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  • 13 Apr 2021 11:00 AM | Joel Hinzman (Administrator)


    The 278th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Jefferson was celebrated on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 at his Memorial in the Nation Capital. In every year but two since the dedication of the Jefferson Memorial in 1943 on the 200th anniversary of his birth, the District of Columbia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (“DCSAR”), in cooperation with the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Military District of Washington, has sponsored a commemorative ceremony at the Jefferson Memorial. It was cancelled in 1945 because of Franklin Roosevelt’s death, and during 2020 because of the pandemic.

    This year DCSAR resumed the tradition but - because of continuing limits on in-person participation - with none of the normal pomp and circumstance. Wreaths were presented without ceremony on behalf of: the Secretary of the Interior by Park Ranger Samuel Yancho; the University of Virginia by alumnus Mark Tonacci (class of ’79); the Sons of the American Revolution by D.C. Society President Joel Hinzman; the Daughters of the American Revolution by D.C. State Regent Cindy Hays; the Children of the American Revolution by D.C. Senior State President Lorraine Nordlinger; and the Society of Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence by President General Lucy Duke Tonacci. Videographer: Rachel Hicks.

    Video of the event can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/DCSSAR/

  • 21 Feb 2021 4:00 PM | William Ritchie (Administrator)

    The 2021 Annual Membership Meeting was held virtually on February 21, 2021. DCSAR President Joel P. Hinzman called the meeting to order and welcomed all including the SAR Atlantic Middle States Association (“AMSA”) Vice President General Ernest L. Sutton. The invocation was offered by Rev. John D. Stonesifer who also provided the benediction when the meeting concluded. The slate of SAR Officers for the 2021-2022 period was presented by the nominating committee. The list was approved by the membership and the election meeting is scheduled for March 18, 2021.  

    Upon concluding the discussion of normal business reports, VPG Sutton offered words of appreciation to DCSAR on the virtual presentation of the AMSA conference last August. He also advised that the 2021 conference is tentatively scheduled to be held in Annapolis during August. It will be determined later if this conference will be live or virtual.

    VPG Sutton administered the oath during the induction of two new compatriots. Rev. Dr. Alyn Errick Waller, a resident of Penn Valley, PA is Senior Pastor, Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia, PA. Compatriot Waller’s patriot is his 6th great grandfather, William Parks, who was shot, killed and scalped by the Indians working for the British during May 1776 while defending the frontier. His sponsor is William Ritchie.

    Compatriot Gregory Ronald Switzer lives in Arlington, VA. He’s a 6th great grandson of Abraham Kendrick, who served as a Private 1st Class, 4th Battalion, Lancaster County Pennsylvania Militia. His sponsor is Fred Humphreys. Both were virtually welcomed to DCSAR.

  • 21 Feb 2021 11:00 AM | William Ritchie (Administrator)

    Today, while COVID may have kept us from holding our annual George Washington Birthday luncheon, we could not allow the 289th birthday of George Washington to pass by without marking the occasion. Joel P. Hinzman, President, DCSAR, accompanied by Cindy Hays, Regent, DCDAR and Chip Nordlinger, President DC C.A.R. laid a wreath at the Washington Monument that was erected in his honor. The video of the brief ceremony held in near freezing temperature, can be found on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DCSSAR/. Videographer DCDAR Rachel Hicks.

  • 3 Dec 2020 6:30 PM | William Ritchie (Administrator)

    DCSAR held its annual Holiday Dinner on December 3, 2020 at 6:30 PM. The virtual dinner was highlighted with a presentation by Dr. Jim Ambuske on the Richard H. Brown Revolutionary War Map Collection which was recently donated to the Library. Featuring over 1,000 individual objects that date between 1740 and 1799 – including manuscript and print maps, bound atlases, watercolor views sheds, and other documents – the collection will offer new opportunities for researching and teaching the history of the American Revolution, Early Republic, and eighteenth-century cartography.

    The maps, some of them one-of-kind, drawn in pen, ink and watercolor, come from the collection of Richard H. Brown, a businessman, author and expert on Revolutionary War-era maps and images.

    The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington’s recent acquisition of the Richard H. Brown Revolutionary War Map Collection positions the Library as one of the world’s leading centers for the study of cartography in the era of the American Revolution.

    Dr. Ambuske is the Digital Historian at the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon.  He leads the Center for Digital History at the Washington Library, and directs a number of projects, including the Digital Encyclopedia of George Washington.

