Honoring America’s 250th Anniversary

Pierce County is resting place of two Revolutionary War Soldiers: Elder Isham Peacock and James Thomas

Pierce County was not yet formed when the United States of American was born in 1776.

What is now Pierce County was then Indian territory, but was opened up for settlement in the early 1800s.

The area that is now Pierce County was once a part of Ware County. Pierce County was formed in 1857, just prior to the Civil War.

Residents of what is now Pierce County did participate in the Revolutionary War and at least two, Elder Isham Peacock and James Thomas, are buried within the geographic boundaries of the county.

Both men still have large numbers of descendants in Pierce County and the surrounding area.

Both Revolutionary War soldiers are buried in the cemetery of the oldest local church, Shiloh Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery. Shiloh was organized in 1833. Elder Peacock was a member there at the time of his death. Services there are relatively unchanged from the time Peacock served there.

Peacock, a pioneer Baptist minister for almost half a century, is buried in an unmarked grave at Shiloh. The exact location of his grave is unknown, but a marble marker was placed in the lot of Elder Reuben Crawford, whom Peacock mentored and helped ordain.

In April 2005, the Altamaha Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) in Jesup, held a gravemarking ceremony in honor of Peacock.

Peacock was a pioneer of the Baptist faith in South Georgia and North Florida.

Peacock preached in the Baptist Church and later led the Primitive Baptist Church in South Georgia and North Florida after the break up of the Missionary and Primitive factions in the 1830s. Peacock was esteemed highly by his fellow church members.

Born October 8, 1742 in Anson County, North Carolina, Elder Peacock was drafted into service in the Colonial Army at the beginning of the Revolution.

While he saw no action in war time, Peacock served in the Anson County Militia in North Carolina for his eight months of service. After the Revolution, Peacock moved South to what is currently Bulloch County and joined Lotts Creek Church. He was licensed to preach there and ordained in 1802.

He was known affectionately as “Old Father Peacock’ at the churches he served and baptized hundreds of converts all over South Georgia from Savannah to the St. Marys River. The pastor came to the area which is now Pierce County in the 1810s. He assisted organizing High Bluff Church in present day Brantley County in 1819 and Pigeon Creek Church, the first Baptist church in Florida in 1821. Pigeon Creek was technically in Spanish Florida at the time of its constitution. He also assisted with the formation of the Alabaha Primitive Baptist Association in 1842 at Shiloh Church in Pierce County (then Ware County). He was a member of Shiloh Church in Pierce County and died February 18, 1851 at the age of 108.

Less is known about Thomas.

Thomas was born in Screven County, and both he and his father, Gilshot, served in the Revolution and fought together in the same company in the South Carolina State Militia. This company was commanded by Lt. Jacob Buxton and Colonel Alexander Garden.

Lt. Buxton and Col. Garden, led a backcountry militia in the Beaufort District. The militia is primarily documented in records for leading horsemen and foot soldiers on multi-day tours of duty during the later stages of the war.

Thomas moved his family to Liberty County about 1807 and lived there until about 1828, when he is believed to have moved to the area that is now Bristol in Pierce County.

He married Sarah Banner in 1783 and had 5 children. He and Sarah were among the first members of Jones Creek Baptist Church April 22, 1810. Jones Creek is located in what is now Long County near Ludowici and is still an active Missionary Baptist congregation. Prior to the Missionary/ Primitive division, Thomas’ fellow veteran, Elder Peacock, once served as pastor of Jones Creek.

Thomas served as clerk of the church for a time. Thomas died in 1833 at the age of 72 or 73 and was buried at Shiloh. The John Floyd chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution conducted a gravemarking ceremony for Thomas at Shiloh Cemetery April 22, 1979.