Revolutionary war soldier to be honored
VINA – The historic Old Burleson Cemetery, lying along the old Cotton Gin Port Road near Vina, is the final resting place for Cpt. Presley Thorn, a Revolutionary War and War of 1812 soldier.
A celebration ceremony to honor Cpt. Thorn’s patriotic service is for Sunday, May 4, at 2:30 p.m. by the local Shoals chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).
Greeting and wreath placement support will be supplied from the Chief Colbert chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR, Tuscumbia), and the Alamance DAR (Florence).
Instrumental participants in the ceremony will include Cpt. Thorn’s descendants, Layton Thorn (Shoals SAR chaplain), Gene Thorn of Red Bay and Mrs. Freda Daily, Ed.D, of the Chief Colbert DAR, and former superintendent of education in Colbert County.
The event will recognize local and connected families that descend from this valiant patriot. The ceremony is expected to include placement of the SAR wreath-marker and a military 7- to 21-gun salute. A troop of Franklin County Cub Scouts will provide escort for the wreath laying.
This proud burial location lies alongside the old Cotton Gin Port Road, surveyed in 1807 as the result of the Cotton Gin Treaty of 1806, which established a period of peace between the Cherokee, Chickasaw and the new North American Nation (United States). This road facilitated the movement of cotton and other goods from the Melton Bluff in the Tennessee Valley to the River Port near Amory, Miss. for access to the port of Mobile via the Tombigbee River, and thereby access to international commerce.
All of the extended family of Patriot Presley Thorn are encouraged to attend. Allied families that descend from Cpt. Presley Thorn, or are connected by inter-marriage include the following surnamed descendants: Thorn, Thorne, Ainsley, Armstrong, Bottoms, Boyd, Burleson, Clift, Cox, Daily, Dailey, Fuller, Howell, Hughes, Jackson, Ligon, Love, Nicholson, Russell, Sanderson, Self, Strong, Toliver, Wade, Waldrop, Williams and Wright.
Families and other interested parties may learn more of this event and recognition of descendant family participants by contacting Bobby Stanford at rwsjr35653@earthlink.net or 256-324-2317.
