Virginia Bulletin. Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution Volume XXXVII No. 4. VASSAR Honors St. George Tucker

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1 On-line Virginia Bulletin Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution Volume XXXVII No. 4 VASSAR Honors St. George Tucker The Sons of the American Revolution (S.A.R.), the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.), and the Children of the American Revolution (C.A.R.) conducted a joint ceremony to dedicate a grave marker honoring St. George Tucker on Saturday, November 2, 2013, at the Cabell Family Cemetery at Edgewood, Wingina, Virginia. VASSAR President Kent S. Webber presided, and Virginia DAR President Virginia Sebastian Storage and Virginia C.A.R. President Chas Leiss gave remarks as well. Over 70 people were in attendance, including two descendants of St. George Tucker. The event also commemorated a restoration of the grave site, which was funded by the VASSAR Knight/Patty Memorial Trust Fund. Several bricks had come loose over the years, endangering the full-length slab and its Latin inscription. St. George Tucker was born into a prominent family on Bermuda on July 10, 1752, but came to Williamsburg, Virginia, as a young man to pursue a career in the law. As the tensions between the colonies and Great Britain rose, he and his brother, Dr. Thomas Tudor Tucker of Charleston, South Carolina, separately informed patriot leaders that the - continued on page 5

2 Virginia Society, Sons of the American Revolution Officers Kent S. Webber President 9405 Delancey Drive, Vienna, VA (703) William A. Broadus, Jr. 1st Vice President Brandon Way, Manassas, VA (703) Reverdy E. Wright, PhD 705 Circle Drive, Blacksburg, VA nd Vice President (540) Edward W. Truslow 3rd Vice President 110 Moray Firth, Williamsburg, VA (757) Frederick N. Elofson Treasurer 21 Paula Maria Drive, Newport News, VA (757) R. Wayne Rouse Secretary/Asst. Treasurer 71 Hope Springs Lane, Stafford, VA (540) Michael Elston PO Box 336, Lorton, VA (703) Jack Sweeney Chancellor Registrar 6485 Topsails Ln, Springfield, VA (703) Howell Sassar Chaplain Artery Ln., Fairfax, VA (703) Larry G. Aaron, D. Min. Historian 185 Martindale Drive, Danville, VA (343) White M. Wallenborn M.D. Surgeon General 700 Rugby Road, Charlottesville, VA (434) Henry P. Phil Williams III, PhD 841 W. Leigh Drive, Charlottesville, VA (434) Trustee Kent Webber Alternate Trustee Robert Carr Asst. Secretary 8718 Bradgate Court, Alexandria, VA (703) James Mobley Asst. Registrar th St. North, Arlington, VA (202) The on-line Virginia Bulletin is published quarterly by the Virginia Society, Sons of the American Revolution. Editor: Andrew Andy Doss. Chapters wishing to report on their activities, should send their reports to the Editor. Any items to be published on the website should also be sent to the address above is preferred. Editor/Webmaster reserves the right to decide what to publish. Many different people contribute photos, but it is hard to find space to credit everyone, please know from the bottom of my heart that your photos are TRULY appreciated! A Message From Ye Not So Ol Editor Andy S. Doss Greetings compatriots! Normally, I have been reserving this space for the State president or a substitute writer. However, this year I wanted to end the 2013 Virginia Bulletin Volume with a message from the Editor: yours truly. In case you don t know, I am also the VASSAR webmaster, and 2013 marked the biggest revamp to the VASSAR website in many, many years. I want to write some about what went on, what changed, and how that benefits you. The site took over 6 months to plan and develop, and another month of testing. With Wayne Rouse s assistance, we worked very hard to make the site almost 100% database driven, which basically means that it feeds off of the very same database that VAS- SAR uses to keep member information updated. That doesn t mean that when Wayne changes something that the change shows up immediately. To ensure our data is accurate, it requires a few important steps. When he changes something in the member database, he passes the data to me, and then I have to copy that information to the VAS- SAR web server. We do updates in Continued on page 3 2

