“Sojer Grave”

“Sojer Grave”. . When the South Carolina Public Service Authority was clearing the lands for the Santee Cooper Lakes, and removing buildings and other things man had erected during his two and a half centuries in upper Berkeley, there were numerous small items of a semi-public nature that had to be disposed of., Among these was the tombstone at the grave of a soldier who appears to have died at the forty-five mile house and been buried on the west side of and near the Congaree River Road at a spot commonly called “Sojer Grave” by most residents of the Cross Section., The marker bore the following inscription: “Thomas Picket, Fairfield District, Who died the 14th day of March, 1814, age 19 years, 1 month, and 22 days on his return from Charleston where he had volunteered his services to meet his country’s foes.”, In May of 1940 the Authority and Post No. 126, the American Legion covered the grave with a slab of concrete with the foot stone inserted in the concrete. The head stone with the above inscription was taken to Moncks Corner and has since been in the care of Post No. 126, The American Legion.