Sept. program: 'The Mystery of Peter Stewart Ney'

Marshal Ney.

Davidson Historical Society will present the first program of its fall season on Saturday, September 5, when historian Gary Freeze will talk about "The Mystery of Peter Stewart Ney." 

The program begins at 4pm at Davidson Town Hall, 251 South St. in Davidson. 

Peter Stewart Ney, designer of the Davidson College seal, was an unassuming local schoolteacher who had arrived in America from France in the early 1820s. But many believed he lived a double life. On his deathbed in 1846 Ney proclaimed what many had been speculating, “I will not die with a lie on my lips! I am Marshal Ney of France!”

Marshal Michel Ney was Napoleon’s most trusted commander who had been executed for treason in 1815. Did he fake his own execution and escape to the United States to live as Peter Stewart Ney? Or was Peter Stewart Ney someone else? 

Ney died near Salisbury and is buried in a Rowan County church cemetery. 

Historian Gary Freeze

Freeze, retired Catawba College professor and local historian, will speak about the legend and the research that has been done to confirm his identity. That includes a 2022 exhumation of Ney’s grave by a French documentary crew. Peter Stewart Ney artifacts will be displayed courtesy of the Davidson College Archives & Special Collections.

This free program opens the fall 2026 series for Davidson Historical Society. Please register in advance at https://www.davidsonhistoricalsociety.org/event-details/the-mystery-of-peter-stewart-ney/form

Other Fall Programs

Two other programs are planned this fall (updated Aug. 27): 

• Saturday, Oct. 24, Davidson Town Hall, 251 South St., Davidson - "A History of Fires and Firefighting in Davidson." We'll hear about major fires in Davidson, including the loss of the original Chambers Building at Davidson College, early 20th-century blazes on Main Street, and the movie theater fire of 1954. We'll also talk with a Davidson Fire Department official about how firefighting has changed. Free, RSVP at https://www.davidsonhistoricalsociety.org/event-details/a-history-of-fires-and-firefighting-in-davidson

• Saturday, Nov. 7, Ada Jenkins Center, 212 Gamble St., Davidson - "Who Was Ada Jenkins," a panel discussion about Davidson schoolteacher and community leader Ada Jenkins and the school and community services center that bears her name today. Free. RSVP at  https://www.davidsonhistoricalsociety.org/event-details/who-was-ada-jenkins

Davidson Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that promotes understanding and appreciation of the history of Davidson and the surrounding area. For more information, or to become a member, visit DavidsonHistoricalSociety.org