Community Events
Virtual commemoration of the Battle of Great Bridge
On December 5, 2020, the Colonel James Wood II Chapter of the Virginia Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) participated in a virtual commemoration of the Battle of Great Bridge. This commemoration was the 10th Annual Great Bridge Wreath Laying, sponsored by the Great Bridge Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and the Norfolk SAR.
This battle was fought on December 9, 1775. This came about after the British under Virginia’s Royal Governor, John Murray, the Earl of Dunmore had ordered Royal Marines to seize the gunpowder stores of Williamsburg. This caused militia companies from surrounding counties to converge on Williamsburg. Lord Dunmore fled to Norfolk and began raising an Army from Tory militias which was joined by the British 14th Regiment of Foot. At that time, the main route to Norfolk was across the Great Bridge over the Elizabeth River. This bridge was a narrow 100-150 foot span that was bordered on both sides by the Great Dismal Swamp, only accessible by narrow causeways on both the north and south sides.
On December 7, Patriot forces arrived on the south side. By the night of December 8, these forces commanded by Colonel William Woodford had grown to roughly 900 men. Lord Dunmore decided to drive the colonial forces back, and on the morning of December 9, sent his forces to attack the patriots. The British advanced six men abreast and funneled into the causeway where they were met with a withering fire. The battle lasted less than an hour. When it was over, the British had lost more than 100 men killed and wounded. Only one of the Patriots was wounded.
That night, the British abandoned their encampment and within a few days, the colonists entered Norfolk. This battle fought six months before the nation declared its independence, marked an important victory for the untried American military units over the British. They forced the British to evacuate Norfolk, the richest commercial center in Virginia and contributed to the withdrawal from Virginia by the British. They did not return to Virginia until May 1779. This allowed Virginia to serve as a major resource for materials and men to the Colonial cause, which contributed greatly to keeping the war effort alive.
Participating in this virtual event from the Colonel James Wood II Chapter were President Marc Robinson, Vice President Chip Daniel, Dale Corey, Sean Carrigan, Paul Christensen, Don Dusenbury, Larry Johnson, Art LaFlam, Nathan Poe and Jim Simmons. Also involved from the SAR were the National President General Jack Manning, Virginia State President William Schwetke, Culpeper Minutemen Chapter President Charles Jameson, Colonel William Grayson Chapter President Mike Weyler, Virginia State Color Guard Commander Ken Bonner as well as representatives from six State Societies and 19 Chapters. In addition, participation included the Daughters of the American Revolution with six State representatives, 21 Chapters and representatives from the Children of the American Revolution.
Community Events
This week’s showtimes at Royal Cinemas as of May 21st
Are you looking for the full movie-going experience without having to wait in the long lines that often accompany that experience? Then look no further because Royal Cinemas movie theatre is the answer. Get the whole gang together and enjoy a movie! We are continuing to practice “6 Foot Social Distancing” with 50% capacity reserved seating in all auditoriums.
Here is a list of this week’s showtimes at Royal Cinemas as of Friday, May 21:
• Friday: 6:00 & 8:25
• Sat & Sun: 3:30, 6:00 & 8:25
• Mon – Thurs: 7:00
Rated R | Run Time: 1 hour 58 min
• Friday: 6:10 & 8:30
• Sat & Sun: 3:40, 6:10 & 8:30
• Tues – Thurs: 7:10
Rated PG-13 | Run Time: 1 hour 51 min
• Friday: 6:05 & 8:20
• Sat & Sun: 3:35, 6:05 & 8:20
• Mon – Thurs: 7:05
Rated PG | Run Time: 1 hour 53 min
Ticket prices are as follows:
- Adult: $10
- Child (under 12): $7
- Military: $8
- Student (college): $8
- Senior: $8
- Matinees, All Seating: $7
COMING SOON:
- “A Quiet Place: Part II”
- “Spirit Untamed”
- “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard”
Community Events
Successful flag raising and musket firing ceremony at Fort Loudoun Day
On May 15, 2021, the French and Indian War Foundation and the Colonel James Wood II Chapter, Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) participated in a flag raising ceremony and drill/musket firing ceremony at Fort Loudoun Day in Winchester. This event commemorates the beginning of work on a fort in Winchester.
