Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Revolutionary War veteran buried near Mt. Pleasant gets new grave marker From : Revolutionary War veteran buried near Mt. Pleasant gets new grave marker Read more: http://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/4007499-74/jamison-gaffin-grave#ixzz2TwERuLYm Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

From Trib Live News; Revolutionary War veteran buried near Mt. Pleasant gets new grave marker

When Robert Jamison and his wife, Elizabeth, left Ireland to come to America in the 1700s, they looked for a place to settle as they raised their family in the promising new world.
When war broke out, Jamison quickly picked up his musket and joined the local militia to fight in the American Revolution.
On Saturday, ancestors of Jamison, local veterans and members of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Sons of the American Revolution took part in the dedication of a grave marker for the soldier, who has been buried in the Middle Presbyterian Church cemetery just north of Mt. Pleasant.
“We didn't have a lot of information on his grave, but we knew it was in Westmoreland County,” ancestor Carl Gaffin said of his great-great-great-great-grandfather. “My aunt Betty Dumm had kept records, and we were able to get more information from there.”
With the help of local DAR and SAR groups, the Gaffin family located the grave site of Jamison, who fought with the 1st Battalion, 1st Company of the Westmoreland County Militia, which was part of the Westmoreland Volunteers.
“In the honoring of Pvt. Robert Jamison, we also pay tribute to all men and women who have served our country with integrity and devotion,” Middle Presbyterian Church Elder David Lemmon said at the dedication. “We dedicate ourselves anew in a faithful stewardship of the blessings we enjoy today.”
The ceremony included a presentation of the colors by the Joint Revolutionary Color Guard of the Pittsburgh, Beaver and Greensburg chapters.
“I thought this was really nice,” Jamison's great-great-great-great-grandson Lance Gaffin said of the ceremony. “I really didn't know what to expect, and this was much more than I would have ever thought. It was really nice.”
“How many of us would have the courage and the fortitude to endure the hardships that our ancestors did?” asked Kathleen Roebuck, Braddock Trail Chapter of the DAR incoming regent. “We are proud to be here for him and our other ancestors.”
Gaffin gave the crowd a brief history of his ancestor, a frontier ranger who took up arms against both the Indians and the British.
“We are here to honor the sacrifice he made for his country,” Gaffin said.