1879.] Examination of Indian Graves in Chester Co., Pa. 295 
one of these communications the following paragraph appeared : 
“There is a place near the Brandywine, on the farm of Mr. Mar- 
shall, where there are yet a number of Indian graves that the 
owner of the ground has never suffered to be violated. One of 
them, probably a chief’s, is particularly distinguished by a head 
and foot stone.”? 
Having recently obtained permission from the present owner 
of the property, Mr. Caleb Marshall, some of the members of the 
Philosophical Society of West Chester, on the 16th of November, 
1878, proceeded to investigate these graves. The burial-ground 
is situated in a group of hickory and oak trees on a prominent 
knoll some three hundred yards to the north of the west branch 
of the Brandywine or Minquas creek, formerly known to the 
Indians as the Suspecough. “The Indians upon the Brandywine 
had a reserved right (as said James Logan in his letter of 1731) 
to retain themselves a mile in breadth on both sides of one of the 
branches of it, up to its source.” 
The exploring party found traces of at least thirty graves, 
indicated by shallow depressions, but originally there was a much 
larger number, as Mr. Marshall asserts that the plough has been 
gradually encroaching upon the cemetery, all signs of many of 
the graves having beeh entirely obliterated. The portion yet 
protected by the receding grove, however, has never been dis- 
turbed. 
Four of these burial places were opened, with the following 
results: In the first grave, at the depth of three feet was. found 
a skeleton stretched at full length on the back, from east to west, 
the face turned toward the north-west, the arms extended close to 
the body. Around the neck were nineteen spherical, opaque, 
milky-white, Venetian beads, each about an inch in diameter. 
These glass beads are similar to some found in Northumberland 
county and other portions of the State, and had undoubtedly been 
supplied to the Indians by the early settlers. This grave was 
filled with the prevailing red clay of the surrounding country and 
was exceedingly stony and loosely packed. The skeleton rested 
on a rude floor of rock. 
In the second grave another skeleton was unearthed, at the 
depth of three and a half feet, having the same orientation as 
1 Ib., p. 208. 
3 Watson’s Annals of Philadelphia, Vol. 11, p. 160. 
voL. XHI..—NO, V, 21 