A group photo of the reenactors. Kneeling left to right: Charles Balding, Mark Buhl, Eric Robinson, Quinton Culver, Sloan Culver, Sean Carrigan, Thomas “Chip” Daniel, Dale Corey and Nathan Poe. Standing left to right: Josh Shores, Jeff Pennington, Steve Doss, Jim Moyer, Eric Moore, Marc Robinson, Will Reynolds, Fred Gill, Dennis Parmerter, Steve Resan. Photos courtesy of Scott Straub.
On May 18, 1756, George Washington sent a letter to his second in command, Lieutenant Colonel Adam Stephen, that he was beginning to construct and erect a fort at the direction of the Governor Dinwiddie. Stephen was asked to send down the men of Captain George Mercers Company, Captain David Bells men and other carpenters from other companies. The supervisor of the carpenters was Major Joseph Stevens of the Caroline County militia. The fort was built on a five acre tract of land that belonged to Isaac Parkins.
Washington had drawn the plans for the fort, laid out the site and erected a blacksmith shop nearby to supply the needed ironwork. In a surviving plan for the fort, he outlined a 204 foot square with bastions at each corner. The initial plan showed the distance between the bastions at 88 feet. The ramparts were about 16 feet in height and 13+ feet wide. The gate into the fort was located on the south side of the building. Inside the fort were five major buildings, each separated from the inner wall by a passage up to 7.3 feet wide. In a second plan, Washington extended the width of the rampart to 18 feet and reduced the length to 78 feet. He further eliminated the passageway between the buildings and the inside wall of the rampart.
A well was begun in April 1757. By 1758, the well was 102 feet deep but had not yet struck a spring. A lack of funding hampered completion of the well. Although a primary base for Virginia forces operating on the colony’s northwest frontier, after four years, the fort remained unfinished. This was due in part to lack of adequate funding, poor maintenance and the conduct of the French and Indian War. After the end of the French and Indian War, the fort remained occupied. In 1774, a partial dismantling of the hewed timber walls of the fort may have begun. A home on South Loudoun Street in Washington is said to have been built of the logs from Fort Loudoun. Today, the structure is covered with clapboard siding. The place remained a military base during the Revolutionary War, mainly for operations against the Indians, serving as a point of rendezvous.
Mercers Company preparing to fire muskets, from left to right: Quinton Culver, Marc Robinson, Jim Moyer, Sloan Culver and Steve Doss.
During 1780, Fort Loudoun was a prisoner of war camp for a short period of time. The fort had continued to decline. The hewn logs had been removed and replaced with a picket fence to enclose the prisoners. By 1786, there were no longer any walls remaining from the fort. The last of the buildings from Fort Loudoun probably survived into the early years of the 19th century, as most of the buildings had been removed as the expansion of Winchester went through the property that had been the fort. The only surviving structure from the fort is the well.
The Fort Loudoun Day Commemoration began in the morning with tours of the site and presentations by David Grosso, President of the French and Indian War Foundation and an appearance by James Wood (founder of Winchester, as rendered by Steve Resan). Reenactors from Mercers Company, Rutherford’s Rangers and the Colonel James Wood II Chapter of the SAR provided a flag raising ceremony, Mercers Company gave presentations of drill and ceremony plus a musket firing showing how these actions were taken during the French and Indian War. The SAR Chapter then showed how the same were conducted during the Revolutionary War.
Colonel James Wood II SAR Chapter preparing to fire muskets, from left to right: Fred Gill, Dennis Parmerter, Thomas “Chip” Daniel, Nathan Poe, Sean Carrigan, Will Reynolds and Dale Corey.
Participating from the French and Indian War Foundation were David Grosso, Steve Resan, Scott Straub, Marc Robinson (Mercers), Eric Robinson (Mercers), Jim Moyer (Mercers) and Dale Corey (SAR). From the Rangers: Charles Balding, Mark Buhl, Josh Shores and Jeff Pennington. From Mercers Company: Quinton Culver, Sloan Culver, Erick Moore and Steve Doss. From SAR: Sean Carrigan, Chip Daniel, Fred Gill, Dennis Parmerter, Nathan Poe and Will Reynolds.
