Culpeper Minutemen Memorial Ceremony

11 Jun 2016                                                   Culpeper, VA

     The Culpeper Minutemen Chapter of the SAR honored the Culpeper Minutemen of 1775 in a ceremony at the DAR Memorial Marker in Culpeper's Yowell Meadow Park today.  Ten chapter members, (three in uniform), four prospective members, and four wives, were joined by several members of both the Culpeper Minute Men and Faquier Court House Chapters of the NSDAR, and the Asby Gap Society, C.A.R.  Special guests this year were three members of the Regiment von Huyen, Hessian re-enactors.  Chapter 1st Vice-President Jerry Hubbard was the Master of Ceremonies.
     The program opened with the combined color guard posting the colors of the United States, the 1775 Culpeper Minutemen, and the Regiment von Huyen, to the beat of Regiment von Huyen drummer Ken Smith-Christmas.

The colors are advanced, left to right: Bill Schwetke, Don Jennings, Larry Alexander; and Hessians: Ben Williams, Alan Wetherald, and Ken Smith-Christmas.

    After the Pledge of Allegiance, and the SAR Pledge, President Schwetke gave a brief history of the Culpeper Minute Battalion.  Then the Roll of Honor was called for twelve of the known Culpeper Minutemen.  The call of each name was followed by the ringing of the bell by Len Cowherd, and the reading of a short biography by one of three readers: Secretary Tom Hamill of the CMM, Regent Mary Ann Cowherd of the CMM/DAR, and Past Regent Beverly Alexander of the FCHC/DAR.  Those we honored today included:

Left to right: Bell Ringer Len Chowherd, Master of Ceremonies Jerry Huibbard, Reader #1 Tom Hamill, Reader #2 Mary Ann Cowherd, and reader #3 Beverly Alexander.

     Next each group presented their wreath in honor of the 1775 Minutemen, with an honor guard of musketeers, Don Jennings, and Larry Alexander.  Treasurer Bill Mutziger presented the CMM wreath, Regent Mary Ann Cowherd presented the CMM/DAR wreath, Regent Cat Schwetke presented the FCHC/DAR wreath, Braden McGreevy presented the Ashby Gap Society of the C.A.R. wreath, and Grenadier Alan Wetherald presented the Regiment von Huyen wreath.

Treasurer Bill Mutziger presents the CMM wreath.

Regent Cat Schwetke presents the FCHC/DAR wreath.

Regent Mary Ann Cowherd presents the CMM/DAR wreath.

Braden McGreevy presented the Ashby Gap C.A.R. wreath, accompanied by his mother the Society's Senior President, Katrina McGreevy.

Grenadier Alan Wetherald presents the Regiment von Huyen wreath.

     Finally a musket team of Continental Line Soldiers (portrayed by the CMM Color Guard) and a Hessian Grenadier (portrayed by Alan Wetherald), fired a musket volley to salute the 1775 Culpeper Minutemen.