Christmas Ghost Story

"A sad tale's best for winter. I have one of spirits and goblins." so said Shakespeare in his play The Winter's Tale written in 1611. And in the popular Christmas song "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" they even say "there'll be scary ghost stories".   I imagine to most people, the idea of telling ghost stories during the joyous holiday season seems strange, but it's actually a tradition that predates Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and even Shakespeare himself.  

Long ago, before Christianity took hold, the people of the world celebrated Pagan holidays.  During the winter on the longest night of the year, December 21st, it was believed that the veil between worlds was thin.  It was a time that signified death and rebirth.  And when Christianity began spreading, it also began incorporating the Pagan traditions into the Christian holidays.  Of course, Charles Dickens really got things going with his tale of the Christmas Carol and the ghost of ole Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.  But even the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" has its own strange paranormal occurrences.

In my family, sharing ghost stories was something that happened at nearly every large gathering, and especially at Christmas when everyone near and far seemed to gather together to celebrate.  I remember spending time with my cousin enthralled  listening to the stories told by the adults.  Some were made up, but many included true life encounters of the paranormal.  I can point to this and say here is where my love of the paranormal and the love of family history (also part of the tales) began. 

So on this Christmas holiday, I want to share a true ghost story that involves my family.  Unlike most of the stories I have, this one is a little different.  It isn't about something that happened to someone.  Rather, it involves someone from my grandfather and great uncle's past who became a ghost. And a rather famous one at that.  

The video below is an episode of Haunted History that featured the Baltimore area.  The story I'm going to reference begins at 14:30 and discusses a well known bar called Club Charles.   

While watching this episode, my aunt happened to see the photo of a man named Edward Neyt (at the 16:30 mark) and exclaimed, "That's Frenchie!". And that's when pieces began to fall into place.

As I mentioned, I have always had a fascination with the paranormal.  I've also always loved the old family stories, and one time my grandmother Pauline Jackson mentioned something about a friend of my grandfather Albert Jackson being a ghost at a bar in Baltimore.  Honestly, at the time, I didn't really pay much attention to what she said.  I forgot about it.  Fast forward a couple of decades (give or take).  I found myself down in the city of Baltimore somewhere near the Zodiac bar.  Somewhere out of the deep dark recesses of my brain, I dredged out some vague memory of my grandmother talking about a ghost in a bar and thought the bar she mentioned was the Zodiac.  I mentioned it to my companions.  That was my part in piecing together this puzzle.  So maybe another decade passes and my cousin says to me, "Hey did you know Pop's friend Frenchie in that photo is the ghost featured on Haunted History?" 

Going through some old family photos, we came across a couple that featured a man in a suit with Albert S. Jackson, our grandfather, and Charles L. Jackson, our great-uncle.  When asked about who it was, my dad and aunt explained it was a friend of my grandfather and great uncle's named Frenchie.  In the photo here, Frenchie is the gentleman standing at the horse's head.  My great uncle Charles Jackson is seated on the horse with a child.  

Frenchie was born Edouard André Neyt in France in 1925.  One record has his date of birth listed as 10 October 1925.  He died 12 May 1980.  During WWII, Edouard Neyt is said to have acted as a double agent.  He spied on the Nazis and reported his information to the French Resistance.  During my research, I found a WWII registration card for Edouard Neyt for the District of Columbia (Washington, DC).  There is no address information listed as place of residence, though there is a hotel in France listed as his mailing address.  His sister, a Mrs. Grisot, is listed as the person who will always know his address, and there is no registrant signature on the card.  The lack of information seems odd, unless, of course, he was acting as a spy.  Later, in August of 1950, Edouard enlisted in the US Army and served in the Korean War.  He was released from the military in August of 1952, and I assume that's the time he began his work as a waiter.  His first job as a waiter was with Miller Brothers and eventually The Harvey House where he worked for 20 years before his death in 1980. 