Community Events
Fallen Law Enforcement Memorial Service at the Gazebo – May 13, 2021
It’s National Police Week. The Warren County/Front Royal Back the Blue and the Fraternal Order of Police Front Royal/Warren County Lodge #33, held a Fallen Law Enforcement Memorial Service this evening at 6:30 pm at the gazebo on Main Street in Front Royal. The service honored four of our local officers. These officers gave their lives to protect us, now it’s our turn to honor them for their bravery.
The roll call of our fallen officers is Sergeant Dennis M. Smedley, Front Royal Police Department, Trooper H. Lee Henderson, Virginia State Police. Lieutenant William Patrick Farrell, Front Royal Police Department and Trooper Daniel Lee Williams, Virginia State Police.
To appreciate the heroes behind the badge, President John F. Kennedy signed the proclamation back in 1962 and picked May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day.
“One form of heroism is having the courage to live without bitterness when bitterness is justified, and having the strength to persevere even when perseverance seems unlikely to be rewarded.”
“The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.” – Proverbs 28:1
“I don’t have to draw a line in the sand. I already have one. It’s thin. It’s blue. It’s mine and if you cross it, I will protect it.”
This job takes a lot out of our officers, and now more than ever they could use a kind word or a simple “Thank You”. If you see an officer this week, please take a moment to just say thanks. It means more than you’ll ever know.
Community Events
2021 Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony will again be virtual livestream event
The 2021 Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony will be held Monday, May 31, at 11 a.m. EDT, at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond.
The hour-long ceremony, which has been held annually for the past 65 years at the Virginia War Memorial, is a tribute to all of the brave Americans who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our Nation from the Revolutionary War to today’s Global War on Terrorism.
The ceremony will be broadcast and livestreamed from the Memorial’s E. Bruce Heilman Amphitheater and Shrine of Memory-Global War on Terrorism and Beyond. It will feature a combination of live speakers and pre-recorded content including a special message from Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, observances from each of Virginia’s state veterans cemeteries, tributes to Virginia Gold Star families, and music by 380th Army Reserve Band Quintet.
The public is invited to tune in to the live broadcast of the Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony on WTVR-TV CBS6.1 and 6.3 in Richmond or to the livestream on Virginia Veterans Services Facebook, Virginia War Memorial Facebook, CBS 6 News Facebook, and WTKR3 Facebook.
The latest information regarding viewing the 2021 Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony on television or social media and visitation procedures at the Virginia War Memorial and at the state veterans cemeteries will be available and updated frequently on the VDVS website: dvs.virginia.gov.
While last year’s ceremony was 100% virtual, revised COVID-19 health and safety protocols scheduled to go into effect May 15 will permit some limited in-person attendance this year weather permitting. Reservations are required and are available on a first-come first-served basis at vawarmemorial.org. All visitors to the Virginia War Memorial are asked to social distance and wear a facemask.
Upon completion of the ceremony, the interior portions of the Virginia War Memorial will be open until 4 p.m. The grounds will be open until sunset. Organizations who wish to place a wreath in the Shrine of Memory are invited to do so after 12:30 p.m.
While there will be no public Memorial Day ceremonies at Virginia’s three state veterans cemeteries this year, the Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Amelia, the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Dublin, and the Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk will be open for visitation from sunrise to sunset. An American flag will be posted on all gravesites and an Avenue of Flags will line cemetery roadways from May 28 through Memorial Day. Visitors are asked to social distance and wear a facemask.
About the Virginia Department of Veterans Services
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS) is a state government agency with more than 40 locations across the Commonwealth of Virginia. VDVS traces its history to 1928 and the establishment of the Virginia War Service Bureau to assist Virginia’s World War I veterans. Today, VDVS assists veterans and their families in filing claims for federal veterans benefits; provides veterans and family members with linkages to services including behavioral healthcare, housing, employment, education and other programs. The agency operates two long-term care facilities offering in-patient skilled nursing care, Alzheimer’s/memory care, and short-term rehabilitation for veterans; and provides an honored final resting place for veterans and their families at three state veterans cemeteries. It operates the Virginia War Memorial, the Commonwealth’s tribute to Virginia’s men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice from World War II to the present. For more information, please visit www.dvs.virginia.gov.
