Hide Article Text (OCR)
By MARY CLEMENT es News Writer A rotation which a bereaved sex wrote in his family Bible 137 years ago recently led to the discovery of one of the Kingsport area's im portant historical landmarks. According to Edgar Calhoun, local historian, the long-lost grave at Peter Morison, one of the re gion's earliest settlers, came to fght through a chance discovery. In 1783, Morison, a Revolution ary War soldier, obtained a 639- acre land grant from the State of North Carolina. His ends included what is now Morison City, and ex tended down Carter's Valley. Mori son settled there and became a prosperous farmer. The commu nity and church, Morison's Chapel, were named for him. Peter died in 1809, at the age of 69. Records of his burial place were lost, and the spot remained a mystery to his later descendants. Not long ago, according to Cal houn, a notation in an old Bible owned by Miss Elizabeth Fain came to light, and with it Mom son's grave was rediscovered. The old book, originally printed in 1813, was the property of Audley Anderson. In it Audley had record ed the death of his father, the re nowned Captain John Anderson of “The Blockhouse, which was fa mous 48 a stopping place for westbound pioneers. Wrote Audrey: ‘John Anderson, father to Audrey Anderson and son of William Anderson and Elizabeth Campbell who were both emigrants from Ireland departed this life Oc tober 13th, 1917, at half past 12 o'clock P.M. at his own house Scot, County, Virginia, and was in terred by the side of Peter Morison at the Plantation of George Morr ison, Sullivan County. Tennesser Captain Anderson's grave is still jelt marked in the cemetery, which was originally the Morison family burial ground and now Morison's Chapel Cemetery. By following the clue in the Bible, descendants of Morison were able to locate Peter's final resting place, only a few feet from the grave of Captain Anderson, as the notation stated. The Morison tomb was marked only by a small, hewn stone which bore no inscription. Last week, through the effort at one of the descendants, John Spears Webster, of Rogersville, a government marker was placed over the grave. It reads, “Peter Morison, real nesses Revolutionary War, 1740 to 11808. LOST GRAVE IS FOUND—The marker above was placed last week on the tomb of Peter Morison, East Tennessee pioneer, after the grave's location was accidentally discovered in a family Bible. The burial site had been a mystery for 137 years. The government store was placed there through the efforts of a descendant of Morison, John Spears Webster, Rogersville. Behind it can be seen the simple stone, without inscription, which formerly marked the grave. (Times-News photo by L. T. Resterson.) .
Newspaper Details
Kingsport Times News
Kingsport, Tennessee, US
Sun, Jan 31, 1954
Page 9
Full Page
Clipped by
Earl M.
AU 23 Jun 2026
Other Publications Near Kingsport, Tennessee
Times News
Kingsports Times News
Kingsport Times News
Kingsport Times
Kingsport News
