Watch: SAR presents Peter Muhlenberg at Warren Heritage Society

The Sons of the American Revolution were Dale Corey, Thomas “Chip” Daniel, Allan Phillips, and Richard Tyler. Pictured are the compatriots of the Colonel James Wood II Chapter with ladies of the Warren Heritage Society. (Photo courtesy of Thomas “Chip” Daniel.)

On 19 January 2023, the Colonel James Wood II Chapter conducted a presentation at the Warren Heritage Society on Peter Muhlenberg, one of the “Fighting Pastors” from the Revolutionary War.

Muhlenberg was an unsung hero of the War for Independence. He grew up in Pennsylvania, the son of a Lutheran Minister. His father sent him and his brother to Germany to study theology, hoping they would become ministers. While in Germany, Peter’s mentors decided he was not meant for the clergy and had him indentured to a grocer.

After three years, he enlisted in the British Royal American Regiment of Foot. He became an aide to a British officer who was reassigned to Pennsylvania. Peter received an honorable discharge in 1767. He then received an education at the Academy of Philadelphia (now the University of Pennsylvania). Muhlenberg was ordained in 1768 and led a Lutheran congregation in Bedminster, New Jersey.

The following year, he married Anna Barbara “Hannah” Meyer, and they eventually had six children. He met James Wood, Jr, who convinced him to accept a Woodstock position in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. He had to be ordained in the Anglican Church to do this, which required a trip to England. He traveled to London to receive ordination as an Anglican clergyman. He arrived in Woodstock in 1772 and immediately impacted the community.

During these years, he became a follower of patriot Patrick Henry, developing a strong belief in the revolutionary cause. He was chair of the Committees of Safety and Correspondence for Dunmore County. He was then elected to the House of Burgesses in 1775 and was a delegate to the Virginia Convention.

George Washington asked Muhlenberg to raise and command a regiment from the Shenandoah Valley. He was given a Colonel’s commission by the Virginia Convention and returned to Woodstock to form and lead the 8th Virginia Regiment.

On the day of his final sermon, he entered his pulpit with his sword and cockade, preached his farewell sermon with a verse from Ecclesiastes which starts, “To everything, there is a season…” and after reading the eighth verse, “a time of war, and a time of peace,” he declared, “And this is the time of war,” removing his clerical robe to reveal his Colonel’s uniform. He then led his men to join the war effort in the south.

Muhlenberg first saw combat during the British attack on Sullivan’s Island off Charleston, South Carolina, on 28 June 1776. His troops were reportedly “brave to the last degree.” In Feb 1777, he was promoted to Brigadier General and ordered to join George Washington in Philadelphia. His unit earned the reputation of being some of the best-trained men in the army. They were asked to lead the way through Philadelphia on the way to meet the British invasion force. He was in the battle of Germantown and Brandywine and spent part of the winter of 1777-1778 at Valley Forge.

In the winter of 1780, he was ordered to assume command of all the forces in Virginia. It was his duty to raise and prepare troops to resist British incursion. On 1 December, Major General Baron von Steuben assumed command in Virginia. They fought the British outside of Petersburg and made a good disposition of themselves while outmanning.

During the 1781 campaign, Muhlenberg assumed command of a brigade of Continentals. They arrived at Yorktown to begin the siege that basically ended the war. After the British surrender, he remained in Virginia, recruiting and organizing troops to send to other armies. He was promoted to Major General in 1783, and the army was disbanded shortly after. After the war, Muhlenberg returned to his native Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, where he turned to politics. He eventually served in many positions at the county, state, and national levels.

Peter Muhlenberg was an able officer on and off the battlefield and a valuable asset to the American high command. One of the many unsung war heroes who were indispensable in winning the fight for American Independence.