About the Virginia War Memorial
The mission of the Virginia War Memorial is to Honor Veterans, Preserve History, Educate Youth and Inspire Patriotism in All. Dedicated in 1956, the Memorial includes the names of the nearly 12,000 Virginia heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II, Korea,
Vietnam, the Persian Gulf and the Global War on Terrorism. The Virginia War Memorial is and will always be the Commonwealth’s tribute to those who served and most especially, to those
who died defending our freedoms. Every day is truly Memorial Day at the Virginia War Memorial. The Virginia War Memorial is a division of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services and serves as an integral part of its mission in support of all Virginians who have served in our military. It is located at 621 South Belvidere Street, Richmond, Virginia 23220. For more information, please visit www.vawarmemorial.org.
About Virginia’s State Veterans Cemeteries
The mission of Virginia’s three state veterans cemeteries is to provide a dignified final resting place for veterans and eligible dependents. The Cemetery Services division of VDVS operates and lovingly maintains the Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk, the Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Amelia, and the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Dublin. The cemeteries are places of honor, dignity, respect, and remembrance. The cemeteries accommodate in-ground burial of casketed remains, in-ground inurnment of cremated remains, and above ground inurnment of cremated remains in a columbarium. For more information, please visit www.dvs.virginia.gov/cemeteries.
Community Events
This week’s showtimes at Royal Cinemas as of May 14th
Are you looking for the full movie-going experience without having to wait in the long lines that often accompany that experience? Then look no further because Royal Cinemas movie theatre is the answer. Get the whole gang together and enjoy a movie! We are continuing to practice “6 Foot Social Distancing” with 30% capacity reserved seating in all auditoriums.
Here is a list of this week’s showtimes at Royal Cinemas as of Friday, May 14:
• Friday: 6:00 & 8:25
• Sat & Sun: 3:30, 6:00 & 8:25
• Mon – Thurs: 7:00
Rated R | Run Time: 1 hour 58 min
• Friday: 6:05 & 8:20
• Sat & Sun: 3:35, 6:05 & 8:20
• Mon – Thurs: 7:05
Rated PG-13 | Run Time: 1 hour 51 min
• Friday: 6:10 & 8:30
• Sat & Sun: 3:40, 6:10 & 8:30
• Mon – Thurs: 7:10
Rated PG-13 | Run Time: 1 hour 53 min
Ticket prices are as follows:
- Adult: $10
- Child (under 12): $7
- Military: $8
- Student (college): $8
- Senior: $8
- Matinees, All Seating: $7
COMING SOON:
- “Dream Horse”
- “A Quiet Place: Part II”
- “Spirit Untamed”
- “In The Heights”
Community Events
Town Talk: A conversation with Sheriff Mark Butler and Front Police Chief Kahle Magalis, National Police Week
In this Town Talk, our publisher Mike McCool speaks with Warren County Sheriff Mark Butler and Front Royal Police Chief Kahle Magalis about National Police Week. National Police Week, this year, is from May 9th to 15th.
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment to keeping our communities safe. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities they swore to serve.
Warren County/Front Royal BACK THE BLUE! will be holding a Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Ceremony honoring 4 local law enforcement officers who have died or been killed in the line of duty. These officers paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives and left families which their respective communities continue to support. It is our job to remember! Please join us in honoring their service. This event is on Thursday, May 13, 29021 at 6:30 pm. This is a free public event, all are welcome to attend.
Town Talk is a series on the Royal Examiner where we will introduce you to local entrepreneurs, businesses, non-profit leaders, and political figures who influence Warren County. Topics will be varied but hopefully interesting. If you have an idea, topic, or want to hear from someone in our community, let us know. Send your request to news@RoyalExaminer.com
