In celebration of the 250th Anniversary of our country, local members of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution will highlight the patriots buried in Southeast Missouri.
Amos Byrd was born in Virginia around 1738 and served as a grand juror, magistrate, taker of inventory, coroner and a captain for the American Revolution under the command of Colonel John Sevier. In about 1760, he married Sarah Ruddell.
In 1779, he acquired 300 acres in Washington County, Tennessee. By 1783, he had moved to Greene County, Tennessee and was Justice of Peace. On December 25, 1880, he acquired 1000 arpens in what was the upper Louisiana, District of Cape Girardeau, granted by the Spanish government. This land would later be known as Byrd Township.
In November 1803, Amos’ household in Cape Girardeau County consisted of two males, one female, four male slaves and seven female slaves. His neighbors at this time were George Hays, Stephen Byrd, Jonathan Buys, Abraham Byrd Jr., John Byrd, Joseph Young, and William Russell—some of which were his sons and sons-in-law.
He and Sarah had five sons, Stephen, husband of Mary Gillespie, Abraham, husband of Elizabeth Gillespie, Moses, John, and Amos, Jr. husband of Ann Gillespie, and three daughters, Sally, wife of George Hays, Polly, wife of William Russell, and Clara, wife of James Russell. All settled on or near the stream since known as Byrd’s Creek.
Amos died June 5, 1818, and is buried in Wheeler Cemetery in Cape Girardeau County along with his wife who preceded him in death. His grave was marked by the John Guild Chapter, NSDAR on March 9, 2013.
For more information on Amos Byrd, check out the sources below.
Sources:
Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/: accessed 29 Dec 2025), "Record of Amos Bird", Ancestor # A010300
Find A Grave: Memorial #105558000 for Amos Byrd (1737–5 Jun 1818), citing Wheeler Cemetery, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, USA; Maintained by Thom Horton (contributor 47329784)
David M. McCorkle, North Carolina Land Grant Images and Data (https://www.nclandgrants.com/), Amos Byrd grant no. 174 dated 24 October 1782
Greene County, Southwest Territory of the United States, minutes of county court of pleas and quarter sessions, August 1783 sessions, pp. 1, 2, Amos Bird, Justice of the Peace; FamilySearch, Image Group Number 7831789, images 6, 7
**Compiled by Chrissy Elliot
Missouri Secretary of State, Missouri Digital Heritage, Land Records 1777-1969, Amos Byrd 1,000 arpens Louis Houck, The Spanish Regime in Missouri: A collection of papers and documents relating to Upper Louisiana Principally within the present limits of Missouri during the dominion of Spain, from the Archives of the Indies at Seville, Etc., translated from the original Spanish into English, and including also some papers concerning the supposed grant to Col. George Morgan at the mouth of the Ohio, found in the Congressional Library, two volumes, vol. II, p. 405, 1803 Statistical census of Cape Girardeau, line 29, Amos Byrd; digital images, Ancestry, image 858