Excerpt from "The City of Argos: From the Mythical Ages to the Present Time"
Published by The Municipality of Argos for the Body of Commissioners of the County of Los Angeles of the United StatesThe American Philhellene George Jarvis
In the entrance of the Church of St. John Baptist, which was burnt then, is buried the distinguished American Philhellene George Jarvis. Here are some lines from the daily “Aspis” of Argos of the 6th March 1938, serial No 282. In his memoirs Photakos Chryssanthopoulos secretary of Colokotronis, volume II, page 326, writes about him as follows: “I found him severely wounded in August 1828 in the Monastery of St. John Baptist of the village Kastri in Kynouria. He was there for a rest and for healing his wounds. He was enthusiastic about Greece and was taking a part in the heroic struggle, sustaining all the hardships and deprivations, clad in the immortal Greek costume. He became a friend of the old man of Morais (Colokotronis) and induced him to appeal to the President of the U.S.A. Monroe, requesting material aid from America for the rescue of Greece. The President was so moved that he communicated the letters of Colokotronis to Congress. In Congress were then heard the voices of the great philhellene Webster and Henry Crane, supporting their beloved Greece. Foodstuff (ships of biscuits), clothing and other necessities were dispatched to Greece and reached the country at a moment, writes Photakos, when our forefathers were famishing from a great shortage of food. The wounds of the Hero who had come from Argos were not healed. After a while enthusiastic captain-George was dying. All Argos mourned him and deplored the death of the Hero. All the population attended the funeral of the beloved dead who had fought for Greek Independence. General D. Tsokris with his army saluted the dead. The funeral mass performed by the whole clergy in the Church of St. John Baptist and Jarvis was buried in the entrance of the Church.”