"Amos was a Revolutionary War Patriot corporal and the first Keeper of Amelia's Lighthouse in 1838. He was originally buried near the Lighthouse along with his wife. The Coast Guard sold part of the property and the graves were moved to the current location."
--Find A Grave (
visit link)
"Amos Latham was born on 18 July 1759 in Groton, New London County, CT. He was the son of Jasper and Deborah Avery Latham.
In May 1777, Latham enlisted for three years as a corporal in the Continental Army at Groton under Lt. Thomas Avery, Capt. Shumway's Company of Col. Huntington's 1st Connecticut regiment. By December 1777, Latham's regiment was at Valley Forge where he spent the winter of 1777-1778. On 28 June 1778, he was wounded at the Battle of Monmouth with a "wound in the leg which rendered him unfit for duties of the field." At this time, Latham was transferred to the Marines.
From 5 October 1778 until August 1781, Latham served aboard the Continental frigate Confederacy as a sergeant of marines.
The Confederacy was built in Connecticut and departed New London on her maiden voyage on 1 May 1779. She captured the British frigate Pole and two smaller vessels on 6 June 1779. In October 1799, enroute to Europe with American Ambassador to Spain John Jay and French minister Alexander Gerard, the ship was dismasted by high winds and had to put into Martinique for a jury rig. The two diplomats continued to Europe aboard a French vessel. Confederacy was finally able to return to Philadelphia for further repairs, arriving there on 27 April 1778. From the start, she was plagued by the need for repairs, shortages of everything from arms to clothing for the crew, a smallpox epidemic and frequent desertions. Her last cruise began 5 December 1780 and ended 14 April 1781 when she was confronted by two large British ships and was surrendered by her captain, Seth Harding, off the Delaware Capes. Most of the officers were paroled and the crew was confined to the prison ship Jersey until exchanged or released. According to family stories, Amos Latham was released in Charleston, SC.
By 1808, Latham had moved to Camden County, Georgia, where he received a land grant of 200 acres on the south side of the Satilla River.
In 1800, he married Jane Parsons, the daughter of Hillary Parsons. Jane was born on 1 June 1775 in Craven County, NC.
Mary Ann Latham was born on 8 May 1810 in Glynn County, GA. Jane Maria Latham was born on 30 December 1812, also in Glynn County, GA. George Washington Avery Latham was born on 8 June 1815.
A Revolutionary War pension application was filed in Camden County, Georgia, on 9 March 1819. On 6 May 1840, Amos had his pension transferred from Georgia to Nassau County, Territory of Florida. At that time, he gave an oath before the mayor of Fernandina that the government had moved the lighthouse in Cumberland Island, Georgia, to Amelia Island, Florida, and "as keeper of the same he was bound to remove".
Amos died on 18 April 1842 and was buried at the Amelia Island Lighthouse near Fernandina. His birth date on his new tombstone gives the date he used in his pension application which is two years later than the birth date found in Connecticut vital records. Perhaps his memory had become "fuzzy" when the application was made. Jane died on 24 November 1840 and was buried beside him at the lighthouse. Both were later re-interred in the Morse plot in Bosque Bello Cemetery."
--Source (
visit link)