800-mile journey honors family patriot

From Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel: 800-mile journey honors family patriot
Jeremy Morris made an 800-mile road trip with his wife and baby daughter from near Roanoke, Va., to Racine County - all in the name of family history.

Morris came north to see the dedication of a historical marker Saturday for his ancestor Maj. Andrew Lytle Jr., who fought in the Revolutionary War.

He borrowed a replica uniform from a friend and unintentionally became part of the color guard during the ceremony held at United Presbyterian Cemetery near Union Grove. He said he was humbled to attend.

"To me it's all about patriotism," said Morris, 30. "Knowing that my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather fought for our freedom - that's where I draw my source of patriotism for this country."

The Wisconsin Society, Sons of the American Revolution organized the dedication of Lytle's historical marker, which now stands at the cemetery's entrance.

Brian McManus, a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, said the event marked the culmination of the Wisconsin chapter's efforts to place a plaque in the cemetery of every known Revolutionary War veteran buried in the state.

That endeavor, which began in the 1970s, has now recognized all 40 veterans who've been identified and documented. The number of veterans from that war is low because Wisconsin didn't become a territory until after the American Revolution.

"I can only imagine the sacrifices that all of these veterans made for our freedom today," McManus said. "These markers are kind of like a beacon to travelers."

Along with Morris, several dozen descendants of Lytle were on hand Saturday morning to recognize their forebear. One of them, Jeff Minton of Somers, has researched Lytle's life in recent years.

Lytle was born in Ireland in 1762, immigrated to Pennsylvania and then moved to New York, where he served as a major in the New York militia.

Lytle's father and brother also served in the Revolutionary War.

His son, Adams, who is buried next to him, fought in the Mexican-American War, and three of his grandsons served in the Civil War, Minton said.

Lytle moved to Wisconsin in 1838 and became a farmer. Minton said that Lytle refashioned his battle sword into a pruning hook for apple trees on his farm. Lytle died in 1855 at the age of 93 and was buried at the quiet cemetery in the Town of Yorkville.

As puffy clouds floated over Lytle's grave marker 156 years later, Ed Pierog reflected on the day.

"I think it's just a patriotic thing to do," said Pierog, of West Bend, a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. "It's important to recognize the sacrifices these men made for our country."

Water balloon revolution

From the Georgia Daily: Water balloon revolution
The American Revolution made its way to campus on Saturday morning in an unusual reenactment of the historic war.

Assistant history professor Solomon Smith and his class reenacted the war with a game of capture the flag.

Students from Smith’s American Revolution class got an early start Saturday at about 10:15 a.m. Stationed in front of the Newton Building, each team took off in pursuit of the other team’s flag.

“It’s the most effective assignment I’ve created yet,” said Smith.

Smith got the inspiration for the educational game from a friend of his who works as a professor at Appalachian State University.

The students from App State responded very well to this game, so Smith decided that it would be beneficial to his students as well.

This project was a learning experience for a majority of the people involved.

Junior Victoria Crane, history major said it helped her to realize what the revolution was really like.

Capture the flag is a game in which there are two teams and two flags placed in two obvious stations. It is the objective of each team to capture the other team’s flag and win.

The interesting thing about this particular battle was the sight of students pelting each other with water balloons. If a team member were to get hit with a water balloon, then they were considered automatically dead.

“I wanted students to get an overall experience of the chaos that happens during a battle like this,” said Smith.

Contrary to the actual war that lasted for eight years, this game lasted for about 15 minutes, but some students claimed it felt like it lasted an hour.

Team One, technically known as the Americans, won the game while the British were defeated.

Smith’s purpose for this assignment was to get students to experience the basic concepts of an army battle that were used during the American Revolution.

“Students get a chance to learn how to be historians,” said Smith.

The students have been preparing a collection of documents about themselves and their thoughts before the battle.

Now, they must finish up by writing about their overall experience and history of the revolution.

New Jersey: Washington Crossing State Park center has Revolutionary War-era guns, artifacts stolen during hurricane power outage

From NJ.com: Washington Crossing State Park center has Revolutionary War-era guns, artifacts stolen during hurricane power outage

HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP — Two local teens used the recent post-hurricane power outage to break into the visitors center at Washington Crossing State Park and steal more than a dozen American Revolutionary War weapons and other historic artifacts, state officials confirmed yesterday.

Timothy Davis-Napier, 18 of Wilfrid Avenue and a 17-year-old juvenile, whose name was not released, were charged with burglary and theft in the Aug. 30 break-in at the park. All of the items have been recovered, officials said.

The pair gained entry into the visitor center while the alarm system was down because of the power outages that plagued the region after Hurricane Irene, state police said.

