ANNIE BLACKBURN
Staff Writer
Three Lincoln County Patriots that fought for American freedom during the Revolutionary War will be honored on Saturday as the Sons of the American Revolution will hold grave marking ceremonies.
The Catawba and Mecklenburg chapters of the Sons of the American Revolution are sponsoring the ceremony that will begin at 10 a.m. at Machpelah Presbyterian Church in Iron Station. An official bronze marker will be placed, commemorating the noble service of Patriots Captain Alexander Brevard and General Joseph Graham, both of whom are buried within the stone walls of the Machpelah Cemetery. Graham is famously known for his involvement in the Battle of Charlotte on Sept. 25, 1780. Brevard fought with General George Washington and was one of the signatories on the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence.
The ceremony will also feature the North Carolina Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard and a presentation of the official rendering of honors by the chapter. Several participants at the ceremony will be dressed in period uniform and attire.
“One of the most visible activities that our chapter, and hundreds of chapters across the country, performs is the marking of Patriot graves,” Jay Joyce said. Joyce is President of the Mecklenburg chapter. “There are thousands of unmarked Revolutionary War Patriot graves across North Carolina, and we are proud to be honoring three more Patriots who fought for the freedoms we enjoy today.”
Author Scott Syfert will be on hand for the ceremonies, speaking about his latest book that documents events that took place in Lincoln County during the Revolutionary War and the history of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence.
“We perform these grave markings to not only honor the brave men who sacrificed their own lives for the creation of our new country, but also because generations will forget them and the events surrounding the birth of our nation if we do not continue to present these ceremonies,” Joyce said.
A second ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. at the Plonk Family Cemetery three miles west of Lincolnton on Highway 150, honoring Patriot Jacob Plonk II. The SAR worked with the Lincoln County Historical Association as well as Daughters of the American Revolution chapters in order to organize the ceremony. A highway marker will also be placed in honor of Jacob Plonk on the road adjacent to the cemetery.
The ceremonies are open to the public.