Program

DAR Revolutionary America

Subject

Event, People

Location

303 S Main St, Memphis, MO 63555, USA

Lat/Long

40.456528, -92.170639

Grant Recipient

NSDAR - Treasurer General

Richard Gale was a Revolutionary War soldier and pensioner who lived in Missouri and is buried in Scotland County, Missouri, in what later became Tobin Township. Gale served as a Private in New York state’s Ulster County Militia.

Gale served in Captain Watkins Company in addition to other militia. A circa date was used on the historical marker due to the fact that in his 1833 pension application, Gale declared that while he was out on expedition more than 21 times, he “…cannot after a lapse of 50 years state all the particulars with much precision.” Gale also stated he served as early as 1773 and 1774.

Richard Gale’s pension was originally enrolled in 1833 in Franklin County, Ohio. In July 1838, Gale appeared before a Justice of the Peace in Lewis County, Missouri to move his pension payments to Missouri as he was now living there with his son due to “debility of age.” In 1841, Scotland County was organized from Lewis County and the Gales then became residents of Scotland County.

Richard Gale Sr.’s burial site, the former Pleasant Retreat cemetery, is located on the west side of Highway 15 in the right-of-way, approximately seven miles SW of the Downing House Museum. It contains only one marker, that of Revolutionary War soldier, Richard Gale. It is believed that Richard Gale, Jr., his wife Mary and a small number of others were also buried at Pleasant Retreat, but when changes were made to Highway 15, they were reinterred at the Memphis Cemetery. Richard Gale Sr. was not moved as he had no stone at the time and his burial was not recognized. The marker’s placement at the Scotland County Historical Society is in line with their mission to preserve Scotland County history and is a fitting place to honor this Revolutionary War veteran.

As of 2025,  there were 531 known Revolutionary War veterans buried in Missouri according to the Missouri State Society of the DAR (accessed 8 April 2025). Of the 395,858 Revolutionary War soldiers (231,771 in the Continental Army soldiers and 164,987 in state militia), this represents only 0.015%. Of those 531, only 246 burial sites have been identified according the Missouri Society Sons of the American Revolution (accessed 8 April 2025).