He was buried

in Peachtree City Oct. 10, 1836 and 165 years and one month later, he

was given recognition for his part in the American Revolutionary War.

His name was

John Routon and his direct descendants still live in Fayette County.

The Augustin

Clayton Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, and Edward Jordan

Lanham, Historical Research and Preservation, worked for over a year to

obtain a grave marker and to set a ceremony honoring one of their own.

Routon was

born in 1760 in Bedford County, Va. when it was still a wilderness on

the Virginia frontier. At the age of 16 he volunteered in the Virginia

Militia and served 13 months in readiness against British troops, and

marched from his home area to as far away as Boone's Fort in what is now

Kentucky.

He married

Jane Arthur in 1779 and they reared eight children.

Volunteering

for service again in 1781, he participated in the battle at Guilford Courthouse,

Greensboro, N.C. Though technically won by the British, the battle saw

a serious loss of British manpower, foreshadowing final American victory

at Yorktown, seven months later.

He moved his

family from Virginia to Wilkes County, Ga., in 1786 and then to Jackson

and Jasper counties, coming to Fayette County in 1828.

Under the Pension

Act of 1832, Routon received a pension from the United States government

for services to his country over 50 years before. He received the sum

of $40 a year, for the remaining three years plus of his life.

The post-funeral

eulogy was delivered by a fourth great-grandson, Ted Brooke. He concluded

their name is spoken ­ so today, 165 years after his death, we have

not forgotten him. ...

" ...

If our hearts listen to him and we see him and know him as he was, we

shall become greater ­ greater people, greater Americans and greater

in character. That's why we are here today with John Routon, American

patriot."

Descendants

joined in unveiling the marker, which is on Robinson Road at Crescent

Oaks Subdivision.

Regent for

the DAR, Betty Harrah, conducted the ceremony along with officers from

the state DAR and representatives from other state chapters.

For information

call Harrah at 770-461-7615.