Tritt Cemetery Mystery Cache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(micro)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
This is an Off-Set cache. There is no container hidden at the above coordinates since the Cemetery is on National Park property and it is illegal to hide a physical cache inside the Park.
This Off-set cache will take you to an old Cemetery. The reason for the 3 rating on difficulty is because the coords will only take you to the Cemetery. You will have to search for the answers to the questions from there. The road to the Cemetery is good and you should have no problem taking a car or truck on the road.
A little background on Cemeteries inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park...
The property originally given (aquired) for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, was public land. Most of it was donated by the Rockefellers. The rest was purchased with public money raised by a group of local philanthrapists. There is a story that school children even helped raise money by soliciting pennies for the fund raising effort. Since the Park was bought with public money, that is why it is the only Park in the NPS that does not now, nor ever will (legally), have an entrance fee. Both North Carolina and Tennessee Legislatures had that put in the deed at the time of purchase. Let's hope they don't figure out a way to circumvent the legality.
All that was fine and good but not everyone who lived in these mountains wanted to sell their land. Most were of Scots-Irish decent, and were fiercly protective of their land and their "people" who were buried there. Of course some did sell, some were given "lifetime leases", and some were forced out by act of "imminent domain". The ones who had the "lifetime leases" were eventually forced out mostly by tourists that kept showing up on their doorstep thinking they were an "Exhibit".
One other thing that the "powers that be" had to do, in order to get the "deal" done, was promise to maintain public access to the existing Cemeteries so the people who were forced out could come back and visit their dearly departed. Also, their decendants were and are still allowed, to this day, to be buried in the family plot, even though the Cemeteries are in the Park now, as long as there is still space available.
On "Decoration Day" as the old timers call Memorial day, you will see many processions of vehicles parading up these old roads to pay their respects to their long buried relatives.
To find the final coordinates, you will need to find:
(1) How many deceased members of the military have brass plaques as their headstones?
Add the answer to 89 to fill in X below:
N35 47.XXX
Now find John Henry Sutton's headstone. What was his nickname? Add up the number of letters in his nickname and subtract it from 21 to get X below:
W083 13.XXX
Now you have the coordinates to the micro hidden outside the Park boundary. There is only a logsheet so bring you own pen.
I have given a hint if you need it but it is a spoiler.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
benatr naq juvgr