Charlestonian Cheves

Over the years, South Carolina has birthed several well-known individuals.  These individuals range from TV personalities, to inventors, to political legends.  Perhaps, the most well-known political powerhouse that comes from South Carolina is Andrew Jackson, 7^th president of the United States[i].  John C. Calhoun is also another name that hails from South Carolina that some historians may call a political architect.  More importantly, a lesser known, named political goliath in South Carolina is Langdon Cheves. Cheves made significant impacts on the political history of South Carolina, and he is buried right here, in Charleston.

Langdon Cheves

Just after the United States declared their independence in July of 1776, Langdon Cheves was born in September of that same year in Abbeville at the Bull Town fort[ii].  After growing up in a newly founded country, Langdon quickly became a self-made attorney not just because of a private school education, but because of his intellect.  Miles Richards, on behalf of the South Carolina Encyclopedia, attributes Cheves success to hours of self-teaching.  This veracity allowed Cheves to establish his own, successful law firm.  After passing the bar in 1797, Langdon married his wife, Mary Elizabeth Dulles in 1806.

Being named the “Political Jesuit,” Cheves rose through the ranks of the Jeffersonian party to be elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1802-1809[iii].  From that moment, Langdon’s career became successful through his rise to political power.  In 1809, he was appointed at the State Attorney General in South Carolina.  Cheves then achieved an effective and powerful period in the United States House of Representatives in 1810.  During the War of 1812, Langdon was appointed to the Naval Affairs Committee which earned him a place in the passionate group known as “ The War Hawks[iv],” along with other extreme, right-winged members of Congress, including John C. Calhoun, that wanted to go to war with Britain[v].

With his prosperous reputation in Congress, Cheves was elected in 1814 as Speaker of the House, the most powerful position in the House.  This was just 4 years after being elected to congress.  The archives from the House of Representatives, paints Cheves as a powerful leader in the House that brought about an offer from President James Madison to serve as the Secretary of the Treasury position in the President’s cabinet.  After declining the offer, Cheves retired from Congress, which lead to the appointment of the president of the Second National Bank.  His goal was to restore financial order to the bank.  From 1819-1822, Langdon reformed the Bank’s declining monetary funds by approving less loans, implicating higher interest rates, and reducing the bank’s notes that were in circulation[vi].

Once the war of 1812 ended in 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed between the two fighting nations.  Editors at the History channel outlined that this treaty contained plans to return conquered territory and commission boundaries.  Since international war claims were unsettled, Cheves was appointed by President Monroe as the Commissioner of War claims until all outstanding international claims were adjusted.  Once Langdon completed his task set by President Monroe, he returned to Charleston as a “silent political power broker[vii].”  With a wide array of support, Cheves rallied the South with support of succession from the Union.  In 1850, he was a delegate to the convention in Nashville to support the possession of slaves in the lead up before the Civil War. 

During the last few years of his life, he remained an established attorney, and ran a plush plantation of rice in both South Carolina and Georgia.  For causes unknown, he died in Columbia South Carolina in June of 1857, and he is now buried in Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston[viii]. Langdon Cheves grave is an Obelisk. A lot can be learned from a highly successful man such as Langdon Cheves.  His tenacity and vigor allowed him to rise to political power and achieve the highest respects from politicians and colleagues.  Regardless of how one would view his beliefs, Charleston, South Carolina now has a political legend buried here.  Just by taking a few moments to visit the gravesite and witnessing the burial grounds, people far and wide can truly appreciate much of what Charleston has to offer in regards to political legends.

               

Langdon Cheves Obelisk

      

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[i] The White House. (n.d.). Andrew Jackson. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/andrew-jackson/

[ii] Richards, M. (2016, April 15). Cheves, Langdon. Retrieved from http://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/cheves-langdon/

[iii] Schulman, M. (n.d.). Cheves, Langdon biography. Retrieved from https://www.historycentral.com/Bio/nn/Cheves.html

[iv] Richards, M. (2016, April 15). Cheves, Langdon. Retrieved from http://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/cheves-langdon/

[v] Indiana University Library. (2012). War Hawks. Retrieved from https://collections.libraries.indiana.edu/warof1812/exhibits/show/warof1812/before/war-hawks

[vi] Richards, M. (2016, April 15). Cheves, Langdon. Retrieved from http://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/cheves-langdon/

[vii] Office of the Historian. (n.d.). CHEVES, Langdon. Retrieved from https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/10892

[viii] Huff, A. (2004). Biographical Information on Cheves. Retrieved from http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=c000350

Endearing Epitaphs

Epitaphs are very important to graves, they convey a beautiful meaning from a family to a loved one. Epitaphs are "a phrase or form of words written in memory of a person who has died, especially as an inscription on a tombstone". Many graves only have when a person was born and when they died, but adding an epitaph can show love towards the deceased loved one. 

