This is an artist’s rendering of a proposed Revolutionary War Memorial that is to be built on the south side of the Highland County Courthouse in Hillsboro. On the right side of the memorial is a Daughters of the American Revolution plaque that currently is located on the south wall of the courthouse. It will be relocated to the memorial. On the left side of the memorial is the proposed Sons of the American Revolution plaque with names of patriots that were born, lived, died or are buried in Highland County. The organizations are currently researching and verifying these patriots. The etching pictures are for early Highland County patriots. The granite will be the same color as the existing War Memorial on the courthouse square. The concrete base for the memorial is in place now where a former war memorial stood.
Submitted photo
Have you considered Highland County’s connection to the American Revolution? After the war, in 1783, many war veterans were issued land grants in the new Northwest Territory. Many of these veterans and their families settled in what is now known as Highland County.
On Thursday, Oct. 19, at 5:30 p.m. at the Highland County Veterans Service Office, 1575 N. High St., in conference room 27A, the Highlanders Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) Chapter and the Waw-Wil-A-Way Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Chapter will host a kickoff meeting for the Highland County Community American Revolution War Memorial project.
“This is a community initiative to dedicate your American Revolution War Memorial on the Hillsboro Courthouse grounds. We are planning our dedication around July 4, 2026, to coincide with the celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary,” said Gary Duffield, Highlanders SAR Chapter President. “Your memorial will list all Revolutionary War patriots who have lived, died or are buried in Highland County. So far, we are vetting 218 patriots. Ninety-three patriots are from the Waw-Wil-A-Way DAR plaque on the Hillsboro Courthouse wall. The other 125 patriots are from various sources identified within Highland County. We consider our patriots as those who fought on the American side, aided the cause (patriotic service), paid taxes, signed an oath of allegiance. We also want to identify both men and women patriots.”
“This is a project for the Highland County community. When we dedicate the memorial, we wish to identify the ancestors of these patriots still living in Highland County or other parts of the country,”Duffield continued. “We hope the community will provide information and stories about our patriots and help us identify other patriots not on our list and share information on the family history of their Revolutionary War patriot. We are looking for burying grounds where our patriots were interned. If you know any of this information, please contact us. We hope to mark each cemetery with a marker identifying the patriots buried there. Some of these burying grounds may not be in Highland County. Regardless, we need to identify them.”
Duffield said the SAR and DAR are seeking assistance from the community including the city of Hillsboro, Highland County townships, villages and unincorporated communities.
“We are in hopes that we can identify all patriots who have lived, died and are buried and information about each including their family history. The memorial project is funded by donations from the community, so please donate if you can. Please plan to attend our organizational meeting on Oct. 19 so we can fill you in on our progress and needs,” Duffield said.
For more information contact Buzzard Wilkin at 937-393-3730 or email Duffield at [email protected].
The names of soldiers currently on a plaque on the exterior south wall of the Highland County Courthouse are: Samuel Adkins, John Halter, Thomas Robinson, James Anderson, John W. Harper, John Ruble, Benjamin Arthur, William Heddings, Aaron Ruble, Azor Bagley, William Higgins, Reuben Searl, John Beard, Joseph Horn, Andrew Shafer, Andrew Beatty, John Hunter, David Smalley, William Bell, Ashley Johnson, Drummond Smith, Thomas Bernard, James Johnson, John Smith, William Boatman, John Kerns, William Smith, Thomas Brady, Fredrick Kuhn (Koon), Peter Snyder, Daniel Brown, Jr., John Foster Leaverton, Anthony T. Sonner, Edward Byram, John McClure, George Spickard, William Buntain, William Manker, Philip Stoops, Dempsey Capps, John Mehaffrey, David Strain, Andrew Charles, John Middleton, Samuel Strain, Capt. James Collier, Beverley Milner, Thomas Strain, Henry Countryman, Reason Moberley, John Strange, John Crawford, Joseph Moler, John Stultz, Matthew Creed, Robert Montgomery, Jacob Surber, Thomas Dickey, Robert Moore, Daniel Tyler, William Douglass, William Morris, Sr., John Tyler, William Downing, Sgt. William Morris, James Underwood, Evan Evans, Sgt. Jacob Nicely, William Van Winkle, Hugh Evans, Stephen D. Ogden, James Watts, John Ferguson, Dr. Andrew Pegan, Marine John West, Henry Field, John Peril (Perrill), Joseph West, Jacob Fishback, Henry Pope, Charles White, Peter Fisher, William Puckett, Matthew Wilson, James Fitzpatrick, William Reed, Conrad Wirt, George Gall, John Richardson, David Walker, Samuel Gibson, Lewis Robinson and Benjamin Yeats.
The 125 new names being added to the memorial include:Joseph Adams, John Allen, William Allman, Thomas Bannard, Thomas Barnard, Jacob Barnes, John Barr, Thomas Barrett, Thomas Beals, Peter Beets, Banner Bentley, Richard Fleming Bernard, Fredrick Bish, William Boyd, Benjamin Brooks, William Bratton, Old Boss Bryant, Lewis Burnett, Samuel Burt, Edward Byum, Lewis Cameron, Samuel Carey, Benjamin Chiles, Thomas Cockerill, James Collins, John Conway, Thomas Cox, Alexander Crawford, Silas Crispin, James/John Curry, Robert Curry, Zebulah Ditto, James Dwyer, John Emery, James Fisher, Daniel Fraley, Frederick Fraley, Frederick Freshour, John Gibson, William Goodwin, John Gossett, Archibald Gray, Edward Hand, John Harper, William Harper, John Hatter, Jacob Hiestand, William Hough, Stephen Hussey, John Jarnigan/Jerigan, Benjamin Johnson, Elisha Johnson, James C. Johnson, Thomas Johnson, William Johnson, Henry Karnes, James Leonard, Evan Lewis, William Lucas, Peter Mauer, Leonard Maurer, Peter Maurer, James McConnell, Andrew McCreery/McCreary, Samuel McQuitty, John Merritt, Adam Miller, Daniel Miller, Peter Miller Sr., Phillip Miller, Jacob Morris, William Morrow Sr., James Murray, Alexander Newman, William Ogle, Aaron Penwell, Joshua Polk, Nathaniel Pope, Samuel Pope, William Preskett, John Pugh, John Adam Redkey, Samuel Reed, John Richardson, Samuel Richardson, Abraham Roads, Henry Roads, Valentine Roads, John Robbins, Joseph Robinson, George Ruble, Aaron Ruse, Frederick Saum, William Sherer, Simon Shoemaker, Jacob Smith, William Smith, Samuel Smithson, Anthony Somers, John Sonner, John Sparguar, Ezekiel Spurgeon, Alexander Starr, Samuel Stram, William Taylor, David Terrel, Joseph Thompson, John Timberlake, David Tyler, John Walter Jr., John Walter Sr., John Washington, James Watts, Joseph Waugh, Charles White, Benjamin Williams, Matthew Williams, Cornelius Wiltsee, Christopher Wise, Samuel Woodmansee, Alexander Wright, James Wright, William Wright, Enock Zinc.