Sometime after his service, Edouard, or Frenchie, began frequenting the bar that would become the Club Charles.  Originally the bar was called The Wigwam and advertised "Grub and Firewater".  Frenchie lived in the apartment upstairs. Eventually, the owner of the bar Esther Martin renamed it the Club Charles.  Frenchie was well known at the bar.  He was there often after work drinking at the bar wearing his waiter's uniform of black pants, white shirt, tie and vest (much like the photo).  He was known as a charmer with the ladies, and he was also a known prankster who enjoyed jovially messing with people.  During Frenchie's time, there was a group of policemen and cab drivers who would meet to play a game of poker at the bar.  When Frenchie would return from work, he had a habit of going over to the group and playfully tussling their hair and trying to sit in their laps.

Sadly, Frenchie passed away in 1980 in his apartment above the bar from acute alcoholism according to the stories.  In his obituary, it says he was a friend of Mrs. Esther Martin who was the owner of the bar.  No other family is mentioned. 

But the spirit of Frenchie lives on.

After his death, employees of the bar began seeing a man in a waiter's uniform that would suddenly disappear.  Others have witnessed glasses moving off the shelf and floating in mid air for a moment before landing on the floor unbroken and completely intact. Bottles move and sometimes Frenchie turns on the beer tap.  He also enjoys "calling" employees on a payphone that doesn't accept incoming calls.  The phone continuously rings even after it's answered.  There is also a story about how a group of people playing poker felt something pulling at their hair. One person got so frustrated they shot a bullet into the ceiling yelling "Damn it French leave us alone!"

There's no doubt that Frenchie hasn't left the Club Charles.  I'm hoping one day in the near future I can visit and perhaps have a drink with my grandfather and great-uncle's old friend. 

Frenchie on the horse my grandfather on the right

 

1970 Baltimore Evening Sun clipping

 

Where Have I Been

 

I haven't posted anything since about a month prior to the start of the pandemic (I know I'm stating the obvious here).  I had a lot of plans for the spring and summer to do a little traveling with my cousin.  We planned to do some in person research at various court houses in the hopes of solving one of our biggest family mysteries (our Reade family connection that makes us cousins of George Washington and a direct descendant of Nicholas Martiau of Jamestown). Obviously, that wasn't able to happen.  So I planned out "to do" projects for when I would be home and not working for two weeks during the shut down.  But after a couple of days, my employer was allowed to open, and I've been working the entire time.  I'm very thankful for the normalcy of my work weeks, but disappointed that I had little time for research and blogging. 

That's not to say I haven't done anything.  I have been in contact with some members of my mom's family which has offered me some valuable information and validation that I don't normally have.  My mom being the youngest doesn't have all the information needed to validate what I may come across in my research.  It's been great to connect with cousins from my mom's dad's side of the family and also her mom's side of the family.  And I've also gathered bits and pieces of information here and there about other branches of my tree.

Sadly, in the time that I've been away from blogging, I lost my aunt.  It's been nearly 6 months, but I'm not really at a point where I can even discuss it.  But it makes me want to stress to everyone not to wait to get those stories and to get those photos ID'd.  My cousin and I thought we had time.  We didn't.  And that's all I'm going to say about that right now.  Go get that info while you can.

And other than all that, I've been trying to document what's happening in my small part of the world during this hugely historic time.  I jot down things I want to be sure to journal about so that future generations know what the world was like during the Covid 19 Pandemic.  Mostly I'll probably say it sucked I'm trying to include as many details as possible on how life changed.  I'm hopeful it will be normal again soon.  I have court houses to visit.

With all that being said, it's time for a little self care and that includes carving out time for something that interests me, brings high satisfaction (when I discover accurate information previously unknown) and offers an escape from the frustration of the world right now.  So I'm picking one night out of the week to be my genealogy night that is dedicated to research and blogging (or maybe 2 nights, one for research one for blogging). There are so many stories out there to be uncovered and shared, and I want to make sure I discover them while I can.  So I've made a dedicated space in my 140 year old house (that's haunted) where I research sitting at a desk made by my uncle with the rocking chair owned by my great great grandmother Lida Crooks Taylor behind me (it's haunted too). And I'll share some of these interesting stories I've uncovered. 

