Ohioans Needed to Locate Revolutionary War Heroes

Historians suggest that after the Revolutionary War, many soldiers were granted land in Ohio as a reward for their service. It’s estimated that around 7,000 of these soldiers are buried throughout the state. To honor their contributions, the Ohio Historic Preservation Office is embarking on a project aimed at uncovering these war heroes.

As various states gear up to mark their 250th anniversaries, Ohio is focused on identifying a specific veteran to pay tribute to. Historians believe that roughly 7,000 Revolutionary War soldiers lie at rest in Ohio. Following the American Revolution, thousands were compensated with land, much of which is now part of Ohio. This led many veterans to move westward, seeking new beginnings in the region.

“These veterans were among the earliest residents of Ohio,” remarked Christa Horrocks, a project manager and historian at the Ohio History Connection. She’s overseeing the Revolutionary War Veterans Graves Project in collaboration with America 250 Ohio.

This initiative is reaching out to Ohioans for assistance in locating the graves of these Revolutionary War heroes. “They survived, relocated, and built their families here in Ohio,” Horrocks added. So far, the public has logged about 4,100 soldiers’ graves across the state, with the Memorial Day deadline approaching.

Horrocks acknowledges the difficulty in reaching the full number of 7,000 graves, admitting that some cemetery records are incomplete. However, the app Survey123 should aid in getting as close to that figure as possible. According to Horrocks, the app enables users to locate local cemeteries and engage with surveys relevant to the project, all accessible via mobile devices.

Ohioans can also search for cemeteries that have documented Revolutionary War veterans. Once they find an undocumented grave, the app allows them to answer various questions about it, including the veteran’s name, birth and death dates, as well as upload photos.

Greenlawn Cemetery, the second largest in Ohio, plays a significant role in this effort. Randy Rogers, its executive director, mentioned that they have provided multiple lists over the years of potential Revolutionary War veterans interred there, even though Greenlawn itself was established in 1848, long after the war.

As Memorial Day approaches, Rogers has recorded nine Revolutionary War veterans through the app for a national initiative. He identified a total of 13 veterans, but he’s aware that finding their graves can be quite complex. “We take great pride in our veteran and patriot ancestors,” Rogers noted. “Sometimes, there’s only a marker on a property, while their actual graves are elsewhere.”

Ultimately, the group intends to compile and share a list of the discovered graves belonging to Revolutionary War veterans. Horrocks hopes this will lead to the restoration of historical markers or new headstones to honor these once-overlooked heroes. “The main goal of this project is to provide accurate data to assist communities in honoring their veterans effectively,” she shared.