02/05/2017
B and I went hiking today off Old Bacon's Bridge Rd in Dorchester county in South Carolina and stumbled upon an old family graveyard. The earliest tombstone that we can read is dated 1788, belonging to someone only listed as either C.M.T or E.M.T., we couldn't really tell due to erosion of the stone.There are several more that read 1828. The most elaborate is the grave of one Edward Tonge Esquire (1769-1809). His was a vault-tomb and the lid was in two pieces, one of which is leaning against the tree. Also located at the site are the graves of his mother, one child who died at birth and his wife who died at 15 (let that sink in) as well as four other graves we could not make out. Edward's grave appears to have been robbed in the past few years if the others were also robbed they must have been filled back in. I could be wrong, I am no archeaologist or investigator by any measure. Also found one of the largest Live Oak trees I have ever seen! A possible rival to the famous Angel Oak. All in all a very interesting and possibly significant find. The most interesting aspect to me is that Mr. Tonge was born 8 years before the United States declared independence and that he lived through the Revolutionary War. We are considering reporting the site to the Historical Preservation Society.
