From GoUpstate.com: Muskets fired in salute to 7 who fought for liberty.
More than 200 years ago, seven area Revolutionary War soldiers fought the British to help America gain independence.
Those brave men who fought together and were buried together in the same cemetery were honored Saturday for their sacrifice during a grave-marking ceremony in Union.
The South Carolina Society and Daniel Morgan Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution held the event in the Old Union Cemetery east of downtown. Several other area chapters also participated.
Members of the patriotic groups presented colors in Continental military uniforms and gave the soldiers a military salute using muskets. The program also included a brief reading about each soldier, and a wreath was placed at the site by the groups and descendants of the soldiers.
“The brave men we honor today gave their full measure of devotion to the cause of liberty,” said Tony Zeiss, author and president of Charlotte Piedmont Community College. “This is their enduring legacy. As the benefactors of their sacrifices, it is our legacy and responsibility to honor these devoted Patriots, preserve our Republic and to keep the cause of liberty alive.”
The soldiers honored were Col. Thomas Brandon, Col. John Sharp, Maj. Thomas Young, Christopher Brandon, William Kennedy, William Kennedy Jr. and William Sharp.
“Most of these men were related to each other or married into the family,” said Mark Anthony, secretary of the Daniel Morgan Chapter and president of the South Carolina Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. “They left their homes and families to fight for an ideal liberty. It behooves us to carry the torch forward today.”
Zeiss wrote a book about Young, who was 16 at the time he fought in the Revolutionary War. The book is “Backcountry Fury: A Sixteen Year Old Patriot in the Revolutionary War.”
“Thomas fought at most of the Upstate battles,” Zeiss said. “After the battle at Kings Mountain, he was elected captain on his 17th birthday. At the battle of Cowpens, he was wounded severely with six saber cuts, captured and interrogated by Banastre Tarleton. He escaped during a night crossing of the Broad River.”
Some of the other soldiers also had harrowing stories such as William Kennedy Jr., who suffered two serious wounds at Stallion’s Plantation. He recovered and fought at Kings Mountain and Cowpens.
Zeiss said Col. Thomas Brandon was “beloved for his vigorous leadership.” He later served several terms in the state Legislature.
After the brief ceremony, descendants of the soldiers spent a few minutes at their ancestors’ graves. Each grave contained a small flag and patriot marker.
“I am proud to be a descendant in a family that has always fought for freedom,” said Barham Kennedy of Union. “I have always known about my ancestors and have brought people in the family doing genealogy here to this cemetery.”
Karen Powell, a descendant of the Brandons, traveled from Burlington, N.C., to attend the ceremony. She has been a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution for more than 10 years, but she didn’t find out she was related to the Brandons until this year.
“It’s pretty exciting for me,” she said. “My husband is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, and I always enjoy the ceremonies.”
