Revolutionary Soldiers In Old Waxhaw Cemetery

By Historian Louise Pettus

On May 19, 1950 the Catawba Chapter of the DAR dedicated a monument of Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson, the mother of President Andrew Jackson. Mrs. Jackson was buried in Charleston, a victim of fever contracted while nursing wounded soldiers.

In the same plot as Mrs. Jackson's monument are tombstones honoring 5 Revolutionary War soldiers of the Waxhaws. On the day of the dedication, Miss Nancy Crockett, long known as "The Historian of the Waxhaws," gave a brief account of the Revolutionary service of each of the five patriots. All of the markers were erected by descendants. Miss Crockett also pointed out that there were other soldiers of the Waxhaws lying in unmarked graves in the church cemetery and some in family graveyards.

She recounted the trials and tribulations of Robert Gault. It seems that when Robert was around 16 years of age his father, William Gault, a Revolutionary War soldier came home on furlough. There was corn in the fields ready for harvesting so William sent Robert as his substitute and intended to return for military duty as soon as he finished harvesting the corn.

Unfortunately for Robert, he was captured by the British at the Battle of Blackstocks, jailed in Camden and then moved to a prison ship at Charleston. After "several years, lying in filthy prisons, polluted with vermin and sick almost to death," he was exchanged for a British soldier and released.

Robert, practically a skeleton and no money, came on foot through what was then a wilderness from Jamestown to his home on Camp Creek. It took many weeks and not even his mother recognized him.

There are markers for both Gaults. Pvt. William Gault, the father, died in 1803. Robert died in 1837.

James Cureton, a native of Prince George county, VA., served in the Revolution as a private. He came to the Waxhaws in 1788, returned to Virginia and in 1794-1801 served in the Virginia legislature. He returned to the Waxhaws and established a prominent family in Lancaster County that intermarried with the Masseys, Heaths and Dobys. He is buried in the Cureton-Massey-Cook burial ground about 10 miles north of Lancaster.

Thomas McDow, a private in the Revolution, was a native of the Waxhaws. He served under Capt. George Dunlap. McDow became a planter of considerable wealth and was elected ruling Elder of Waxhaw church. He died in 1835.

Reese Shelby, Sr. was born in Wales. When he was ten, his family immigrated to Pennsylvania then moved to Maryland. Around 1760 Shelby came to Mecklenburg County, NC. During the war he was a private in the N. C. Militia, serving under his brother-in-law, Col. Adam Alexander.

After the war he went to Chesterfield county, SC and became one of the major bankers in the state. His burial place is recorded as being in Old Waxhaw but no original stone survives.

At the time of the ceremony in 1950 there was as yet no marker for Elizabeth Jackson's two sons, Hugh and Robert, who died in the war but application had been made for a government marker.

Hugh Jackson was only 16 when he lost his life following the Battle of Stone Ferry which was fought June 20, 1779.

A year later Robert Jackson was captured in a skirmish at Waxhaw Church and placed in Camden jail along with his younger brother, Andrew. The two boys caught smallpox while in jail. When their mother got word of their plight she went to Camden and was successful in getting them released as part of a prisoner exchange. Robert died a few days later either of smallpox or his wounds, or likely a combination of the two.

Thirteen-year-old Andy was then an orphan. He survived to become the 7th president of the United States.