​The Richmond Chapter honored a celebrated Revolutionary War hero, Peter Francisco, and welcomed his 6th Great Grandson, William M. Brown III, Saturday, August 29 when Compatriot Brown was inducted a member of the Sons of the American Revolution.
The ceremony was held at the site of Pvt. Francisco’s grave at Richmond’s Historic Shockoe Hill Cemetery. His is remembered as the “Virginia Giant” of the American Revolution.

The oath of membership was administered by Richmond Chapter President Dennis C. Peterson and witnessed by about 25 members and guests who braved reports of threatening weather to attend.  Not a drop of rain fell during the 30-minute ceremony we are pleased to report.

To give perspective on Compatriot Brown’s ancestor, Mr. Ed Bowman, an officer in the Peter Francisco Society, spoke to our group preceding the induction. Also pitching in to assist by holding the Colors on a breezy late Summer morning was Compatriot Brown’s son William M Brown IV who was promptly introduced to Chapter Registrar William Haskins.
 
Peter Francisco (1760-1831) is celebrated for several heroic acts during the Revolutionary War, most notably when he “saved a cannon weighing 1,100 pounds from capture by carrying it on his shoulder to safety” during the Battle of Camden, SC.  Words attributed to George Washington praise Francisco’s service.

“Without him we would have lost two crucial battles, perhaps the War, and with it our freedom. He was truly a One-Man-Army.”  In 1975 the U.S. Congress forever commemorated Peter Francisco’s patriotism with a USPS postage stamp.This was our Chapter’s first formal meeting since the COVID-19 restrictive order on public gatherings was imposed last March. 
​Submitted by Dennis Peterson

​On 22 August 2020, the Colonel James Wood II Chapter of the Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution sponsored a grave marking ceremony to honor Revolutionary War patriot Thomas Buck at the Buck Family Cemetery, Waterlick, Virginia.  The SAR honors patriots by marking their graves with a granite stone emblematic of their service in the fight for freedom during the American Revolutionary War.  This can be as a fighter, a tax payer, government service or providing goods and materials to the cause.  Thomas Buck was born in 1756 to Charles Buck and Letitia Sorrell in Frederick County, Virginia.  He was one of three patriot brothers.  His brother John served as a fighter and moved to Ohio.  Charles gave patriotic service, providing materials to the cause.  He married Ann Richardson in 1774, daughter of Colonel William and Isabella Richardson.  On 11 January 1776 Thomas was commissioned a Lieutenant of a company of militia while a resident of Dunmore County (now Shenandoah).  In 1777, he was Adjutant under Colonel Joseph Pugh, Commandant of the Dunmore Militia.  On 5 September 1777, at Woodstock, he was chosen Captain of a company of volunteers dubbed "Buck's Minute Men" of the 8th Virginia Regiment.  The unit was sent to Fort Pitt where he served for about four months.  In 1778, by then a resident of Frederick County, he raised a company of volunteers and served an additional two months.  When the British were on their march from Carolina to Virginia, he was called upon to raise a company of 70 horsemen to move prisoners from Albermarle Barracks to Winchester.  While enroute they were requested to proceed to Fredericksburg and reported to General Peter Muhlenburg.  These appointments and elections show a high regard for young Thomas Buck, then only in his early twenties.  On May 1793, he was appointed Captain of Virginia Militia by Governor Henry (Lighthorse Harry) Lee and served during the Whiskey Rebellion.  In 1797-98, he built the home "Bel Air" on Happy Creek in Front Royal where they raised thirteen children.  After the war, he returned to Frederick County, living in Front Royal where he was one of the original trustees and a leading citizen for a number of years.  He served as a magistrate and held the office of high sheriff.  His first wife died 1 Apr 1823.  On 21 September 1823, he married Ruhamah Heath McKim.  Thomas was allowed a pension on 1 October 1833 for his military service during the Revolutionary War.  He died 4 June 1842 and is buried in the Buck Family Cemetery, Waterlick, Virginia next to his first wife and his brother, Charles.
 
