2nd Virginia NWTA Information
“The World Turned Upside Down”
Interested in joining 2VA? Huzzah (rhymes with Hurray!)
Contact Al Potyen: 630 790-
If mutually acceptable, click here and complete application.
Individual annual dues (check made out to 2VA) for $30 ($20 NWTA + $10 2VA); Family $45
($25 NWTA + $20 2VA). Remember: No representation without taxation! : )
FYI only: NWTA Member Application
Primary Impression of 2nd Virginia, NWTA -
(June 23 -
2014 Grand Encampment Cantigny: Photo thanks to Bruce Shipyor
Secondary Impression of 2nd Virginia, NWTA -
17 July 1775 authorized by the Virginia Convention
(Last week of October -
2019 Grand Encampment Cantigny: Photo thanks to Bruce Shipyor
Cantigny: Photo thanks to Bruce Shipyor Purple Rifle shirt
“George Washington prized this rugged pullover for its four-
From J Perkins: 2VA was founded in 1970. Members of the 104th Illinois Volunteer Infantry [Civil War], an N-
From David Jahntz: Original/founding members of 2nd Virginia NWTA include: Vic Mejias, Bill Sullivan, Bob Walter, Ward Smidl, Bob Gramberg, George Androne, and J Perkins. Other early members include Jim and Darlene Nawrocki, Parker Lienhart, and Mike Barksdale.
From Al Potyen: In 1775, 2VA was Continental line! Regimental uniforms were ordered from France, made, shipped, but never received. They were sold at auction in London. We had to make do. Linen hunting shirts were made, dyed purple (local plant dye). Indigo was not available (embargo and blockade). Red collars and cuffs were used to indicate facings. Virginia (Central Colony) was to have blue-
2nd Virginia Flag (faded from red to orange)
Our original reenactor group interest was in the 2nd Virginia group joining General Anthony Wayne as light infantry storming Stony Point in July 1779. Unfortunately, it has been difficult to find the uniform associated with the Stony Point group. Here is some information which has just come to light:
Continental Infantry: Posey's Battalion, Febiger's Regt, Wayne's Lt. Infantry Brigade 1779
http://www.historicalartprints.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=50_52&product_id=259
The reeanactor group then sees itself as part of the "new" 2nd Virginia and then as part of Captain Alexander (younger brother of Richard) Parker’s company (Thomas Posey's battalion), from which our primary impression uniform has been researched (Savannah, GA, 1782). Perhaps a convenient way to follow the 2nd Virginia would just be to track Alexander Parker throughout his time in the war. Check here for some timelines (he first joined under his brother Richard Parker*): http://poegen.net/Misc/RevolutionaryWarVirginiaRegiment.htm (use Control F “Alexander Parker”)
According to member J Perkins: "The 1782 uniform represents the last form of the uniform worn by the 2nd Va. We were a small unit by that time, the bulk of the regiment, except for about 100 who escaped capture or who were away on recruiting duty, having been captured at Charleston in 1780. From what I researched, the "new" 2nd Va was a unit made up after the 1780 capture, and was present at Yorktown (1781)*. Our unit was commanded by Capt. Alexander Parker in LTC Thomas Posey’s battalion-
* According to member David Jahntz: The reconstituted 2VA dug redoubts for the French artillery at the Battle of Yorktown. Some members of the captured 2nd Virginia Regiment at Battle of Charleston (which ended on May 12, 1780) joined Gaskin's Virginia Battalion prior to the Yorktown siege. At Yorktown this group was not part of either the 2nd Virginia continental or state regiments. They did, however, dig the trenches and redoubt fortifications for the French artillery south of Cornwallis' Redoubts 9 and 10 in October of 1781.
