Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1915-04-02
MUHLENBERG AT WOODSTOCK.

BY JOHN W WAYLAND, PH. D.
Professor of History, State Nor.
NAL School, Harrisonburg,
Virginia; Author of The
German Element Of the Shen,
andoah Valley Of Virginia, >
"a History of Rockingham
County, Virginia, etc.
Under the morning shadows of the
Massanutten mountain, in the heart Of
tue Shenandoah valley of Virginia,
nestles the quaint old town of Wood
stock, the county seat of Shenandoah
county. Early in the revolutionary
war it was the scene of one of the
most spectacular incidents of that long
struggle, aud the central figure of that
incident was one of the most remark
able of all German Americans. John
Gabriel MuhIenberg.
This m an was born at Trappe, Pa =,
Oct /, l7I6 the son of the Rev.
Heinrich Melchior Muhlenberg, the
founder of Lutheranism in America.
AS youth he was sent to study at
Halle, where his father had been a
student anG teacher; but he soon ran
away from the cl assic shades and be-
came soldier For year he served
as private In the dragons, doing
various things mean while that help
Ell his comrades to remember hln. IT,
1866 he return ed to America, where he
entered upon training for the Lutheran
ministry In It'll he was called to
Virginia. To have legal st 'ding
there as clergyman he went Ia Eng
land in 1772 and was ordained hy the
bishop of London. Returuing 10 Vir
ginia the same year he settled at
Woodstock as pastor of the loca
congregation. He doubtless extended
his pastoral care to other congrega
lions in the vicinity. probably those
at Rude's Hill and New Market and
perhaps those at Strasburg and
y inchester also
In l772 the new county OF Shenan-
doah was established by the Virginia
colonial assembly and called Dun:
more, after the governor. III TIT,
because Dunmore had become hateful
70 she Virginians,- the anne ofsths
county was changed, by act OF as
sembly. from Dunmore to Shanahdd.
Shanando' ia time became Shenan-
doah. .-5"s saj Il ! al ID III e5s! I
.Taesvillage of Woodstock ALSO had
a different pane at first, For some
years it was known as Muellefstadt,
in honor of jacob Mueller lMtflerys
Ip 1781 he enlarged Z the plAu'of the
village by laying got j 100 acres, tinto
lots and streets, and the colonial
legislature erected the place into q
town, under the riatne of"W Ondstock
Very prOBably the name Muellerstadt
(Miller's TOWN. continued to live on
for some years longer in the familiar
speech of the neighborhood. The
trustees of Woodstock, appointed un-
der the Act of 176l, were Cornelius
Riddel, John Skeen, Burr Harrison
Matthew Harrison. Joseph Langdon,
Moses Striker, Adam Weaker, Jacob
Miller. and Peter Hanger. At least
five of them were Germans.
On the 10Th of June TIA, spirited
meeting was held at Woodstock. II
expressed the growing sentiment OF
opposition to the coerciye acts OF the
British parliament The Rev. Peter
Muhlenberg was moderator OF this
meeting. Strong resolutions were
adopted setting forth the determine
ton of the people to stand upon their
rights as ppotected by Law and usage.
A committee of safety and eorrespen-
dence was appointed for the county,
which committee consisted OF Peter
Muhlenberg, chairman; Francis
Slaughter, Abraham Bird, Tavener
Beale, John Upton and Abraham
Bowman.
I The next year war began. The
blood of men and boys stained the
early April SOD at Lexington and
Concord, and
Out of the North the wild news came,
Far flashing on its wings OF flame,
down even into the quiet valley OF the
Shenandoah, in Virginia The mel
OF Woodstock heard the news. and
Leader arose among them to lead then
away to death and fame. Virginia
Cavalier and Massac' usetts Round
head forgot the days + King Charles
| 10 their anger ct King George.
10 Decem Der. 1775, the Virginia as
semi bly, passed al act providing FOL
the raising of six additional regl
ment, each to be composed Of go men
One was to be called the German
regiment, and was to be IN ,de up o
German and other officers and sol
ldiers, as the military committees o
the several counties Of Augusta Yves
Augusta, Berkeley, Cuipepper. Dun
more, Fincastle. Frederick and Ham
pshire should judge expedient b!
.ne month following, Pastor Muh'en
berg, the one time ,dragoon. had
commission as colonel, and was
gathering recruits for his regiment
the Eighth Virginia, the German
regiment. AS might be expected o
the man, he proceeded in strikini
way, and this was denonst 'ated In
the spectacular incident referred to q
1.-The beginning of this sketch.
One SUNDAY in January. i776, tn
people of Woodstock went to the l1tsl'
log church for Worship. ! suspec
lsome of them went for other reasons
too, for the rumor of stirring events
about to break must have been whis
!pered far and near. No doubt thu
Irude building was crowded to tn
Idoor, and groups might have beer
found at the narrow windows outside
Horses we're hitched t. the trees ant
fences, and, consistently with tn
time, many Of the men bore musket
and rifles. The text was warlike-th
theme was war. Then, throwing OF
his black mantle Of priesthood, th
preacher stood forth as q warrior
read his colonel's commission, an
lcaIled upon the men of tie vale.
to follow him to the battlefield.
few royalists may have rsissd voic
of protest, hut tho wave OF militar
fervor swept the little town like
tempest, and the patriot army march
ed away.
Thomas Buchanan Read, In th
"Wagoner of the Alleg hanles," hs
limmortalized this incident. Let III
poet speak.