I came across many graves that had epitaphs on them, but only a couple of them stood out. The first epitaph I came across says, "After Life's Fitful Fever Comes Rest". This quote comes from Shakespeare's "Macbeth". It means, "he experiences life, rather, as a "fitful fever," that is, a fever that comes in fits, the heat of ambition alternating with deadly cold, turbulence broken by only transient calms". This quote is very unique. This die on socket grave can be found in Magnolia Cemetery. WM. Aiken Williams lays at rest here, he died June 1907.

Die on Socket

The second epitaph I came across says, "To Live In Hearts We Leave Behind Is Not To Die". This quote originates from poet Thomas Campbell, "the hearts we leave behind, are the /friends/people who knew us before we died, is not to die, means that if we are remembered by people we have not died and been forgotten". This epitaph is written on a ledger, where Alexander Kinloch McDowell and Annie Bissell McDowell rest. Alexander McDowell died on September 20th, 1940. Annie McDowell died on March 3rd, 1956. 

Ledger

The third epitaph I came across says, "A Brighter Home Than Ours, In Heaven, Is Now Thine Home". This quote comes from a book called the "The Grizzly Bear". It is very hard to find the meaning of this quote, but I believe it means that the person who passed is going to a be in a happier, better place. This grave can be found in Bethel United Methodist Church cemetery. The grave is a die on socket, the person who rests here is Rosa Mary who died November 2nd, 1881.

Die on Socket

The fourth epitaph says, "I Have Learned The Song They Sing. Whom Jesus Hath Set Free, And The Jasper Walls Of Heaven Ring. With My Newborn Melody". This quote comes from Pilgrim Hymns, the quote is broken up through the hymn which makes it hard to find the meaning. It is very hard to find information on this quote, but I believe it means the deceased person is being set free from this cruel world, as the angels sing and the Lord opens the gates of heaven to greet her. This is a very beautiful quote. This grave can be found at Bethel United Methodist Cemetery. This grave is a die, base and cap. The woman that lays at rest here is Rebecca Jane who died November 21st, 1875.

Die, Base and Cap

The fifth epitaph says, "Forever With The Lord". This quote comes from the Bible (1 Thess. 4:17). It means to spend eternal life in heaven with God. This grave can be found in Bethel Methodist Church Cemetery. It is a die on socket where Olin B. Davis is buried. He died in December 1866.

Die on Socket

The sixth epitaph says, "As The Bird To Its Sheltering Nest, When The Storm On The Hills Is Abroad, So Her Spirit Hath Flown From This World of Unrest to repose on the bosom of God". This quote is by William H. Burleigh. It means she has left this world to reclaim her place in heaven with God. This grave is from Bethel United Methodist Cemetery. This is a fallen over headstone, the person who lays at rest here is Elizabeth Moore, who died October 26, 1861.

Headstone

The seventh epitaph says, "Eternal Rest Grant Onto Him, O Lord". This quote comes from the "All Souls Day" prayer. It means give this person peace in heaven. This grave can be found at Magnolia Cemetery. It is a die on socket. The person laying at rest here is John Adams, who died February 12th, 1905.

Die on Socket

The eight epitaph says, "How Is The Strong Staff Broken And The Beautiful Rod". This quote comes from the Bible (Jeremiah 48:17), this quote is here to remind us that God is Sovereignty, God will take care of us. This grave comes from Magnolia Cemetery. It is a box tomb, where Charles H. Simonton lays at rest. He died in 1902.

Box Tomb

The ninth epitaph says, "Asleep In Jesus: Peaceful Rest Whos Waking Is Supremely Blessed". This quote comes from a Lutheran Hymel by Margret Mackay. The person who past is resting peacefully and when they awake in heaven they will be blessed by the Lord. This grave can be found at Magnolia Cemetery. This is a pedestal grave, where Elizabeth Jones Buist lays at rest. She died on November 23rd, 1875.

Pedastal Grave

The final epitaph says, "Faithful Unto Death". This quote comes from the Bible (Revelation 2:10), it means this person believed in the Lord all throughout life. 
This person definitely has a special place in Heaven. This grave can be found in Magnolia Cemetery. 
It is also a pedestal grave, where Stephan Thomas lays at rest. He died on January 2nd, 1894.

Pedastal Grave

While writing this post, I have learned the importance of epitaphs. People can put a lot of meaning into a little quote. These are very important to graves because it can tell a lot about a person. This helped open my eyes to how special epitaphs can be.

