A Patriot Gets his Marker

Monument to the Memory of Thomas Biles 

On March 22, 2025, at 11 a.m., a group of folks gathered to honor the life and service of Revolutionary War Patriot, Thomas Biles. I was among them. 

I am not descended from this family, but having deep Stanly County roots, they were certainly involved in the lives and business of those I am related to. 

Zelma Eudy, a Member of the Yadkin River Patriots Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and a Biles descendant, ordered a commemorative plaque for her Patriot ancestor some 16 years ago. With the placement of this plaque at the New London Town Cemetery, a dream has finally come to fruition. 

The beautifully preserved federal style Biles House in the town of New London, dating back to about 1830

In a brief summary, Thomas Biles Jr. (known in the area as Thomas Biles Sr.) was born in New Jersey in 1752. His family afterwards moved to what was then Rowan County, North Carolina. He served as a Private in the Revolutionary War and afterwards, married Miss Tabitha Marbury on March 8, 1783, in Salisbury. About 1797, they moved to Montgomery County, NC and settled on the west side of the river, in what is now Stanly County, near the Narrows of the Yadkin River and the headwaters of Mountain Creek. Old maps of North Carolina show a little town called "Narrowsville" along a northwest to southeast trajectory some few miles off the river and near the Narrows. It was perhaps to this area they came. 

A reinacter in uniform attends the ceremony

Five groups sponsered the event; the Yadkin River Patriots Chapter of the DAR, the Govenor John Archdale Chapter of the Colonial Dames 17th Century, the Colsons Mills Sons of the American Revolution, the Stanly County Genealogical Society, and the Stanly County Historical Assosciation. 

Mrs. Wanda Gantt

Mrs. Wanda Gantt, a member of the Yadkin River Patriots Chapter of the DAR, a member of the Colonial Dames, and President of the Stanly County Genealogical Society, emceed the event. Several Biles family descendants participated in the ceremony by placing flags, and reciting poems, in honor of their distinguished forebearer. 

The New London Town Cemetery location was chosen for the placement of the Memorial due to the history of the town to the Biles family. About 1830, Thomas Biles, Jr. (or actually the 3rd, as his grandfather, who did not live in this region, was also a Thomas), known about as "Uncle Tommy", and his wife, Betsy Sides Biles, chose the highest elevation around to build their home and plantation. Soon, a little village grew up around them, with business and enterprise. An academy was established for educational purposes. An old handdrawn map of Bilesville, as the village was known, shows a splattering of about two dozen homes located at the intersection of the "New Salisbury Road" and "the road from Dr. Kendalls to Stokes Ferry". Gold had been found and a tract was labled 'Biles Gold Mine tract' and 'Parker Gold'. Other names on the map show whomelse lived or owned land near the Biles family, that being the Howell Parker family, John Ivey and Henry Ivey. There is also a mention of a previous owner as "Abednego Merryman'. Gold had been discovered on Howell Parkers farm about 1859. Bethel Church provided the religious instruction, located a few miles east, until Bilesville Methodist was established. A school was built in 1884.

Writer Fred T. Morgan of local fame once reported that the name of Bilesville was changed to New London to attract investment and that New London was incorporated by the General Assembly on March 7, 1891 and Bilesville ceased to exist. 

Thomas Biles II (Sr.), the patriot, had married Tabitha Marbury in 1783. The name is also seen as Mayberry, Mabry, Marberry, and other various spellings.Their estate papers mentioned nine Biles children:

Isaac Biles, Alexander Biles, Daniel Biles, Thomas Biles III (JR) aka "Uncle Tommy", Francis Biles, William Biles, Sarah Biles Rogers, Udessa Biles Crowell and Lucinda Biles Crowell.

A young Biles descendant places a flag at the Thomas Biles marker.

Thomas Biles was 80 years old when he applied for a pension in 1832. One wonders why he waited so long. His case was heard in the Montgomery County, NC , January term of Court in 1833. He stated he volunteered as a Private under Captain Hugh Montgomery in Salisbury, under Captain James Craig near Neighbor and General Rutherford, the Commanding Officer of the Volunteers. He signed up for three months under Montgomery.

He marched from Salisbury to Cross Creek, 'now Fayetteville, 100 miles against the Tories.'  Under Craig, he marched from the Valley towns of the Cherokee Nation of Indian Cross and stated that the march was supposed to be 250 miles. He marched across the head of he Catawba River to the foot of Savannah Gap foth the South Regiment, with a company of Warriors from the Catawba Nation. They were ordered to destroy things of use to the Indians, and burnt all houses down and cut down corn. He testified that there was no fighting except with the spies who killed and took 17 Indians prisoner. 

Thomas said proof of his service could be provided by Daniel Biles near Salisbury, who was too advanced in years to come to court. This was probably not his son Daniel Biles, but probably his brother or another relative of his own generation. 

Thomas stated that he was born in New Jersey about 1750 and was living in Rowan County, NC at the time of his service. His family had came and settled with the Jersey Settlement, which is in Davidson County, but at that time, Davidson was still a part of Rowan. He described the place he first settled as "five miles above Salisbury". He moved from there to Montgomery County in the year 1797 in the State of North Carolina, "on a farm near the Narrows of the Yadkin River near the Head of Mountain Creek", and continues to live on the same place.

