John Abston - Collin County, Texas - American Revolutionary War Veteran Graves on Waymarking.com

John Abston, born in Virginia in 1757 (some accounts indicate his birth in 1761), volunteered for service in the Revolutionary Army in 1779 and served for two years under Capt. John Ellis. Under the direction of Col. Washington he was part of the gallant charge that won the Battle of King's Mountain. This battle is considered one of the most decisive battles of the Revolutionary War.

After the war Abston moved with his family to Kentucky for a few years. After the death of his wife in the 1830s John Abston moved his family to Missouri. In 1853 he moved to Texas along with his son Jesse and Jesse's family. When they reached the town now known as Melissa Jesse contracted pneumonia and died. He was buried in an unmarked grave near Melissa. At that point Abston moved with his daughter-in-law, Sarah, farther south in the county to the land where the cemetery is now located.

John Abston first applied for his Revolutionary War pension in 1855. It was denied because the affidavit did not comply with regulations, so he had to file a more formal affidavit -- by this time he was in his late 90s and nearly blind. The second affidavit included the following statements (excerpted from full text): "He states that he has no documentary evidence of his service-his discharge having been destroyed by fire, and he knows of no person whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of any state." This second application was also denied because he could not provide documentary evidence of his service and could not present any individuals to testify that he was a soldier in the Revolution.

John Abston was buried here in 1856. He is the only veteran of the Revolutionary War buried in north Texas. His granite grave marker was erected in 1913 by the Richard Royal Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. A medalli0n was placed there by the Sons of the American Revolution. The chapter of the DAR organized in McKinney in 1975 was named the John Abston Chapter in his honor.

There are 37 marked graves and numerous graves for individuals who are unknown. Those are marked with white crosses inscribed with "Known Only to God".

Accounts of the first burial here are conflicted, with some sources stating that John Abston was the first burial and others stating that Marcus C. Dupuy was actually the first burial in 1852. Various accounts about the original name for the cemetery and the land ownership are also contradictory. The historical marker states that this land was originally set aside as a family burial ground for the Abston family, with Elias Bellew, a former slave, being given land nearby with the agreement that he would take care of the cemetery grounds. Land records for the property around this area raise questions about the original ownership of the ground allocated to the cemetery, with some indicating that it was probably started as a Dupuy family cemetery. Whatever the case, this cemetery contains some unique and very old graves in a lovely, peaceful setting.

It is worthwhile to read the historical marker nearby and then spend a few minutes to walk through the cemetery grounds and see this unique place. It would be wonderful if you can also post your photos and impressions of the location.

Location type: Section of a Cemetery/Mass Grave Date of Birth: 1757 Date of Death: 1856 Cause of death: Died Later Grave Marker Text: IN MEMORY OF JOHN ABSTON REV. SOLDIER 1757-1856 ERECTED BY RICHARD ROYAL CHAPTER D.A.R. Ranks: Not listed

Visit Instructions:

PLEASE NOTE: This category is for American Revolutionary War Veterans only. Veterans of other revolutions are not part of this category.

I have allowed one entry for a grave of British solders, but it was an exception. Please only list graves for Colonial soldiers.

Simply visit the locations. Please provide as much information as possible. Pictures would be a great addition.

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