WILLIAMSBURG — It was a busy month of activities for the Sons of the American Revolution – Williamsburg Chapter, the organization dedicated to remembering and honoring the patriots who sought the nation’s independence during the Revolutionary War.
On July 16, Alex Armstrong was inducted into the chapter. Alex, a Senior at Virginia Tech, is a descendant of Harwood Howard Bacon.
On July 6, the Virginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Williamsburg Chapter and the Daughters of the American Revolution commemorated the Battle of Green Spring at the Church on the Main, James City County.
This 1781 battle was the largest engagement between the British and the Patriots in Virginia before the Siege of Yorktown.
On July 4, the 37th Annual Service of Prayer & Thanksgiving was conducted at Bruton Parish Church, Williamsburg, by Rev. Christopher L. Epperson and R. Bruce W. Laubach, President, Williamsburg Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution.
July 4 was also National Bell Ringing Day. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed Independence Day as National Bell Ringing Day, with bells to be rung 13 times to honor the 13 original colonies.
On the Fourth of July, the Bruton Bell was rung to announce the service, as well as at the conclusion of the service, and at 2 p.m. to celebrate freedom and to remember those who protect that freedom, including veterans, service members, firefighters and law enforcement.
The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) was organized on April 30, 1889, on the 100th anniversary of the inauguration of George Washington. The Williamsburg Chapter applied for its charter in February 1969, and today boasts nearly 200 members.
It is a fraternal and civic society composed of “lineal descendants of the men who wintered at Valley Forge, signed the Declaration of Independence, fought in the battles of the American Revolution, served in the Continental Congress, or otherwise supported the cause of American Independence,” according to its website.
