Among the rows of headstones and monuments in a southside Indianapolis cemetery, one of the original American patriots has his final resting place.
Robert Carr fought in the Revolutionary War, helping the country achieve its independence in a fierce battle. He eventually made his way to Indiana, finding a home in New Bethel, a small community in Franklin Township.
After he died on the Fourth of July in 1833 he was buried in a cemetery near his home. His grave had remained unmarked and hidden — until now.
Carr has been given a tribute fitting for an American hero. A plaque detailing his service and commitment to his country has been installed in Founder’s Cemetery in Wanamaker as a project of the New Bethel chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
“It’s huge for us. We do a lot of things in the community with education, historic preservation and so much more. To find a patriot like this and to be able to honor someone like that who fought for our country, it’s special,” said Rae Pearson, historian for the New Bethel Daughters of the American Revolution.
In a ceremony on June 10, the Daughters of the American Revolution gathered with Carr’s descendants and other lovers of history, in addition to the Greenwood and New Whiteland Honor Guard, to formally dedicate the plaque.
“It was an honor for our group to be invited by the Daughters of the American Revolution to participate in the marker dedication ceremony. For us to be able reach back hundreds of years to a time when our country was in its infancy was very moving,” said Bob Tuttle, organizer of the Honor Guard. “But for our group to be able to provide the symbol of military honors — the three-rifle volleys — for a local comrade-in-arms who happened to be a soldier in the Revolutionary War was simply humbling. It was a wonderful event to be a part of.”
Considering that Carr was born in Britain, his service in the Revolutionary War is all the more impressive. He was born in Ulster, Ireland, in 1758 before making the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean with his parents four years later. They settled in Augusta County, Virginia, where he spent his early years.
In 1780, he joined the Virginia Militia, serving as a private. One year later, he was part of the forces that reinforced Major Gen. Nathaniel Greene in the Battle of Guilford Court House in North Carolina. Going up against British Lord Charles Cornwallis’s army, the group inflicted severe casualties, though they were forced to retreat.
The impact on Cornwallis’ army led him to abandon North Carolina and engage in Virginia, where his defeats would lead to the Americans winning the Revolutionary War.
After the war, Carr moved to South Carolina, got married and eventually moved to Ohio. Around 1830, he acquired land in what is now Franklin Township, settling in the small town of New Bethel.
Carr died on July 4, 1833, and was buried in an unmarked grave in Founder’s Cemetery in New Bethel.
Though his grave was unmarked, local historians have known of him, his service and that he was buried in New Bethel. But the idea to honor him was born out of one of the United States’ approaching milestones.
The 250th anniversary of the country is approaching in 2026. To recognize it, the Daughters of the American Revolution are part of the America250 program. Local chapters were encouraged to find projects and events that leave a lasting impact on their communities, related to the founding of the country.
The New Bethel chapter thought honoring Carr would be a perfect fit, Pearson said.
“We always clean up Founder’s Cemetery there in Wanamaker, gravestone cleaning and things like that, and Robert Carr is buried there,” she said. “We decided that would be a good thing to do, to put a plaque out for a Revolutionary patriot.”
The metal plaque details Carr’s life and service for the country, as well as how he made his way to New Bethel. The Daughters of the American Revolution decided to situate the plaque at the front of the cemetery, underneath the flagpole flying the American flag.
“He’s an older soldier, but it has the same meaning as all patriots who fought for this country and started this country,” Pearson said.
On June 10, the New Bethel Daughters of the American Revolution gathered at New Bethel Baptist Church, across the street from Founder’s Cemetery, to formally dedicate the plaque. Members of the Sons of the American Revolution, a similar patriotic organization, came dressed in full Revolutionary regalia.
Because of Carr’s service, he was saluted by the Greenwood and New Whiteland Honor Guard, who regularly conduct military honors for veterans around Johnson County and beyond. They presented and retired the colors, and offered a three-rifle volley.
“We honor veterans for their service to our country many times a year. Participating in the final service for Robert Carr, who embodied the courage that our ‘first warriors’ had to have had, was very special — just to imagine what his service was like back then,” said James Stephen Sowder, chaplain for the Honor Guard. “I’m thankful that we had this opportunity.”
Descendants of Carr were on hand from Indianapolis and Bloomington, and as far away as Arizona and Florida. They placed a wreath of flowers at the marker in remembrance. The event also allowed the Daughters of the American Revolution to recognize the Franklin Township Historical Society for their work to preserve and promote local history.
”This event demonstrated the pride that the (Daughters of the American Revolution) has for American patriots that sacrificed their lives and fortunes to establish this United States of America,” Pearson said.
