Acadian - Loyalist Cemetery Mystery Cache
Acadian - Loyalist Cemetery
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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This is an off set cache, the posted co-ordinates will take you to what is purported to be the oldest cemetery in NB still in use today.
Located off Rte 860 in what was the original French Village, this small rural cemetery dates back to the late 1600s when a small group of French missionaries travelling from Halifax to Saint John were ambushed by a band of Native Peoples. The priest was mortally wounded in the skirmish. The group took refuge across the river at a point of high land. Over night the priest died. In the morning he was buried where they had camped and his grave reverently marked. The French ended up settling in much larger numbers in the area and when it came time to bury their dead they naturally turned to this sacred ground where their priest was buried. In 1783 the area was granted to the Loyalists and they too used this spot to bury their dead. A memorial stone was put in place in recent years to recount the history of the cemetery and to list those whose final resting place is unknown.
In addition to the history here, the area is of great geological interest. The cemetery sits on a crescent shaped ridge of land that falls steeply on either side. What appears at first to be man-made, is actually a natural formation of glacial deposits (someone with more knowledge in this area could probably explain it much better than I). The beautiful Hammond River meanders thru the valley on one side of the ridge while fertile farmland stretches on the other. A small pond at the entrance to the cemetery complete with a little wooden bench offers a quiet place of solitude.
From the top of the ridge facing the river you will see an empty space to your left between the more modern stones and the old section of the cemetery. This is actually the oldest portion of the burial grounds, the French portion, and somewhere in the middle, probably near the maple tree is where the old priest was buried. The stones that you curse as you trip over them are what were used in those times to mark the graves. The Loyalist section is to your far left and has the oldest tombstones in the cemetery, including a handmade head and foot stone lovingly crafted by Joseph Pickel in 1809 for his 2 year old daughter Jemima.
The entrance to the cemetery is at #930 Rte 860 and appears to be the entrance to a farm, and it is, but keep to the right as you reach the barn and you will be on the public access road to the cemetery. Please drive slowly and respectfully as this initial part of the road is also the resident’s driveway.
To find the co-ords for the actual cache you must gather a bit of history on your own. The cache is located at:
N 45 AB.CDE
W 65 (FG).(HI)J
A – The month that James Beyea was born in 1739.
B – The combined ages of Andrew and Elizabeth Smith’s children
C – 3rd digit in the year that Glendora Beyea was born (I grew up in a town called Glendora!)
D – The tragic month in 1906 that Hannah Beyea died in childbirth along with her infant.
E – The day in August that Andrew Bull’s wife died.
FG – Caleb Smith’s age when he died, minus 4
HI – Last 2 digits of the year that Andrew Bull’s daughter Eliza died.
J – Jemima Budd Bull Birdsall is in an unmarked grave. The last digit of the year she is believed to have died.
Checksum:
N – 25
W - 22
The cache is a camouflaged PB jar containing logbook etc. with room for coins and small TBs. Not really trader friendly. Please take care to see that the lid is properly seated and replaced tightly. This cache is winter friendly but you will have to hike in from Rte 860 as the cemetery road is not plowed.
AS ALWAYS, PLEASE LEAVE THE CACHE AS WELL OR BETTER HIDDEN THAN YOU FOUND IT! 
FTF - TheRetiredHiker&SpruceGum
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
4 srrg hc