This is the story about a promise that has been kept for over 200 years.
In Manhatten’s Riverside Park stands the “Monument to the Fallen Soldiers of the Civil War,” attracting numerous visitors each year who come to pay their respects. The tomb of Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States and the commanding general of the Union Army during the Civil War, is located in the northern part of the park. The tomb is grand, majestic, and solemnly simple. Behind the tomb is a vast green lawn extending to the park’s edge, ending at a cliff.
A child’s grave by the cliff
Near the cliff, behind General Grant’s tomb, lies another grave — a child’s grave. This small, unassuming grave could easily be overlooked in any other setting. Like most American graves, it has only a small headstone. However, the headstone and an adjacent wooden plaque tell a profoundly moving story.
A tragic accident in 1797
The story dates back over 200 years to 1797. That year, the young son of the owner of this land, St. Clair Pollock, just five years old, tragically fell from the cliff and died. Heartbroken, his father buried him there and built a small grave as a memorial. Years later, the family fell on hard times and had to sell the land. Out of love for his son, the father made an unusual request to the new owner: He asked that the child’s grave be preserved as part of the land and never be destroyed. The new owner agreed and included this condition in the deed. Thus, the child’s grave was preserved.
A promise kept through the years
Time flowed like water, and a hundred years passed. The land changed hands countless times, with numerous owners, but the child’s grave remained intact. Each new deed honored the original agreement. In 1897, this prime piece of land was chosen for General Grant’s tomb. The government became the land’s owner. There was a proposal to relocate the unmarked child’s grave to make more space for General Grant’s tomb, but public opinion strongly opposed it.
The city government quickly abandoned the idea, and the child’s grave was preserved intact, becoming the neighbor to General Grant’s tomb. This juxtaposition of a great historical figure’s tomb and an unnamed child’s grave is perhaps a unique spectacle. It is the only private grave on New York City government land. St. Clair Pollock’s grave has inspired many poets and writers, symbolizing the tenderness behind New York City’s harsh exterior.
Although no one would have been held accountable if the original promise had not been kept, the sellers and buyers of this land (including private owners and the government) have honored this promise for over 200 years. It is a testament to the goodness in human nature that the child’s grave has remained undisturbed.
A touching tribute in 1997
Another hundred years later, in 1997, to commemorate General Grant, then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani visited the site. Coincidentally, it was the 100th anniversary of General Grant’s tomb and the 200th anniversary of St. Clair Pollock’s death. Mayor Giuliani personally wrote this touching story and had it inscribed on a wooden plaque next to the unnamed child’s grave, ensuring that this story of integrity would be passed down through generations.
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