    Dr. Ambuske discussed the watercolor collection of Charlestown, MA by British officer Richard Williams, done shortly after the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775. He focused on the ink and watercolor manuscript panoramic view depicting the area around Boston during the siege after the Battle of Bunker Hill, as seen from across the river at Beacon Hill. The maps are useful to communicate events of the early Revolutionary War period since we do not have any photographs.

  • 11 Nov 2020 6:32 PM | Joel Hinzman (Administrator)


    Dear Compatriots, 

    As descendants of the Patriots who won the American Revolution and secured the freedoms with which we’re blessed, one of our foremost duties is to remember and honor our nation’s first veterans and their service. I hope you have had the chance today to pause for a moment and consider the sacrifices and risks your ancestors took to create a new nation.

     

    The SAR was conceived as a fraternal and civic society composed of lineal descendants of the patriots 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. As members of the SAR we strive to maintain and extend the institutions of American freedom. We should continually remember what Nick Lampson said, “There is nothing nobler than risking your life for your country,” and share the importance of honoring our nation’s veterans this and every day.

     

    So on behalf of the DCSAR, I’m honored to express my sincere thanks to all of our veterans. “America’s Veterans have served their country with the belief that democracy and freedom are ideals to be upheld around the world (John Doolittle).” As members of the DCSAR, and descendants of the first American Veterans, let us work diligently to preserve the freedom our veterans secured for us, and continue to honor them with gratitude for their sacrifice.

    Sincerely,

    President

  • 18 Oct 2020 11:00 AM | William Ritchie (Administrator)

    A scenic area within Fort Ward Museum and Park located in Alexandria, VA was the location of the 1st Yorktown Victory Celebration Picnic sponsored by DCSAR. The picnic commenced at 11:00 am on October 18, 2020 where all guests wore mask and practiced social distancing. The event celebrated the 238th anniversary of the American Victory at Yorktown and the major contributions to its success by France and French Heroes to the Revolution. Guests either brought their own lunch or were served a picnic box.

    DCSAR President Joel P. Hinzman provided the following overview: “On September 28, 1781, General George Washington, commanding a force of 17,000 French and Continental troops, began the siege known as the Battle of Yorktown against British General Lord Charles Cornwallis and a contingent of 9,000 British troops at Yorktown, Virginia, in the most important battle of the Revolutionary War. With the opening of forty-one Allied guns on October 9, 1781, Cornwallis' position, already tenuous, was made so indefensible that surrender negotiations started less than a week later on October 17.

    The surrender of over 7,000 British troops on October 19, 1781 did not end the war. The end came in 1783 after Washington moved back to New York City, with the Peace of Paris signed by a British government installed largely as a result of Washington's victory.

    In truth, Washington commanded an allied army, in which the French component was very important. A French army expeditionary force had been stationed in New England since 1780, and soldiers from this French contingent (when combined with others brought up from the West Indies) comprised nearly half of Washington’s forces. Cornwallis refused to attend the surrender ceremony, citing “illness” so his second in command, Brigadier General Charles O’Hara led the British army on to the field.  In a symbolically important gesture, O’Hara had tried to surrender to the Comte de Rochambeau, the French commander, only for Rochambeau diplomatically to insist that he was merely an American auxiliary. The reluctant O’Hara therefore offered his sword to Washington, who in turn insisted that his second-in-command should take the British surrender. Rochambeau followed military etiquette to the letter, but by doing so created a misleading impression of the French contribution. 

    Not only did French heavy artillery relentlessly pound Cornwallis’s defensive works, but French troops played a key part in capturing an important British redoubt. But before this moment, the French navy had sealed Cornwallis’s fate by leaving him trapped and without realistic hope of help.

    So today, the day before the 238th anniversary of the American and French forces victory at Yorktown, we celebrate the triumph of the alliance that is still strong to this day, that of the United States and France.”

    Two new members were inducted during the celebration. Timothy Maurice Reardon of Alexandria, VA is the 3rd great grandson of Jared Ingersoll, who served as a member of the Continental Congress in 1780 and 1781 and also an aide-de-camp to the Governor of Pennsylvania. Douglas Bunton Tomb of Falls Church, VA is the 4th great grandson of Private Josiah Moody, who served in Col. John Stark’s New Hampshire Regiment. They are pictured below with DCSAR President Hinzman, DCSAR Secretary Paul Hays and Mrs. Beverly Tomb, a member of the Eleanor Wilson Chapter, DCDAR. Masks were temporarily removed during the photo shoot.

