As Jane McRae's death and burial as well as the subsequent Battles of
Saratoga occurred in ALBANY COUNTY, I read the attached with interest.  The
articles I read in our local papers stated that this 97-year old Kansas
woman was a descendent of Jane McRae.  Without commenting on 18th Century
morality, I wonder how this was possible given the fact she was unmarried.

On the question of the exhumation, there is a phrase lawyers use "QUI BONO."
It literally means 'to what good."  In investigations, it refers to who
would benefit from an event.  Who would benefit from disturbing this poor
girl again.  She's been moved three times.  Let her rest in peace.

I know there was an exhumation of the outlaw Jesse James a couple of years
ago.  I thought I saw an article very recently about exhuming one of the
Presidents.  Someone refresh my memory!

                                        JOHN TRAVIS
                                         Albany County Historian

-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 8:04 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Jane McCrea - Ft. Edward


Good Morning,

A 97 year old woman from Kansas, who states she is the oldest
living relative of Jane McCrea, wishes to have Jane's bones disinterred
in Union Cemetery in Ft. Edward, Washington Co., NY. Her reason
for this action is to perform a DNA on the bones is to definitely
determine if they are Jane McCrea's and pursue the return of bones
that have been removed during an earlier disinterment  which are in
the possesion of a a SUNY college and an owner of the Jane McCrea
house.

Since the death of this Revolutionary War heroine, who died 27 Jul
1777 in Ft. Edward, her remains have been buried on three occasions
in the past 225 years.  Many documents, including eyewitness accounts,
clergy and physicians statements, newspaper articles and books,
clearly indentify Jane McCrea as the young woman buried in Union
Cemetery. Her grave is clearly marked with a headstone and surrounded
by an iron fence.

The Village of Ft. Edward board went on record 04 Nov 2002 as
opposing the proposed exhumation of the body. An action was filed
in Supreme Court, County of Washington, NY on 22 Oct 2002
and advertised in The Post Star on 24 Oct 2002 and awaits a
judge's decision on the exhumation.

This brings up a question I would like to ask of this list. Where do
we draw the line on such things and will it lead to the disinterment
of others, especially notable people?  Will we start digging up
people of history such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln
and others to satisfy our curiosity?  DNA is opening exciting new
doors but for some, many cans of worms. People are proving their
ancestal ties but some are discovering that they are not who they
think they are. I can see someone using this as a money making
scheme down the road but at the expense of the deceased and
others.

Does anyone know of any other similar situations and what has
happened in those cases?  I find this unnecessary since there
is so much documentation on Jane McCrea.

God Bless
Ruth Ann Messick
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