3 - continued from page 2 batches, so even though you may have requested, say, an address change to Wayne, for maximum efficiency we wait till we have several member information changes made before initiating a site-wide refresh. Once that happens, the all of Wayne s changes magically cascade across the entire website. Well, it s not magic, but you get the picture. As a result of the revamped look and feel of the website, we have seen more than DOUBLE the amount of monthly visitors to the site. Most of these visitors want to see our Event calendar, or our chapter listing page. Oh, and speaking of the event calendar, I have to thank Matt Hogendobler for taking care of the initial 2013 calendar load. He spent many hours on that, and it was a big help. Another reason that more visitors are landing on our website is because we have a nice companion Facebook page. Lance Lyngar has graciously kept this updated in his spare time. Many thanks to him as well. Other than that, I have kept trying to learn the ropes on getting the VASSAR Bulletin ready at the end of each quarter. Phil Williams has been a tremendous help during the past year with providing quarterly updates and articles. Also, Bob Vogler is lending his historical expertise as a content writer for the bulletin, and this has really improved the value of the content for the Bulletin. I expect 2014 to be another year of growth for the website. I need another volunteer to update the calendar for 2014, so and I am currently seeking volunteers to take that over for me. We will slowly add new things, such as landing pages for our two NSSAR recognized events, VASSAR member information update form, and some other ideas floating around. As always, I appreciate all of your advice and remarks on how to the communications staff handles things. Best regards, Andy Doss FORT ROBERT HILL - BY BOB VOGLER In 1743, pioneer Robert Hill moved his family from Pennsylvania to what is now Rocky Mount (Franklin County), VA. Once settling, he built a stone block house which served as a stockade for protection from marauding Indians and one son was killed by Indians in close proximity to the new family home. Two of the surviving Hill sons served as soldiers in the War for Independence, and; while Robert died in 1777, his wife, Violet, provided food for soldiers and feed for military impressed animals during the war. (l-r) Gary Hollandsworth, Bob Vogler, Dennis Fritts, Mike Bass The rock fort is preserved as a Franklin County Historic Site and it is located on the grounds of the Christian Heritage Academy. The Franklin County Historical Society and the Old Carolina Road Chapter DAR hold a patriotic program on the grounds each year. Members of the Fincastle Resolutions and Colonel George Waller Chapters have participated as color guards. 3

4 RICHARD HENRY LEE SPECIAL NEWS The Richard Henry Lee chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution met on December 16, 2013 at Westminster Canterbury near Irvington. The chapter donated the money to fund full scholarships for Joey Rudolph and Paul Stone of Lancaster High School to attend programs at the Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge. Mr. Rudolph, a junior at the high school was presented a $500 scholarship to attend a three day student conference. Mr. Stone, who teaches US History at Lancaster High School, was awarded a $1400 scholarship to attend a five day seminar for high school teachers. The Freedoms Foundation, located near the Valley Forge National Historic Park in Pennsylvania, is dedicated to helping students, teachers, and citizens gain a greater awareness and appreciation of the principles of a free and democratic society. In particular the Foundation s mission is to ensure the American people understand the unique principles as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights upon which the nation was founded, and to appreciate the enduring relevance of these principles. On behalf of the SAR the scholarships were presented by Clark Waring, president of the Mary Ball Washington chapter of the Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge. The SAR chapter President, Dick Fickling, stated This support is an example of the SAR s community involvement, supporting students and teachers in a way that reinforces their understanding of what our founding fathers envisioned. MODEL OF GEORGE WALLER HOME - BY BOB VOGLER The Martinsville-Henry County Historical Society has on display at it Heritage Center & Museum a scale model of the home Colonel George Waller, the namesake of the Martinsville area SAR chapter. George Waller and his wife, Anne Winston Waller established their plantation at Waller's Ford on the Smith River about The home's fields were used as a muster ground and drill field during the American War for Independence and a shed was added behind the house to store ammunition for the Henry County Militia. The home was located on a hill in the present town of Fieldale and was torn down sometime after Throughout the war, Waller served as major-adjutant of the Henry County militia, served with the county militia at Yorktown, and was promoted to Colonel in As a leading citizen, he helped establish Henry County in 1777, served as one of its first justices of the peace, tax commissioner, and sheriff. He also was one of the first trustees of the city of Martinsville. 4