    The posthumous memorial inductee was Daniel Pierson Redmond (d. July 2018) who was the 4th great grandson of Moses Felt, a private in two different companies of the Massachusetts militia. Compatriot Sean Redmond was presented with his father’s certificate. 

    Compatriot Tom Readmond was presented with certificates representing seven approved supplemental applications bringing his total proven Patriot Ancestors to fifteen.

    Concluding, guests joined President Hinzman in raising a glass in a toast to France, General Rochambeau, the Marquis de Lafayette and the French Forces, General George Washington, and to the United States.

  • 22 Sep 2020 5:00 PM | William Ritchie (Administrator)

    Press Release

    During a socially distancing program held at the Tactical Training Center, the Metropolitan Police Department held its Annual Awards Ceremony on September 22, 2020 commencing at 4:00 pm. DCSAR Senior Vice President William Ritchie was invited to present the SAR Law Enforcement Commendation and Medal to Third District Officers Kfir Gamliel and Joseph Young. Chief of Police Peter Newshum accepted the award on behalf of the two officers who were unable to attend. The event was originally scheduled for March 17, 2020 but was postponed until today associated with the Covid-19 Pandemic.

    On July 14, 2019, at approximately 2:57 AM, officers responded to an accident in the rear of 1301 U Street, NW.  Upon arriving on scene, they observed a pedestrian unconscious, under the vehicle.  The officers called for DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services (“DCFEMS”).  While awaiting their arrival, Officer Young used the jack in the vehicle to lift the vehicle.  When the vehicle was high enough, Officer Young pulled the pedestrian out from underneath the vehicle. 

    Officer Gamliel arrived shortly after and realized the pedestrian was not breathing. He inserted an issued nasal device, as well as applied the issued mouth cover before administering CPR.  He was able to resuscitate the victim and keep him breathing until DCFEMS arrived on the scene and took over the medical needs of the victim. Based on their dedication and quick action, Officers Young and Gamliel were able to remove a victim from harm, and keep him alive for further medical attention.

    The MPD Tactical Village is a pre-engineered, metal building that houses four one- and two-story masonry structures intended to replicate an urban neighborhood setting and streetscapes for use in police training. The facility was constructed for training new cadets and re-certification for officers on duty. The streetscapes includes an entry street, a main street, a cross street and two alleyways on which five training modules have been constructed. It is an impressive training facility.
  • 4 Jul 2020 6:00 PM | Joel Hinzman (Administrator)

    https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/sons-of-the-american-revolution-honors-one-of-dcs-first-black-officers/2352217/

  • 4 Jul 2020 10:00 AM | Joel Hinzman (Administrator)

    Founded April 19, 1890 - Our 131st Year

    1801 E Street, Southeast, Washington, D.C. 20003

    pio@dcssar.org


    PRESS RELEASE

    The District of Columbia Society Sons of the American Revolution (“DCSAR”), the District of Columbia Daughters of the American Revolution (“DCDAR”), the Children of the American Revolution (“C.A.R.”) and members of many other lineage and patriotic organizations gathered on the Fourth of July 2020 for our traditional Independence Day kickoff at Congressional Cemetery. The purpose was to honor and remember Vice President Elbridge Gerry and all the other Signers of the Declaration of Independence. Vice President Gerry is the only Signer buried in Washington, D.C. 

     

    Elbridge Gerry was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, on July 17, 1744, one of Thomas and Elizabeth Greenleaf Gerry's 11 children. A former ship's captain who emigrated from England in 1730, Thomas Gerry was a pillar of the Marblehead community, serving as a justice of the peace and selectman and as moderator of the town meeting. Gerry was elected to the second Continental Congress in December 1775, serving until 1780 and again from 1783 to 1785. He was one of four delegates chosen by the Massachusetts legislature to attend the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Gerry served in the United States House of Representatives during the First and Second Congresses (1789-1793). A conciliatory and moderate legislator, he supported Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton's proposals to fund the Revolutionary War debt and to establish a national bank.1

     

    The vice presidency had been vacant for nearly a year by the time Gerry took office as the nation's fifth vice president on March 4, 1813. His predecessor, died in office on April 20, 1812. Gerry would die in office before the end of his term in 1814. After Gerry's interment at Congressional Cemetery, the United States claimed victory over Great Britain. The young nation received few tangible concessions from the British under the Treaty of Ghent, but a new generation of leaders viewed America's "victory" in the War of 1812 as a reaffirmation of the ideals that had animated and sustained Elbridge Gerry since the summer of 1776.1

