Rome Sentinel
August 29, 1902

Utica - A recent publication contains a photograph of a headstone to John Williams, soldier of the revolution, in the old Rudel (Rudd) Cemetery at Delta. One would infer from the article that he was the only revolutionary soldier buried there, but such is not the case. Solomon Williams, his brother, is also buried there and his headstone bears the inscription 'Soldier of the Revolution'. There are also two Feltons, Daniel and Robert, particular friends of Gen. William Floyd, some of the earliest settlers of the upper Mohawk valley. They married sisters named Darling. Robert Felton settled on the south side of the river and built the house now occupied by Nathan Bellinger. Daniel settled just opposite on the north side. The place was long occupied by Nehemiah Muscott and is now owned by H. H. Walsworth. Israel Stevens was a colonel of the Connecticut troops in the revolution. One of the pioneer residents of Elmer Hill, Jonathan Bettis is another.

The above have headstones to mark their graves, although time has wrought sad havoc with them. There are doubtless quite a few soldiers of the revolution buried here with no headstones. One, I know, Hope Smith, the old time tailor of Hartwells corner. His son, Paschal Smith, was the inventor of copal varnish and made an immense fortune from it. Two other sons became comfortably rich, but none of them ever returned to the old cemetery to erect a headstone to their parents. Here are also buried quite a few of the 1812 soldiers, notable among them Dr. H. S. Smith, surgeon of the 157th regiment, which went to Sacket Harbor. He has a good slab which bears the inscription 'Erected by Dr. H. H. Pope'. Dr. Pope studied with Dr. Smith and afterward married his niece, a daughter of Andrew Elmer. He never married but lived with his brother-in-law, Andrew Elmer, whose hotel was known for many miles around in those day.

Nearly opposite the corner where Dr. John P. Hartwell kept a tavern and Hope Smith kept a tailor shop, lived Col. Rozel Fellows, the first settler to push north of Fort Stanwix after the revolution. He was justice of the peace for a number of years. As his age increased so did his avoirupois and at his death he weighed a little over 500 pounds. He fought well the battles of the revolution, yet no mark tells of his resting place, though he had at one time a headstone. Being buried on private property, with no reserve in the deed for the preservation of the plot, strange hands removed the traces and his memory is only perpetuated by history or tradition.

by C. D. Smith