“I don’t know how they found out that the system was compromised but somehow they ended up over there and broke in,” said State Police acting Captain Frank Davis. “They took various pieces from within the museum.”

Stolen were eight flintlock pistols, eight knives and other items from the renowned Swan Collection of the American Revolution, which is on long-term loan to the museum, said Larry Hajna, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, which oversees state parks.

He could not estimate the value of the stolen items.

“They’re important artifacts from the American Revolution, Hajna said. “They’re our heritage. It would have been a big loss but fortunately, the items were recovered.”

The collection is owned by 82-year-old Harry Kels Swan, a Somerset resident who once worked in the museum and continues to visit regularly. Started in 1795 by Swan’s great, great grandfather, the collection has been passed down through 18 generations of the Swan family. It now contains more than nearly 900 authentic Revolutionary War-period items, including muskets, side arms, swords, clothing and maps.

Park police discovered the burglary during a morning check of the museum on Aug. 30, Davis said. Working closely with Hopewell Township Police, state police arrested Napier and the 17-year-old the following day. Two other juveniles were allegedly involved in the heist but not charged, according to a source close to the investigation.

The artifacts were recovered in the woods behind the home of one of the four individuals, the source said.

Hajna said the state is seeking to try the 17-year-old in adult court.

According to police records published online, Davis-Napier was arrested by Hopewell Township Police in August and charged with underage drinking.

We the People

From Herald Gazette: We the People

We are in the middle of Constitution Week, and it is a great time study and discuss one of the bedrock documents of the United States.

The Daughters of the American Revolution originally petitioned for a Constitution Week to promote the study and education of the Constitution. Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and George W. Bush both took actions to make the week official.

Our lives are affected every day by the Constitution when we exercise freedom of religion, the right to keep and bear arms, enjoy freedom of speech, are secure from unreasonable searches and seizures, and vote. But the week of Sept. 17 to Sept. 23 is a dedicated time of reflection.

“The United States of America functions as a Republic under the Constitution, which is the oldest document still in active use that outlines the self-government of a people,” notes the Daughters of the American Revolution. “This landmark idea that men had the inalienable right as individuals to be free and live their lives under their own governance was the impetus of the American Revolution. Today, the Constitution stands as an icon of freedom for people around the world.”

Several websites offer Constitution Week quizzes. We invite readers to check out constitutionfacts.com to test their knowledge.

Here are a few sample quiz questions:

Invoking the Fifth Amendment means an accused man:

A — Refuses to testify against himself.
B — Refuses to be tried again
C — Demands a grand jury.
D — Wants to appeal his case.

The answer is A. "No person shall... be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

Prior to the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, what was true?


A — Women did not have the right to vote for president.
B — Women in certain states had the right to vote for president.
C — All women had the right to vote for president.
D — Women married to landowners had the right to vote for president.

The answer is B. Women in certain states had the right to vote for president. Arizona, Alaska, Oregon and California had given women the right to vote before 1920.

The Constitution enumerates our rights, but if we want to fully exercise them and challenge those who would infringe upon them, we must take refresher courses and remember:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

West Virginia: Festival starts with dedication

This story is several days old, but I thought it was worth sharing.

From the Journal-News.com: Festival starts with dedication
CHARLES TOWN - A Washington family descendent, local politicians, residents and more than 100 schoolchildren were present for two events that kicked off the Charles Town Heritage Festival Friday morning.

The day started with a wreath-laying ceremony at the grave of Charles Washington, who was an American colonel in the American Revolution, was George Washington's half-brother and also was the founder of Charles Town. Friday's event was in commemoration of the 212th anniversary of his death.

This was the first time there has been a wreath-laying event by the town because the property has only been in Charles Town's possession for about a year, said Mayor Peggy Smith.

Charles Town is celebrating its 225th anniversary this weekend, and the wreath ceremony was an appropriate way to start the festival, Smith said.

"We felt that it was only fitting to start this celebration by honoring the founder of our city, Col. Charles Washington," she said.

Smith and Walter Washington, a direct descendent of the Washington family, later dedicated a freshly planted American elm tree at Jefferson Memorial Park.

They also spoke to schoolchildren about the Washington family in Jefferson County and the history of the American elm tree.

George Washington came through when he was a teenager as part of a survey team, and the Washington family later established themselves in the local area, Walter Washington said.

"He was so impressed by the land here and how fertile it was and how much water there was that he encouraged his brothers to start buying land here," he said.

"It's great that everyone recognizes the heritage here," he added after the tree dedication. "We have so much history in the county, it's wonderful to celebrate it."