5 More happenings... ARTICLE unguarded magazine on Bermuda contained a significant store of gunpowder (which was in short supply in the colonies). With that intelligence, Benjamin Franklin and the Philadelphia committee of safety were able to convince the Tuckers' father, Col. Henry Tucker, to steal the gunpowder and have it loaded onto American sloops waiting offshore in exchange for an exemption for Bermuda from a trade embargo imposed by the Continental Congress. The sloops delivered about 100 barrels of scare gunpowder to rebel forces in America. Some of that gunpowder was used in the defense of Sullivan s Island, South Carolina, in 1776, which prevented the early occupation of Charleston, one of America s most important port cities at that time. During the Revolution, St. George Tucker served in the Virginia Militia from 1779 to He was wounded at Guilford Courthouse and fought at Yorktown. After the Revolution, Tucker went on to a career as a distinguished lawyer, professor and jurist in Virginia. He served as a judge on Virginia's highest court, taught future lawyers and judges as the professor of law at the College of William and Mary, and was appointed by President Madison as a judge of the United States District Court. Toward the end of his life, Tucker moved to Warminster in Nelson County with his second wife, whose daughter had married into the Cabell family. He died there on November 10, In addition to the representatives of the sponsoring organizations, Professor Phillip Hamilton of Christopher Newport University, the author of a book on Virginia's Tucker family, spoke on St. George Tucker's role in the new commonwealth after the Revolution, and the Rev. Mark Furlow, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, Arrington, gave the invocation. Representatives from the Nelson County Historical Society also participated in the ceremony. A reception at Trinity Church followed. The grave marking is part of a program of activities designed to bring attention to the role of two Bermuda-born patriots (St. George and Thomas Tudor Commeorative Pin Tucker), commemorate their birthplace in Bermuda, honor their final resting places in the United States, and educate Americans and Bermudians on the long-standing ties between Bermuda and the United States. The program includes the sale of a limited-edition commemorative pin. Proceeds will be used to "pay Bermuda back" for the stolen gunpowder (by donating a portion of proceeds to Bermuda charities) and to establish a fund for the C.A.R. to use in planning its commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the Revolution, which will only be a decade away at the end of the program. (By Michael Elston) 5

6 THE VIRGINIA SOCIETY SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 124th ANNUAL MEETING - FEBRUARY 14-16, 2014 AT THE OMNI HOTEL IN RICHMOND Compatriots and Ladies are cordially invited to The 124th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Society hosted by the Richmond Chapter. To guarantee the hotel rate, reservations must be made no later than January 24th. Make your reservations now, while you are thinking of it. A timely workshop entitled "Chapter Tax (990N) & Budgeting" will be held on Friday afternoon which should be of interest to virtually all Chapter Officers and Chapter Board of Manager members. After dinner on your own at any one of a number of restaurants within easy walking distance of the hotel (see enclosed listing), the VASSAR Board of Managers Meeting will take place for attendees to hear about the operations and the future of our organization. Our wonderful Ladies will be treated to a presentation concerning the nearby and historic, Hanover Tavern. After the evening meetings we will adjourn to the hospitality room, enjoying each other s company while partaking of some liquid refreshments provided by our outgoing VASSAR President. On Saturday while the ladies enjoy some extra sleep and a leisurely breakfast, Compatriots will take care of the business of the Society for the coming year, including the election of the VASSAR Officers. Immediately following the General Membership meeting, the ladies are invited to join us for the State Finals of the Oration Contest. This has become a highlight of our annual meeting while we listen and watch our future leaders of our Country, showing off their skills as orators. After lunch on your own, transportation will be provided (or you may take a short walk) to the State Capitol where we will hold our traditional Memorial Service, Awards Ceremony and installation of the State Officers & Richmond Chapter Officers in the historic Old House Chamber. It is then back to the hotel for a little relaxation time before the Black Tie Saturday evening banquet will allow ample time to greet old and new friends, listen to a Wounded Warrior speak about his experiences, watch some well-deserved people being recognized with awards and the installation of the VASSAR State President by our own Virginia Compatriot and NSSAR President General, Joe Dooley. Then it is back to the hospitality room for some relaxing social time and refreshments provided by our new State President. Complete Details for the VASSAR Annual Meeting can be found under the DocView tab at our website. 6

