Independence Day . . . don't take it for granted. (Little Flock Cemetery, Shelburn, Indiana)

(originally posted on 4 July 2016)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA

On October 17, 1781, Cornwallis surrendered to Washington on the battlefield at Yorktown, effectively ending the American War of Independence. That date also ended the military career of a young Private from New York named Aldirt Henry Plough. It also marked the beginning of a 70 year journey for Aldirt that would end 800 miles to the west.

Aldirt Plough was born in Kingston, New York in the Hudson River Valley in 1762. His parent’s families were probably descendants of the early Dutch settlers who had establish settlements at that site dating back to the early 17th Century. At the age of 19, he joined the New Jersey Militia as a private in a company commanded by Captain Westbrooke, in the Regiment commanded by Colonel Rosecrance in the War of the Revolution. He was honorably discharged 5 months later, due to the end of the war.

Ten years later he was in Woodford County, Kentucky, where he was married to Fannie Crawson. They had seven children born in the vicinity of the settlement at Harrodsburg, Kentucky. In 1829, the Plough family moved to Sullivan County, Indiana where Aldirt was one of the first settlers of Jackson Township. Their home would have been about 3 miles east of present day US 41, and in line with Ebenezer Church road. This area has since been extensively strip mined. (Ref: "The History of Jackson Township Sullivan County, Indiana" – published 1915)

Aldirt died about 1852 at the age of over 90 years old. His family prospered and had become honored citizens of their new home. Some of his descendants continued to use the surname “Plough”, while others changed the spelling to “Plew”. This family produced several well-known doctors and preachers around Sullivan and Greene Counties. For whatever reason, when Aldirt died he was buried in an unmarked grave in the Hamilton Township cemetery, which served as a place for pauper burials. This burying ground is currently the southwest corner of the Little Flock Cemetery located near Shelburn, Indiana. For many years afterwards the location of the grave existed only as a legend about a Revolutionary War soldier buried in the cemetery.

Edmund Waller Thompson was a local farmer and business man. His farm was immediately to the east of the Little Flock Cemetery, where his family had lived since the 1820s. Edmund himself was a Civil War veteran, and had a deep respect for the old soldiers buried in the cemetery. As the original part of the Little Flock cemetery filled up, Edmund Thompson started selling burial lots on the east side of the old road, in what was the northwest corner of his farm property. Edmund took on stewardship of the burial grounds and kept it in good shape, especially for “Decoration Day” ceremonies during Memorial Day weekend. For many years, Edmond bought small US Flags which he and his boys placed on the graves of the Civil War veterans. (This tradition has been continued by the local American Legion, marking the graves of all military veterans.)

Edmund became interested in the story of the old Revolutionary War soldier, and thought that Aldirt should be more properly honored. With the help of an old settler, Edmund was able to locate the unmarked grave. Edmund had the gravesite marked and edged with a concrete footer so that we’ll never lose track of that old soldier again. The footer has been maintained and was capped with concrete to create a sarcophagus, and a footstone was placed which includes Aldirt’s service information.

Shown is a photo of Aldirt Plough’s grave, taken from the Find-a-Grave website. We have no close family connections to Aldirt Plough.

Edmund Waller Thompson was the grandfather of my dad Sherrill Thompson. Stewardship of the Little Flock Cemetery has included an unbroken line of having a Thompson family member on the cemetery board, now for over 150 years.