HAYNES CEMETERY (a.k.a. FLOWERS CHAPEL or SYMRNA CEMETERY.), MAURY COUNTY TENNESSEE

The flat stone which is believed to be for Isabella Lucky Baldridge. It is breaking up and not in good shape. 

The grave memorial, cover and foot stone for John Baldridge

The John Baldridge memorial against a giant Cedar Tree that is probably as old as this memorial.

BALDRIDGE, John, 28 Sep 1754 - 17 Oct 1823. AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR SOLDIER. Inscription reads: "In memory of JOHN BALDRIDGE who was born 28 sep. 1754 & died in the 70th year of his age on Oct 17th 1823."
BALDRIDGE, Isabella Luckey, (b. 27 Feb 1761, d. after 1843 when she requested a soldier's pension.) A large flat slab sits beside the memorial of John. It appears not to be inscribed.)
JOHN BALDRIDGE, born on 28 Sep 1754 in Iredell Co., N. C., is one of Maury County's better documented veterans of the Revolutionary War. He served as a Captain over an extended period from about 1778 to 1783. He was in some of the most important engagements fought by the N. C. militia and evidently was a ""brave and skillful officer"" as his wife's pension application states. He and Isabella Luckey were married on 21 Aug 1780 and eleven children were added" to them over the succeeding 25 years. They made their home in Lincoln Co., N. C. until 1797 when they moved to Davidson Co., Tenn. In 1813 they settled in Maury Co. Father John Baldridge died on 17 Oct 1823 and was possibly the first person buried in this graveyard. His family was very proud and resisted applying for a government pension until 1843 when the mother was a very old lady.

 A large slab extends out to the east and covers John's grave. His wife's memorial is installed next to our right in the same way but without the memorial inscriptive stone. 
Some researchers have this name as John B. Baldridge. While that might be so I don't see it here. I see the period after the capital B as a preceding anchor for the capital "A" in BALDRIDGE and not "B.". Besides, that would suggest the name to be "John B. Aldridge". I am going on the assumption that historians in the past have proven the surname as Baldridge. 
It was common for the head of the household to be the only one to receive an inscribed memorial when memorial stones were first introduced to the pioneers in the early 1800s in the south. It was probably related to the availability and expensive nature of inscribed memorials at the time.

Below is a copy of a message Mary Bob Richardson received from Stubby Tate in Nov 2008.

Rev. War information Extracted from a Revolutionary War Pension application:

John Baldridge was born September 28, 1754. While living in Lincoln County, North Carolina, John volunteered for service and was a Captain.  He married August 21, 1780, in Iredell County, North Carolina, to Isabella Luckey the daughter of James Luckey. Marriage performed by Rev. Mr. McCalla, a Presbyterian.

The Baldridge family moved, in 1798, to Davidson County, Tennessee. John died October 17, 1823, in Maury County, Tennessee. In 1843, Isabella was living in Maury County, Tennessee.

Children listed: Nancy Price b. April 23, 1782; James L. b. July 10, 1786; Jean Henderson b. May 30, 1788; Catsey Rice b. July 12, 1790; Alexander b. July 25, 1792; Isabella b. August 31, 1795; Rebecca E. King January 13, 1798; John b. February 20, 1800; Margret Black b. March 4, 1802; Elizabeth E. Kenady b. Jun 5, 1804; William Davidson b. January 1, 1807; Mariah D. b. November 15, 1811.

Grandchilren's names: Isabella Frances Baldridge b. November 18, 1834; John James Baldridge b. March 1, 1836
Alexander Warren Baldridge b. July 28, 1837; Euginia Adilade Baldridge b. November 7, 1838 d. November 22, 1839; William Henry Harrison b. December 20, 1840; Samuel Davis Bal(?) September 16, 1842 d. September 31, 1842; William D. Baldridge m. Marianna November 26, 1833.

Alexander Baldridge, born June 13, 1766, was living in Giles County, Tennessee, in 1843. (No other information was provided about this Alexander by the above compilers so we are not privy as to his relationship to the above family. He may have been a brother of John assuming the information does not contain date errors. [W.A. 27 Dec 2006)

Sources: Photography and commentary on 12/27/2006 by Wayne Austin, "Let the Drums Roll", by Marise P. Lightfoot, 1976., "Maury County Tennessee Cemeteries", by Fred Lee Hawkins, 1988. Copy of a message Mary Bob Richardson received from Stubby Tate in Nov 2008.