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“The 2d Virginia Regiment, along with elements of the Culpeper Minute Battalion, engaged the British at the battle of Great Bridge (modern day Chesapeake Virginia), which was a decisive victory. Colonel William Woodford, reporting on the 2d Virginia Regiment's Service at the Battle of Great Bridge, wrote in a letter published in Purdie's Virginia Gazette, December 15, 1775: ‘This was a second Bunker's Hill affair, in miniature; with this difference, that we kept our post, and had only one man wounded in the hand.’” https://www.wikiwand.com/en/2nd_Virginia_Regiment Battle of Great Bridge in detail. Supplement to Battle of Great Bridge
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Of the 25 Deadliest Battles of the Revolutionary War, the 2d Virginia Regiment fought in five of them: #2 Germantown, #3 Brandywine, #11 Monmouth, #12 Waxhaws and #15 Charleston. If one counts the "reconstituted" 2d Virginia Regiment of 1781 which fought with Greene, you can add #4 Eutaw Springs and #13 Guilford Courthouse.
http://allthingsliberty.com/2014/05/the-
Here is a list of battles in which the 2nd Virginia (or a * detachment, formal or not) was engaged: Great Bridge (9 Dec 75), Cooch’s Bridge* (3 Sep 77), Brandywine (11 Sep 77), Germantown (4 Oct 77), [Valley Forge, Winter 77-
Courtesy American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
African American Billy Flora At Battle of Great Bridge Courtesy American Revolution Museum at Yorktown
tps://allthingsliberty.com/2014/10/billy-
The 2d Virginia Regiment, along with elements of the Culpeper Minute Battalion, engaged the British at the battle of Great Bridge (modern day Chesapeake Virginia), which was a decisive victory. Colonel William Woodford, reporting on the 2d Virginia Regiment's Service at the Battle of Great Bridge, wrote in a letter published in Purdie's Virginia Gazette, December 15, 1775: "This was a second Bunker's Hill affair, in miniature; with this difference, that we kept our post, and had only one man wounded in the hand."[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Great_Bridge
Courtesy of Battle of Great Bridge Museum
Here is information about one of 2nd Virginia’s commanders: Christian Febiger:
https://allthingsliberty.com/2017/01/hans-
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Battle of Germantown — Unknown reporter, Virginia Gazette, October 17, 1777
“The heroism and gallantry of the second Virginia regiment I cannot help particularly mentioning; they would do honour to any country in the world. It is universally believed they behaved the best of any troops in the field.”
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ht
2VA’s last engagement was in Savannah, GA, in 1782. Bill Bahr’s research led him to discern that 2VA under Col Thomas Posey was in the Sharon Park area of Savannah. https://allthingsliberty.com/2014/10/anthony-
The blue octagon in the Google Earth image above is the canopy in the Park at Sharon park in the image below. The intersection is the center of Sharon Park, which is ½ way between Savannah Hilton Head International Airport and Savanna. Sharon Park is about 4 miles west-
The park at Sharon Park is close to the intersection of Sharon Park Drive and Shaw Avenue in Savannah, GA.
Men of the 2nd Virginia were also at the Battle of Ogeechee Creek, just west of Savannah and about 12 miles west of Sharon Park.
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* Richard Parker (1751 – 8 May 1780) was an American colonel who fought in the American Revolutionary War. Son of prominent Virginia jurist Richard Parker, Captain Richard Parker of the 3rd Company, 2nd Virginia Regiment raised his company from the Westmoreland District (primary county of Westmoreland; with Montross as county seat ). Parker received an officer's commission in a Virginia regiment [2nd Virginia] early in the conflict. He probably was present at Great Bridge and Norfolk. Promoted to major [in the 6th Virginia Regt], he fought at Trenton in December 1776 and commanded the regiment at Second Trenton and Princeton in January 1777. At Brandywine in September 1777 he led a [2nd Virginia] detachment of light infantry in delaying the British. The next month he fought at Germantown. Promoted to colonel [of 1st Virginia Regt] at Valley Forge, he led [first the 1st, 5th, 9th VA and then, right before the battle] a picked detachment at Monmouth in June 1778. In May 1779, George Washington ordered him back to Virginia to recruit a new regiment. After being sent south with a new unit of reinforcements [1st VA Detachment] for Charleston, South Carolina in late 1779, he died of wounds received at the Siege of Charleston in 1780.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Parker_%28colonel%29
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Wikipedia on Second Virginia Regiment
Even more 2nd Virginia History
Orderly Book of Captain Robert Gamble
Memoir of Thomas Posey (electronic p 359, especially p 382 onward)
Regimental History as Reported by Brother Reenactors
Battles of the American Revolution
Second Virginia Valley Forge Muster Roll
List of Virginia [to include 2nd VA] Revolutionary War Soldiers
Battle of Stony Point 1
Battle of Stony Point: "Barnes & Noble Illustrated Guide to Sites of the American Revolution"
"'Give the order, Sir, and I will lay siege to hell!' When 'Mad Anthony' Wayne spoke these words to
George Washington in the summer of 1779, he wasn't boasting. Given Wayne's reputation for daring and
bravery, he likely would have marched into hell if Washington had ordered it. Luckily for Wayne,
the General is said to have replied, 'Take Stony Point first.'"
