Recently at Ohio Society Daughters of the American Revolution (OSDAR) Fall Fun Fair in Columbus, Ohio, the first Legacy of Ohio’s Underrepresented Patriots marker was awarded to the Fort GreeneVille Chapter to mark the grave of Private Benjamin Williams, a free person of color who served three years in the Maryland Continental Line. He is buried in Clemens Cemetery in Longtown in Darke County.
Continuing the Legacy of Ohio’s Underrepresented Patriots is Ohio Daughters of the American Revolution’s (OSDAR) America 250 state-level project. It combines the efforts and resources of our America 250! and Specialty Research Committees, along with the help of all interested Ohio Daughters and chapters. The special grave marker represents underrepresented Patriots of the American Revolution. For consideration for this marker a Patriot is required to be female, African American, Native American, French, French Canadian, Dutch, Spanish, Jewish, or of mixed heritage.
Benjamin Williams, born about 1762, was a free person of color who enlisted in the American Revolutionary War in 1781 in the Maryland Continental Line at Georgetown. He served as a Private under Capt. Winchester, Col. Adams and General Mordaecai Gist’s Brigade. He was at the Siege of Yorktown and assisted in the capture of Cornwallis’ Army in 1781. He continued his service for a total of 3 years under Capt. Reveille’s Co. At the end of the war he was discharged at Annapolis Maryland. He applied for a pension in Hamilton County Ohio November 22, 1819 receiving $8.00 per month.
Sometime after 1835 Benjamin moved from Hamilton County with his family to Darke County Ohio settling near the Greenville settlement (Longtown) in German Township (now Liberty Township). Benjamin died February 19, 1839 as noted in Darke County Probate Court records.
Fort GreeneVille Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution will be dedicating the Ohio Underrepresented Patriots grave marker at the gravesite of American Revolutionary War soldier Benjamin Williams during Bethel Long Wesleyan Church Annual Homecoming event on Sunday, September 29th at 3:00pm. The dedication will be held at Clemens Cemetery on Hollansburg-Tampico Road in Liberty Township, Darke County, Ohio with a historical cemetery tour to follow. The public is invited to attend.