The "The Story of Rev. William Augustus Muhlenberg: Preacher, Teacher, Community Leader & Romanticist - Part II" Story

St. James Episcopal Churchyard in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

It was an ordinary day.  Standing in the historical St. James Episcopal Churchyard in Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania that holds the remains of many famous citizens of our country, The United States of America.  Along the west side of the churchyard stands a row of seven above-ground stone vaults or tombs that carry inscriptions telling of those who are buried in them.  They were all members of the wealthy Coleman family.  

The vaults that hold the remains of
Coleman family members.

Mr. Robert Coleman was a millionaire iron master who at one time was a member of the General Assembly, a Judge of the Lancaster Court of Common Pleas, a trustee of Franklin College, spearheaded the building of St. James Episcopal Church, was a church Vestryman and had two beautiful daughters, Ann and Sarah.  Well the oldest daughter, Ann, fell in love with James Buchanan, Lancaster lawyer and eventual President of the United States.  They eventually became engaged, but Buchanan and Robert Coleman didn't get along and Mr. Coleman convinced his daughter that her beau was disloyal.  All fake news!  She broke off the engagement and traveled to Philadelphia to get away from Lancaster and all the turmoil.  While there she died of a suspected overdose of laudanum at the age of 24.  Mr. Coleman was so upset with James that he forbade him from coming to the funeral at St. James.  

James Buchanan was so grief-stricken that he ended up being the only bachelor President our country ever had.  Well, Rev. Muhlenberg, the co-rector of St. James from 1820-1826 and the title character in my story today, was an important minister and educator at St. James Episcopal Church, who happened to fancy the younger daughter of Mr. Coleman.  You know this just isn't going to work out well...right!  Rev Muhlenberg decided he wanted to hold an evening service which got Mr. Coleman mad, since he was on the Vestry and didn't want the evening service.  Why, I could never figure since it would draw more people to the church who would contribute more to the church.  The two men didn't see eye to eye and eventually he refused to allow Rev. Muhlenberg from entering his home to see his daughter.  The Rev. knew he would more than likely lose the love of his life, but he cherished his principles more.  He wrote in his dairy: "But for no earthly consideration whatever, not even the attainment of the dear object of my heart will I sacrifice what I believe to be the interests of my church.  O lord, help me!"  Not long after, Robert Coleman died, but his son, Edward, continued the fight to keep his sister from seeing Rev. Muhlenberg.  

The burial vault of Sarah Hand Coleman. Click to enlarge.

Finally, the object of Rev. Muhlen- berg's heart died at the age of 23 in a similar manner in the city of Phila- delphia.  The sisters are buried in the Coleman plot in the Churchyard.  After her death, the Rev. visited Sarah's grave and always walked away with a spray of sweetbrier that grew there.  The Coleman family convinced Rev. Muhlenberg to leave and offered him $5,000 to do so.  In the summer of 1826 he resigned.  

Late photograph of the Rev.
William Augustus Muhlenberg.

What was a victory for the Coleman family was a great loss for St. James as well as the town of Lancaster.  Muhlenberg moved to New York where he eventually established St. Paul's College in Flushing, NY, and St. Johnland which was a facility for homeless children and the elderly in Long Island, NY.  The later still serves senior citizens.  One more thing that Rev. Muhlenberg was known for was his love of music.  After President Lincoln proclaimed the first official Thanksgiving, Rev. Muhlenberg composed "The Thanksgiving Hymn.  He also wrote and published several other hymns as well as a hymnal during his lifetime.   He too died a bachelor at the age of 80 in 1877.  I guess love doesn't conquer all as it says in 1 Corinthians 13!!  Muhlenberg is now honored with a feast day on the liturgical calendar of the U.S. Episcopal Church on April 8, the day he died.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.