"...Four regiments were assigned to Wayne. The men, numbering a little more than 1300, were the cream
of the Continental crop, hardy veterans, many of whom had either been drilled in bayonet fighting by
Baron von Steuben or had drilled using his infantry manual."
"...Nathanael Greene, writing that same month[July], recognized the propaganda value of the victory.
'The attack was...conducted with great spirit and enterprise, the troops marching up in the face of an
exceeding heavy fire with cannon and musketry, without discharging a gun. This is thought to be
the perfection of discipline and will for ever immortalize Gen. Wayne, as it would do honor to the
first general in Europe.'"
2VA Leather Cap at Cantigny 2017
2 inch and 2 pound (ball), 3 parts (cannon, trestle, legs), 4 man (carry) cannon
Used against enemy cannon (hitting carriage) and infantry (grapeshot and cannister)
From David Jahnzt: I'm also attaching (above) a rather famous photograph I was luck enough to take of the NWTA's first colors ceremony on the Memorial Day Weekend in 1975. It was at the town of Battleground, north of Lafayette, Indiana. To the left is the 2nd Virginia Regiment leading the Alliance into position and Commander Paul Block on the right side of the photography. The Tippecanoe Ancient Fife & Drum were going to move farther to the left side as the forces approached from the upper central part of the photograph.
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Founding of the Second Virginia Regiment of the Continental Line
By Vic Mejias
The original conception for the formation of the regiment is credited to Bob Walters and George Androne some time after the end of the Civil War Centennial. I, Rickert, Swanson, Aimone and Perkins were the first asked to join. Bob Gramberg joined and we relied heavily on his knowledge of the Rev War, it was decided to become members of the Brigade of the American Revolution (BAR).
Gramberg’s information on the correct uniform for a 2nd. Va. Light Infantry Regiment was to be white linen breeches and waist coat with white stockings and black gaiters, white shirt with a leather neck stock, belly cartidge box, bayonet scabbard with a leather helmet with a bear skin crest with a linen white band around the helmet with a cockade and plume.
Four of us in Bob’s car drove to Newburgh N.Y. for a BAR School Of The Soldier event to also be inspected for admittance to the BAR.
A Hessian (William Wiggam) BAR member who also was the pattern master inspected us and we failed completely on our clothing. Our regimental coats were not sewn in a 18th century fashion and the color of our breeches and waist coat were supposed to be red, blue or green. The leather covered Cubs plastic helmets were only good up to a fifty yard line of sight. We came home very disappointed and some of us wanted to abandon the idea of joining the BAR.
Cooler heads prevailed in time and it was decided that the BAR was an outstanding and worthy organization and we should heed their suggestion and changes to be accepted as members of the BAR. We started from scratch with the help of patterns and instructions on fabricating all the clothing requirements sent to me from Wiggam, we made the changes and we became BAR members at par with other BAR regiments.
Bill Sullivan and I attended a meeting and pledge our support and became a founding Regiment in the new to-
I was almost tarred and feathered by a couple of 2nd Va. members for being disloyal to the BAR for joining the NWTA. It was discussed and persuaded the members that we could be members of both organizations, and brought up the fact that attending events out east during the Bicentennial celebration events would be costly and too far to travel on a regular basis. The local NWTA would provide events to take part in the celebrations, peace was restored to the regiment. It was also decided not to be a Light Infantry Regiment but to become a Line Regiment.
In your list of members my son Victor A. Mejias should be added to the list, I can show you pictures of him in full regimentals drilling at Beamis Woods. There are a number of early members that I have lost memory of their names, and past and current members during the new revised 2nd Va. are unknown to me.
Vic Mejias, retired Sgt., 2nd Va. Regiment Continental Line
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Not sure but a possible source for the purple die for the uniform was logwood.
https://naturaldyes.ca/logwood
Return to Coverpage www.2va.org