Magnificent Magnolia

From its beautiful landscape to its incredible graves, Magnolia Cemetery is one of a kind. As we entered the gate into Magnolia Cemetery, my first impression was, "WOW, how can a cemetery be so beautiful"? You think of cemeteries as being dull and sad, but no, Magnolia Cemetry tells a different story.

Magnolia Cemetery Entrance Sign

Magnolia Cemetery has lush grasses, flowers, and trees, as well as, a beautiful lagoon. The cemetery also has paths and a bridge to help navigate people through the cemetery. These features are what make Magnolia Cemetery so unique. I've never seen another cemetery quite like Magnolias. Every other cemetery I've visited has headstones and maybe one or two unique monuments, but Magnolia Cemetery flourishes with them!

While walking through this beautiful cemetery, I came across many unique graves. Three of these graves caught my eye. The first grave I came across was a very unique Sarcapogous. The Sarcapogous is surrounded by columns, almost what looks to be a fortress. The Sarcophagus has many symbols on it and an urn on top of it. This makes this grave very unique. Sarah Calhoun Simond was buried here, she was born on January 19th, 1839 and died February 9th, 1908. 

Sarcophagus

The second grave I came across is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. It is the Lipinski Mausoleum. It has a beautiful garden in front of it, as well as a walkway to the doors. This is unique because in the Lipinski family there is an Olympian. Tara Lipinski was an Olympic ice skater that won the Olympics in 1998. This Mausoleum has stain glass windows, the windows actually have the Olympic rings depicted in them. 

Lipinski Masouleum

Lipinski Stain Glass Windows

The third grave I came across was amazing, it has two women on the first half of the grave and on the second half, there is an angel holding what looks to be a cross. This grave also has a pathway leading up to it and many different grave symbols. This grave would be considered a masterpiece because there is so much to it. Jacob Birt and his wife Ann Elizabeth rest here, Jacob Birt died December 12th, 1876 and his wife died May 18th, 1898. 

Birt Masterpiece

My final thoughts about this cemetery are that its absolutely breathtaking. No other cemetery can compare to this one. The overall layout of landscape and graves is one you will never see unless you visit Magnolia Cemetery. Magnolia Cemetery is one trip I will never forget!

Class Picture

 

The Amazing Edna May Chambers

My narrative is about my great, great grandmother Edna Mae Golla Chambers.  Much of the information written here was told to me by my great grandmother, Joyce Louise McMillan who is now 88 years of age.

Edna Mae was born in Etna, Pennsylvania and grew up around the major steel mills. At the time she remembered driving by car and watching the bright red fires and miners working within the glass wall.

Edna May Chambers

She was born an only child to Steven and Lillian Golla.  Her mother was a homemaker and her father, Steve entered the military of West Point in upper New York.  Sadly, he had to leave West Point due to a congenital heart condition.  She never left his side until his early death at 65 years old.

During this time, Edna met a very handsome man named Rex Chambers, who later became her husband.  She became pregnant at the age of sixteen and was forced to leave high school to care for Edward, her son.

Edna, Rex and her mother Lillian moved to Beaver, Pennsylvania.  

Edna’s love of passenger trains allowed her to visit downtown Pittsburgh, weekly to shop.
She liked to visit her tea house to have her fortune told by tea leaves.  She could be seen wearing a small live chameleon on her suit.  Wearing a chameleon was a fashion statement in those days.  Every Mother’s Day, Edna wore a white or red carnation.  In those days you wore a red carnation if your mother was alive and a white carnation if your mother was deceased.

Even though Edna had a short amount of education, she never stopped learning.  She played the ukelele and would always sing along with the music.  Her favorite song was Frankie and Johnny.  She also loved to play bridge and was a great card player.  She loved to play pranks and tell jokes to her bridge friends and family.

Edna’s husband Rex was an avid hunter.  She became extremely interested and fascinated with guns and learned as much as she could about them.  Edna joined the NRA (National Rifle Association) in her twenties and she became a valuable sharpshooter.  She was proud to bring home some great bull’s eyes on her targets.  Edna could also sew, quilt and knit. 

When Edna’s daughter, Joyce Louise was around five years old, Edna entered her into dance classes. Joyce was extremely talented, so Edna became a proud stage mother. They traveled throughout the region of Pittsburg and was proud to watch and support her talented daughter.  Joyce danced for the USO during WW11.

Joyce was awarded a scholarship to New York City to a dance academy, however, Edna would not agree to Joyce going to New York City.  Edna chose a teaching career for her daughter, Joyce.