Valentine’s Anniversary: William Henry Deagle POW

William Henry Deagle, my 4th Great Uncle, was born about 1819 in Middlesex County, Virginia.  He was my great great grandmother LuElla Daniel Jackson's Uncle.  The 1860 census lists his occupation as "sailor", however, shortly after, he enlisted as a Private in the 109th Regiment of the Virginia Militia during the Civil War.  Not much is known about the 109th Regiment other than it was a Regiment out of Middlesex County Virginia.  In the book "Calendar of Virginia State Papers and Manuscripts" a one line description reads, "E.P. Jones to Governor- one company Calvary 55 men completely equipped 2 pair mules and a wagon for service of the state." Sometime before 1864, William Deagle was no longer in the 109th Regiment.

US Civil War POW Records 1861-64 National Archives

On June 22, 1864, William Henry Deagle was arrested by the Union in Middlesex County, VA and imprisoned at the Prisoner of War camp at Point Lookout in St. Mary's County, MD.  His "rank" is listed as Citizen.  During the Civil War, Lincoln's administration treated Southerners as people who willfully gave up their civil liberties due to secession.  Lincoln also suspended habeas corpus in areas of rebellion. (And before anyone gets bent out of shape, the Confederacy did the same and also declared martial law)  The Union arrested about 2,000 civilians in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. and called them political prisoners.  Political prisoner was a broad term because it included people accused of non political offenses.  Many of those arrested were accused or suspected of being spies, violators of military order or civilians suspected of disloyalty to the Union.

Upon his arrest, William Deagle was taken to Point Lookout to the Union run POW Camp located there.  At the time of his arrest, the prisoner exchange between the two armies was on hold which meant there were between 12,000-20,000 prisoners housed in a camp built to hold only 10,000 men.  The camp suffered extremely crowded conditions with 16 men to a tent.  The camp was known for its extremely poor sanitary conditions.  Point Lookout was the largest Union run POW camp, and it was the one with the worst reputation.

Sadly, William Deagle did not make it home after his arrest.  He died of inflammation of the lungs on Valentine's Day February 14, 1865 just 2 months before the end of the war.  Deagle was buried in the Prisoner's Grave Yard.  The cemetery was a mass grave that held the bodies of 3,384 Confederate POW's.  Some of those buried were claimed and relocated by their families, and the rest were interred in the Confederate Cemetery outside of Point Lookout State Park.

Blown to Atoms-USS Tulip Memorial

Today marks the 155th anniversary of the explosion of the USS Tulip.  Each year near the anniversary of the explosion and sinking of the Union gunboat the USS Tulip, Naval officers and men  from the nearby Patuxent Naval Air Station hold a memorial service for those who perished at the site of the USS Tulip Memorial and burial site along the St Mary's River in St. Inigoes, MD.

photo credit T. Jackson 

 The memorial service serves as a mini reunion of members of the Jackson family who are direct descendants of the pilot of the USS Tulip James R. Jackson (read about him here)

The following is the article that appeared in the Evening Star paper in Washington, DC 14 November 1864:

THE TERRIBLE CALAMITY ON THE LOWER POTOMAC

Blowing up of the Gunboat Tulip- Sixty Persons Killed Instantly- Capt. Smith and other Officers Blown to Atoms- Full Particulars of the Terrible Affair

     The Ella dispatch boat arrived at the Navy Yard this morning with dispatches from the flotilla and with Messrs. Wagstaff and Davis of the gunboat Tulip.

     We learn from this arrival the following particulars of the disastrous explosion on the Tulip, which took place Friday evening off Ragged Point, about 14 miles this side of St. Mary's River, in the Potomac, whereby over sixty lives were lost:

     The gunboat Tulip attached to the Potomac flotilla, left St. Mary's at 3p.m. on that day for the Navy Yard here for repairs, and when passing Ragged Point at 6 o'clock and 20 minutes, the boilers exploded with a terrific crash, rending the upper portion of the vessel to atoms, scalding the officers and crew and throwing them in all directions.  Seceral of those who escaped without serious injury ran immediately to lower the gig, but before they could get it down, the wreck of the Tulip sunk, carrying down with her most of those in board.

     Some of the officers and men seized what they could lay their hands on, and succeeded in keeping afloat for above an hour, until their condition was discovered by the tugboat Hudson, Capt. James Allen and Engineer R. Granger, which picked up ten, who are all that escaped from the ill-fated vessel.  The ten picked up were:- Ensign Wagstaff, executive officer, and Master's Mate Davis, (the only two who escaped injury;) Master's Mate Reynolds, with leg broken, and Engineer Teel, very badly wounded, with six men.