In Thomas's interview he was asked several autobiographal questions. Asked if was drafted or volunteered, he answered that he was a volunteer. Asked if he recieved a discharge, he stated that he did, verbally, by Captain Hugh Montgomery and Captain James Craig.

"I never recieved a written discharge, but verbally which was the custom in the back country."

Mr. James Cotton played the part of Thomas Biles and read his testimony at the ceremony.

He was charged with naming persons who could corroborate his testimony. "State the names of persons to whom you are known in your present neighborhood who can testify as to your charactor for varicity and their belief of your service as a Soldier of the Revolution".  To which he named William Harris, David Pennington, Frances Locke, David Kendall and George Smith. 

Also giving testimony in his behalf were Stanly County (then Montgomery County) citizens, George Shankle and Robert Smith. 

"We George Shankle Clergyman residing in the neighborhood and Robert Smith residing in the same hereby certify that we are acquanted with Thomas Biles the above applicant........that he is reputed and believed in the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution."

Thomas Biles was just one of the brave men who stood up when duty called, to fight for the freedom of our young and growing nation. It was honor to watch the placement and ceremony to his service. He was also the patriarch to a large and industrious Stanly County family. 

Carolina Watchman

Salisbury, North Carolina • Thu, Feb 16, 1882Page 3

Above is the mention of the death of "Uncle Tommy" Biles, son of  Patriot Thomas Biles, for whom the town of Bilesville, now New London, was named. 

The above early map of Bilesville, located at the North Carolina archives, shows the Parker Gold mines, shows the "New Road to Salisbury" intersecting with the "road leading from Dr. Kendall to Stokes Ferry", (note; it could also be an abbreviation of David for David Kendall.). It shows the home of Thomas Biles on the south side of the road. Twenty-six homes are noted, as is the property of John Ivey and the Biles Gold mine tract. The Henry Ivy tract was to the west, and the Howell Parker tract was noted as "being 200 acres granted to Adednego Merryman" and next to an "heirs of Howell Parker deceased" tract. Biles Academy is shown on the map, as well as the home of "P. Kirk" and the "Flint Springs Property". 

We celebrate a piece of Stanly County History. 

Honoring Memorial Day

I recently joined the Daughters of the American Revolution, or DAR.

One of their time honored traditions is placing flags on the graves of Revolutionary War soldiers for the Memorial Day Weekend.

This past Memorial Day was the first time I was able to join in on this tradition.

We traveled to a number of old cemeteries in the northern part of the county.

Some Patriots are buried in church cemeteries that still remain, however, most are buried in old family cemeteries that have long been abandoned, or in church cemeteries or community cemeteries of places that no lonter exist. I was fascinated to discover where these old burial site were, and also honored to be able to pay tribute to our veterans of ages past. 

We had to trek through woods and pastures to get to many of them. In one such cemetery, we were escorted by a friendly yellow Lab. She walked us to and from the grave site, making sure we did not stray from our path.

This grand old oak marked the entrance of one such cemetery. 

The first cemetery we visited was the Tishie-Carter cemetery. There we put up flags for the following Patriots: Soloman Carter, John Carter, Thomas A. Carter, George Carter, Tillmon Carter and Thomas Marks. This cemetery is located near the Palestine Community, not far from Mountain Creek.

The next cemetery was the Samuel Carter cemetery.  This one was not very far from the Tishie-Carter cemetery. They were probably a related family and all of this property Carter lands at one time. 

This one was also along the same trajectory following Mountain Creek to the Yadkin River. They probably settled along Mountain Creek and her tributaries.



The Howell Parker cemetery is near the present town of New London. The Parker family ran a gold mine near New London and the cemetery is close to the old site of the mine. What fascinated me most was seeing modern graves located in these old cemeteries in the woods. Dates into the 2000's. Someone probably loved the old family plots and wished to be buried there. The Parker cememtery is a very eerie place where the trees speak in whispers and you feel if you are being watched. Serene, yet a presence remains.


The one actual church that we visited was Mattons Grove. Here, the present church building is located across the street from the beautiful old white church and her cemetery. There is a bench here erected in honor of the Selle family and claims they arrived at this spot in 1740. Indeed, this cemetery is full of people named Selle, Sell, or Sells, several incarnations of the same original name. They were likely an out-branch of the German Settlement that existed near St. Johns Lutheran church near present day Mount Pleasant in Cabarrus County. Indeed, this little church is very near the Stanly-Cabarrus line and many early settlers in the northern and western part of Stanly and the southern part of Rowan were connected to this early German settlement along Dutch Buffalo Creek. Matton's Grove is very near the present communities of Richfield and Misenhiemer.


The last cemetery we visited was the George Crowell cemetery, not far from Kendall Valley. This old cemetery is surrounded by a brick wall and has many tall, impressive old monuments, dating back to persons born in the 1700's. Sadly, many of them are covered in thorns, although the names and dates are very legible. There are several members of the McLester family buried here.  I can recall seeing the name of an Alexander McLester among one of the families I have researched, as an associate in some legal papers.



It is an honored traditon to pay homage to these soldiers of days gone by. If it were not for them, we would not have the freedoms and blessing that we enjoy today.

Many celebrate Memorial Day with cookouts, parades, beach trips, camping trips or fishing trips. While enjoying your leisure, recall what the holiday was put in place for, the memory of these valiant men who've gone before.