tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224106382024-03-14T01:10:28.726-05:00Finding Private MasonIn 2003 I was invited to the Smithsonian to attend the autopsy of Giles County, TN Confederate solider Isaac Newton Mason conducted by world-respected forensic anthropologist Dr. Doug Owsley. Later I was interviewed for a Discovery Channel feature. For travel expense reimbursement only I will present my original program to any interested group as time allows. Email dejavu159@gmail.com for details. These stories, used by permission, appeared in the Pulaski Citizen in 2002-03.dejavu159@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10339687330250712208noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22410638.post-1139881093169566072006-02-13T19:34:00.000-06:002006-02-16T11:18:20.850-06:00Private Isaac Newton Mason, CSA-photo by Claudia JohnsonAutopsy of Private Isaac Newton Mason at the Smithsonian, May 2003dejavu159@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10339687330250712208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22410638.post-1139876279211113452006-02-13T18:08:00.000-06:002006-02-16T11:31:54.066-06:00Giles County CSA Soldier Travels to SmithsonianThe reconstruction of Isaac Newton Mason's head is by John Gurche, an award winning paleo-artist whose work has appeared on the covers of National Geographic, Discover and Natural History Magazines and can be seen at the Smithsonian, the Field Museum and the American Museum of Natural History, among others. His work on the reconstruction of human ancestors has dejavu159@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10339687330250712208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22410638.post-1139874332289216392006-02-13T17:45:00.000-06:002006-03-06T17:41:34.526-06:00Finding Private Mason: Confederate Soldier's Metal Coffin Opened at SmithsonianIn 2002 when I began covering relocation of the Mason Cemetery, I never imagined that a year later I’d be in the Smithsonian Institution as the remains believed to be that of planter and Confederate soldier Isaac Newton Mason was examined by a team of experts in forensic anthropology, forensic pathology and historic costuming. This was the first in a series of stories in upcoming issue of the dejavu159@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10339687330250712208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22410638.post-1139872389680555022006-02-13T17:06:00.000-06:002006-03-06T17:36:02.226-06:00Who was Civil War solider Isaac Newton Mason-Smithsonian photo by Chip ClarkDr. Doug Owsley shows Pulaski Citizen staff writer Claudia Johnson how he learns about ancient people by reading their bones. These are the bones of Giles County planter and soldier Isaac Newton Mason who died in 1862.story by CLAUDIA JOHNSONStaff WriterOf the six metal caskets found in 2002 during the relocation of the Mason Cemetery only the one believed to be dejavu159@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10339687330250712208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22410638.post-1139871983748060412006-02-13T17:01:00.000-06:002006-02-13T17:37:32.776-06:002002 Story Recalls How Mason Saga BeganBy Claudia JohnsonStaff WriterThe relocation of a 19th century cemetery is underway in Giles County to make way for the future.When Giles County began work on its Industrial Park South project, the Mason Cemetery was identified in an overgrown clump of trees on Amos Hamlett Road. Containing 22 grave stones in various states of disrepair, it had been abandoned and neglected. According to existingdejavu159@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10339687330250712208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22410638.post-1139871684015476712006-02-13T16:57:00.000-06:002006-02-16T11:16:45.996-06:00Smithsonian report: Mason may have died with his boots on far from homeText and photos by CLAUDIA JOHNSONStaff WriterOn May 28 a room filled with scientists and historians awaited removal of a heavy lid from a heavy cast iron coffin containing what was believed to be remains of Giles Countian Isaac Newton Mason, a private in the 11th Tennessee Cavalry Battalion, 6th (1st) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment.Because few cast iron coffins have been examined and because the dejavu159@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10339687330250712208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22410638.post-1139870681653544832006-02-13T16:35:00.000-06:002006-02-16T09:53:19.003-06:00Examination Helped Confirm Mason's IdentityPreliminary findings were revealed in a draft copy of “Mason Cast Iron Coffin Investigation Summary” by forensic anthropologist, Dr. Douglas Owsley, and Karin Bruwelheide, a physical anthropologist for the National Museum of Natural History.Story and Photo by CLAUDIA JOHNSONStaff WriterWhen the heavy cast iron lid was hoisted from the coffin of what was believed to be Isaac Newton Mason’s remainsdejavu159@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10339687330250712208noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22410638.post-1139870118969523362006-02-13T16:24:00.000-06:002006-02-16T10:44:17.446-06:00Metal Coffins Were Expensive But Available in 19th CenturyBy Claudia JohnsonStaff Writer- staff photo by Claudia JohnsonThe metal burial cases, which began to be used in Giles County in the 1850s, redefined the terminology of dead body containers away from the harsh connotations of “coffins." The mummy-shaped cases had luxurious silk lining materials, glass viewing windows for the face or the entire corpse and individualized nameplates and varied in dejavu159@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10339687330250712208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22410638.post-1139869462544509032006-02-13T16:18:00.000-06:002006-02-16T09:49:56.576-06:00A Letter to the Pulaski Citizen from NBC/Discovery ChannelDear Editor,On Saturday, June 28, a funeral ceremony took place in Giles County to honor a man long lost to time and circumstance. Isaac Newton Mason was a Tennessee Calvaryman during the Civil War, who died in 1862. Originally buried in the old Mason Cemetery, the marker on his grave did not survive through the century. When all the graves were moved last year in anticipation of the new dejavu159@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10339687330250712208noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22410638.post-1139869095712671212006-02-13T16:09:00.000-06:002006-02-16T08:57:18.010-06:00Additional Mason Autopsy Findings ReleasedEditor’s note: An important member of the team of scientists and historians who studied the 142-year-old remains of Isaac Newton Mason was Dr. Larry Cartmell, a general pathologist from Ada, Okla., who is also an amateur archeologist. Tissue and hair samples taken by Cartmell while Mason’s body was in the conservation laboratory of Smithsonian forensic anthropologist Dr. Doug Owsley were analyzeddejavu159@gmail.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10339687330250712208noreply@blogger.com1