Notable people · Soldier · Revolutionary War Veteran
John Gray
John Gray was born in Virginia and lived his last years in Noble County, Ohio. At his death in 1868 at age 104 he was widely called the last surviving soldier of the American Revolution.
At a glance
- Born
- 1764-01-06
- Died
- 1868-03-29
- Known as
- Soldier, Revolutionary War Veteran
Life story
John Gray was born in January 1764 in Fairfax County, Virginia. At 16 he joined the Virginia militia and served six months as a private in the Continental Army, and he was present at Yorktown in 1780-81.
After the war he moved to the Northwest Territory and eventually settled in Noble County, Ohio.
Congress gave him a pension in 1866. In 1867 the Bureau of Pensions recognized him as the last surviving Revolutionary War veteran after the death of Samuel Downing. A biography titled John Gray, of Mount Vernon: The Last Soldier of the Revolution was published in 1868.
He died in March 1868 at age 104 and is buried in the McElroy Family Cemetery at Hiramsburg. A memorial stands along State Route 821 in Noble Township.
Timeline
- 1764-01-06: Born (Fairfax County, VA) source
- 1780: Joins the Virginia militia (Virginia) source
- 1781: At the Siege of Yorktown (Yorktown, VA) source
- 1866: Congress grants him a pension (Washington, DC) source
- 1867: Recognized as last surviving Revolutionary War veteran (Washington, DC) source
- 1868: Biography published source
- 1868-03-29: Dies (Noble County, OH) source
What John is known for
- Served in the Virginia militia and Continental Army and was at the Siege of Yorktown, 1780-81
- Received a pension from Congress in 1866
- Recognized in 1867 by the Bureau of Pensions as the last living Revolutionary veteran
- Subject of the 1868 biography by James McCormick Dalzell
Honors and things named for them
- Congressional pension (1866)
Places in Ohio to see
- John Gray Memorial (marker)
State Route 821, Noble Township, Noble County Noble Township · Noble County · official page
Ohio places
Where John Gray was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Lived: Noble Township, Noble County ZIP 43724 · Noble Township · Noble County
- Died: Noble County, Noble County ZIP 43724 · Noble County
- Buried: Hiramsburg, Noble County (McElroy Family Cemetery) Noble County
Myths and corrections
- Gray is often called the very last Revolutionary War soldier. That depends on other claimants, Daniel F. Bakeman and George Fruits, failing to prove their service.
- Disputed: Gray is called the last living Revolutionary War soldier, but two other men also claimed that title and were not accepted because they could not prove service. The case rests on that.
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Wikipedia: John Gray (American Revolutionary War soldier) birth, service, pension, burial, memorial location, dispute over last-veteran claim