Brentwood and DAR Marking Revolutionary War Veteran’s Grave May 3

Published on April 02, 2026

Logo for Brentwood's America 250 celebration.

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – When the Battle of Blackstock’s Farm ended that November evening, 92 British soldiers lay dead in the yellowing grass. It was a cool autumn night in 1780, and as the musket smoke cleared, soldiers with the Mecklenburg Militia stepped from the cover of log buildings to see that their side had hardly any casualties.

According to the American Battlefield Trust, the gaps in those logs “provided unchinked openings through which the (militia) men could fire.” The lopsided victory boosted the young men’s spirits, but not every American soldier escaped unharmed. Three members of the 1,000-man militia died, and four were injured, including a 35-year-old named David Johnston. During the Battle of Blackstock’s Farm, Johnston was hit in the left arm.

It was a brutal wound by 18th-century standards, but there must have been a talented doctor on the battlefield that day. The arm was amputated, and Johnston went on to live another 49 years, dying on Feb. 18, 1829, in what is now Brentwood. The Revolutionary War hero was buried in a private cemetery on his land that later became the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Home, and his grave now sits within the recently developed Eastman’s Preserve neighborhood.

At 2 p.m. on May 3, the Brentwood Historic Commission (BHC) and the Cumberland Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will rededicate the cemetery where this Revolutionary War veteran is buried. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place in Eastman’s Preserve neighborhood, 6021 Eastman's Way. It will include a drum and fife performance and the Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard in period uniforms.

The Riverstone Group, a real estate development firm based in Brentwood, has developed a 31-acre neighborhood, Eastman’s Preserve. The company has partnered with the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes (TBCH) on the development, with lot sales helping fund new children's homes for TBCH. As part of the development, the company has maintained and restored the historic David Johnston Cemetery.

Johnston is one of nine known Revolutionary War veterans buried within the Brentwood city limits.

In addition to Johnston, Revolutionary War soldiers buried in Brentwood include:

  • Andrew Crockett
  • Thomas Bradley
  • Green Hill
  • Benjamin Humphrey
  • John Johnston
  • Moses Lindsey
  • James Moore
  • Thomas Cox

America 250 is the celebration marking the 250th Anniversary, on July 4, 2026, of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

For more information on the Revolutionary War Soldiers buried in Brentwood, visit https://www.brentwoodtn.gov/Your-Government/Volunteer-Boards-Commissions/Historic-Commission/Revolutionary-War-Soldiers-at-Rest-in-Brentwood. 

 

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