There were many guns locked up in the attic along with many trophies that Edna won. Later, these guns would create terrible tragedies for Edna and her husband, Rex, along with the rest of the family.  

Rifle Trophy

Young Edward (Eddie) came home one Sunday morning very disturbed.  Edna asked him why he was so very upset, but he would not respond to her questions.  He proceeded to walk upstairs to the attic where seconds later, Eddie put a bullet to his heart.  He was dead on arrival to the hospital. Edna later found a note that read, “Forgive me” “Love, Eddie”.

Life was never the same for Edna.  With her insurance money from Eddie’s death, Edna purchased a record player and played music all day long to drown out her sorrow of Eddie.

Soon later, Edna became pregnant and decided to have an abortion that was not legal in those days. 

Edna’s life continued to spiral and be a continuous disaster.  She was told by her husband, 
Rex that he had a mistress.  Rex (my great grandfather) was a big deal in Gulf Oil Corporation and lived through the week in Texas and would fly home to Pittsburg on the weekend. He also informed her that he had two children with his mistress and a third baby was on the way.  The mistress did not want this third baby, so my grandfather asked Edna to raise the mistress’ baby.  She pretended to carry a baby for several months so that nobody would be suspicious of where the baby came from. Edna received Steven at two weeks of age and raised him as her own until he was twelve and a tragedy would then strike.

Steven

Let’s talk about her dedication to WW11.  Edna spent endless hours knitting sweaters for the military.  Because of her skills in sharp shooting, Edna was asked to teach rifle shooting to the US Marines at Camp Quantico and Camp Lejeune.  Many newspaper pictures are hidden away about this topic; however, we do not know where.  Edna became an accomplished writer and was known for her articles as the rifle and pistol editor in the Pittsburg Sun-Telegraph (Hearst Newspaper).  She began traveling to various rifle competitions and won the state championship for the State of Pennsylvania.

Edna tragically shot herself in the heart and left a note for her son, Steven telling him she was sleeping. She also left a handwritten note that only her husband would read and destroy.

Edna’s funeral was filled with much emotion.  The funeral was full of sadness, but at the same time, family members felt a bit of comfort knowing she was finally at peace.  She was suffering from cirrhosis of the liver due to her excessive habit of drinking alcohol.

Edna was buried in Beaver Cemetery alongside her beloved Eddie and her husband, Rex.

The headstones are small, but large enough.  There also is a large stone with the name Eachael (Edna’s family) on one side and Chambers on the other side. 

  

On my great grandmother’s wall (Joyce Louise) she has a picture of Edna along with her glasses.

Joyce claims that Edna visits her from time to time. Ironically, Edna had just visited Joyce two days before I asked my grandmother to talk to me about Edna.  Grandma Joyce felt that Edna had visited her in the nursing home to give her blessing on helping me with the facts for this paper.  My grandmother Joyce felt the message from great-great
grandmother, “Keep looking at my picture on your wall!” 

This period was also around the time the stock market fell and many lost millions of dollars.  This period was called the “Great Depression.”

Edna’s tombstone reads:

    Edna Golla Chambers

    Born 1910

    Died 1951

The grave sits high on a hill surrounded by trees and grass.  The epitaph to this is also a picture as a child of ten years old wearing her glasses.  Edna’s glasses are now displayed at my great grandmother Joyce’s room in a nursing home.  

Edna has visited many of us on occasion according to my great grandmother, Joyce.

Ednas Footstone

Rest in peace, Edna Mae Chambers.

Symbol Hunt at Bethel United Methodist

Monday.. 6:00pm, my class ventured out to another spooky graveyard at Bethel United Methodist Church. Our mission was to collect 10 pictures of grave symbols and find the meaning to them. So that's exactly what I did. 

Bethel Methodist Church

When we first got to the church we met a woman name Camille Wish. We learned a lot about Bethel United Methodist from this amazing women. She also explained the rich history of the church and all the renovating that had to do because of some problems they had in the past. All these problems are now fixed and the church stands tall and beautiful.

Camille Wish and Professor Harwood

Mrs. Wish decided to take us over and show us the old church. It is a very old and beautiful church with a lot of history to it. The Old Bethel Methodist Church was moved in 1852 to where the new Bethel United Methodist Church is located. The Old Bethel Methodist Chruch was then used for Sunday school until African Americans acquired it in 1882. 

Old Bethel Methodist Church

As we were walking back from the Old Bethel Methodist Church, we stopped in the parking lot of the "new" Bethel United Methodist Church and listen to Camille Wish talk again. Mrs. Wish said, "We are standing on top of a graveyard right now.". This frightened me because I knew that moment that I'm probably standing on graveyards all the time, I just don't know it because they are paved or built over top of.