In dedicating the tree, Smith said the Liberty Tree was a famous elm tree in Boston before the American Revolution started, and it served as a rallying point for colonists.

"Let this be our Liberty Tree," Smith told the crowd at Jefferson Memorial Park.

The Charles Town Heritage Festival will continue today and Sunday, and a schedule of events can be found at www.historiccharlestownwv.com.

Group uncovers soldier’s grave: Benoni Goldsmith

From News and Sentinel.com: Group uncovers soldier’s grave: Benoni Goldsmith
FEARING TWP. - The local Sons of the American Revolution chapter is working to make sure the grave site of a Revolutionary War soldier doesn't have to be rediscovered again.

The final resting place of Benoni Goldsmith was recorded by local historian and author Owen Hawley in 1971. But when two members of the SAR's Marietta chapter attempted to find it this summer on the Fearing Township farm of David Spindler, they were initially unsuccessful.

"We spent all afternoon ... probing around and we couldn't locate it," said David White, vice president of the chapter.White and Jean Yost, chapter president, knew from Hawley's account that Goldsmith's marker and two others had been located on a point in the field but the landmark used was a large elm tree that was no longer there. It was Dean Zimmer, who lives nearby, that recalled the general spot overlooking Duck Creek where the markers had once stood, they said.

Plunging pointed sticks into the ground, White and Yost located about half a dozen large pieces and several smaller fragments of the markers and unearthed them. Only a single letter, "G," was legible on one of the pieces. White said it was likely that cattle or farm equipment had knocked the stones over and then they were covered with grass. According to Hawley's account, Goldsmith's stone and his wife Angelina's stood at the site, along with a third one that was illegible. White said he expects they will be able to find more fragments in the area.

"We'll try to reap as much information here as we can," he said.

Ruritans mark 30 years of lighting Yorktown Victory Monument

From the Daily Press.com, Yorktown, VA: Ruritans mark 30 years of lighting Yorktown Victory Monument
YORK—— Paying the light bill is a big commitment for the York Ruritan Club.

On Sept. 13, the group made its 30th annual payment to keep the Yorktown Victory Monument lit from dusk to dawn 365 days a year. This year's check to the Colonial National Historical Park was for $850.

The monument honors the decisive 1781 American and French Allied victory over the British in the Revolutionary War. The story behind the monument's darkness and relighting in 1981 comes from club treasurer Tom Olsavicky.

During World War II in the early 1940s, the U.S. War Department required the National Park Service to remove the light so Nazi submarines could not use it as a beacon to sink naval and merchant ships as they entered the Atlantic Ocean from Hampton Roads harbors, he said.

The monument remained dark for decades until 1981, when York Ruritans installed new, high-intensity lights and held a formal ceremony to unveil them. At that time, they started a fund to pay the electric bill each year, according to Olsavicky.

The Ruritans hold barbecue sales and other fundraisers throughout the year to fund the project.

Jim Funk, who has been with the club since 1984, said the details are passed down from older club members to younger ones. He got most of the story from a member who has since died, but said arrangements are in place to insure the payment always gets made.

"I don't think they realized what a commitment they made, but we've honored that promise and made sure when we do fundraising every year that's at the top of the budget," Funk said. "That's the largest expenditure that we make toward any community project, because we consider it an honor to have that national monument in Yorktown."

The park service keeps a separate budget line item for the amount so the Ruritans' money doesn't go elsewhere. But occasionally new employees will suggest turning off the lights at midnight as a money saver, and someone tells them it's paid for by the Ruritans, Funk said.

Dan Smith, park superintendent, said in a statement the Ruritans' effort to light the monument 30 years ago was "truly a remarkable undertaking."

"Although most residents take the monument being illuminated for granted and never give it a second thought, the lighting tremendously enhances the power of the landmark and helps create a majestic and inspiring site," Smith said. "Although the annual cost to the Ruritans has more than doubled in the past 30 years, they insist on continuing to provide this important service to the park and to the community."

The Sept. 13 annual ceremony featured several Ruritans handing a check to Smith in front of the monument, complete with a handshake and posing for photos. It's the same thing every year.

"It is a unique monument, and Yorktown is known for that particular phase of the Revolutionary War," Funk said. "That's why we think it's so important to keep it lighted."

To make a donation Checks can be made to York Ruritans and mailed c/o Jim Funk, 112 Laura Lane, Yorktown, VA, 23692.

Did you know?
Yorktown played a role in not only the American Revolution, but also the Civil War. In 1862 it was the site of the first siege operations of the Civil War. In May, 1862 Confederates abandoned Yorktown and Union troops occupied it for the remainder of the war.