Mary's Reputation

[L Verge]

Thanks for the acknowledgement of the Keckly project. She was a very special lady, IMO. We were able to raise $6000 for an impressive bronze marker. And, as a result of the publicity that the Washington Post gave us, the National Park Service contacted me for assistance in getting Mrs. Keckly added to their initiative on Trails to Freedom - recognizing the Underground Railroad as well as those who helped to aid the war's contraband. Our research librarian at Surratt House, Mrs. Sandra Walia, wrote the nomination papers, and we received word this past March that Mrs. Keckly is now part of that initiative. P.S. The photo of Mrs. Keckly that you see above is one that is not usually shown. We received the anonymous assistance in receiving this from someone that Roger recommended.

I also agree that Jennifer's book on the relationship between Mary and Elizabeth should be highly touted. I was somewhat dismayed to see that a new book is coming out on the same subject, but appears to be a mixture of fact with fiction. Why the fiction when Ms. Fleischner handled the facts so well?

And, Mike, thank you for a tremendous posting above. Your points are very well taken. I just wish that some of the authors who went before had included a bit more of Mary's sweeter points along with the sour points. This new Enigma book that you were involved with is certainly living up to what I would like to see written about Mrs. Lincoln - both sides of the story.

Your posting also saved me from posting a new thread. You mention John and Jane Watt and the obvious shenanigans that went on with them and Mary. Does anyone know how deep this graft was?

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(11-25-2012 06:38 PM)L Verge Wrote:  Thanks for the acknowledgement of the Keckly project. She was a very special lady, IMO. We were able to raise $6000 for an impressive bronze marker. And, as a result of the publicity that the Washington Post gave us, the National Park Service contacted me for assistance in getting Mrs. Keckly added to their initiative on Trails to Freedom - recognizing the Underground Railroad as well as those who helped to aid the war's contraband. Our research librarian at Surratt House, Mrs. Sandra Walia, wrote the nomination papers, and we received word this past March that Mrs. Keckly is now part of that initiative. P.S. The photo of Mrs. Keckly that you see above is one that is not usually shown. We received the anonymous assistance in receiving this from someone that Roger recommended.

I also agree that Jennifer's book on the relationship between Mary and Elizabeth should be highly touted. I was somewhat dismayed to see that a new book is coming out on the same subject, but appears to be a mixture of fact with fiction. Why the fiction when Ms. Fleischner handled the facts so well?

And, Mike, thank you for a tremendous posting above. Your points are very well taken. I just wish that some of the authors who went before had included a bit more of Mary's sweeter points along with the sour points. This new Enigma book that you were involved with is certainly living up to what I would like to see written about Mrs. Lincoln - both sides of the story.

Your posting also saved me from posting a new thread. You mention John and Jane Watt and the obvious shenanigans that went on with them and Mary. Does anyone know how deep this graft was?

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I should explain Roger's commendation of Rich Smyth as the Project Originator. Mrs. Keckly had originally been buried in a D.C. cemetery that was abandonned in the mid-1900s and sold to a developer. Thousands of graves were moved by the developer, but not the gravestones. We had a photo of her original stone and only information that she had been re-interred at New Columbian (now National Memorial) Park in Landover, Maryland.

Rich became a member of the Surratt Society about the time he was grave sleuthing. His original efforts to get information from National Memorial Park were fruitless. However, cemetery management changed over the years, and a much more cooperative staff member located all of the paperwork - including the section and lot numbers for locating Mrs. Keckly. Once that happened, the fundraising began with the bulk of it being raised from private donors of the Surratt Society.

That success led us to embark on another project this past year. Christine Christensen of this forum and Utah became interested in Mrs. Surratt's lawyer, Frederick Aiken, when she learned that her favorite actor, James McAvoy was playing him in The Conspirator. There was very little known about Aiken until Christine started digging. About thirty, single-spaced pages later, Christine had produced a wonderful biography of the man. She also had developed a desire to see his grave marked. He had been in D.C.'s wonderful Oak Hill Cemetery for over one hundred years without a marker. This time, the Surratt Society undertook the fundraising all by themselves and raised over $3000 in a short period of time. The marker was dedicated this past June.

The Surratt Society has been instrumental now in marking three graves related to Lincoln and/or the assassination. The first was in the late-1970s with a joint project with the Mudd Society to mark Edman Spangler's grave in old St. Peter's Cemetery near the Mudd home. Then came one for Mrs. Keckly, and the next for Frederick Aiken.

When my turn comes, I hope they erect one a little smaller than the Washington Monument!!!