     

    During the program, two new members were inducted into DCSAR by State Secretary Paul Hays. Compatriot Jonathan Carothers is a 

    fifth great grandson of Magdalena Adams, who as a widow paid the Pennsylvania Supply Tax in 1782 and therefore qualifies as a patriot ancestor in her own right.  Compatriot Brian Jack, is a fifth great grandson of Jonas Nicholas, a Private in the 1st Regiment of New York Levies

     

    DCSAR 1st Vice-President William O. Ritchie, Jr. presented the 2020 SAR Law Enforcement Commendation and Medal to the Family of Officer Robert Fleet. 

     

    On August 20, 1874 at about 0129 hours Washington Metropolitan Police Department Officer Robert Fleet of the Second Precinct while on duty observed a building fire while standing on the corner of 15th and Q Streets NW. Reportedly, the officer ran to fire box #79 to turn in an alarm. He sounded the alarm using a key to the old-fashionedtelegraph system two alarm boxes with a telegraphic key that were used to report neighborhood fires. He immediately fell dead with his key still in the alarm box. It was opined that the exertion of running and excitement caused the rupture of a blood vessel. Others attribute his death to apoplexy, which is unconsciousness or incapacity resulting from a cerebral hemorrhage or stroke.2

    Officer Fleet was the second person of color appointed to the police force on October 29, 1869 and served over three years in the fourth precinct. During April 1873, he was transferred to the second precinct where he served until the time of his death. The funeral of Officer Fleet took place on August 24th at his residence of 2039 K Street NW. The remains were attended by a detail of police, under Lieutenant Cornelius Noonan, and were interred in Harmony Cemetery. Reportedly, there was hardly an officer on the force more generally liked, being of quiet, unassuming manners, and faithful and discreet in the discharge of his duties. As was remarked by some of the officers who had been his colleagues, he was a gentleman.2

    Officer Fleet is listed as a member of the department in the US Interior Department MPD roster on September 13, 1871.

     

    Robert Fleet was found to have enlisted in the US Navy on May 30, 1859 and served in the capacity of a waiter. On July 25, 1863 was listed in the U.S. Colored Troops, 22nd Regiment Company C and held the rank of Private and the position of feed merchant. He was discharged at some point after the conclusion of the Civil War. 

    Officer Fleet was survived by his wife and two children. During August of 2019 two of Officer Fleet’s second great grandsons, Clayton and Simeon Deskins and second great granddaughter Donna Shoulders were identified via genealogy by DCSAR. All are currently living in the Washington, DC area. The commendation is presented to the Deskins Family. 

    1www.senate.gov/about/officers-staff/vice-president/VP_Elbridge_Gerry.htm

    Evening Star Article Dated August 20, 1874, Page 4


    The Sons of the American Revolution (“SAR”) the largest male lineage organization in the U.S., consists of 50 state-level societies with more than 500 local chapters, several international societies (including Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom), and over 34,000 members. The Missions of this Society are declared to be patriotic, historical, and educational; to unite and promote fellowship among the descendants of those who sacrificed to achieve the independence of the American people, to inspire them and the community-at-large with a more profound reverence for the principles of the government founded by our forefathers; to foster true patriotism; to maintain and extend the institutions of American freedom. 

  • 29 Apr 2020 4:52 PM | Joel Hinzman (Administrator)

    PRESS RELEASE

    The District of Columbia Sons of the American Revolution held its Installation of Officers ceremony on Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 7:45 pm. The black-tie-with-regalia virtual event was simulcast to each member’s home through the marvels of modern technology, specifically the Zoom application. The ceremony was preceded by a brief cocktail period.

    The meeting was called to order by DCSAR President Lane D. Brooks followed by the invocation offered by Assistant Chaplain Rev. Dr. John D. Stonesifer. Cindy Hays, DC DAR State Regent-elect, presented the American flag from her living room, and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by DCSAR Vice President William O. Ritchie. NSSAR Vice President General Ernest L Sutton administered the oath of office to the newly-elected officers. Brief remarks were made by incoming DCSAR President Joel P. Hinzman, who then led the membership in a toast appropriate to the occasion.

Copyright D.C. Sons of the American Revolution

The D.C. Sons of the American Revolution is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization. 1801 E Street SEWashington, DC 20003 

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