Texas SAR Revolutionary War Patriot Grave Marking Project
The Texas Society, Sons of the American Revolution, has taken on the project to mark ALL the graves of the Patriots from the American Revolution that are buried in Texas. This is not a new idea, but with the death of past NSSAR President General Clovis Brakebill, FSP Texas Society and FPG NSSAR, it seems fitting that this is the very least we in the Texas Society can do to honor his work of writing a book about those heroes. Clovis spent years researching the history of these Patriots and the location of their graves. This information is wonderfully presented here from his book, "American Revolutionary Soldiers Buried in Texas", and we would like to encourage each of our Texas SAR chapters to select at least one of the Patriots and make plans to mark the grave site and/or the historic sites that may be associated with these men.
We should make each of the grave marking ceremonies very special and following are a few ideas that should be considered when planning the event. Like many others in the Texas SAR who are also members of other historical societies and patriotic organizations, we should work together to place multiple markers on each of these mens' graves. Other organizations like the DAR, DRT, SRT, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, local news media, other Historical Societies, and any other society with similar interest should be invited. We should invite the descendants of these Patriots, and they should have a part in the ceremony. There should be as many members of our Color Guard present as possible to perform a flag folding ceremony and fire a musket salute. We should have a pre-published program for these events, and the local public officials should be invited to participate. If applicable, a chapter must check with the local cemetery to insure that we comply with their rules for placing a marker. There are many other details involved in such a project, but this should give everyone the general idea. The first step is for each chapter to commit to the project, and the next step is to select a Patriot in or near your area. The chapters in the larger cities may want to work together with the smaller chapters in the rural parts of the state where many of the Patriots are buried.
If your chapter is interested in sponsoring a grave or site marking for one of these Patriots buried in Texas please contact Tom B. Green III. Several chapters have already contacted him to discuss this project, and he will be glad to help in any way possible. A list of the Patriots and the county where they are buried can be found here, and Tom will be glad to provide what information he has about each Patriot if you do not have access to Clovis' book.
For a listing of all Patriots buried in Texas (some of which have not been conclusively proven yet) see the American Revolutionary War Patriots Buried In Texas page. To submit new/corrected information about Texas SAR Patriot Graves, please use our Patriot Grave Updater.
Grave and Site Marking of Patriots Buried in Texas to Date
| Patriot | Sponsoring Chapter(s) | County Buried | Type Marking |
| Samuel Smith | Athens Chapter and Captain William Barron Chapter |
Rusk | Grave |
| Alexander Hodge | Alexander Hodge Chapter | Fort Bend | Grave |
| Benjamin Clark | Captain William Barron Chapter Ceremony Pictures |
Red River | Grave |
| Owen Shannon | Freedom Chapter and PineyWoods Chapter |
Montgomery | Grave |
| Aaron Cherry | Paul Carrington Chapter | Liberty | Grave |
| Robert Rankin | Robert Rankin (Katy) Chapter | Texas State Cemetery | Grave |
| John Abston | Plano Chapter Abston Rededication Pictures |
Collin | Grave |
| Peter Sides | William Hightower Chapter | Bexar | Battle of Medina Site |
| Bailey Anderson | East Texas Chapter Ceremony Pictures |
Harrison | Grave |
| Thomas Blair Hogg | Capt. William Barron and Athens Chapters |
Cherokee | Grave |
| Zachariah Landrum | PineyWoods Chapter Landrum Story | Landrum Grave Pictures |
Montgomery | Grave |
| Richard Tice | Independence Chapter | Washington | Grave |
| Henry Bailey Greenwood | PineyWoods Chapter Greenwood Discovered | Greenwood Grave Pictures |
Grimes | Grave |
| John Parker | Bluebonnet and Waco Chapters |
Limestone | Grave/Memorial |
| Johann Michael Ehler | Col. Turner Sharp Chapter Ehler bio | Ceremony Pictures | YouTube video |
El Paso | None (Nat. Cem.) |
| Thomas C. Holmes | PineyWoods Chapter Marker Ceremony Information | Map and Pictures |
Newton | Memorial |
| James Potter Collins | Captain William Barron, Red River Valley, and Plano Chapters Collins bio | Ceremony Pictures |
Red River | Memorial |
| David Strickland | Captain William Barron, Red River Valley, and Plano Chapters Strickland bio | Ceremony Pictures |
Red River | Memorial |
| John Tollett, Sr. | Captain William Barron, Red River Valley, and Plano Chapters Tollett bio | Ceremony Pictures |
Red River | Memorial |
| Joseph de la Baume | Alexander Hodge Chapter | Austin | Memorial |
| William Sparks | Capt. William Barron, Fredonia, and Lt. Nathan Gann Chapters |
Nacogdoches | Memorial |
| William Delafield | Capt. William Barron and East Texas Chapters Delafield bio | Ceremony Pictures |
Harrison | Memorial |
| Benjamin Wightman | Bluebonnet Chapter Ceremony Pictures |
Matagorda | Grave |
| Benjamin W. Anderson | Athens Chapter Ceremony Pictures |
Rusk | Grave |