Quarantine Routine

As the anticipated spring break arrived, along came bad news. Finally a break from school work to go home to Maryland and see my dog, family, and friends turned out different than expected.

Leaving Charleston, I was excited to see my family but anxious about the probability of returning to school. I didn't want to leave. A lot of my friend's colleges were being shut down, but Charleston hadn't made the announcement yet, so I thought maybe there was a chance we wouldn't be effected.

I was wrong. My flight home was on March 13, little did I know I would be returning just one week later on March 20 so pack up my freshman year and say goodbye to an empty dorm. Although I was sad that my year was cut short, I was very thankful for how well this year actually went for me.

Although I always get car sick, I was looking forward to the nine hour drive home actually. I dropped some things I would need for next semester at my God parent's house in Mount Pleasant for two reasons. One being so I didn't have to carry these things back and forth moving in and out of Charleston. Two being, to make room for an extra passenger on the way home.

Dakota (left), Falco (right)

Falco on his way to his new home :)

We made a stop in Spindale, North Carolina at Rutherford Pet Supply and picked up Falco, previously named Theo. My dad has been searching for a dog like Dakota, a catahoula, and came across Falco before we even knew I had to move out. I was so happy it all lined up and I had something to look forward to during the sad time of moving out.

I haven't seen any of my friends or really even left my house since quarantine started. My parents have worked from home mostly, and both of my brothers have online school as well. I try to look for positives during this time like the fact I've enjoyed many home cooked meals since being home, slept in my own bed that isn't in a dorm. Most of all, I've missed my dog when I was in school so I'm happy to be home and surrounded by two dogs now!

Online school has come with a lot of work, but I can't fully complain about not having to wake up before 9 AM as I did in Charleston due to 9AM classes everyday.

Famous Commodore John Cassin

Commodore John Cassin is listed as a famous memorial on the website Find A Grave. I selected Commodore John Cassin to write about because I was curious to find out what made Cassin stand out among the hundreds of burials in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church   and to discover what made Cassin famous.

In memory of John and his wife Ann
Willcox Cassin. (FindAGrave.com)

Cassin's box tomb grave marker (FindAGrave.com)

 
John Cassin was a Commodore in the United States Navy, which means he was of high rank and played an important role in the Navy. Find A Grave reveals how Cassin fought in the Revolution as early as 1777, and fought in well known battles like the Battle of Trenton.

Cassin survived two shipwrecks after becoming a First Mate as a Pennsylvania Privateer on the "Mayflower" on June 27, 1782 and later a merchant seaman. Commodore Cassin was also very close friends with former President George Washington through the Revolution. Washington even gifted Cassin an oil portrait of himself as a token of friendship. However, that portrait was destroyed in a fire.

Before John Cassin was a Commodore, he worked up the ranks of the military from Lieutenant in November of 1799, then Master Commandant in April of 1806, followed by Captain in July of 1812 which was the highest rank in the U.S. Military. During the war of 1812 through 1815, he was the Commanding Officer of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard from August of 1812 through June of 1821. In 1821, Cassin was chosen as Commanding Officer of the Southern Naval station in Charleston, South Carolina.

This shift in positions lead Commodore John Cassin, born in Philadelphia on July 7, 1760, to live the rest of his life in Charleston. Cassin lived in Charleston from his arrival on June 1, 1821 until his death on March 24, 1822 at age 61.

Commodore John Cassin Military Portrait
(FindAGrave.com).

John Mood is a Great Dude

Reverend John Mood has not gotten the recognition he deserves for his life in Charleston from 1792 through 1864 and here is why that should change. Mood worked from 1805 to 1861 as a Methodist Minister, partner and silversmith alongside his father in Charleston, South Carolina. His burial site is Bethel United Methodist Church Cemetery.

John Mood (Geni.com)

Mood's ledger stone (FindAGrave.com)

John Mood is the father of 9 Children and the husband of Catherine Amelia Mood, who he married on May 23, 1815 in Charleston. Mood joined the Methodist church as a young man in the first city to "establish a Sabbath school for the negro" (Find a Grave), Charleston.

Neck Stock Buckle (Mesda.org)

Creations from the Mood family's silversmith line can be found in the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This piece is made out of silver and gold and was made in between 1785 (by Peter Mood Sr.) and 1810. A neck stock buckle was used in the eighteenth century as an important piece of male jewelry to hold a cravat in place.

Peter Mood Sr. lived from 1766 until 1821 and came from a long line of German silversmiths. Peter's father, John Peter Mood, lived in Philadelphia in 1750 and died during the Revolutionary War. After his father's passing, Peter Mood Sr. relocated to Charleston, South Carolina around 1785 to set up his silversmith shop on the famous King Street and joined the German Friendly Society. 

Mood family stamp (Mesda.org)

When his son, Reverend John Mood joined his company, the store name changed to "Mood & Son". Later called "Mood & Sons" as John's younger brothers were born and joined the firm as well.  

Gravy Boat (atlantasilver.com)

This American Coin Silver gravy boat was made by John Mood around 1816 to 1864. This gravy boat is still in very nice condition and is clearly sought after on Atlanta Silver's website.

John Mood's mark (green-wood.com)

 In 1835, John and his brother, Peter Mood Jr., worked together under contract to make all of the slave badges in Charleston. Slave badges were unique to Charleston and slaves had to carry these copper or tin badges at all times, threatening jail time without this badge. 

