David Meriwether joined the Continental Army in 1776 during the Revolutionary War. He fought in the Battle of Trenton (1776), Battle of Brandywine (1777), and the Battle of Monmouth (1778). Upon joining troops from his native state of Virginia, he was commissioned a lieutenant in New Jersey on May 15, 1779. Shortly thereafter, the Virginia troops marched south, to participate in the Siege of Savannah. During the march from Virginia to the outskirts of Savannah, Meriwether's column passed through Wilkes County.[1] In his diary, he remarked that the countryside in that area of Georgia was particularly pleasing.[1] In the subsequent Siege of Savannah, Meriwether was captured by the British and was paroled shortly thereafter. Following his parole, Meriwether returned to Wilkes County, where he married Frances Wingfield. They eventually had seven sons and one daughter.[1] Meriwether continued to serve in the Army through the end of the war in 1783. In 1785, the couple settled in Wilkes County, where Meriwether had been granted land for his service in the Continental Army.[3] During this period, his occupation was that of "planter".[1] On September 21, 1797, Meriwether was commissioned a brigadier general in the Georgia militia by Governor Jared Irwin. In 1804, the family moved to Clarke County, near the city of Athens, where the General resided for the rest of his life.[1]
David Meriwether died near Athens, Georgia on November 16, 1822, and was buried in the private burial ground on his plantation.[1]
He is the namesake of Meriwether County, Georgia.[5][6]