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In 1772 at the age of 42, Andrew Wallace shipped off for North America from Scotland – and just a few years later he was fighting in the American Revolutionary War for his new country.

Elyria Republican (Elyria, Ohio), 19 February 1835, page 1

According to his obituary, Andrew "was engaged in some of the most memorable battles of the Revolutionary War," and fought honorably. To the end of his life, he was honored by all for his service. His most heroic moment on the battlefield came when General Marquis de Lafayette "was wounded at the battle of Brandywine [and] Wallace assisted in rescuing him from his perilous situation, and carried him off the field of battle to a friend's house nearly two miles distant." By the war's close, Wallace was a decorated and honored sergeant.

Painting: "Nation Makers" by Howard Pyle, depicting a scene from the Battle of Brandywine.
Source: Brandywine Museum in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania; Wikimedia.

Wallace lived to be 105. A few weeks before his death, the Peale Museum in Baltimore, Maryland, hosted Andrew as a living exhibit meant to be the "connecting link between the olden and modern age."

Richmond Whig (Richmond, Virginia), 2 December 1834, page 1

Wait – this is interesting.

The article states that Andrew "fought at the battle of Culloden..."

Battle of Culloden? That was in Scotland in 1746 when the British were putting down Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites.

Thousands attended Wallace's funeral at the old St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan, where he was buried. The Evening Post reported that even though he "lived and died in the Catholic faith...on his death-bed he asked to be buried with the honors of a mason and a soldier." His request was honored and although "the weather was wet and stormy...there was an exceedingly brilliant display of military, the masonic fraternity, citizens and others." The Church extended the extraordinary honor of having him buried in the same tomb as the revered Bishop John Connolly (1750-1825), the Second Bishop of New York. Andrew Wallace was beloved by many and had a great love for the country that took him in so many years prior.

Evening Post (New York, New York), 26 January 1835, page 2

Our veterans, old and new, have rendered us such great service and should be remembered every day. GenealogyBanks' archive of over 1.7 billion historical documents holds the untold stories of your veteran ancestors; sign up today and discover them.

Genealogy Tip: When you search for articles about your Revolutionary War ancestor, use a wide date range. He just might have lived to be over 100 years old, like Andrew Wallace!