Slave badge by Mood Brothers (green-wood.com)

The Mood family business was looted and Peter Mood Jr. left John behind and moved north to New York City, which made John Mood start his own silversmith business from scratch. 

John converted to Methodism, became a minister and violated the strict southern laws when he taught young black methodist ministers to read and write. in 1832, he even established his own Sunday school dedicated to black children and did the whole thing himself. John worked hard to free other slaves despite threats and his family members were also engaged in anti-slavery behavior. 

John Mood is an important figure who used his platform and background of being known in South Carolina to fight for equal rights and educate people himself. He deserves a spot on the famous/prominent list on Bethel burials because he put himself at risk against the majority to fight for what was right.

The Life of Cubby Carl

My grandfather on my mother's side, Carl Whiteside, lived an eventful life. I choose to write my blog post on his life because he was involved in many important investigations such as the case of JonBenet Ramsey's murder.

Throughout my research, I consulted my mother, grandmother, and my aunt on my dad's side of the family. I also utilized Family Search, news articles, and his obituary on the Baltimore Sun. 

In our family, we refer to Carl Whiteside as "Cubby Carl". He got this name because my oldest brother couldn't pronounce "Cowboy Carl" as a toddler, so Cubby Carl stuck.

"Cubby" Carl W. Whiteside was born on February 11, 1942 in Catonsville, Maryland. He graduated from Catonsville High School, then went on to serve four years with the United States Coast Guard in Cape May, New Jersey. 

He moved back to Maryland after his service and began his police career through the Maryland State Police then relocated again to Aurora, Colorado in the 1960's. Once retired, Carl moved once more to Bradenton, Florida and lived there from 1999 until his passing in November of 2011. He fought lung cancer for two years before his death.

Carl Whiteside held the title of the former Director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. He took his job seriously and his career was an important part in his life and his character. After joining the CBI in 1970, he moved up the ranks until he became director in 1987. According to his co-worker, former Denver prosecutor and retired District Judge Dick Spriggs, Carl was the "best criminal investigator [he] ever saw". 

My grandfather is buried in the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia with full military honors. This military cemetery is the burial site of many notable people such as astronauts, Medal of Honor recipients, families of Presidents, Presidents, Revolutionary War veterans, etc. "Several members of the Kennedy family are also buried here, as are George Washington's step-grandson, George Washington Parke Custis, and Abraham Lincoln's son, Robert Todd Lincoln," according to the cemetery's website.

My aunt remembers Cubby Carl fondly and tells the story of Carl misremembering my aunt's name, Joan, and calling her Joyce whenever he called. "I could listen to him talk forever because he always had the best stories. Especially his stories about the CBI, I always thought he was so interesting. I was only around him a couple times, but he was always a clean and particular person," says aunt Joan.

Solving the Jackson Mystery

Steps away from our "Charleston Beyond the Grave" classroom, the headstone of Elizabeth Jackson can be found. This marker indicates that the mother of the seventh President of the United States, Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson, is buried around it...

 However, according to a 2011 The Post and Courier column, "Today, just off Cougar Mall in the heart of the College of Charleston’s campus, a granite marker stands and notes that Mrs. Jackson is buried 'near this spot'. But she most probably is not. This marker was moved there in 1967 by well-intended folks who wanted to rescue it from its original location about 2 1/2 miles uptown."

Elizabeth's headstone was moved to this specific spot in the Cougar Mall because a letter from  James H. Witherspoon in 1825 from Lancaster told her son, Andrew Jackson, that his mother was buried in "the suburbs of Charleston about one mile from what was then called the Governor’s Gate, which is in and about the forks of Meeting and Kingstreet Roads" (The Post and Courier).

Not much is known about Elizabeth besides the fact she passed away in the fall of 1781. Elizabeth fell victim to small pox or cholera herself after taking care of Revolutionary War soldiers that were also sick with small pox.

In regard to my research, Elizabeth's place of rest is still unknown yet there are multiple monuments honoring her including this gravestone in Cougar Mall, a monument in Old Waxhaw Cemetery, and more.

It is disheartening that Andrew Jackson spent so much time and effort for the lost cause of finding his mother's burial spot.

Symbol Scavenger Hunt

This week our class visited the Bethel United Methodist Church graveyard and looked for ten different symbols on grave markers to later research and discover their meanings. The Bethel Methodist Church is distinguished as a National Historic Landmark and has been in established in Charleston for almost 220 years! On my scavenger hunt, this is what I found:

This is the headstone of Elizabeth Moore. The symbol
on the grave is an Angel lighting a candle which
represents protection on the journey to Heaven and a
life ended too soon. From the writing on the grave
I've determined Elizabeth was in good health when
she died at age 65 unexpectedly. 

This is the headstone of Catharine Frances who died
of Yellow Fever at age 3 years old. The leaves represent innocence of the child and the broken rose bud explains the death of a girl before blossoming into adulthood.  

Ancestor Introduction Proposal

I have chosen my late grandfather, Carl Whiteside, as my ancestor of choice for my personal ancestor research and writing project. He is my grandfather on my mom's side. Although, Whiteside's life was ended early by lung cancer at age 69, he lived a notable life and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia with full military honors.