Revolutionary war soldier Owen Dailey to be honored Sunday afternoon at Chestnut Cemetery

Earlier this month, I received a nice e-mail from Greg Swanner of Billingsley. Swanner has deep ancestral roots in Wilcox County, and he and I have corresponded over the years about historical matters related to such places as Watsons Crossing and Stewartville. His latest e-mail informed me about an upcoming event that local history buffs will enjoy hearing about.

This coming Sunday at 3 p.m., members of the Lt. Joseph M. Wilcox Chapter of the Alabama Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) will hold a ceremony at the Chestnut Cemetery, located on State Highway 265 between Camden and Beatrice, in honor of Revolutionary War soldier Owen Dailey, who has many living descendants in Wilcox and Monroe counties. During the ceremony, DAR members will dedicate a new grave marker at Dailey’s final resting place, which is currently marked with a simple stone. Chapter Regent Gladys Mason is Dailey’s third-great-granddaughter, and she responsible for obtaining a marker for his grave.

According to Swanner, who is Dailey’s fifth-great-grandson, Owen Dailey still has many living descendants in Wilcox and Monroe counties.

“We are excited about honoring him,” Swanner said. “It’s been a long time coming, but it’s something that is due him. Wilcox and Monroe Counties have so much history and so much to be proud of. Our heritages in this area are something to be proud of.”

Owen Dailey’s exact birthday is unknown, but he was likely born sometime around 1764 in South Carolina. As a 19-year-old, he was drafted into the South Carolina state militia, and he went on to serve in his home state and in Georgia. His unit marched to such places as Ancrum’s Ferry, Broad River, Beaufort, Black River and the Savannah River. Serving alongside regular army soldiers and other militiamen, Dailey and his unit fought in a number of skirmishes and engagements.

Records reflect that Dailey also served as a substitute for a man named Christian Hope. Service as a substitute soldier was relatively common during America’s early history. In the case of Dailey and Hope, Hope had likely been drafted, but had enough money enough to pay Dailey to serve in his place. Usually only the wealthy could afford to hire a substitute, while less affluent draftees had little choice but to report for duty.

Years after the American Revolution, Dailey moved to Alabama and was among the state’s pioneer settlers listed in the 1830 U.S. Census. By 1835, he’d obtained a tract of nearly 80 acres near the Wilcox-Monroe County line, a few miles northwest of the Chestnut Cemetery. Dailey and his wife, Elizabeth, had a number of children, including David, John, Michael, William, Adam, Jacob, George, Alexander and Barbary. Several of these children eventually moved to the Fatama community in southern Wilcox County, where many of their descendants still live today.

Dailey passed away in January 1842, and he was buried in the Chestnut Cemetery. Only a simple stone marks his final resting place, but that will change this coming Sunday when his descendants properly honor him with a suitable grave marker. Local history buffs – and the general public – are invited and encouraged to witness this historic event in honor of one of our area’s pioneer citizens.