| Culpeper Minute Men
In anticipation of the rebellion to come, Virginia prepared for war by dividing itself into 16 military districts, each responsible for raising a battalion of minute-men to be ready to fight the British. In July 1775, men from Culpeper, Fauquier and Orange counties formed the Culpeper Minute Men.
In September 1775, the 300-plus men that formed Culpeper Minute Men answered the call to arms and traveled to Williamsburg, Va., to become organized with other militia groups from across the state into the First Virginia Regiment of Foot under the command of Colonel Patrick Henry. In December, the Culpeper Minute Men participated in the Battle of Great Bridge defeating the British.
The Culpeper Minute Men were reported to carry a flag with the coiled rattlesnake symbol and bearing the motto "Don't Tread on Me" and the motto made famous by Patrick Henry. "Liberty or Death." |
