"The Dig": Text Update

 

 

November 24, 2000

Note From Martha

At this point, this project is probably going in several directions - the

fate of the two coffins, the fate of the cemetery itself, and the continued

desire to locate the remains of Gov. Caswell. Probably all are going

to beslow evolving.

 

The biggest concern - the two open graves and the exposure of the coffins.

At the suggestion of the Smithsonian and Colonial Williamsburg, Ted is

trying to raise a little money to backfill with clean sand for the time

being. The Smithsonian will not commit to opening them in the next year

because of prior committments; however, they are giving consideration to

putting them on their calendar. Negotiations are underway. Backfilling with

sand is the easiest way for future access. Once the coffins are opened and

studied, then they will be re-buried within a brick vault as found, filled

with dirt, and the bricks replaced on top.

 

Ted is working with local people on additional clean-up, trying to

locate the cemetery boundaries, and upkeep. Whether we will be able to do

further work in the cemetery trying to find 18th century remains is probably

going to be up to the state. That will take a lot of local pressure.

 

Susan, Clair and others are keeping up the pressure to find the remains of Gov. Caswell.

 

Eventually some serious fund raising is going to have to take place on the local level.

NOVEMBER 14, 2000

 

A NOTE TO MARTHA FROM: Dr. Charles R. Ewen

The coffins do not contain Caswell. The research and consulting that I've been able to do seem

to put the coffins in the mid-19th century. This is corroborated by a piece of transfer-printed

pearlware ceramic (ca. Early 19th c.) in the crypt fill and the fact that cut nails (which date to

the 19th century) were used on the wood lining of the crypts.

 

This has been a great project and my students benefitted tremendously from the experience.

I am disappointed for the sake of the descendants, but pleased with the exposure the project

received for ECU and our program. I am indebted to you and Ted and the many others that

helped make this project a success.

Charlie

 

 

NOVEMBER 14, 2000

A NOTE TO MARTHA FROM: Kari Bruwelheide Smithsonian Institution

 

Martha:

The pictures of the coffins look strikingly similar to a coffin we had analyzed in

our lab several years ago. The coffin we examined was cast iron and of a rounded

hexagonal shape, cast in two pieces, top and bottom.The glass viewing plate was

shaped like a church window and was fitted with a cast iron overplate - similar to

yours. In the case of the coffin examined in our lab, the handles were not only along

the sides of the coffin, but were also placed at the head and foot providing us with a

distinguishing feature suggesting that it was a Crane, Breed and Company model

manufactured after 1865 by the firm Barstow in Providence, Rhode Island. This coffin

was lined and padded, with the skeletal remains resting on a straw-filled mat and pillow.

 

Given you coffin's shape and the presence of a viewing plate, I would have to suggest

that it is a cast iron coffin dating between 1848 and 1870. Lead coffins will be white or

grey in color in addition to likely having a different shape, or model. THe coffin in your

picture appears to be in extremely good condition, which would suggest excellent

preservation of the coffin's contents. I would research your records to see who would be

buried in the cemetery between those dates. I would also suggest that the individual would

be of high status.

 

Kari Bruwelheide

Department of Anthropology

National Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian Institution

Washington, DC

 

November 13, 2000

Email To Susan From: Bill Pittman Curator of Archaeological Collections

 

From:"Hoffman, Susan" <[email protected]>  | Block address

Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 16:41:01 -0500

Subject :[NCLENOIR] RE: Caswell dig

To: [email protected]

 

Here is one of the responses I have had so far. Still waiting to hear from 2

others as well as St. Mary's City. Have forwarded on the web site and pics I

took to see if they can say anything.

Susan,

 

Dating coffins/crypts is very difficult. The problem is that coffins don't

change significantly in style through time. The metal coffin furniture

(handles, hinges, and lid screws) and surface decorations (ornamental tacks

and name plates) from the 18th century are essentially the same as those of

the first half of the 19th century. As I'm certain Dr. Ewen knows, the best

way to date a coffin (or an interment) is by the artifacts found in the

grave shaft: under the coffin, at the level of the coffin, and in the

backfill of the grave shaft. Unfortunately, grave shafts do not always have

very many artifacts in them. The only other way to date a coffin is by the

remains of the individual inside; the style of buttons and other

non-perishable clothing items may suggest a period of interment.

