On Saturday, October 4, members of Blackwater Chapter, DAR and their guests assembled at the Bethel Cemetery in Holly Meadows for the purpose of rededicating a DAR grave marker placed by the grave of Revolutionary War Patriot William Parsons.
According to Jeff Felton, a descendant of Parsons, the grave marker had been purchased by Blackwater Chapter and initially installed nearly 90 years earlier right after the formation of the Chapter in 1932.
Several years ago, Mr. Felton discovered the information of Parsons’ military service that had been etched into the gravestone was incorrect. He hired some individuals to cut out the incorrect military service, clean the stone, and etch the correct service into the stone.
Possibly it was during this time that the patriot marker was removed and placed among the ferns approximately ten yards away in the back of the cemetery near the fence in order to give the men more room to work on the gravestone.
Fortunately, Blackwater Chapter Regent Cathy Hebb recently discovered it as she was preparing to take a photo of the gravestone for another DAR member.
William Parsons was born in Hardy, Virginia on September 25, 1760. He was the son of Thomas and Mary Ann (Rennick) Parsons. Parsons died on September 10, 1829.
He was not a Captain in the Third Regiment of Light Dragoons. This was another William Parsons.
In fact, Parsons served in the Revolutionary War on two separate occasions. The first time, he voluntarily served. The second time, he served in place of another man who did not want to serve and who paid Parsons to serve in his place, which was a common occurrence.
Parsons served in the Hampshire County Militia as a private. He served in the west, on the Ohio River, in companies commanded by Capt. Adam Fisher and, later, in the Battle of Yorktown under Capt. Robert Cunningham.
Several descendants of William Parsons were in attendance and assisted in the unveiling of the marker. They were Jeff Felton and siblings Tom Felton and Sue Ellen Felton Strawderman; Rebecca Felton Moore, Daryla Parsons Rapp, and Patty Stuzen Haught.
Mrs. Strawderman painted a lovely red, white, and blue flag pattern on the stone where the incorrect information had previously been.
Tucker County Veterans served as the color guard for the ceremony.
Due to the confusion of the military service of the two William Parsons, the DAR is no longer allowing future DAR applicants to use William Parsons as their Patriot until this uncertainty is cleared up with accurate documentation.
Mr. Felton and a few others are diligently working to verify the correct military service of this William Parsons.
They are confident this will eventually be accomplished.
