Revolutionary War grave marking ceremony held at Stambaugh Cemetery

Ancestors of Revolutionary War veteran, Private Tomacee Murry (aka) Thomas Murray of the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment, came together to honor him on Saturday, Aug. 3. The hill to the Stambaugh Cemetery is quite steep, so the ceremony was held across the road on Rt. 1559, Stambaugh in Johnson County.

Thomas Murray was born in Westmoreland County, PA, in 1754 and died in Floyd County, Jan. 27, 1835.

He was married twice, Susannah Hylton in 1775 in Virginia and Susanna Johnson in 1821. He had two sons, Samuel and Daniel.

Thomas Murray enlisted as a private in the Third Company of the First Maryland Regiment, led by Captain Barton Lucas on Jan. 27, 1776.

The Marylanders met the British at the Battle of Brooklyn on Aug. 27, 1776, where the Continental Army, led by General George Washington, fought to defend New York.

Despite the heroic actions of the Maryland 400, the battle was a defeat for the Americans, and the First Maryland Regiment suffered greatly. He was taken prisoner, but later escaped and rejoined his Regiment, (information taken from the Maryland State Archives.)

Members of the American Legion Post 89 and VFW 6103 of Louisa, attended to show their respects and presented the honor guard 21-gun salute and played the Taps.

Members of the Lawrence County, Kentucky Genealogical and Historical Society, Theodore B. Walter Sr., Judge John David Preston, Nita Lewis and Alice Lauderback were in attendance.

The stone was unveiled by Nita Lewis and Alice Lauderback. According to Lewis, “His grave marker had become unreadable, it was a two year process, getting the monument from Young Funeral Home in Louisa, having Longstreth Memorial from Galion, Ohio, to inscribe it on both sides, then planning the event to get it set.”

Preston Funeral Home of Paintsville will set the stone at the cemetery at a later date.

Murray’s ancestors, Lauderback and Lewis, both spoke on the importance of learning family heritage. “It’s getting lost, so we need to keep it alive,” said Lauderback. “We need to know not just the genealogy for the history part,” said Lewis, “because if they hadn’t fought, where would we be today?”

James Barnette, VFW Post Commander 6103, said the ceremony is not something they get to do often. Anyone interested in replacing a military gravestone of a family member should contact a funeral home, which in turn will contact the VFW for the next steps. The group also offers a number of other services, which can be found on their website.