7 LT. DAVID COX CHAPTER NEWS The Lt. David Cox Chapter Sons of the American Revolution met Saturday, January 11, 2014 for a luncheon meeting and installation of officers at Porky's Steak Restaurant in Galax, Virginia. Representing the Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution, Dr. Reverdy E. Wright, Second Vice President performed the installation ceremony. Officers installed for the upcoming year were, William E. "Billy" Mitchell, Jr. of Sylvatus as President/ Secretary, Reverend J. Bradford Simpson, IV of Wytheville as Vice President, Ralph E. Sweeney, Sr. of Galax as Treasurer/ (l-r) Dr. Reverdy E. Wright installs new chapter officers, Billy Mitchell, President; Brad Simpson, Vice President, Ralph Sweeney, Treasurer, and Alfred Howlett, Registrar. Assistant Registrar, William Alfred Howlett, Jr. of Woodlawn as Registrar, and Charles G. Crockett of Wytheville as Chaplain. After the installation of officers, long time Chapter member and veteran of World War II, Cecil Jackson of Wytheville, gave a presentation on his service in the Merchant Marines during the war. Mr. Jackson gave service on six ships from 1941 to 1945 and was present during the invasion of Sicily and D-Day. At the conclusion of the meeting, it was announced that the Chapter would be having a joint meeting on February 8,2014 with the area chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Children of the American Revolution at the First Baptist Church in Galax, VA. In March, the chapter will be hosting the President General of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution, Joseph W. Dooley. Chapters from all over the Commonwealth of Virginia will be invited to attend this special meeting. Cecil Jackson speaks on his experiences in World War II 7

8 MARTINS STATION CHAPTER HONORS PATRIOTS On Oct 19, 2013, members of the Martin s Station Chapter, VA Society Sons of the American Revolution hosted a grave marking Ceremony to honor Revolutionary War Soldiers Capt. John A. Bingham and Lewis Green. Also in attendance were General Joseph Martin Chapter, TN Society Sons of the American Revolution, the Major George Gibson Chapter, VA Society Daughters of the American Revolution, the Dr. Thomas Walker Chapter, Mountain Trail Chapter, and KY Path Chapter, KY Society Daughters of the American Revolution, along with descendants of Revolutionary War patriots Bingham and Green. The ceremony was conducted by the Martin s Station Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). The ceremony began with opening remarks from Chapter president Tom Coker, followed by the National Anthem, with the Pledge of Allegiance, SAR Pledge, and the placing of wreaths. Jerry Phillips of the Martins Station Chapter opened up with invocation. Lillie Robbins spoke in honor of her ancestor Lewis Green and J.T. Bingham spoke in honor of his ancestor Capt. John A. Bingham. Closing prayer was given by Terry Williams of the General Joseph Martin Chapter, followed by Taps. John A. Bingham served under colonel Abraham Buford s company of the 11th VA Regiment and Lewis Green served under John Blakeman, William Moore; Lieutenant Joseph Moore; and Isaac Shelby. John A. Bingham was born in 1763 in Albemarle County, Virginia and we are unsure of the date of death. He is the ancestor of all the Binghams of the tristate area. He was married to Deborah Phipps. It is said that John Bingham served under General George Washington during his service to his country. He was buried in Kirby Cemetery, Callaway, Bell County, Kentucky. Lewis Green was a Revolutionary War Veteran from Virginia. Bingham was born on 5 May 1751 in Dinwiddie County, Virginia and was living in Russell County, Virginia when he enlisted in service in the spring of He died after 10 Jun 1835 in Callaway, Harlan County, Kentucky. He married Esther Kilgore. He was buried in Kirby Cemetery, Callaway, Bell County, Kentucky. Green was one of the first settlers on the Cumberland River. He lived in what is now Calloway, Bell Co., Kentucky. He was buried at what used to be Old Meeting House Branch, now Callaway. During US119 construction in 1960 in the Calloway area, his grave was relocated on land which belonged to John Matt Pursiful. He had been in Kentucky with some of Daniel Boone's scouting parties, and returned there as a surveyor and acquired the property from the top of Pine Mountain to the Cumberland River. Tan Yard Hill was part of his property and got its name from the tanning vats used in curing animal skins. He was an Indian spy and Scout. 8

