Patriot's grave to be marked

With his term of service expired, he re-enlisted as a substitute soldier for North Carolina. During this second tour of duty, he was engaged in battle at Waxhaws, where he was wounded, Camden, where he was taken prisoner, and the Battle of Cowpens.

After the war was won, he married Rosanna Hadden in 1792 in South Carolina. Their sons were William, Samuel, Leonard Jr., Alexander, Thomas, and James. Their daughters were Nancy (Anderson) Christmas Hadden Evans, Anna (Anderson) Ragan, Mary (Anderson) Landers, and Hannah Anderson, who never married.

Anderson received 200 acres on Sand Lick Fork in 1799 and brought his young family to Logan County. In 1831, he applied for and received a pension. After his death in 1838, his widow applied for and received a pension in his name.

His descendants likely number in the thousands today, with many continuing to reside in Logan County. The descendants are invited to participate in a grave marking ceremony to honor Anderson for his service in establishing our nation.

Chapter president Adam Scales of the Colonel Benjamin Logan Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution said, The United States of America is the shining light on a hill of the world, and according to President Abraham Lincoln, ‘The last great hope of earth.’ A noted man once said, and I paraphrase, ‘In a few minutes I can tell you what is wrong about America. It would take hours and days to describe what is good about her.’ ”

Colonel Benjamin Logan Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution member Randy Parrish said as a small boy, his grandmother shared stories about ancestors that she knew of. Later, while learning about things in school, he was able to take those stories and connect them to history and get a picture of how his family fit into those events. “Over the years, I have researched and discovered more ancestors who were in Revolutionary War service. The patriots that participated in that war were not rising up just for themselves, but for their descendants and future citizens,” said Parrish.

When asked why the chapter chooses to hold these ceremonies, Colonel Benjamin Logan Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution Chapter Secretary, Richard Holloman replied, “Many of the grave sites are forgotten, headstones damaged, gone or eroded away and are now distant memories to most of our country. These men and women who gave so much so many years ago, deserve to receive the honor that we as Sons of the American Revolution can bestow upon them 200 years after their deaths. Most, I would say, did not have the honor of a military service. We do this for them and their descendants. It is such an honor to do so!”

Parrish reminds everyone that “our freedom comes with a price from the sweat and blood of our fathers and mothers.” He believes we need to “Teach it. Work on it. Live it.”

The Colonel Benjamin Logan Chapter Sons of the American Revolution are holding this service this Saturday, March 30, at 2 p.m. at the Union Grove Cemetery, located on Union Grove Rd. According to the national organization, a patriot grave marking is “a service honoring a Patriot from the American Revolution with an unveiling of a new grave marker.”

To find the cemetery, take Hwy 79-N/Morgantown Rd. approximately nine miles to Sharps Garden Rd. Turn left and travel approximately 2.5 miles to Union Grove Rd. and turn left onto Union Grove Rd. Travel approximately 1 mile and the cemetery is on the left.

Denise Shoulders can be reached by emailing dshoulders@newsdemocratleader.com