A couple of years ago a gentlemean sent me two large color photographs. The first was a picture of the stump of the witness tree located at Donegal Springs Church, East Donegal Township, Lancaster Co., Pa and second was a copy of the historical marker with the following inscription. "Beneath this witness tree a new born patriotism found notable expression On a Sunday morning in September 1777 an express rider came to tell the congregation of DONEGAL CHURCH that the British army under Lord Howe had left New York to invade Pennsylvania. This news demanded from them all a new attitude toward the facts which challanged them to show proof of their patriotism. Their pastor the REV.COLIN McFARQUHAR had been accustomed to offer prayers for the King of England. Pastor and congregation gathered under this historic tree, and together joined hands, and under its shade pledged their loyalty to the cause of liberty and the founding of a new nation in this western land. The Rev. Colin McFarquhar was a graduate of Edi nburgh University, Scotland. A scholar of the highest attainments and finest Christian character, he came from Garelock, Dumbarton county, Scotland near the Firth of Clyde, and on May 22nd, 1776, was received into the Presbytery of Donegal. For ten years he was separated from his family who were detained in Scotland until after freedom was declared, when they rejoined him in Donegal. His pastorate in this church lasted for thirty years until 1806, when upon the death of his wife, he resigned his charge. He died in 1822 at his daughters home in Hagerstown, Md. and his remains were brought here where they lie in God's acre nearby." Among the names of the families who were members of Donegal church about that time were the following: "Acker, Agnew, Allison, Anderson, Bayley,Bell, Bynes, Caldwell, Cameron, Cassel, Chamberlain, Clark, Clingan, Cowan, Craig, Curry, Emmock, Evans, Fulton, Galbraith, Hays, Henry, Howard, Hutcheson, Jamison, Johnston, Kelly, Kerr, Keys, Little, Lowery, McClure, McKean, McLlan, McQueen, Mears, Mayes, Mercer, Middleton, Miller, Montgomery, Moore, Muirhead, Patton, Patterson, Pedan, Porter, Robertson, Scott, Spears, Sterrett, Stevenson, Templeton, Thompson, Vance, Watson, Whitehall, Wilson, Woods, Work" The stump must have been at one time a most impressive tree. It is huge. Regards, Robert Cowan North Carolina, where it is finally raining!