken existence, aProvidence which ties together the loosethreads of our activity. a Providence whichmakes good the imperfection of our labor. aProvidence which pennits no good hope tofail.

'There is the thought of a vast hereafter

where every life shall be made complete,

But these consolations are open to all peoplein ordinary times. In the case of TrooperCarr. there are more consolations. There isthe sympathy of a great multitude of noblemourners. There is the tender respect andlove of strangers. There is the recognition of

a country.

"The memory of such a career, of such

a character. is - alone - consolation sufficientfor more than ordinary grief. What greatercomfort could there be for a mother than tohave had such a son? To be recogni7..ed andhonored as the mother of such? To live in

his reflected light and glory?

"Killed in battle for the Union! No

prouder epitaph need any man want. Do youknow what that means? It means, died thatthe best government under the sun might notbe bound and powerless, It means, died forthe land's salvation. Died for the opening of

the prison doors to them that are unjustlybound. Died to proclaim the day ofvengeance of our God to the oppressednations of the eanh. Died that men mightstill hope and struggle upward to life andliberty, civil and religious. 1l means, diedthat God's kingdom might come. that hiswill might be done on earth as it is in heav­en. Mourn not, my friends, for the departureof such a son, brother, companion, friend.

"If the death of such a one is a highprice to pay for victory. consider the higher

4

Page 5: GEORGE HENRY HARRIS (1843-1893) ROCHESTER'S HENRY … · 2008. 4. 18. · George Henry Harris (184]·1893) was (I prominent Rochesterilll1 with brolld illlere~·lslind abilities

The he(Jdstone ofCharles D. Howell, who fl!ll at Ihl! Ballll!

of Frel/ricksburg ill /862, is locatell ill Sl!clion IV. WI 9.

Photograph by Frank A. GiIIl!Jpie.

estimate to be placed on the governmentwhose stability. and the country whose

existence· was secured by that victory.Think how much it has done to increase

your faith in God to know that he cares for

our nation.

..It is sad to sec: young manhood laid

low in its bloom. laid low by that barbarian.

war. pushed on by his more loathsome

brother. slavery.

"But I have said too much. I have bro­

ken the sacred silence too long. I should

have allowed Henry Clay Carr to speak

more. H3d he been able to speak. he wouldhave rebuked us for praising what he did in

the sincerity of his heart. because he could

not help it.

"Let us lay what is left of his poor

body in the ground. Let us think of him as

living and working on. In the future time.

when sweet peace shall come back to us. hewill live in the pure sentiments he has aided

in strengthening. He will work in the noble

institutions he has died to esmblish.

"No. Brother Carr. we will not falter.

While the memory of your life holds a place

in our heans. we will be lIUe to our country

and true to our God.

"And now. we ask God's blessing on

this grave. Bless it. oh God. and all the other

boys who rest here at Mount Hope. Bless

the parents who bid their sons do brave

deeds. Bless the wives who weep for hus­

bands who will never come back again.

Bless the children whose heritage is their

fallen father'S heroic name. But chiefly. oh

God. bless this stone in honor of Private

Henry Clay Carr. In honor of a man who

counted not his life dear when his country

needed him.

"A grander monument has not been

chiseled in stone at this gathering today. Itcertifies that our living labored and our dead

died not in vain. This afternoon we proclaim

and certify to the world that they fought a

good fight and kept their faith in those daysgone by. whose deeds we celebrate:'

DEATH OF A SOLDIERCHARLES D. HOWELL(d. 1862)

by Call!b Ford

On December 13. 1862. a young 18­year-old soldier was pan of a series

of futile frontal assaults against an

entrenched Confederate anny in the city of

Fredricksburg.

Virginia. The

Fredricksburg

campaign. led

by Major

General

Ambrose

Burnside,aimed to cap­

ture this area.

which would

be vital to any

assault on theConfederate

capital of

Richmond.