Now let's get into the meanings of symbols on gravestones. This is very important if someone is trying to read a grave. A symbol can tell a lot about the person who was buried there. The first gravestone I came across was a die, base, and cap. Rebecca Jane is buried there and died on November 21st, 1875. The symbol on her grave is a flying angel, which symbolizes rebirth and spirituality.

Angel Symbol

 The second gravestone is a die on socket, where C.D. Bateman resides. He died on September 22nd, 1889. The symbol on his grave is a bouquet of flowers, which symbolizes grief and condolences.

Bouquet of Flowers Symbol

The third gravestone is a die on socket, where Rosa Mary resides. She died on November 2nd, 1881. She has two symbols on her grave, flowers and a drape. The flowers symbolize frailty of life and the drapes symbolize an expression of mourning to linger long after the body has been taken out the front door and the accouterments have been stowed away for the next death.

Drape and Flowers Symbol

The fourth gravestone is a die on base, where Charles H. Muckenfuss resides. He died on June 3rd, 1914. The symbol on his grave is a cross in a crown, which symbolizes Sovereignty of the Lord.

Cross in Crown Symbol

The fifth gravestone is a die on socket, where Olin B. Davis resides. He died in December of 1866. The symbol of his grave is a partially bloomed rose, which usually symbolizes a teenager. I could not read out the date he was born so I could not tell if he was a teenager.

Partially Bloomed Rose Symbol

The sixth gravestone is a headstone, where Charles C. Seyle resides. He died on February 10th, 1880. This gravestone seems to depict a cross that is ascending to heaven with ivy wrapped around it. The cross symbolizes salvation and the ivy symbolizes friendship, affection, faithfulness, strength, and immortality.

Add caption

The seventh gravestone is a headstone, where Elizabeth M. resides. She died on October 26th, 1861. The symbol on her gravestone is a flying angel, which symbolizes rebirth and spirituality. There is also an urn in this symbol, which symbolizes immortality.

Flying Angel Symbol with Urn

The eighth gravestone is a footstone, where Francis W Capers resides. He died on January 12th, 1892. The gravestone has a symbol of a circled cross, which symbolizes eternity and neverending existence. 

Circled Cross Symbol

The ninth gravestone is a headstone, where James F.M. Lobe resides. He died on February 16th, 1862. The symbol on his gravestone is a weeping willow, which symbolizes sorrow and mourning.

Weeping Willow Symbol

Finally, the tenth gravestone is a headstone, where Elizabeth M. Ainger resides. She died on October 6th, 1872. The gravestone has a symbol of a dove, which symbolizes the holy spirit. The dove also looks like it is carrying an olive branch, which symbolizes peace.

Dover Symbol

Overall this was a fun and exciting experience. It was interesting to listen to what Camille Wish had to say about Bethel United Methodist Church along with the graveyard. It was also fun to learn more about the meanings of symbols on gravestones. This is an adventure I'll never forget!

How Ruth Miller Came to be...

Ruth Miller is a woman of many traits. She came to talk to our class Monday evening and we learned so many amazing things about the history of Charleston and herself. She is a local tour guide in Charleston, an author, an instructor, and so many more things. Ruth Miller quotes, "Consult for all things Charleston and the Lowcountry", which she does!

Ruth Miller came in and talked about the history of Charleston. She talked about herself for a little but jumped right into the history of Charleston. She talked about how Charleston came to be and the people who controlled it. She also talked a lot about religious freedom and the types of religions. It was a lot of information to take in an hour, but she did a fantastic job explaining it.

Ruth Miller got her start as a tour guide in Charleston in 1979, which she continued for 40 years. She was never really interested in touring the graveyards until a group of Morticians came along for a tour. She said, "Morticians are what got me so interested in graveyards." They explained the graveyards to her and she immediately fell in love. She also became interested in graveyards because of the amazing 18th-century cemeteries architecture. She said, "There's so much architecture and wonderful cravings."

The amazing Ruth Miller

Ruth has also authored many books. She is an author and illustrator of "Charleston Charlie - A Family Activity Book for Kids of All Ages", Co-author of "A Witness to History: Charleston's Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon", Co-author of "The Angel Oak Story", and Co-author of "Touring the Tombstones". "Touring the Tombstones" is a series of books, not just one. (http://www.lowcountryinc.com/)

Ruth Miller is an incredible woman with many different jobs. She works hard at every single one she takes on. She taught me many new things about Charleston history on that Monday evening. She is an inspiration to all of us.