 

Some very interesting work on coffins was done by the Historic Saint Mary's

City Commission in Maryland. Dr. Henry M. Miller, and his staff, excavated

some lead coffins from the Chapel Site in Saint Mary's City, Maryland. The

17th-century coffins contained members of the Calvert Family. Contact Dr.

Miller at (301) 862-0974. You might want to visit the Historic Saint Mary's

City website at: www.smcm.edu/hsmc/ There are pages on the website that

discuss their coffin project in detail.

 

If I can be of further assistance, contact me at ext. 7332. Good Luck!

 

Bill Pittman

Curator of Archaeological Collections

 

From Martha in an Email to: NCLENOIR-L

As to the old Caswell Cemetery. Susan is doing the official text for Old

Dobbers. The hot discussion now is - what is next? It is going to be up to

the community in conjunction with the descendants to finish clearing the

site, try to discover the location of additional graves, the perimeter of

the original cemetery, restore the area to what looks like a cemetery,

raise funds to put a fence around it and keep it up. We don't know how much

further ECU is going to go with this - not far. Tryon Palace will be

contacted to see if they will help put the two graves back. The old bricks

have been removed from the site for safe keeping as they were beginning to

"walk". Susan is trying to get information out of Colonial Williamsburg.

Ted Sampley and others will take the lead on this project locally but it

will probably be turned over to Pride of Kinston for any fund raising

efforts as they are a non-profit. We have a bunch of "hooked" kids - bunch

of them there all day on Sat and they talked their parents into pulling

them out of school for Wed morning. They can tell you all about Caswell and

are telling their teachers about him. As Jackie said, a good history lesson.

 

Martha

 

 November 3, 2000

A note from Charles Ewen to Martha and Ted

Hope you have all recovered from the past weekend's activities. We got a fair amount of good

press from the work and more promised for the finish.

 

At present I am planning to bring the students out next Wednesday (Nov. 8) at 9 AM to finsh the

excavations. I hope to wrap it up by lunch, but we'll stay as long as necessary. let me know if you have any questions.

Charlie

 

November 3, 2000

From Susan Burgess-Hoffman

The graduate and undergraduate students and Dr. Charles Ewen of E.C.U began a most exciting excavation this morning at about 8:45am. Earlier that morning, I had gone to the cemetery site and spent a quiet 30 mins, just sitting on the sidelines talking to my ancestors. I asked them to help us find them, so that we could honor their memories and they obliged rather quickly I thought. 

 

 

First, Roy Dail of Pro-Mark along with a co-worker used his ground penetrating radar device to locate positions of possible crypts or coffins. Little blue flags dotted the area when he was finished, marking the spots indicated by radar to have secrets to tell. The students meanwhile, marked the area with a string grid and started to gather information. Within a half-hour of the crew beginning the dig, a rectangle of bricks with an inside arch of bricks was uncovered just below the surface. We called this one Crypt1.  

 

 

At one end of the brick arch, there was a hole where 5 syringes were found as well as a glass vial a few feet away. It is assumed that drug users were in the area, saw a hole in the ground and used it for trash. (Sad) The students continued by removing the bricks from this top arch. About two feet of dirt was removed and another arch of bricks was discovered, this time there were 2 layers of bricks. Hushing the crowd when one layer of brick was exposed, Dr. Ewen tapped the next brick to discover a hollow sound! A hole was made and Dr. Ewen lowered a measuring stick to discover that at one point he tapped something that was approx. 26" below yet was able to move the stick down to approx. 30" by moving it over a few inches. I think you could have heard a pin drop as he did this and a gasp from the crowd when we saw how deep it was! Dr. Ewen did not say he believed it was a coffin, he is not sure what it is, could be a body, a coffin, another level of bricks? Who knows, but it was truly exciting to feel so close, 

 

 

Just next to this spot, other students spent much time getting a rather stubborn stump out of their way! As soon as the stump was removed they were able to remove enough dirt to find another brick arch, Crypt2. This brick arch was not in as good a shape, many bricks were missing and there did not appear to be an outer layer of bricks like Cyrpt1. It also appeared to be about the same depth as the second layer of brick found on "Crypt1", could explain all the bricks found in the ground in the area. At some point during this excavation a bone fragment was found. Not knowing if it is human or not, it was bagged a labeled for further study at ECU. This arch had a hole in one end and appeared to be deep, but this was towards the end of the dig and they did not explore it further. 