General RobertE. lee. antici­

pating the

attack. estab­lished positions

high above

where the

Union annywas coming

from. This was

the situation

young Charles

D. Howell facedas he was part of

wave after wave

of soldiers thrown

at the rebels,

leaving over 13,000 of the 100.000 Union

soldiers wounded or killed.

During the attack. Howell look shrap­nel in the thigh. After being removed from

the battle. he was taken to the 5th anny

corps hospital near Falmouth. 1bere. he was

treated for his wounds, however. due to his

injury he contraeled lockjaw. He died 9 days

after the baule on December 22. He was 18

years. I month. and 22 days old.

Charles Howell was a resident of

Anson Park in Rochester. where he lived

with his parents. He had joined the 100th

Regiment of the New Yorl: State Volunteers

in August of the year of his death. 1berewas no clear evidence that Howell had par­ticipated in any battles prior to the Baule ofFredricksburg. Howe,·er. the Army of the

Potomac. of which the 100th YS

VoluntCCfS were a pan. had seen heavyaction in those months. Yet even when not

in combat. lifestill revolved

around the bat­

de. Often. dayswould start at 5

3.m. for a quick

breakfast and

then drill ses·

sions to learn

how to shoot

guns and per­

fonn various

maneuvers. Itwas not uncom­

mon to have

five drill ses­

sions in a singleday. The gruel.

ing worl: andhorrible condi­

tions. mixedwith boredom

and extreme

homesickness.

made it a truly

hard experience

for all of the

soldiers.

Still. no

maller how

hard it was for

the Union soldiers. the parents of Charles

Howell had it worse. WheDCver a parent is

faced with the tragedy of outliving a child.

one must wonder how they deal with their

grief, It must have been especially hard in

this case. because their child died hundreds

of miles away. and by the time they heard of

the injury he suffered on December 13.Howell was already dead. Perhaps they

found solace in the fact that Charles had

died fighting for the Union and defendingthe ideals of the Union. The first evidence

5

Page 6: GEORGE HENRY HARRIS (1843-1893) ROCHESTER'S HENRY … · 2008. 4. 18. · George Henry Harris (184]·1893) was (I prominent Rochesterilll1 with brolld illlere~·lslind abilities

The massil'e. An Deco Cooll monumem I1.'QS e~oted by Tiflan)' Studios. New York City. II

requi~d a specially built railroad car to corl)' Ihe huge. heovy Slooe to Rochester. See it

and /110/1)' olher grand /IIen/oriah 011 Ihe MiIIiO/loi~s and £nt~prenelfrsTour - a /lew

f(mr i/llroduCt'd 0/1 JUlie 2. Photagrtlph by Fm/lk A. Gillespie.

that points to this conclusion is Charlcs'gravestone itself. It is simple and reads:

CharleJ D. HOI1.·dl

108 Regiment N. Y.S. VolS

Who fell wOIlIlded at the Jtonlling of

F~driebburg.

Dec. 13. 1862.

Alld died in the 5th dil'iJ;oll

HOJpiwl. Fa/momh. IRe. 22.

Aged 18 yearJ, I nw. & 22 da)'J.

It must be llQ(ed that the most promi·

nent date on the gravestone is not his dUle of

death, but the dUle he fell wounded. Thisspeaks out to say that their child died doinghis duty for the Union.

Thc idca of one's duty to the Union wasa new one. Northerners had to deal with the

massive numbers of husbands. sons. broth­ers, and neighbors losing their lives. Muchof the time. it was impossible to return thebodies to their homes for proper burials. Theestablished rituals could not be performedwhen the men died in battle. hundreds ofmiles from their 100'ed ones. In his book, The

Sacred Remairu, Gary Ladennan wrole. "Inorder to alleviale the anxieties and grief ofnonhem citizens. religious and politicalleaders and much of the popular mediaimaginatively transfonned the destruction oflife into something heroic: their messageinevitably retumed to the sacred life of thenation and the promise of a '£000 death' inthe ser:ice of the Union:'

The second piece of evidence is the epi­

taph written alons the bottom of the stone. Itis a poetic verse. which reads much likesome Civil War hymns of the time. It reads:

o shroud him in a nag of stars.Beneath whose folds he won his scars.Through which his spirit ned.From glory here to glory then.

