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| Located right outside of the Robert Scott Small building, lies this die on socket grave marker. |
When walking on a college campus, one would not think to see a tombstone. Not just see it, but that says there is someone buried near it.
At College of Charleston, there is a grave marker that states that Andrew Jackson's mother, Elizabeth Jackson, is buried near the Robert Scott Small Building in Cougar Mall! Why is it on the College of Charleston campus? That's the question that has yet to be answered.
At the College of Charleston campus, there are many people who pass the grave marker, faculty, students, and tourists. This may be one of the main reasons why it is here on campus. The placing of it seems kind of strange, but people will read it to see what it's all about. Even people may look up more details on it to see if she is actually buried by the grave marker.
Andrew Jackson never knew exactly where is mother was buried. She died near Charleston from cholera in 1781 because she tried to aid to Patriot prisoners of war that were held on the ships in the Charleston Harbor. Andrew Jackson asked James H. Witherspoon to give him some information on his mother's death location and how she died. His response to him was:
"Your 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 the Meeting and Kingstree Roads."
Andrew Jackson was never able to find where she was buried, but there are monuments that are dedicated to her and one of them includes the one here on campus. This is likely to be the most close to where she was actually buried, but there is no proof of it being here on campus as the tombstone says so.
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| Here is another memorial for Elizabeth Jackson, located at Old Wazaw Presbyterian Church Cemetery. |
There still is no definite reason as to why there is a "memorial" for Elizabeth Jackson on the College of Charleston campus. I believe that it was because of the history of Charleston, and adding it to our campus made it more interesting for anyone who passes by it. It is probably believed that she is buried by the place that it is, but if someone is interested enough, they will do some research on it!
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| The other memorial dedicated to her in Charleston, SC. |
Works cited:
https://www.postandcourier.com/columnists/behre-column-this-history-is-a-mystery/article_f0a6388f-dac2-5f25-ab58-2246049e150d.html
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10225235/elizabeth-jackson
http://www.strangehistory.org/cms/index.php/popular/93-elizabeth-hutchinson-jackson-the-missing-matron
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM4HNV_Elizabeth_Hutchinson_Jackson_Charleston_South_Carolina
