Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-01-04
SECOND VA. REGIMENT
While First State Command is On
Way Home Historic Organization
viii Be Held on the Border

The First Virginia Regiment IS
now on its way back to Old Virginia
Rut the Second Virginia, the history
of which runs bacl, to revolutionary
davs is still on duty in Texas. Inc
Christmas number of "The Border
Virginian," published by soldiers OF
the Old Dominion, contains the FOL
lowing interesting history OF the Sec
ond Virginia Regiment:
It is traditionally understood that
tho Second Virginia Infantry was or
ganizcd by Rev. Peter MuhlenDurg' !,
German Lutheran divine, at Wood
stock. in the Shenandoah Valley OF
Virginia, in the early part OF ITO.
Muhlcnburg was a man OF great
learning and was the regular preach
er os the hamlet of Woodstock, now
the county seat of the great county
cf Shenandoah. Like al Germans Oh
cultpce in his time, he was close
military student, ard moreover
most arden! advocate OF the ne"
American idea Of independence. The
spirit of democracy and freedom
which caused him and his distinguish
cd brother to turn their backs on the
svster of government which was op-
prcssiye and hateful TO them, spur
red him to the most determined es-
pousal of the cause of the Colonlsts'
He was soon so well and favoraoly
known throughout the colony OF Vlr-
pinia, then commonwealth, that ne
was commissioned colonel OF IN
fantry and authorized to raise regl-
ment At MS last Sunday service ms
sermon was wholly devoted to Impas-
stoned expressions Of patriotism, and
in closing he said: There is a time
to pray, a time to preach and a time
to fight, and this is the time to-
fight" and throwing aside his. clsrl- !
cal robe, it was seen that he wore the
full uniform of a colonel in the Con-
tinental army.
He at once proceeded to enroll SOL
dicrs, and enlisted three hundred that
very day. 1t was only few days un-
til his regiment numbered over eight
hundred men, and it became the first
fully equipped regiment of infantry
from Virginia to offer its services to
the Continental government.
The regiment was said to be COM
posed of ton companies. One or two
Of them we're from the northern
Piedmont section of Virginia and one
or two were from the northern part
of the valley now comprising the
counties Of Berkeley and Jefferson inI
West Virginia, while the others were
from the Valley Of Virginia as now
known:
The regiment reported with Wash
ington's main army and served con-
tinuously with that command through
the entire revolution, a most distin-
ouished organization. from Valley
Forge to Yorktown. But its illustrious
promoter and first commander was
not long destined for its immediate
command. for during his first years
service he was made brigadier-
general and in short time thereafter
a major general.
He was close and trusted friend
of General Washington, and with the
exception of Nathaniel Greene, was
easily the greatest of his generals. In
Washington's retreats. which were
always most masterful and skilltui,
this great man generally commanded
the rear guard of the army. 1t was
he whom Washington dispatched to
Virginia to drive out the traitor
Arnold. and he drove him.
Immediately after the winning OF
our. independence General Mullen
burg moved to Pennsylvania, where
he served that state in the United
States Senate the remainder of his
life. The statue Of this great man
now adorns the Hall of Fame in
Washington as one Of Pennsylvania s
two chosen representatives to stand
before all posterity. 1t is not known
that the regiment received any i'm
portant assignment in the War of
1912, but it is said to have been call
ed to the service. This was also the
case as to the war with Mexico in
1916. In the war between the states,
however, it bore very conspicuous
part 1t was one OF the five regiments
which formed the famous "Stonewall
brigade"
When Stonewall jackson was made
a major general this regiment be-
came part Of his division and then
a part of his corps when little later
L IL.