From the parents point of view, this

"crsc may be: saying 10 wrap their child inthe American nag for which he died. andthat the glory he earned on the day of hisdeath will be remembered and he will beacclaimed in heaven. Charles Howell diedfor a cause and people will not forget hissacrifice.

Douglas J. Davies states in Dearh.

Riwaf. lll1d Belief "Death rites do entertain

hope as an imponant human allribUie help­ing to drive communities forward by provid­ing an optimism for life." Perhaps the par­ents found consolation in this gravestone.because it celebrated what Howell had

accomplished in life. This is along similarlines to a point Jay Lifton made in n,e

Broken COIlf/eelioll: 0,1 Oem" (lnd Ihe

COII/illl/if)' ofUfe. He speaks of five generalmodes of the sense of immortality: the bio­logical. the theological. the creative. the nat­ural. and the special mode of experientialtranscendence. This stone shows a strong

reliance on the creative sense of immortality.for Charles is living on through his innuence

on other people and what he did for the &000

of lhis nalion during his short time on earth.

Even now. alll'lOSt 140 years later. pe0­

ple continue to find solace in this stone of a

fallen soldier. The grave is still tended. and anew American nag has recently been placedin the ground next to it. We. as Americans.revere those fallen in baltIc. thus guarantee­ing their symbolic immonality.

Charles D. Howell led a shon. butevemfullife. As his obituary in theRochester UniO/l (llId Adl'eniser said. "Hewas an eslimable young soldier. and the cap­tain of his company bean testimony 10 his

bra'"ery and goOO cOnduCI."

(Caleb Ford is a Sludent at the

Uni\'ersity of Rochester. He prepared this

essay as a requiremem for Prof. EmilHomerin's course, Speaking SIOnes,Religion 167.)

6

Page 7: GEORGE HENRY HARRIS (1843-1893) ROCHESTER'S HENRY … · 2008. 4. 18. · George Henry Harris (184]·1893) was (I prominent Rochesterilll1 with brolld illlere~·lslind abilities

7. Machines must always keep tothe right of the road.8. Automobiles must always be dri­ven so as not to give off smoke orto drop oil. nor shall mufflers be

opened while within the cemetery.9. When the machine stops. the

engine must be stopped.10. Automobiles shall not be fUmed

around on the avenues.II. Roads posted "One-Way Road"

must only be used as such.12. Automobile funerals shall enter

the cemetery only at main gatesnear the office, and after entering

the grounds. shall be subject to thedirection of the superintendent orhis assistants.13. Motorists must not use roads

posted "Not for Automobiles."

In 1920. just 2 1/2 years later, plansdrawn up by the city engineer includedrepairs to and extension of the existing roadsystem in the cemetery. The road repairs andresurfacing with biturninous compositionand extensions to the water distribution sys­tem cost the city approximately $350,000.

The change from horse-drawn to motorvehicles had worked havoc with the roads inthe cemetery. Heavily loaded limousines andhearses ripped up and rutted the dirt thor­oughfares so that their use in some sectionswas found impossible. It was reponed that

cemetery officials had to keep two teams ofhorses in readiness at all times to pull thefrequently mired automobiles from the mud.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Do you walll to gel out of the

hOlI.~e (lild spelul a SU/lday after-

110011 ill a panicularly IJleasalIt

place? May we suggesl that you

ValUllleer to be a receptionisl for

our Sunday lOurs on a couple or

more SU/ldays this sumlller. II:S-

easy dilly. and you'f!meel (I lor of

/lice people. GiI'e it it Iry. Call

JoAnll Belle-Isle ar 436-295/ or

send an e-mail to

jomlll@/lcwcc.l1et. /1 will change

your life.

THE FRIENDS OF MT. HOPE CEMETERY

791 MT. HOPE AVE.ROCHESTER, NY 14620-2752

Non-Profit Org.U.S.Postage

PAIDRochester, NYPermit No. 150