The Louisiana Purchase chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution held a grave-marking ceremony May 9 to honor two Revolutionary War veterans buried in Jefferson County: William Drennan and Lawrence Angell.
The ceremony, held at Herrington Cemetery in Pevely, included a presentation of colors by the Sons of the American Revolution, singing of the Star-Spangled Banner by Herrington Cemetery Association president Joe Stenger, and a description of how William Drennan’s grave was found by cemetery detective Tim Ogle.
Drennan owned property in Cedar Hill, said DAR chapter registrar Joan McCready, and Ogle believes he found Drennan’s burial site on the property. Because the Cedar Hill property is privately owned, McCready said the burial site is not open to the public.
The DAR chapter decided to honor Drennan at Herrington Cemetery, where the headstone of Drennan’s daughter, Sarah Herrington, is located alongside her husband, Joshua. Sarah’s father-in-law, Bartholomew Herrington, is also a Revolutionary War veteran.
Less is known about Lawrence Angell. Pension records show Angell called Jefferson County home after the Revolutionary War, but historians are not sure where he is buried, McCready said. Pension records indicate he was buried in a Pevely cemetery, but McCready said the DAR chapter isn’t sure which cemetery or if he’s buried on private property.
At the May 9 ceremony, two memorial stones for Drennan and Angell were unveiled alongside Sarah’s headstone. On the stones are plaques with information on the soldiers compiled by DAR chapter members.
The three main tenets of the DAR are to educate the public, provide patriotic service for veterans, active-duty service members and first responders, and preserve history, McCready said.
“This (grave marking ceremony) really hits all three,” McCready said. “This follows our start of the America 250 activities, which was in November 2024, when we dedicated a monument to the Revolutionary War patriots buried in Jefferson County. That’s over at the county’s Administration Building in Hillsboro.
“At the time, we said, ‘Now, we can find and honor the graves of these individuals.’ William Drennan and Lawrence Angell were our first choices because they had Revolutionary War pensions. We could easily prove their service.”
There are 13 known Revolutionary War veterans buried in the county, McCready said, with three other “potential patriots” still in the verification process.
McCready said Veterans Affairs paid for the two memorial stones for Drennan and Angell because the chapter was able to prove that both soldiers received pensions for their military service.
The chapter is raising money to help pay for the memorial stones’ installation and the informational plaques. McCready said the chapter is also raising money for future memorial stones for the 10 other Revolutionary War veterans who currently do not have grave markings.
For information on fundraisers or how to donate, visit louisianapurchase.mssdar.org or search Louisiana Purchase Chapter NSDAR, De Soto, Missouri, on Facebook.
The soldiers
Born Dec. 23, 1757, in Pennsylvania, Drennan enlisted as a private in the Sixth Battalion of the Pennsylvania Line in 1775 and was part of an expedition to Canada, fighting in the Battle of Trois Rivieres. He also fought in the Battle of Brandywine and the Battle of Germantown, where he was wounded and discharged.
Drennan re-enlisted in 1778 and, in 1780, moved to the Kentucky District of Virginia, where he was “involved in a number of skirmishes against the Indians,” according to a history provided by the DAR chapter. He served for two more years in Ohio and Kentucky as a spy amongst Native Americans.
Drennan applied for and received his pension for his service in 1834. He died on Oct. 20, 1840, at 82 years old.
Born in 1760 in Surrey County, North Carolina, Angell enlisted as a private in the North Carolina Militia in 1775. He joined the Continental Army in 1778 for a five-month tour. He re-enlisted in 1780, joining a company of mounted riflemen and fighting in the Battle of Kings Mountain.
Angell’s son applied for and received a pension in 1838 for his father’s service. Angell died on Nov. 25, 1836, in Herculaneum at about 76 years old. The other known Revolutionary War veterans buried in Jefferson County are Elijah Baker, John and Peter Hildebrand, Thomas Johnston, Jesse Knighton, Stephen Mapes, James McMeans, Joseph Moore, William Moss and John Stewart.
Click to see more photos from the event:
