Near Cleveland in Rowan County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Peter Stewart Ney
Photographed by Mark Parker, December 31, 2025
1. Peter Stewart Ney Marker
Peter Stewart Ney
A native of France
and
Soldier of the French Revolution
under
Napoleon Bonaparte
Who departed this life
November 15, 1846
Aged 77 years
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Wars, Non-US. A significant day of the year for for this entry is May 31.
Location. 35° 45.649′ N, 80° 41.054′ W. Memorial is near Cleveland, North Carolina, in Rowan County. It is on Third Creek Church Road 0.2 miles east of Chenault Road, on the left when traveling east. The location is the Third Creek Presbyterian Church Cemetery. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 2055 Third Crk, Cleveland NC 27013, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this memorial is in North Carolina’s Piedmont. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Revolutionary War Patriots (within shouting distance of this marker); Knox Home (approx. 2.2 miles away); Third Creek Church (approx. 2.2 miles away); Back Creek Presbyterian Church (approx. 7.7 miles away); Cooleemee's Old Wood School (approx. 7.8 miles away); Cooleemee's Riverside Hotel (approx. 7.8 miles away); Cooleemee's Old Square (approx. 7.8 miles away); Four Houses of Worship (approx. 7.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cleveland.
Also see . . .
1. The Mysterious Peter Ney. An extensive overview of Peter Ney's supposed connection with Marshal Michel Ney.
When news of Napoleon’s death reached Peter Ney, he dropped to the floor in a cold faint, and when he recovered tried,unsuccessfully, to end his own life. Many veterans of the French wars had settled in America after Napoleon’s defeat, and those that passed through this small North Carolina town noted unanimously on the striking resemblance between this tall, red-headed schoolmaster and the(Submitted on January 4, 2026, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)late Marshall Michel Nay of France...Photographed by Mark Parker, December 31, 20252. Peter Stewart Ney Marker attached to the brickwork of Ney's burial plot
Even at the time of Marshal Ney’s death, there had been speculation that his execution may have been faked. Michel Ney was a Freemason, as were many of the peers who oversaw his trial and execution. There were rumors that the Freemasons were unwilling to execute a fellow member, and so had arranged for Ney’s death to be staged and for him to be transported to safety. There may also be some clue in the name Peter Stuart Ney itself. Michel Ney’s father was Pierre Ney, which would be Anglicized as “Peter”, and the name “Stuart” recalls another famous exile. England’s Charles II of the Stuart line spent the years during the interregnum in exile in France, to return to the throne in 1660 when the monarchy was restored...
Still, according to the legend Peter Ney himself may have had the final word on the matter. When asked on his deathbed in 1846 if he was indeed Marshall Michel Ney, the Schoolteacher’s dying words were reported to be “I will not die with a lie on my lips! I am Marshall Ney of France!”
2. Ney Myth.
Photographed by Mark Parker, December 31, 2025
3. Peter Stewart Ney burial plot looking towards Third Creek Presbyterian Church
The Ney Myth, propagated by several North Carolina writers as fact but dismissed by historians as spurious, held that Rowan County teacher Peter Stuart Ney, who died on 15 Nov. 1846, was the assumed identity of Napoleon's trusted lieutenant Marshal Michel Ney, who was rumored to have escaped execution in 1815 and fled to America. This romantic legend held evident appeal for several generations of North Carolinians but, like many legends, had little basis in documented fact. Extensive research by William Henry Hoyt and others resulted in conclusive evidence that Marshal Ney did not escape the firing squad. The grave of Peter Stuart Ney at Third Creek Presbyterian Church in the town of Cleveland is located near the session house at which he taught classes.(Submitted on January 4, 2026, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)
3. The Plot Thickens: Did DNA Settle a Centuries-Old Conspiracy?. A link to the Davidson College article regarding the findings of a DNA test in Peter Stewart Ney.
The crew from a French TV series History and the Scalpel, sought to establish whether Peter Stewart Ney, North Carolina schoolteacher(Submitted on January 4, 2026, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)and designer of Davidson College’s seal, was actually Marshal Michel Ney, a top lieutenant to Napoleon. The mystery included that Ney had craftily escaped a firing squad in France and fled to South Carolina, moving later to North Carolina.Photographed by Mark Parker, December 31, 20254. Original Peter Stewart Ney gravestone encased in the brickworkThe brickwork was built in order to protect Ney's burial plot from graverobbers.
The researchers’ conclusion: Non.
Additional commentary.
1.
There is debate on whether Mr. Ney was, in fact, Marshal Michel Ney, executed in Paris on December 7, 1815. The legend is that he conspired with his executioners to escape after facing the firing squad.
He is said to have come to the US through Charleston, SC and eventually settled in Rowan County, NC, and became a schoolmaster for boys in the area.
He is reported to have made a deathbed confession of his real identity, Marshal Ney.
A recent DNA test of samples taken from the remains indicates that Mr. Ney is not likely the famed Marshal Ney.
— Submitted January 4, 2026, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.
Photographed by Mark Parker, September 15, 2024
5. Replica Third Creek Presbyterian Church Session House
The original session house also served as a schoolhouse where Peter Ney taught local boys from the 1820s-1840s
Credits. This page was last revised on January 26, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 4, 2026, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 62 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on January 4, 2026, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
