Posted: 8:45 PM - Jul 27, 2009
From The Winchester Star dated Monday 27 July 2009.
Winchester -- At Long Meadow Cemetery outside Middletown, descendants of the man who more than 200 years ago built Belle Grove Plantation gathered Saturday at a ceremony to honor him.
Accompanied by a bugler playing taps and a color guard in full Revolutionary War regalia, the James Wood Jr. chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution placed a special stone marker and wreath on the weathered 174-year-old gravestone of Isaac Hite Jr., recognizing him for his service as a lieutenant in the Continental Army.
"We learn about history in school . . . having a personal connection to it helps makes it real," said Dan Tulles, vice president of the Hite Family Association and a descendant of Jost Hite, Isaac Hites grandfather, who was the Shenandoah Valleys first settler.
Every three years, Hite family descendants gather at Belle Grove to catch up and learn about their ancestors. They hear speakers on genealogy and history, and take behind-the-scenes tours of the historic house and archeological studies on the farm.
Elaine Boyer Roy of Lynchburg has been to the Hite reunion before and said that finding out about family genealogy is addictive.
"I started researching it, and once you get bitten by the bug, you cant stop," she said.
Years before he built Belle Grove, the 283-acre historic plantation outside Middletown, Hite served in the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) as a generals aide-de-camp, even losing one of his fingers in the battle of Yorktown in October 1781.
Saturday marked the first time that Hite has been honored by the Sons of the American Revolution.
"Were honoring him for his contributions to the cause of American freedom " said Berryville resident Ralph Pierce, who organized the ceremony and suited up in a thick wool reproduction uniform similar to the one Hite might have worn.
Pierce said that his organization honors long-dead patriots like Hite because it helps keep the areas rich history from being forgotten. "We do this to preserve the memory of the service of our ancestors," he said.
David Carne, a Hite family descendant and a member of the board of Belle Grove, said that the participation of the Shenandoah Valley in the Revolutionary War is often overlooked.
"Everybody in this area is interested in the Civil War, but the history of this place goes back much further," he said.
By Monty Tayloe
The Winchester Star
The Winchester Star
Winchester -- At Long Meadow Cemetery outside Middletown, descendants of the man who more than 200 years ago built Belle Grove Plantation gathered Saturday at a ceremony to honor him.
Accompanied by a bugler playing taps and a color guard in full Revolutionary War regalia, the James Wood Jr. chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution placed a special stone marker and wreath on the weathered 174-year-old gravestone of Isaac Hite Jr., recognizing him for his service as a lieutenant in the Continental Army.
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| American Revolutionary War re-enactors Brett Osborn of Winchester (left) and Ralph Pierce of Berryville take part in a special ceremony Saturday at the grave of Revolutionary War soldier Isaac Hite Jr. (Photos by Jeff Taylor) |
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| Descendants of Isaac Hite Jr. gather at his gravesite Saturday at Long Meadow Cemetery near Middletown during the Hite Family Reunion, which was attended by several dozen people. A Revolutionary War soldier, Hite built nearby Belle Grove Plantation in the 1790s. |
Every three years, Hite family descendants gather at Belle Grove to catch up and learn about their ancestors. They hear speakers on genealogy and history, and take behind-the-scenes tours of the historic house and archeological studies on the farm.
Elaine Boyer Roy of Lynchburg has been to the Hite reunion before and said that finding out about family genealogy is addictive.
"I started researching it, and once you get bitten by the bug, you cant stop," she said.
Years before he built Belle Grove, the 283-acre historic plantation outside Middletown, Hite served in the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) as a generals aide-de-camp, even losing one of his fingers in the battle of Yorktown in October 1781.
Saturday marked the first time that Hite has been honored by the Sons of the American Revolution.
"Were honoring him for his contributions to the cause of American freedom " said Berryville resident Ralph Pierce, who organized the ceremony and suited up in a thick wool reproduction uniform similar to the one Hite might have worn.
Pierce said that his organization honors long-dead patriots like Hite because it helps keep the areas rich history from being forgotten. "We do this to preserve the memory of the service of our ancestors," he said.
David Carne, a Hite family descendant and a member of the board of Belle Grove, said that the participation of the Shenandoah Valley in the Revolutionary War is often overlooked.
"Everybody in this area is interested in the Civil War, but the history of this place goes back much further," he said.
-- Contact Monty Tayloe at
mtayloe@winchesterstar.com