Jasper County GaArchives Obituaries.....John Davidson January 15 1856
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Anna McClure  AnnaG1938@aol.com  July 21, 2003, 12:57 pm

Jasper Newspaper

SOLDIER OF THE REVOLUTION - A SERVANT OF THE CHURCH

"I have lately come to the knowledge of a venerable Revolutionary patriot and a 
devoted soldier of the Cross, who died some months ago, in Georgia.  I have 
seen no obituary notice of him and his name should be rescued from oblivion for 
the benefit of posterity.  Mr. John Davidson, a ruling elder of the 
Presbyterian, died in Jasper County, Georgia on the 14th of January last, aged 
about ninety-six years.  This aged man was the great grandfather of Mr. R. B. 
F. Key of Gordon, Clark County, Ark.  He was born in Pennsylvania of Scotch-
Irish parentage.  He spent his prime of life in South Carolina, removed 
afterwards to Georgia and resided successfully in Greene and Morgan Counties 
and finally in Jasper County where he died.  At the age of sixteen years, his 
father yielded to his earnest request, and allowed him to join the 
Revolutionary army.  He fought bravely in several of the battles in South 
Carolina, received three severe wounds at the Battle of Cowpens, the honorable 
scars of which he carried to his grave.  He was an eminently pious man.  His 
great themes were the Bible, the revolutionary war, and civil and religious 
liberty.  My last interview with this venerable father, was a meeting of the 
Synod of Georgia, at Greensboro a few years ago.  He greatly rejoiced at the 
progress of religion, and enjoyed the religious services and ecclesiastical 
proceedings of the Synod, perhaps more than anyone present, although at the age 
of ninety years.  He gave me on that occasion, one of the most graphic 
descriptions of the Battle of Camden, to which I have ever listened, in which 
struggle he largely participated.  The old soldier literally "shouldered his 
cane, and fought his battle o'er again."  He was a dear lover of his country, 
and spoke with prophetic warning of our dangers as a nation - of our 
ingratitude abuse of the blessings which we of this generation enjoy, without 
appreciating the sacrifices they cost our fathers.  But his great theme was the 
love of Christ for perishing sinners and here he could expatiate with the 
simple stirring eloquence of one who enjoyed a rich experience of the love of 
God.  His heart overflowed with charity for true Christians and evangelical 
churches of every name.  But his love for his own fold - the Presbyterian - was 
exceedingly strong; for he thought that it's order doctrines, and government in 
fostering a love of liberty and independence of character, had tended greatly 
to shape the generation for the revolutionary struggle.  We do not properly 
estimate our indebtedness to the sturdy and ardent race of the Scotch-Irish 
Presbyterians, with their sound Presbyterian education and principles as one of 
the grand elements that went into the struggle for independence.  Adolphus, the 
English Tory Historian attributes the Revolutionary struggle of Independence, 
in its inception and support, expressly to the councils of the "Rebel 
Presbyterian Ministers and Elders."  A distinguished civilian of New Orleans, 
in dwelling some years ago on the large number of Presbyterian elders that were 
generals and colonels and other leaders of the Southern army of the Revolution, 
and especially in the South Carolina line, remarked that the most truthful 
title of the Revolutionary War would be the "Great Presbyterian Revolution."  
And a closer inspection of the causes leading to that eventful change of the 
affairs of the world, civil and religious, I am not prepared to dispute his 
facts and arguments.  Mr. D. had six children, all of whom he had the 
satisfaction to see hopefully converted, and connected with the church of his 
affections and choice.  Four of them survived him and with God's blessing on 
his careful education of them, they are now serving God and their generation in 
their respective places of residence in the State of Georgia.  At a good old 
age, and like "a shock of corn fully ripe," Mr. D. sank peacefully and quietly 
to his grave, holding on to his integrity to the end, and with a hope full of 
immortality."  Southern Press        Rev. Talmage


Additional Comments:
John Davidson (Revolutionary Soldier) was born 1761 and died in Jasper County 
1/15/1856.  He and his wife had six children.

The newspaper clipping was written by Rev. Talmage and it is about the death of 
John Davidson, RS.  I believe Rev. Talmage was the president of Oglethorpe 
University, then located in Milledgeville, Georgia.  The original clipping is 
in the possession of Mr. Davidson's great, great, great grandson, George D. 
(Ted) Walker of Athens, GA. 

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