Chapter Presentation Program
2009-2010
CALL TO ARMS!
(Or rather, the Lectern...)
Fellow Compatriots, you know that over the last three years we have had a robust Guest Speaker program that has acquainted us with many things, from Washington's tactical masterpiece at Trenton down to his distillery at Mount Vernon, and from the Culper Ring of Patriot spies to a lecture on the Randolph family that was related to -- well, almost everybody who was anybody.
Many of our speakers are from outside our organization. And that is well and good as we get views from expert teachers, genealogists, military officers, and many others. All of these views enrich our understanding of our nation's great heritage.
But I wish to reserve a special place for our fellow compatriots who come forward to deliver presentations to Fairfax Resolves. We have a LOT of talent “in-house,” as we've seen with Andrew Gutowski, Tom Wilkerson, and soon, from Paul Herbert. Many of you have "more than passing knowledge" of a subject of high interest to your fellow SAR compatriots. Step forward and let me know what topic you would like to present next Fall or Spring. First choice will always go to a fellow compatriot!
Best wishes to you all!
Larry Lamborn
First Vice President
The Fairfax Resolves has a longstanding tradition of hosting programs at chapter meetings for the benefit of Compatriots and members of the community. Past programs include: historical topics, genealogical and other educational topics, Chapter youth contest winners presenting their entries, and ceremonies recognizing community members. Beginning in the fall of 2009, the Chapter will record presentations when feasible and make them available on the website.
All presentations and associated materials remain the sole property of the presenter and are made available with permission.
“The Sinew of the Army: Captains John Chilton and Tom Posey of the Virginia Continental Line”
Speaker Mike Cacere
Speaker: Mike Cecere
Date: April 8, 2010
Summary Author and educator Mike Cecere will focus on the service and sacrifice of two Virginia officers of George Washington's army, Captain John Chilton of the 3rd Virginia and Captain Thomas Posey of the 7th Virginia. These two officers served in the same brigade, but commanded very different companies and had very different experiences in the war. Captain Chilton commanded a company of musket men, (the backbone of the American army) and served at Harlem Heights, White Plains, Trenton and Princeton, and Brandywine. Captain Thomas Posey commanded a company of riflemen -- the light infantry of the American army -- and served at Gwynn's Island, Saratoga, Valley Forge, the New York Frontier, and Stony Point. The service and sacrifice of each man makes for a compelling story and is the focus of Mr. Cecere's presentation
Video Download: The Sinew of the Army.wmv (189MB)
Video Download: The Sinew of the Army-Hi.wmv (407MB)
“George Washington: Entrepreneur”
Speaker Steve Bashore
Speaker: Steve Bashore
Date: March 11, 2010
Summary Everyone is familiar with the eulogy offered by Henry ‘Light Horse’ Harry Lee at the death of George Washington, “First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” But most of us do not recall the next portion of Henry Lee’s famous eulogy, it reads, “he was second to none in the humble and endearing scenes of private life.” That private life which Washington pursued involved the operation of an 8,000 acre farm he called Mount Vernon. In fact, Washington thought of himself as a farmer before all else. It was his greatest passion and he was one of the first farmers to adopt advanced farming methods, known as the ‘new husbandry.’ Washington was also a merchant miller exporting flour to the West Indies and southern Europe. Late in life he constructed what may have been the largest whiskey distillery in the United States, producing nearly 11,000 gallons of rye whiskey in 1799.
Our speaker, Mr. Steve Bashore, Manager of George Washington’s Gristmill, Distillery & Pioneer Farm, will explore the many facets of Washington’s career as a businessman and farmer.
Video Download: George Washington - Entrepreneur.wmv (207MB)
“Washington's Officer Corps”
General Tom Wilkerson
Speaker: General Tom Wilkerson
Date: February 18, 2010
Summary When the “shot heard 'round the world” was fired in 1775, the Colonies had only militia forces available to oppose the British regulars sent to America to restore royal power. The militia officers were a mixed bag of merchants, farmers, attorneys, and even a few clergymen. As the American War for Independence raged on into the late 1770s, officers in great numbers were needed for units of all sizes -- whether state militia forces, county defense units, or "regular" forces of the Continental Line. Where did Washington's officer corps come from? How was it trained and disciplined? How did it develop the leadership qualities required to hold ragged units together despite hardship and defeat? And of great importance, what practices date from that time that still influence officer selection and training to this day?
General Tom Wilkerson, a retired U.S. Marine Corps flag rank officer and a descendent of one of Washington's own officers, talks about where Revolutionary officers came from, how they were welded into an effective leadership corps, and how selection processes developed in Washington's time have come down to the present.
Video Download: Washington's Officer Corps.wmv (256MB)
“The Forgotten Man of the Continental Navy”
Speaker Jerry Whipple
Speaker: Jerry Whipple
Date: November 12, 2009
Summary Everyone has heard of the great naval heroes of the Revolution such as John Paul Jones and John Barry, justly famous for their exploits at sea. But few have heard of Abraham Whipple, an extraordinary sea captain from Rhode Island whose sea duty did much to advance the cause of independence. It was Commodore Whipple, then a merchant sea captain, who led the June 1772 attack on the British revenue schooner, Gaspee, one of the earliest shots fired in the Revolution. Not only that, but from 1775 to the war's end, Whipple clashed with British warships off New England and the Bahamas. In one daring episode, the Commodore and his "fleet" of three frigates captured a British convoy of ten ships off Newfoundland without a shot being fired. Yet after independence was won, Whipple was quickly forgotten and died penniless in Ohio in 1819. This great naval hero was certainly deserving of the title: “The Forgotten Man of the Continental Navy.”
Video Download: The Forgotten Man of the Continental Navy.wmv (140MB)
“The War Comes to Virginia: 1781”
Compatriot Andrew Gutowski
Speaker: Andrew Gutowski
Date: September 10, 2009
Summary Except for some parting shots by Lord Dunmore as he fled his post as royal governor in 1776, Virginia had largely been spared the ravages of war until 1781. From 1776 to 1779, the campaigns had mainly been in the northern colonies, especially in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. But in late 1779 the British struck at the southern colonies, landing at Savannah and proceeding steadily northward toward Virginia. General Nathanael Greene conducted a masterful defensive campaign that wore out the columns of Lord Cornwallis. But now the British focused on Virginia - sending first the traitor Benedict Arnold to ravage and devastate the James River area. And Lord Cornwallis was fast approaching. Only Washington's brilliant French general, the Marquis de Lafayette, stood his ground to meet the British onslaught.
Video Download: War Comes to Virginia - 1781.wmv (126MB)
Presentation Slides: War Comes to Virginia - 1781.pdf (2.5MB)