For many Revolutionary War patriots, it was old age and hardship instead of battlefield glory that ultimately preserved their stories. The paper trail created decades after the fighting ended often tells us more about men like John Gordon than the war itself ever did.
To mark the United States’ 250th birthday, the Daughters of the American Revolution has joined forces with America250, the nationwide commemoration of our country’s semiquincentennial, to pay tribute to Revolutionary War Patriots. As part of the celebration, I’ll be sharing the stories of those laid to rest in Delaware County, with help from Kathi Hirons Kesterson -the regent of the Paul Revere Chapter of Muncie’s DAR– over the next several Fridays.
John Gordon was born around 1758. By the spring of 1779, he had already cast his lot with the Revolutionary cause. That March, he enlisted in the Pennsylvania Line under Lieutenant Adamson Tannehill. Gordon then joined a unit at Jacob’s Creek in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and marched on to Fredericktown, Maryland, where he served from 1779 into 1780 under General William Smallwood. Eventually assigned to Captain Bell’s command, Gordon was ordered south, taking part in the momentous siege of Yorktown that would help bring the war to its close1.
In late 1781, Gordon was sent south as part of the effort to stabilize the Carolinas under General Nathanael Greene. While serving in South Carolina, he reenlisted for another three years, then traveled to Annapolis on a six-month furlough. After returning to duty, Gordon was attached to Captain Luckett’s company and ordered to garrison duty to defend Pittsburgh. He remained there until the war formally ended, and was discharged following the Treaty of Paris2.
John Gordon’s military service might have faded into obscurity if not for two federal pension laws designed to support aging Revolutionary War veterans. The Pension Act of 1818 granted privates with at least nine months of honorable service a monthly stipend of eight dollars, while a follow-up law in 1820 restricted pensions to veterans who could prove financial need3.
For today’s researchers, these laws are invaluable. The 1818 act often preserves detailed accounts of a soldier’s service, while the 1820 act required veterans to submit inventories of their livestock, tools, household goods, family circumstances, and economic status. Together, they form some of the richest and most personal surviving records of the Revolutionary War4.
At first, John Gordon believed he could get by without a pension. He owned -or thought he owned- a small tract of land that seemed sufficient to support him without government assistance. That hope fell apart when an older claim stripped him of the property5. Left without that safety net, Gordon, then sixty-six years old, appeared in court in Adams County, Ohio, in October 1824 to apply for his long-delayed pension6.
As part of his pension application, Gordon submitted a sworn statement that paints a clear picture of life for an aging frontier veteran of modest means. His possessions consisted of a small assortment of livestock, basic household goods, and simple farming tools, together valued at $153.507.
“I do solemnly swear,” Gordon declared, “that I was a resident citizen of the United States on the 18th day of March 1818 and that I have not since that time by gift sale or in any manner disposed of my property or any part thereof with intent thereby so to diminish it as to bring my self within the provisions of an act of Congress entitled an Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval Service of the United States in the revolutionary war passed March 18th 18188.”
At long last, John Gordon was awarded his eight-dollar monthly pension. It was a small, but meaningful, recognition that arrived before he spent the final years of his life in Delaware County. Although a cenotaph dedicated at Mt. Pleasant Township’s Hawk Cemetery lists his year of death as 18329, Gordon bought land the following year near today’s Lexington Point addition.
John Gordon’s story reflects the experience of countless Revolutionary War soldiers whose contributions were essential but rarely celebrated. His pension file, created out of necessity late in life, preserves a rare, ground-level view of the Revolution and its aftermath.
Together with his service record and marker, it ensures that Gordon is remembered not just as a name in the archives, but as an ordinary soldier who helped build our nation.
Sources Cited
1 Pension Application of John Gordon (S. 42,751), Revolutionary War service, Pennsylvania; US Revolutionary War Pensions, 1800-1900, publication M804, roll 1097; Record Group 15, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Washington, D.C.; digitized images, Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com: accessed and transcribed by Kathryn Hirons Kesterson, 11 January 2026).
2 (See footnote 1).
3 United States Congress, An Act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary War, 18 March 1818, 3 Stat. 410; and An Act in addition to an act entitled “An act to provide for certain persons engaged in the land and naval service of the United States in the Revolutionary War”, 1 May 1820, 3 Stat. 569; provisions summarized and contextualized by Kathryn Kesterson, Hoosier Kin Genealogy Services.
4 Kesterson, K. (2026, January 11). Revolutionary War Pension Act of 1818. Why These Acts Matter for Research. Personal communication.
5 John Gordon (S. 42,751(, pension file, p. 8; M804, roll 1097; Fold3 (accessed and transcribed by Kathryn Hirons Kesterson, 11 Jan 2026).
6 (See footnote 1).
7 (See footnote 1).
8 (See footnote 1).
9 Roysdon, K. (2005, August 14). Veteran gets his due. The Muncie Star Press. p. 9.
