The Culpeper Minutemen Chapter, DAR, and the Mary Washington Chapter, DAR, from the District of Columbia, marked the grave of Ann Mercer Slaughter (1810 - 1900) today.  Ann Slaughter was the daughter of Philip Slaughter, one of the Culpeper Minutemen of 1775 who fought at Great Bridge.  Her father later served in the 11th and 7th Virginia Regiments of the Continental Line, and was at Valley Forge, Brandywine, and Germantown.  He was promoted to captain for bravery.
Ann Slaughter, Philip's daughter, married her cousin, also Philip Slaughter.  She was a very early member of the DAR.  She is buried in the cemetery of All Saints Chapel, in Rapidan, VA, on her family's land at the foot of Cedar Mountain, which was once known as Slaughter Mountain.
The Culpeper Minutemen Color Guard supported the ceremony by posting the colors and firing a musket salute.  Seven Compatriots of our chapter and three wives attended the ceremony, including: Jim Bayne, Len Cowherd and his wife Mary Ann, Jerry Hubbard, Don Jennings and his wife Kathryn, Lon Lacey, Lance Lyngar, and Bill Schwetke with his wife Cat.  Len Cowherd's wife, Mary Ann, is the regent of the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter of the DAR and as such co-officiated at the ceremony.

73 compatriots from 17 chapters of the Virginia Society gathered at the Hyatt Fair Lakes in Fairfax, VA, on September 19-20 for the Virginia Society's 2014 Semi-Annual Meeting.  Four Culpeper Minutemen and one spouse attended, Bob Bowen, Mike Lynch, Lance Lyngar, and Bill & Cat Schwetke. 
The Virginia Society's 2015 Annual Meeting will be 20-22 February at the Omni Hotel in Richmond.

On September 20th, 1974, The Virginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution passed a resolution forming the Culpeper Minutemen as a new chapter to serve Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock Counties.  There were fifteen charter members.

On Monday, the 16th of September, 1974, VASSAR president, Major J. Thomas Burch, Jr., met at the Second National Bank in Culpeper with a group of men interested in forming a local chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.  The group elected John Stratton Board as president, Claude I. Guinn as vice-president, and Russell C. Bowen as secretary.  Keith Fletcher (VASSAR Treasurer?) provided $215 for the treasury, the residue from the defunct Piedmont Chapter.  A resolution of VASSAR on the 20th of September created The Culpeper Minutemen Chapter, certified by NSSAR on 22 February 1975.  There were 15 charter members.

President Bill Schwetke attended the September Monthly Meeting of the Fauquier Court House Chapter of the DAR on September 13th.  There were two items of interest to the CMM:
1.  The FCHC/DAR is going to replicate the march of the Culpeper Minutemen in 1775 from Culpeper to the Battle of Great Bridge.  Between now and the anniversary of Great Bridge they will collectively walk the same distance walked by one of those Minutemen.
2.  The FCHC/DAR is hosting a Genealogy Workshop at the Warrenton Presbyterian Church, 91 Main Street, Warrenton, on Saturday, November 1st.  Time and registration details will follow later.

Just before the first ceremony the CMM honored Gerry Schuck with an SAR "Flag Certificate.  Gerry has many times supported CMM events and ceremonies.  With each note of his bugle Gerry honors our flag and the heroes of our country.

As you look at our calendar of upcoming events you can clearly see that this is our busy season.  As you read this our members are selecting outstanding representatives from all five of our counties for awards in law enforcement, fire fighting, life saving, and teaching history.  We will honor the winners next month and pick our representatives to the Virginia Society competition.  The commemorative and memorial events are also growing numerous, Bugles Across America on 9/11, Fauquier Heritage Days, Slaughter Grave Marking, Point Pleasant, King’s Mountain, Francis Lay’s Grave Marking, Constitution Day, Yorktown, Veteran’s Day, Great Bridge, and Wreaths Across America.  There are also Chapter and State meetings, and social events.  Your participation in all of the above is greatly appreciated.

The Minutemen have also generated interest among area home-schoolers in our poster, essay, and orations contests.  If the interest is truly as high as it appears to be we will have several entrants in each category to judge this coming January.

Recruiting is also finally beginning to produce new members.  One application will be mailed Tuesday, September 3rd, three more will be signed on Wednesday, another is ready to go as soon as it can be typed up, another just lacks a modern-day birth certificate, and another has just started, but should go fast.  Let’s keep the ball rolling, invite a friend, neighbor, or relative to the next meeting.

The bottom line is that this is our busy season, which means that we will get to see a lot of each other – don’t miss out.  Also each of these activities requires a lot of work and a lot of our members have been making this effort since before I became a member.  If you would like to pitch in, now is a good time to contact Lance Lyngar and the nominations committee and let them know you would like to hold an office in 2015.  If you don’t want to hold office, at least show up; let those who are doing the work know that it is worth their effort.  And to all of you who have held down offices over several years – thanks for your hard work.

I look forward to seeing you at our many events this fall.

Your Servant,
Bill Schwetke, President

* Liberty Sprig Booth at Warrenton First Friday, 5 Sep, 6-9pm
* Fauquier Court House Chapter, DAR, reading of Constitution in Warrenton (combined with First Friday), 5 Sep 6pm
* Bugles Across America, Culpeper, 11 Sep, time 8:46am to 10:03am
* Semi-Annual, Hyatt Fair Lakes, Fairfax, VA,  19-20 Sep
* Fauquier Heritage Days Parade, Warrenton, VA, 20 Sep, 9am
* Fall Leadership Conference, Louisville, KY, 26-27 Sep
* Slaughter Grave Marking by DAR, Sunday, 28 Sep, 2:00pm
* Liberty Sprig Booth at Warrenton First Friday, 3 Oct, 6-9pm
* Point Pleasant, WV, 3-4 October
* King’s Mountain, Blacksburg, SC, 7 Oct , 11am
* Chapter Community Awards Meeting, Prince Michel Winery, 11 Oct, 11:30am
*  Francis Lay Grave Marking, Lay Family Farm, 11 Oct, 3:00pm (following Chapter Meeting)
* Constitution Day at Montpelier, 20 Oct, all day events
* Yorktown, 18 October, 4pm to 19 October, 3pm
* Veteran’s Day, 11 Nov
* Chapter Awards Meeting, Prince Michel Winery, 15 Nov, 09:00am (time change)
* Col William Grayson grave marking, Fairfax, VA, 15 Nov, 2:00pm (new event)
* Great Bridge, Chesapeake, VA, 6 Dec, 11am - 12pm
* SAR/DAR Christmas Party, Prince Michel Winery, 6 Dec, time TBD
* Wreaths Across America, Culpeper National Cemetery, 13 Dec, time TBD
* Board of Managers Meeting, Pepper's Grille, 10 Jan, Culpeper, 9:30am
* Battle of Cowpens Commemoration, Cowpens, SC, 17 Jan, time TBD
* January Chapter Meeting and Induction of 2015 Officers, Prince Michel Winery, 24 Jan, 11:30am