     The Hudson's officers searched diligently among the floating pieces of wreck, but succeeded in finding no others than those mentioned above and steamed on to St. Inigoes.

     Messrs. Wagstaff and Davis took the Ella for this city, and the others were sent to Point Lookout, where two of them died on Saturday.  The Hudson's officers and men, when the survivors were got on board, immediately prepared coffee and refreshments for them, and gave them the kindest attention.

     There were on board the Tulip at the time of the accident 69 officers and men, including the following: Acting Master W.H. Smith, who hails from Philadelphia; Ensign Wagstaff, Acting Master's Mates Davis, Reynolds, Roffenburg, Hammond and Simons, Engineers Parks, Gordon and Teel.  We understand that when she started there was steam on but one boiler, but before proceeding far, steam was raised on the other, and the boat was proceeding slowly up the river.  The first intimation of danger was a cry from Mr. Gordon, who was the engineer on watch, to run to the safety valve and he made his way to the engine room, but scarcely had he gone through the door when the explosion took place.  At this time Captain Smith, the pilot James Jackson, Master's Mate Hammond, and the quartermaster were on the bridge over the boilers, and must have been blown to atoms.  The only trace left of Capt. Smith was his hat.

     As but ten persons were picked up, 59 persons must have lost their lives instantly, and two of those saved, died before the Ella left St. Inigoes.  Two or three others of the ten saved are not expected to live, among them, we regret to learn, Ensign Teel.

     Capt. Smith has been attached to the flotilla for about two years past, and was a much esteemed young officer.  He hails from Philadelphia, and after receiving his orders on Friday before leaving, he telegraphed to his wife that he would meet her at the Depot this morning, but alas his expectations were vain!  Engineer G.F. Parks, who was in charge of the engines, and went down in the wreck, hails from Brooklyn, where he leaves a wife and three children, with an aged mother.  Engineer John Gordon, who was also also lost, hails from Philadelphia, where he leaves a family.

     The Tulip was one of the vessels built at New York, for Mandarin Ward, of China, and after his death, the Government, purchased the Tulip and the Fuschia, another of Ward's vessels.

     Both vessels were fitted up here for service in the flotilla, Acting Ensign Sluyter being the first commander of the Tulip.  Acting Ensign Shurlett succeeded Capt. Sluyter, but was afterwards transferred to the Commodore Read, on being relieved by Capt. Smith.  The Tulip was a fine staunch propeller (4th class) of 183 tons, carrying 5 guns, but at the same time of the explosion had not the full compliment of men.  It has been some months since she has had and overhauling and it is stated that some parties at least considered her boilers unsafe.  Four months ago two engineers who were attached to her- Jeremiah Riddle and John T. Buckley- reported her boilers unseaworthy and it is stated refused to run the boat and they were suspended for a time and assigned to subordinate positions.  Doubtless the Department will order and investigation into the circumstances of her loss.

The next day on 15 November 1864 the official findings were printed in the Evening Star.  There were 57 officers and men aboard the Tulip when she exploded.  Of those 57, 10 were saved, however, 2 of the 10 later died bringing the total dead to 49.  The Tulip was ordered to leave St. Inigoes and travel to the U.S. Naval Yard, Washington to undergo repairs to the starboard boiler that had been deemed unsafe.  The Captain was told under no circumstances was the starboard boiler to be used.  Unfortunately, that order wasn't followed, and the firing of the starboard boiler was the cause of the explosion.  Here is a letter from the U.S. steamer Juniper that was tasked with searching for remains printed in the Evening Star along with the official cause of the explosion:

U.S. STEAMER JUNIPER, Potomac Flotilla Nov 13-  F.A. Parker, Com'd'r Commanding Potomac Flotilla- Sir: In obedience to your orders of the 12th inst., I proceeded to Ragged Point in search of the bodies and remains of the U.S. steamer Tulip, which was blown up by steam on the eve of the 11th instant off that point.  I sent out two boats and landed on the beach, where I found large fragments of her remains.  I found a trunk belonging to Acting Master's Mate Reynolds, of that vessel, a valise belonging to the pilot, a coat, bag, ad several blue shirts and a number of officers' caps.  I also found two sponges, a lot of letters marked U.S. steamer Tulip, large portions of her deck, the top of her pilot house, and her first cutter lay on the beach, but up to the present time I have not been able to find any bodies.

