Amanda Pevey
Elmore Autauga News
As communities across the nation prepare to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, the Old Autauga Historical Society gathered June 29 to honor one of the area’s earliest connections to the nation’s founding by placing patriotic flowers and flags at the grave of Revolutionary War veteran Jeremiah Chancellor in Pine Level.
The ceremony took place at Pine Level Methodist Church Cemetery, where members of the historical society, Chancellor’s relatives and members of the public gathered to recognize the life and service of one of old Autauga County’s earliest settlers.
According to the Alabama Department of Archives and other historical sources, Chancellor was born in England and immigrated to America with his father and brothers at age 16, shortly before the American Revolution. The family settled in South Carolina, where the conflict often pitted Patriots against Loyalists in what historians describe as a civil war within the colony.
Historical accounts indicate Chancellor and his brother, William, joined the Patriot cause, while family tradition holds that their father remained loyal to the British Crown. After the war, the brothers never saw their father again.
Chancellor later moved to what is now Autauga County in 1818, before Alabama achieved statehood in 1819. He led a group of early settlers into the northwestern portion of the county, where they established homes and helped shape the area’s earliest communities. He died in 1831 and is buried at Pine Level Methodist Church Cemetery.
Society President Larry Caver said Chancellor’s grave provides a direct connection between the local community and the nation’s founding.
“Old Autauga County had approximately 30 early settlers who were purported to have served in the American Revolutionary War,” Caver said. “These elderly veterans were probably 70-plus whenever they made the journey to Alabama Territory.”
Caver said many residents may not realize the area’s Revolutionary War connections.
“Autauga County and Alabama did not exist in 1776, but 1776 runs deep in our county’s history,” he said. “We are very proud of our connection to the patriots who fought for our freedom.”
Before the Pine Level ceremony, members of the Old Autauga Historical Society also visited the graves of three other Revolutionary War patriots buried in the area, placing patriotic wreaths at the graves of Clement Billingsley, Lewis Cookson Davis and William Kirkland ahead of the Independence Day holiday.
Pine Level Mayor Zachary Bigley said the town takes pride in preserving its role in American history.
“Pine Level holds a special place in America’s story,” Bigley said. “In Pine Level, Jeremiah Chancellor, a Revolutionary War patriot who answered the call to fight for our nation’s independence, was laid to rest. More than two centuries later, as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, we are reminded that the legacy of freedom is not just written in the books, it is woven into the very ground beneath our feet. We are honored to preserve and celebrate this extraordinary connection to our nation’s founding, right here in Pine Level.”
As the nation approaches its semi quincentennial celebration, local leaders said ceremonies like Sunday’s serve as a reminder that the history of America’s founding extends far beyond the original colonies and lives on through the men and women whose final resting places remain in communities like Pine Level.
