Friday, Aug. 5, 2005

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Revolutionary War gravesite reclaimed

By CAROLYN CARY
ccary@TheCitizenNews.com

Members of the Sharpsburg Sharpshooters Sons of Confederate Veterans gathered forces, saws, rakes, shovels, and power tools to reclaim an old church cemetery.

The growth was thick and taller than the workers. One Saturday morning was spent leveling the growth, with help of people from the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Children of the American Revolution, and Sons of the American Revolution. Another Saturday morning was spent spreading 90 cubic feet of mulch, provided by SCV member Ronny North, on behalf of Southern Environmental Waste.

There is only one marked gravestone, that of John Nealy. The cemetery is located in the old community of Longstreet, now pretty much Sharpsburg.

The Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church was established in 1828 with 14 members, seven white, and seven black. It is believed to be the first frame church built in the county, and sat not too far from the cemetery.

According to “The History of Coweta County,” John Nealy was born in Ireland in 1754 and died in Coweta County in 1847. He had married Lutetia Black in South Carolina and it is thought they had nine children, only four of whom is certain.

He enlisted as a Revolutionary War soldier while a resident of Waxhaw Settlement, S C., in March 1776. He served as a private in Capt. Eli Kershaw’s company, 3rd South Carolina Regiment, in the Battle of Sullivans Island in Georgia. He received nine wounds, many about his head, at a battle at Granny’s Quarters.

He moved to Georgia before 1832 to live with his son, John Hill Nealy. He settled in the Second District, Coweta County and applied for a Revolutionary War pension in September, 1832, and was granted $80 per year. It is said that he would walk to Newnan to get his pension, a distance of about three to four miles, one way. On the way home he would stop to rest and count his money under the Big Poplar tree. His appointed agent signed for his last pension check on April 6, 1847. He died at the age of 93 years.

He had grandchildren and great-grandchildren who served in the War Between The States.

“We had members of our camp come both workdays and Glen Allen came over from the McLaws Camp in Fayetteville to help us finish the job,” said Sharpsburg SCV commander John Todd. “We could not have done it without the help of Norman Perry, who brought his Bobcat. He could lift and distribute more mulch in one load than we could with 10 wheelbarrows. The 90 cubic yards eventually covered the whole area and should keep down unwanted growth for quite some time.”

The Sharpsburg Camp meets each second Monday night at 7 p.m. at the Sharpsburg Baptist Church. For information call Todd at 770-502-8914.