The Colonel James Wood II Chapter was joined by the Colonel William Grayson, Culpeper Minute Men, Fairfax Resolves, George Mason and General Adam Stephens Chapters of the SAR with representation from the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and the Shenandoah Society of the Children of the American Revolution (C.A.R.).  Dale Corey presided over the ceremony with chaplain services provided by Jim Simmons.   Ten wreaths were presented to honor the patriot by representatives of the various Chapters, the DAR and the Shenandoah Society C.A.R.   A 14 man color guard presented the colors and a 10 man squad fired a three round musket salute.   Compatriots participating in the ceremony included Virginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (VASSAR) William "Bill" Schwetke, VASSAR Color Guard Commander Ken Bonner, VASSAR Color Guard Safety Officer Paul Christensen, VASSAR Color Guardsman of the Year Brett Osborn, Colonel James Wood II President Marc Robinson, Colonel William Grayson President Mike Weyler, Culpeper Minute Men President Charles Jameson, George Mason President Ken Morris, General Adam Stephens President Marty Keesecker and Fairfax Resolves 1st Vice President Dave Cook.  Additional compatriots included Sean Carrigan, Dale Corey, Chip Daniel, Mike Dennis, Steve Englebright, Fred Gill, Art LaFlam, Dennis Parmeter, Will Reynolds, Clay Robinson, Eric Robinson and Barry Schwoerer.  Attending from the DAR were Deborah Corey and Anne Simmons.  From the C.A.R. were Leona, Samuel and Jacqueline Gill.   The first picture is of the participating members.  Left to right standing are Leona Gill, Fred Gill, Paul Christensen, Brett Osborn, Sam Gill, Marty Keesecker, Jackie Gill, Steve Englebright, Dennis Parmeter, Mike Dennis, Eric Robinson, Clay Robinson, Ken Morris, Bill Schwetke, Dave Cook, Barry Schwoerer, Art LaFlam and Jim Simmons.  Kneeling left to right are Ken Bonner, Chip Daniel, Charles Jameson, Marc Robinson, Mike Weyler, Dale Corey and Sean Carrigan.  The second picture is Art LaFlam and Marty Keesecker performing sentinel duty at the grave site of Thomas Buck.

​Submitted by Dale Corey.

On that same day, the Colonel James Wood II Chapter of the Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution conducted a grave marking ceremony to honor Johannes (also known as John) Kuller at the Dry Run Cemetery in Fort Valley, Virginia.  The SAR honors patriots by marking their graves with a granite stone emblematic of their service in the fight for freedom during the American Revolutionary War.  This can be as a fighter, a tax payer, government service or providing goods and materials to the cause.  His father, Jacob had migrated from the Palatinate region of southern Germany in 1743, settling in Frederick County, Maryland.  John was born in 1747, one of eight children.  While visiting his sister who lived in Fort Valley, he fell in love with the mountains and Passage Creek.  22 August 1777, he bought property known as Teabo's Fort from Conrad Teabo along Passage Creek, becoming one of the earliest recorded official deed holders in that area.  During the Revolutionary War, John was an "associator".  Maryland organized a system to deal with grievances imposed by Great Britain before the war with the formation of a provisional government known as the Maryland Convention.  The Convention circulated a document, "The Association of Free Men of Maryland", which resolved that the colony be put in a state of defense.  The executive branch of this convention was the Council of Safety.  Reporting to this body and keeping watch at county level for those disloyal to the provisional government was the Committee of Observation.  John Kuller was a member of that committee in 1775 and thereby was referred to as an "associator".  The Colonel James Wood II Chapter was joined by the Colonel William Grayson, Culpeper Minute Men, Fairfax Resolves, George Mason and General Adam Stephens Chapters of the SAR with representation from the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and the Shenandoah Society of the Children of the American Revolution (C.A.R.).  Dale Corey presided over the ceremony with chaplain services provided by Jim Simmons.  Bob Cullers, a descendant of John Kuller presented a history of John and the family.  Additional descendants also attended.  Ten wreaths were presented to honor the patriot.  The ceremony included a flag folding ceremony by Chip Daniel and Clay Robinson.  A 14 man color guard presented the colors and a 10 man squad fired a three round musket salute.   Compatriots participating in the ceremony included Virginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (VASSAR) William "Bill" Schwetke, VASSAR Color Guard Commander Ken Bonner, VASSAR Color Guard Safety Officer Paul Christensen, VASSAR Color Guardsman of the Year Brett Osborn, Colonel James Wood II President Marc Robinson, Colonel William Grayson President Mike Weyler, Culpeper Minute Men President Charles Jameson, George Mason President Ken Morris, General Adam Stephens President Marty Keesecker and Fairfax Resolves 1st Vice President Dave Cook.  Additional compatriots included Sean Carrigan, Dale Corey, Chip Daniel, Mike Dennis, Steve Englebright, Fred Gill, Art LaFlam, Dennis Parmeter, Will Reynolds, Clay Robinson, Eric Robinson and Barry Schwoerer.  Attending from the DAR were Deborah Corey and Anne Simmons.  From the C.A.R. were Leona, Samuel and Jacqueline Gill.  The first picture is of all the participants.  Kneeling from left to right are Fred Gill, Sean Carrigan, Charles Jameson, Marc Robinson, Clay Robinson, Ken Bonner, Dale Corey, Sam Gill, Jackie Gill and Leona Gill.  Standing from left to right are Dave Cook, Brett Osborn, Chip Daniel, Mike Dennis, Steve Englebright, Marty Keesecker, Dennis Parmeter, Barry Schwoerer, Eric Robinson, Art LaFlam, Mike Weyler, Bill Schwetke, Ken Morris and Paul Christensen.  The second picture is the color guard - left to right Dave Cook, Ken Bonner, Barry Schwoerer, Brett Osborn, Chip Daniel, Steve Englebright, Dennis Parmeter, Clay Robinson, Mike Weyler and Ken Morris.  The third picture is of the members of the Shenandoah Society C.A.R. left to right Leona, Jacqueline and Samuel Gill. Submitted by Dale Corey.