9 Operation Ancestor Search Seeks State, Local Committee Members by Rick Kincaid, Program Director Operation Ancestor Search Operation Ancestor Search Operation Ancestor Search (OAS) is a free NSSAR genealogy training program for Wounded Warriors and their families. It provides participants with the knowledge and tools that allow them to conduct their own genealogy research as they recover from their injuries at military hospitals and VA medical centers across the country. The OAS program is conducted through SAR state societies and local affiliate chapters and their volunteer members. The national committee evolved from a local program developed at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center (now the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center) by the DCSSAR. The program proved so successful that Ancestry.com became a major national sponsor, contributing a $180,000 grant over three years, renewable for another three years after the initial period. National Chairman Carl Bedell presides over the OAS Committee. Each State Society has its own OAS Chairman to spearhead these efforts and organize each state s program. State chairmen serve as ex officio members of the national committee. State OAS Committee Members are volunteers who desire to share the genealogy expertise within the SAR in order to give back to the Wounded Warriors who were injured in their service to our nation. They provide injured service members with the knowledge and tools they need to conduct their own genealogy research in training classes, work sessions, individual hands-on assistance, and most notably, access to Ancestry.com databases. OAS volunteers perform the following: 1. Help target the military medical facilities within their respective states that are most open and receptive to offering the OAS program to their Wounded Warriors. 2. Help identify the key personnel at those facilities and ensure that the facilities have adequate meeting space and computer facilities. 3. Help match the facilities with the leadership of the SAR local chapters in their closest geographic proximity in order to ensure adequate volunteer support. 4. Ensure that the state and local OAS committees are visionary, meaning that they will not only serve the needs of the Wounded Warriors while they are inpatients, but that they will collaborate with local genealogical societies, lineage societies, libraries and other organizations as appropriate for support with training, reintegration and mentoring after they transition back to their local communities. 5. Ensure that the SAR s greatest resources our MEMBERS in local chapters across the country, in concert with our State and National Societies continue to develop Operation Ancestor Search as the preeminent SAR program, not only for us, but for our OAS partners who provide the resources that support our nation s Wounded Warriors and their families. * * * * * If you are interested in helping with Operation Ancestor Search at the state or local level, please contact your State OAS Chairman. If your state does not yet have an OAS Chairman, please contact your State President if you are interested in serving in that position. For additional information on the OAS program, please contact Rick Kincaid, the National Program Director, at rkincaid@sar.org or (502)

10 10 NOW A NATIONAL SAR RECOGNIZED EVENT!

11 WILLIAMSBURG CHAPTER HONORS REVOLUTIONARY WAR VETERANS The Williamsburg Chapter observed Veterans' Day by conducting a Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Govenor's Palace in Colonial Williamsburg. Over 150 people attended the Ceremony, the largest crowd ever, and George Washington spoke. The Ceremony honored 158 Patriots (156 men and 2 women) buried in unmarked graves in the Garden behind the Palace. These Patriots died at the Palace and were buried there when it was used as a Military Hospital during the Battle of Yorktown. Pictured here is the Williamsburg Chapter SAR Color Guard and a Colonial Williamsburg Fife and Drummer presenting the Colors during the Ceremony. Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution CHAPTER DIRECTORY Clinch Mountain Militia Colonel Fielding Lewis Colonel George Waller Colonel James Wood, Jr. Colonel William Grayson Culpeper Minute Men Dan River Fairfax Resolves Fincastle Resolutions Fort Harrison General Daniel Morgan General William Campbell George Mason George Washington James Monroe Lieutenant David Cox Martin s Station New River Valley Norfolk Overmountain Men Richmond Rockbridge Volunteers Richard Henry Lee Thomas Jefferson Thomas Nelson, Jr. Williamsburg Tazewell area Virginia s Eastern Piedmont Region Martinsville area Northwest Virginia Prince William County area Virginia s Central Piedmont area Danville area Fairfax County Roanoke Valley area Harrisonburg area Staunton area Abingdon area Arlington County Alexandria Upper Northern Neck Galax/Independence Cumberland Gap New River Valley area Norfolk/Virginia Beach area Gate City Richmond/Petersburg Lexington Lower Northern Neck Charlottesville Newport News/Hampton/Yorktown Williamsburg Richard Henry Lee Chapter Goes High Tech At their December 16, 2013 meeting the Richard Henry Lee chapter inducted two new members. The induction was performed by Kent Webber, President of the Virginia Society of Sons of the American Revolution. The inductees were Garland Hagen and James Harding II. Mr. Harding could not be present and his induction was conducted via Skype, the internet teleconferencing system, a first for the chapter. Mr. Harding s father, chapter member Maj. General James Harding attended the ceremony. 11