                                    Very respectfully your ob't serv't

                                     Philip Sheriden

                                     Acting Ensign Commanding

Eventually bodies and body parts starting finding their way to shore.  Remains were buried at a farm on Ragged Point (referred to Stinking Point due to the smell of the decaying bodies) after the pigs started eating them. The farmer agreed to have his slaves bury them if he could take personal items off the bodies.  Eight bodies, or pieces of bodies were found along the St. Mary's river, and these were interred on the shore in St. Inigoes, now the site of the smallest Federal Cemetery in the United States. 

Photo credit T. Jackson

I love that this memorial continues to keep not only Civil War history alive, but also our family's history as well.  

Don't Forget the Present

The newest branch of the family tree

Sometimes in our pursuit of our history, we often forget that we should be recording the present.  I was thinking about this while in the hospital awaiting the arrival of my newest grandchild.  I was sitting there on my iPad researching on Ancestry (finding great things by the way) and it occurred to me that I hadn't included important dates for my children or grandchildren.  I certainly have their birthdays recorded, but I hadn't included information like baptisms.

My main interest in genealogy is learning the history of who I came from.  The human interest stories and photos peak my interest more than anything. I forget that I have stories and photos of people who are actually alive and breathing.  I also forget that these are people I need to get information from to have for future generations.

So in your quest for your family history, make sure that you're preserving the information about current events in the lives of the living for the people who come after us.

Also... I promise that I have some interesting things to blog about once I have a chance to catch my breath!

It Really is a Small World

I was recently discussing some family members with my dad.  He was talking about members of the Neighoff side of my family tree which would be part of my paternal grandmother's family.  Our talk turned to Casper Yeager my 3rd great grandfather.  His daughter Katherine Yager married David Neighoff which is the line I'm descended from.  My dad mentioned one of Casper's other children Alena (or Lena) Yeager who married a George Bauerline and lived in Carroll County, Maryland (Carroll County is where my immediate family ended up residing).  Curious to see who I might be related to in the area, I followed that branch of the tree.  Turns out (in my "it-really-is-a-small-world-revelation" number 1) that George Bauerline and Alena Yeager had a son named Andrew S Bauerline 1897-1996.  This son lived in the town I currently call home called Littlestown (it really is a little town).  The house where Andrew S. lived is still standing and is just about a minute away from my house.  I was pretty amazed to find a relative that lived in the town I ended up moving to.  I can attest to the fact that Littlestown is not an up and coming booming metropolis, so finding an unknown relative lived here is pretty unexpected. 

Andrew J. Bauerline

Continuing on (I promise, this all gets more amazing), Andrew S. Bauerline and his wife Stella Bartholow Bauerline had 4 children: Andrew J., Vernon, Elizabeth and Norman.  I began looking into Andrew J. Bauerline (1920-2007).  I ended up reading his obituary on Newspapers.com and was shocked to read that he lived in another nearby small town (smaller than Littlestown).  What was shocking was that I too lived in that same town at one time.  I lived there the same time he lived there and drove past his home on many, many occasions.  But the shock factor doesn't end there.  He was also a member of the local Catholic Church in that town and was buried there.  It's also important to note that Andrew J. was a veteran.  That is important because every year right before Memorial Day, the local Cub Scout Pack goes to this cemetery to place flags on the veterans' graves.  So, you guessed it, for 8 years now, my son and I have placed flags on the grave of my second cousin 2x removed without realizing it.  And this year, my grandson started participating in the Pack and will be continuing the tradition, though now I know and will be certain to take some time at his grave. 

