Irish-born soldier served in the South Carolina militia before settling in the New Harmony community
CONTRIBUTED TO
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
CHAMBERS COUNTY — Nearly two centuries after his death, the legacy of Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Gillespie remains part of Chambers County’s history.
Born June 16, 1763, in County Antrim, Ireland, Gillespie immigrated to America and eventually settled in the Abbeville District of South Carolina. As a young man, he volunteered to serve during the American Revolution, fighting as a private in the South Carolina militia.
According to his pension records, Gillespie served under several military officers, including Col. Andrew Pickens, Capt. James McCall and Capt. Joseph Calhoun.
His military service included operations along the Savannah and Congaree rivers, as well as a period serving with Gen. Francis Marion. Gillespie was also present during the Siege of Ninety-Six in 1781, an important Revolutionary War engagement in South Carolina.
In addition to his other assignments, Gillespie served in mounted units that pursued Loyalist forces and helped protect the South Carolina frontier.
South Carolina pay records document 185 days of militia service between 1779 and 1783, during which Gillespie served both on horseback and on foot. His federal pension later credited him with 10 months and 27 days of Revolutionary War service.
Following the war, Gillespie remained in the Abbeville District until 1830, when he moved to Troup County, Georgia.
Around 1840, Gillespie relocated with family members to Alabama, settling in the New Harmony community in what is now Chambers County.
New Harmony was once a thriving agricultural community located approximately five miles west of Oak Bowery along what is now Chambers County Road 22.
As he grew older, Gillespie lived with his daughter, Mary, and her husband, David Taylor.
He died in their home on Jan. 27, 1848, at the age of 84.
A devout Presbyterian, Gillespie was buried in New Harmony Presbyterian Cemetery along Chambers County Road 22. The church, established in 1838, was among the earliest Presbyterian congregations in east Alabama.
His gravestone bears an inscription that continues to honor his memory:
“His virtues live though he be dead.”
Those words serve as a lasting tribute to a man whose life included service during the nation’s struggle for independence and whose final years were spent in the rural Chambers County community.
Today, his burial site remains a tangible connection between the American Revolution and the history of Chambers County, preserving the memory of a soldier who helped fight for the nation’s independence.
