Culpeper Minutemen
| Culpeper Minutemen | |
|---|---|
Culpeper Minutemen Flag
|
|
| Active | July 17, 1775 1860 |
| Country |
 United States of America Confederate States of America
|
| Allegiance |
 Virginia
|
| Branch | Infantry |
| Type | Militia |
| Role | Home Guard |
| Size | 500 (actual 350) |
| Nickname(s) | The Old Bergaide |
| Disbanded |
1st Disbandment January 1776 2nd Disbandment merged into the 13th Infantry Confederate |
| Commanders | |
| American Revolutionary Commander | Colonel Lawrence Taliaferro |
| American Revolutionary Executive Officer | Lieutenant Colonel Edward Stevens |
1st Disbandment January 1776
The Culpeper Minutemen was a militia group formed in 1775 in the district around Culpeper, Virginia. Like minutemen in other British colonies, the men drilled in military tactics and trained to respond to emergencies "at a minute's notice".
The Culpeper Minutemen were organized on July 17, 1775 in the district created by the Third Virginia Convention consisting of the counties of Orange, Fauquier and Culpeper. Recruitment began in September 1775 with four companies of 50 men from Fauquier and Culpeper counties each and two companies of 50 men from Orange county. The District Committee of Safety determined that the militia was to meet under a large oak tree in "Clayton's old field" on the Catalpa estate near today's Yowell Meadow Park in Culpeper, Virginia.
The Culpeper minutemen fought for the patriot side in the first year of the American Revolution, and are remembered for their company flag: a white banner depicting a rattlesnake, featuring the phrases "Liberty or Death" and "Don't Tread on Me". At the time, Culpeper was considered frontier territory. In October 1775, the minutemen were sent to Hampton in response to British ships attempting to land. The riflemen were able to effectively shoot the men manning the ships cannons, and the fleet eventually sailed away.
The Culpeper militia next participated in the Battle of Great Bridge in December 1775. The battle was a complete American victory. There were accounts of the battle that suggested the British were unnerved by the reputation of the frontiersmen.
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Wikipedia