John Sevier SAR Chapter Honors Local Patriot

The John Sevier Chapter, and other members of the Tennessee Society Sons of the American Revolution, conducted a Patriot Grave Marking ceremony in honor of Revolutionary War Patriot Ransom Smith at Teague Cemetery near Powells Cross Road in Marion County at 11 a.m. this past Saturday.  

The Sons of the American Revolution Society conducts Patriot Grave Marking ceremonies at the grave sites of known patriots across the state of Tennessee.  The ceremony included presentation and posting of colors by the TNSSAR Color Guard, the Patriot’s Service Biography by General (ret) B.B. Bell, Society mission statement and ceremonial passages provided by Terry Beaty, Mark Compton, George Ison and Jay Jones.  Participating in the unveiling of the Patriot Marker were descendants of Ransom Smith, Mrs. Edwina Griffith, escorted by her nephew, Mr. Gerold Scott.  Mr. Scott himself is a USAF veteran.  The ceremony concluded with a three-volley musket salute by color guard members and the playing of TAPs.  Post ceremony chapter members posted graveside U.S. flags at 17 veteran graves to include the son of the patriot, who was an 1812 veteran, and the grandson of the patriot, who served in the Civil War.

Patriot Ransom Smith was born in Virginia, but served in the Granville County, NC militia regiment from 1780 -1781.  He served four tours of duty; a militia tour of duty was typically three months long during the revolutionary war period.  In the Spring of 1780, his unit, under Lt. Col. Thornton Yancey, was sent to Charleston, SC.  Luckily, Smith was discharged before the town surrendered on May 12, 1780 and avoided capture.  His second tour of duty was in the Summer of 1780 attached to Col. James Saunders (Caswell County regiment).  The third tour of duty was early in 1781 under Capt. John Henderson, in whose command he likely served at the Battle of Ramsey's Mill on March 19, 1781.  His last tour of duty in the fall of 1781 saw Ransom Smith serving under Capt. James Blackwell, first attached to Col. Francois DeMalmedy (NC Light Dragoons), then under Col. Joseph Taylor.  Col. Taylor’s command was in action at the Battle of Raft Swamp Oct. 15, 1781.  

After the revolution, Patriot Smith removed to Claiborne Co., Tn. about 1805, then to Campbell Co., Tn. about 1809, and finally to Marion Co. in 1831.  He applied for a pension for his service in the revolution in October of 1833.  His original grave site with that of his wife Elizabeth Moss is reported to have been lost in a flood in the Sequatchie Valley.  The monument in Teague Cemetery was erected by his great-grandchildren, and is where the family honors him.  Ransom Smith has hundreds of descendants in several states.  

The ceremony was also part of the SAR’s on-going celebration of the people and events of the American Revolution’s 250th anniversary running to the end of 2033.  SAR ceremonial events are open to the public.  For additional event information, see the chapter’s calendar online at https://www.tnssar.org/john-sevier-chapter.html or the TNSSAR color guard webpage calendar at https://www.tnssar.org/color-guard.html.