On Friday, Ocotober 27, 2023, we attended the annual Halloween celebration at Historic Congressional Cemetery. The Event is called "Soul Strolls" and tour guides and re-inactors introduced us to some of the residents of the cemetery. This year the focus was on the not-famous, with one excpetion, so we did not meet the wealthiest madam in DC during the Civil War, J. Edgar Hoover, Marion Berry, or many other very famous people buried there.
Our tour guide. We began while it was still light.Our first stop was at the memorial to Col. Cross.
After serving in the Army during the War of 1812, Col. Cross was called up again to serve along the Texas border with Mexico. After leaving the fort, his body was found the next day. President James Polk used this death as his rationale for going to war with Mexico. He went so far in drumming up support for the war as having the Cross' body displayed throughout the country before being buried.
Our next stop was at the paupers' crypt where we met the former First Lady, Dolly Madison.
Dolly lost her first husband, one son, and other relatives during the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. Aaron Burr served as her attorney when she had to sue for the funds provided for her in her husband's will that were being kept from her by her brother-in-law. Burr introduced her to James Madison in 1794 and they were soon married. After serving as Thomas Jefferson's Secretary of State, Madison was elected 4th President of the United States. While living in the White House, Dolly created the role of First Lady. One of her inovations was hosting bi-partisan parties. Previously Presidents only entertained members of one party at a time. She was most proud of having saved the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington from the fire in the White House when the British attacked DC. She never served cupcakes!
She was first buried in the paupers' crypt because her alcoholic son had and driven her into poverty after the death of Madison. She was kept in the crypt for 2 years, moved into the family crypt of a friend of hers where she stayed for 7 more years. Then friends raised enough funds to have her moved to Montpelier for a proper burial.
Next we met Sarah Johnson, who was raised by a family in DC. She became a school teacher and loved being with her 3rd graders. She met and married Osborn Allen over her family's objections. Turn out her family was right -- he was physically abusive. After 10 years, Sarah moved back to her parent's home. Her husband continued to stalk her and one day stormed into her classroom and, in front of the students, pointed a gun at her. She ran out of the room but he trapped her, shot her, and then himself. While he died instantly, she lingered for a few days.
Next we met two victims of the munitions factory explosion in DC at the Navy Yard during
the Civil War.
These young imigrant women, one from England, the other from Ireland, responded to the call to help their adopted country. The work was very dangerous but the explosion was caused by the male supervisor leaving fireworks in the yard outside the factory in the heat of the summer sun. Of course, he was not injuried in the explosion. There is a large monument dedicated to those who did die and 17 of them are buried under the monument. Others were buried in a local Catholic cemetery or in family plots on private property. Just as the story was getting very dramatic 3 Marine helicopters flew over and everyone assumed it was the President on his way to Camp David for the weekend. Remaining in character, the Irish lassie ask what were those metal birds.
Lastly, we met Julia Lenox who became a widow on her honeymoon trip. She and her husband were waiting to board a sloop to Boston, sailing out of Baltimore, when he accidentally drank a toxic cleaning fluid. She wore her widow's clothing until her death 30 years later.
The tour ended in the dark but under a gorgeous full moon.
Drinks, including special cocktails for the event (1 was a martini with pumpkin and maple syrup), and refreshments were being served in the chapel, thus confirming that the property is owned by an Episcopal parish (management is by a private foundation set up by the parish).
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