 

 

Towards the late afternoon it became apparent that while it was getting exciting to think we were so close to looking inside the crypts, it was also too late in the day to continue. So, with a little disappointment the students began to clean up the area, Ted Sampley brought his chain saw over and he and other members of the community cut bamboo to lay over the site. They stretched plastic sheets over the site, laid the bamboo on top and used some of the bricks to protect the site. Police, who had been called over earlier in the day, placed crime scene tape along the area and promised to patrol the area as best they can to prevent vandalism. Many members of the community who lived near the site also pledged to keep an eye on the site. 

 

 

At this time we are not sure when the dig will continue, but shall keep everyone posted with new developments. We were sorry that Clair Hadley, another Caswell descendant could not be there, but we all understand and our prayers and congratulations are with her and her family.  

 

 

There were many people who stopped by just to have a look at what was going on, and told their stories of having played in the area as children. Another person told me he had son Richard W. Caswell's walking stick, left to him by a neighbor who knew he collected walking sticks! He has promised to send me a picture. I was glad to see the locals interested, wish a few more had come. Everyone there was excited and show a renewed interest and pride in their own local hero of the Revolutionary War.  

 

 

The descendants of Richard Caswell and local historians and genealogist thank all who have helped, supported and believed in this project. I can not wait for the next installment of ……..In Search of North Carolina's Lost Governor, Richard Caswell. 

 

 

October 25, 2000

From: Martha Mewborn Marble

Pat (whose home overlooks the bamboo thicket), and I had a

great couple of hours today. Charlie brought about half of his

students over to clear the site and they worked for 3 hours.

Very few other people because most people did not know about

it but both the Free Press and N & O had reporters there most

of the morning.

 

They cleared the bamboo around the place that Stephanie indicated

she saw "the hole". There was indeed an old stump but not possible

to tell if it was 45 years old. When the bamboo was removed, it was

raked of such things as poison ivy etc and the stump was removed.

 

They discovered a slab of concrete on top which is consistant with

Stephanie's story about the clinic contractor covering the hole. They

might have dumped all kinds of stuff in it. Once the concrete was

removed, they did a probe and found something and everyone came

running holding our breath.Charlie spent about 15 minutes with a trowel

uncovering it - it was a buried caulking gun. A HUGE disappointment

but gave indications this might be full of debri. The probe hit what

sounded like both metal and something else solid.

 

They did the grids for Sat. and left. The ground radar will be done first

thing Sat. morning and it is possible they will have to clear more of the

area. It was very educational and exciting.

 

Pat works at the rest home and all her clients are keeping up with what is

going on through her and the pictures she took today. So there is some

interest here and we expect a large turnout on Sat. Ted will do more pictures

to send to Patty and the firm who is donating the radar said we could put

what he finds on the web. He showed us an example of what it does and

some of you might be interested in this high tech tool. Ted is trying to get

them to check another possible Caswell cemetery that has no stones close

to Harmony Hall.

 

Kind of the highlights and Pat might can add more.

Pat and Martha

 

From Pat Faulkner:

We had a really great time today. So exciting, so long in coming. I

know I personally have been hoping someone would take some interest for

about 14 years. Martha and I enjoyed these few hours without a lot of

people around. Sort of like a private adventure. The man who will be doing

the radar came and we tried without any luck to give us a preview and when

the kids and Charlie started with the probe, well we were sorry they had to

go back to school. The caulking gun incident was really funny. Am looking

forward to Saturday.. I have printed all the pictures and write ups to take

to work with me in the morning. I guess my enthusiasm for the project has

caused the residents to be equally excited. I do plan to take them over

afterwards to share with them firsthand part of all our history as

Kinstonians, past and present.

Pat

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