Histories

Descendant Randy Reeves presented the following biography of Patriot Reeve: “It is our privilege here today to honor the memory of my ancestor, William Reeve, a soldier of the American Revolution, who lies buried here with his wife, Nuttey Reeve. William was born in 1756, probably in Virginia. Following his service in the war he moved to Abbeville, S.C. He later moved to DeKalb County, Georgia to live with his son, James. He died here in the year 1842 in the second year following DeKalb County's incorporation in 1822.

From our perspective more than 200 years after the Revolutionary War it’s usually impossible to know many details about the individual lives of our forebears who lived at that time. This tends to make the details we are able to discern all the more intriguing. In William's case we are able to learn a great deal about his military service from his sworn application for a pension, which he filed in the year 1833 in the Court of Common Pleas of the Abbeville District of South Carolina.

According to this affidavit, William entered the Service of the United States in Prince William County, Virginia in the summer of 1776 as a drafted militiaman. At this time he would have been about 20 years old. He served initially as a private in the regiment commanded by Colonel Henry Lee. He marched with his regiment to the Potomac River about two miles south of Dumfries, which is about sixty miles south of the present site of Washington, D.C. Here they faced British troops in the Potomac. The British chose to move further southward without giving battle. After three weeks, William was discharged and returned home.

In the fall of 1776 the British threatened once again from the Potomac. William returned once again with his regiment to the Dumfries area. Again the British moved on, and William returned to his home. About January 1, 1777 William again returned to the service, this time as a volunteer in Fauquier County, in Northern Virginia. From there he marched northward with his unit, first to Frederick Town, Maryland, then to Philadelphia, and finally on to Brunswick, New Jersey, now serving under the command of a German officer, Col. Stricker, who was fighting with the Colonials. In this service William was in battle against the British and Hessians between Quibble Town and Brunswick. The Americans suffered no casualties, but one British corporal named Bennet was killed.
William was discharged and returned home, but once again was called to serve as a Lieutenant in a guard unit in Alexandria, VA. His last year of service was in the year that General Cornwallis was taken, and William was able to resume his private life.”

Patriot Reeve was honored at a grave marking service held on April 8, 2000 at the Nancy
Creek Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery, Doraville, Georgia.

Dedication Statement by Col Bob Bauchspies, USA (Ret) President, Piedmont Chapter SAR
“We gather today, amidst the Flag of our great Nation, and under the umbrella of our Lord, to dedicate this final resting place for our early Patriot: Lieutenant William Reeve, for service in the American Revolution. Surely, without his contribution to the cause of Liberty, we would not enjoy the blessings of Freedom that he had strived to give us. This simple, SAR marker we uncover today, is but an expression of our heartfelt thanks and serves to remind us always of our obligations and responsibilities in maintaining the Republic for which he struggled and sacrificed. Let us not forget that we are a Nation rich in Heritage, much of which is presented during this ceremony.

In the American Army, ceremonies were originally outlined in General Baron Friedrich von Steuben's "Blue Book" * and were practiced by our Revolutionary soldiers. Such as today, we pay honor to a warrior and to our Nation with the formation of troops, the presence of the Colors, a musical tribute, and the firing of a salute. Such salutes may be traced back to the early 1800's as a means for the living soldiers to honor their brave dead. The history of military "Taps" is claimed by different units in different Armies but one belief is that it originated during the Civil War, when Union Major General Daniel Butterfield's troops were encamped on the bluffs overlooking the James River in Virginia during the Peninsular Campaign. One evening, when the bugler sounded the call, then known as "Extinguish Lights", Butterfield remarked that it sounded too formal. The next day, he and the bugler worked out a melody now known as "Taps". Later in the Peninsular Campaign, during a soldier's funeral, the bugler played "Taps" in place of the three volleys honoring a deceased comrade. Thus, the playing of "Taps" eventually was written into Army Regulations as a regular part of a military funeral or grave site dedication such as this for Lt Reeve who served to give us our Freedom.
I am reminded of a poem, written over a decade ago by a young ROTC Cadet. It's a favorite of mine and I'd like to share it with you. It is entitled, appropriately, "Freedom Is Not Free".

"1 watched the flag pass by one day -It fluttered in the breeze
A young Marine saluted it- and then he stood at ease
I looked at him in uniform -So young, so tall, so proud
With hair cut square and eyes alert -He'd stand out in any crowd
I wondered how many men like him -Have fallen through the years
How many died on foreign soil- how many Mother’s tears
How many pilots’ planes shot down -How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers graves –No, Freedom Is Not Free
I heard the sound of "Taps" one night -When everything was still
I listened to the bugler play -And felt a sudden chill
I wondered just how many times -"Taps" had meant " Amen"
When a flag had covered a coffin -Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children -Of the Mothers and the Wives
Of Fathers, Sons, and Husbands -With interrupted lives
And, I thought about the graveyard -At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington -No, Freedom Is Not Free."

And so, in this graveyard, we dedicate your final resting place, God Bless you William Reeve,
and God Bless these United States of America for which you fought. We are ever so humble in your presence.”

* Steuben's "Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States" (1778-1779), was widely used for many years.