​Roger Cross, Chapter President, presented certificates and cash awards to Mr. Jeffrey Nicoloff, Walsingham Academy Lower School history teacher, on August 11, 2020.  The certificates and checks were for Carter Perry and Xavier Jones, the 2nd and 3rd place winners in this year’s Sgt. Moses Adams Memorial Middle School Brochure Contest.  The contest was open to all students in grades 6 through 9 in James City County/ Williamsburg.  Entrants could choose from five Foundational Documents of the United States – Articles of Confederation, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Federalist Papers – as the theme for their brochure.  This contest was organized and conducted by Compatriot Paul Huchko, chairman of Chapter Youth Programs.
 
Submitted by:  Harley Stewart
 

​On 9 August 2020, the Colonel James Wood II Chapter of the Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution conducted a Color Guard Workshop and then a Flag Raising Ceremony at the Wayside Inn, Middletown, Virginia.  The Wayside Inn provided a great place for the workshop.  Since 1797, is has been the oldest and longest continuously run inn, in the United States.  The oldest part - "Summer Kitchen" - was built as a waystation and stagecoach stope in 1742, along with the well that watered the town.  The Chapter conducted training in procedures for color guard activities and then conducted a flag raising ceremony for the inn.  The color guard was represented by Marc Robinson, Bill Schwetke, Erick Moore, Clay Robinson, Dennis Parmeter, Sean Carrigan and Brett Osborn.  Doug Hall played drums to provide a cadence.  Dale Corey and George Reeves (owner of the Wayside Inn) ceremoniously raised a new flag.  Pictured in the first picture are left to right the color guard marching into position.  Second picture is the guard at present arms for the raising of the flag.
 
Submitted by Dale Corey
 

​Mr. Michael Cecere spoke to the Williamsburg Chapter Sons of the American Revolution in a zoom meeting on August 8, 2020.  Mr. Cecere is pictured in an outfit acting as Commander of the 7th Virginia Regiment of the Continental Army (re-enactors) located in the Tidewater region.  He discussed from his book on the military career of General Peter Muhlenberg, a clergyman turned soldier and admired officer of General George Washington.  At Yorktown, Muhlenberg commanded the continental light infantry that stormed Redoubt No. 10.  Chapter President Roger Cross presented Cecere with a Certificate of Appreciation and a Jefferson Cup.  Mr. Cecere has written 17 books on the American Revolution and has taught American History for over 25 years.  He was recognized by the Virginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution as their 2005 Outstanding Teacher of the Year.  He presently resides in Williamsburg and teaches at Gloucester High School.
 
Submitted by:  Harley Stewart
 

Chapter President Edmund Davidson awarded Craigsville VA Officer Corey Wood with the SAR Life Saving Medal on August 6 at the Craigsville Town Hall (see photo below).. 

On June 6, 2020, Officer Wood, on his own, searched for and  rescued two children from a car that had plummeted into a ravine.  Tragically, the mother of the two children did not survive the accident.  
Submitted by Edmund Davidson.