The SAR MAGAZINE is the official quarterly publication of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution published quarterly.
Issue link: http://sar.epubxp.com/i/462055
16 SAR MAGAZINE General Bernardo de Galvez and Spain ooooooooooooooo Finally Receive Proper Recognition ooooooooooooo By Judge Edward F. Butler Sr., President General (2009-2010) L ate last year, Gen. Bernardo de Galvez was properly recognized twice by the U.S. Congress for his heroic efforts during the American Revolutionary War. I was fortunate to have played a role in both recognitions. Galvez Becomes an Honorary Citizen of the United States The movement to seek Honorary Citizenship had its origin at the charter ceremony in May 2010, when I traveled to Spain for the SAR Spain Society in Madrid. Members of the Spain DAR worked on this project. In early 2014, I was appointed to an international committee to seek Honorary U.S. Citizenship posthumously for Galvez. Shortly thereafter, President General Joseph W. Dooley (2013-2014) spoke to me about SAR involvement. Joint Resolutions were entered into the U.S. House of Representatives (H.J. Res. 105) in January 2014 and the U.S. Senate (S.J. Res. 38) in February to make Gen. Bernardo de Galvez a U.S. Citizen. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) introduced the citizenship legislation, lining up the support of the Florida House delegation. I composed a resolution for consideration by the delegates to the SAR Congress in Greenville, S.C. As is required, I submitted the proposed resolution to the NSSAR Resolutions Committee to ensure it would be on the committee agenda. When the SAR Congress convened, I met with the Resolutions Committee and spoke on behalf of its passage. The committee unanimously agreed to recommend its passage by the whole Congress. At the Congress, I had the pleasure of introducing the resolution, and the delegates also voted unanimously to adopt the resolution as stated. The resolution is as follows: WHEREAS, Spain supported the American Colonists during the American Revolutionary War, and WHEREAS, Spain's primary representative in North America was General Bernardo de Galvez, and WHEREAS, General Bernardo de Galvez assisted the colonists by providing money, arms, ammunition, uniforms, tents, medical supplies and other materials, and WHEREAS, General Bernardo de Galvez protected our western frontier from the British and its Indian allies by leading his Spanish army troops, Spanish Militia and other volunteers in battles at Manchak, Baton Rouge and Natchez, and WHEREAS, General Bernardo de Galvez protected our southern frontier from the British and its Indian allies by leading his Spanish army and navy troops, Spanish Militia and other volunteers in battles at Mobile, Pensacola and the Bahamas, and at the time the 1783 peace treaty was concluded, was, along with the French, preparing to attack the two forts in Jamaica, Britain's strongest point in the Western Hemisphere, and WHEREAS, General Bernardo de Galvez protected our northwestern frontier from the British and its Indian allies by taking his Spanish army and navy troops, Spanish Militia and other volunteers in battles at Ft. San Carlos, Ft. St. Joseph, and Arkansas Post, and WHEREAS, General Bernardo de Galvez protected our northwestern frontier from the British and its Indian allies by providing arms, ammunition, and other military supplies to General George Rogers Clark, who defeated the British at Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes, and WHEREAS, General George Rogers Clark credited General Bernardo de Galvez and the support he had received from Spain through General Clark, and WHEREAS, General Bernardo de Galvez provided arms, ammunition and other supplies to General George Washington through Ft. Pitt, and WHEREAS, during his lifetime he received personal letters of appreciation from George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Benjamin Franklin, King Carlos III of Spain and the United States Congress, and WHEREAS, the U.S. Congress has previously honored other foreign Revolutionary War heroes French Compte Gilbert de Motier, Marquis de Lafayette in 2002, and Polish Kasimir Pulaski in 2007, by granting each with Honorary U.S. Citizenship, and WHEREAS, there are now Joint Resolutions pending in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, to confer Honorary United States Citizenship posthumously to Bernardo de Galvez y Madrid, Viscount of Galveston and Count of Gálvez, which Joint Resolutions are H.J. Res. 105 and S.J. Res. 38. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED BY The National Society Sons of the American Revolution, assembled in Greenville, S.C. for its annual Congress on this the 22nd day of July, 2014 as follows: 1. That the NSSAR 2014 Congress unanimously voted to endorse the passage of the Joint Resolutions pending in both houses of Congress to confer Honorary Citizenship to General Bernardo de Galvez y Madrid, Viscount of Galveston and Count of Gálvez 2. That a copy of this resolution be provided to members of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, and 3. That a copy of this resolution be spread upon the minutes of the annual meeting of the society. I, Lindsey Brock, President General of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution hereby certify that the above resolution was unanimously adopted at the General Congress of the Society in Greenville, S.C., for its annual meeting on this the 22nd day of July, 2014. S/Lindsey Brock Lindsey C. Brock, President General 2014-2015 National Society Sons of the American Revolution Attest: S/Thomas E. Lawrence Thomas E. Lawrence, Secretary General RESOLUTION National Society Sons of the American Revolution In Congress Assembled Greenville, South Carolina - July 22, 2014