Vernon Bauerline

I also looked into Andrew J.'s brother Vernon E. Bauerline (1922-1945).  Vernon was also a veteran. He served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during WWII.   He was a sergeant and a top turret gunner on a B-17G #42-31634 part of the 324th Bomber Squadron in the 91st Bomber Group.  Sadly, Vernon never made it home.  On his 12th bombing run, his plane was shot down over Germany and he and crew were killed in action.  He was only 22 at the time of his death.  
Even though he died too young, Vernon still managed to link his short life with mine.  In town, we have a monument dedicated to WWI, WWII and Korean War veterans from Littlestown who lost their lives in battle.  Every Memorial Day, both the Cub Scout Pack and the Boy Scout Troops participate in a parade that marches to the monument, takes time to lay wreaths in memory for the fallen and then continues on to the local cemetery where a ceremony is held.  Vernon Bauerline's name is carved on that monument in town. So like his brother Andrew J., we have been honoring Vernon Bauerline's ultimate sacrifice for our country for 8 years and never realized he was a relative.  
In my newspaper search for more information on Vernon, I came across a couple of articles from when he was a kid growing up in Littlestown.  One article in particular from October 12, 1935 detailed the weekly scout meeting which included adding 3 new members to the Troop. One of those new members was 13 year old Vernon Bauerline.  The Troop was Troop 84- the very same Troop my son is a member of and the one where my husband and I serve as leaders.
Truly a small world. 

The Fairy Mermaid of the Plantagenets

Have you ever looked at the Starbucks logo and wondered where exactly the inspiration came from? Me either, but I always thought it was a rather interesting logo.  Turns out, the logo was inspired by Melusine who was a female water spirit known to frequent fresh water rivers or sacred springs.  She was described as being human on the top half of her body, but fish like or serpent like on the bottom half of her body.  Sometimes she was described as having twin tails (much like the Starbucks logo) and sometimes had wings.  She was often referred to as a "fairy mermaid", and I'm most likely related to her.


It doesn't get much cooler than that (actually it does, but I have to reveal the cool one blog post at a time).

Melusine or Melusina as she is sometimes called, was the daughter of Pressina, who was a full on water fairy, and a mortal man by the name of King Elinas of Alba (now called Scotland).  It's interesting to note that King Elinas' mother is listed as "The Dragon Queen" (seriously, who needs Game of Thrones, just go research history).  Pressina told her husband she would marry him under one condition- that he never look upon her during or immediately following childbirth.  Elinas agreed and the two married.  Soon after, Pressina became pregnant and gave birth to triplet girls named Melusine, Melior and Plantina.  King Elinas ended up breaking his promise and went in to see his wife and new daughters shortly after they were born.  Upset that her husband broke his promise to her, Pressina took the three children and fled to a hidden island.  When the girls became teens, the eldest Melusine, learned of her father's betrayal and decided to punish him by kidnapping him and hide him in a mountain.  She talked her sisters into helping her with her plan of revenge.  But Pressina learned of the plan and punished Melusine by cursing her to turn into a mermaid like creature every Saturday.

Melusine goes to live alone in a forest where she meets Raymond, Count of Anjou who was distressed after accidentally killing his uncle during a boar hunt.  Melusine promised to help Raymond attain wealth and power and offered advice on how to explain his uncle's death.  Raymond was so pleased, he asked Melusine to marry him.  She agreed but only if he agreed never to come to her private chamber on Saturdays.  He agreed and they were married at once.

Melusine did help the Count gain power to the kingdom and became the mother of the Lusignan line.  She and Raymond had 10 children, and each was born with some type of deformity.  Raymond was eventually pressured into learning of Melusine's Saturday activities.  He peaked through the keyhole and saw her fish like lower half.  Raymond didn't say anything about what he saw at first.  It wasn't until his son Geoffrey burned a church and killed  100 monks that Raymond, feeling Melusine's secret meant she was an agent of Satan and the reason for Geoffrey's attack, blurted out that she was a false serpent.  Distraught over husband's betrayal, Melusine leaped out of the window and sway away in the river. (You'll remember from the previous post that Geoffrey the Count of Anjou was the beginning of the Plantagenets).

Many royals all the way back to Charlemagne claim descent from the Melusine and the Plantagenet still claim the lineage.  In fact, Richard I the Lionheart said, "We come from the Devil, and to the Devil we shall go" it's said he was referring to the story of Melusine.  The Plantagenet line (Anjou, Vere and Angevin) all go back to her.

I may be one of a few who think being descended from a twin tailed fairy mermaid is super cool, but trust me when I tell you, this isn't even the coolest part of this lineage.  Wait until you hear about the Merovingians!