The SAR MAGAZINE is the official quarterly publication of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution published quarterly.
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abstention from alcohol and punctuality. He had the legal right to vote, but whites prevented him from doing so. Nonetheless, his white workforce basically exercised his vote for him in their mutual economic interests. Forten was a landowner, landlord, investor (in a railway company) and lender (to both races). His economic success led to a considerable fortune for his times for any man, white or black, and he utilized it not only for business and personal purpose but also for humanitarian causes. According to an article published in The Philadelphia Inquirer on April 8, 2014, "In 1832 [Forten's wealth] was estimated at $100,000." More than half was expended to purchase the freedom of slaves; finance William Garrison's abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator; operate an underground railroad station from his home; and fund a school for black children in his house. He worked closely with Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, major antislavery leaders of the area, and was a founding member of the Free African Society and the American Reform Society. He also was active in other reform causes such as women's rights and temperance, as well as almost every major civic event involving the African-American community in Philadelphia from the 1790s until his death in 1842. He was an active member of the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, where his business experience helped to raise funds for education for their people. In addition, Forten affiliated himself with black Freemasons. Prince Hall Freemasonry, a branch of Freemasonry with primarily African- American members, originated in Boston in 1775. Philadelphia was its second location. When Forten died, he was buried at the church's original site at Fifth and Adelphi streets. When the church was sold, his remains were moved along with other remains of the church's congregants to south Philadelphia. When that property sold, those remains were moved again. Marion T. Lane, Ed.D., once a member of the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, discovered that the remains of Forten and others were in a mass grave at Eden Cemetery. Lane is a member of the DAR. She also is commander-in-chief of the Descendants of Washington's Army at Valley Forge—the first woman and the first person of color to serve in this position. Her father is Compatriot John E. James Jr. of the Philadelphia Continental Chapter, a descendant of Abraham Brown, who was a free black Virginian serving with George Washington at Valley Forge. The discovery by Lane of Forten's final resting place enabled PG Dooley to lead the effort to erect this monument, with grants and donations by the George Washington Endowment Fund, the PASSAR, the Philadelphia Continental Chapter, Lane, and Lanny R. Patten. As Lane said, "There are many, many African-American patriots, but history books have left them out." We hope that this effort has shone a light upon and recognized one of those persons. SPRING 2014 23 A ll SAR color guards, whether militia or Continental Line, can create a more historical basis for themselves by adding a fag that represents an adopted regiment. This provides more realism and gives its members a reason to research that regiment's past. Although ceremonial, SAR color guards can represent the same Revolutionary War regiments as re-enactors who camp out and perform mock battles. A Midwestern re-enactment company of about 75 men, named the Illinois Regiment of the Virginia State Line, has a white fag designed with the date 1776 surrounded by a wreath and a ribbon below, with the words "Illinois Regiment." In 1778, Col. George Rogers Clark led 175 Virginia soldiers to capture Fort Sackville on the Wabash River from the British. He prevented the Illinois Territory (often referred to as the Old Northwest) from becoming a province of Canada. An SAR militia color guard also could memorialize that victory by adopting their fag. The Louisville-Thruston Chapter Color Guard has taken that step. It now has a copy of the 1st Virginia Regiment fag that will be used in many of its events. The fag was created by a Virginia re-enactment company of the same name. Because the original fag has not survived, the designer, Brandt Heatherington, says his fag took years of research to authenticate. Both groups wear the 1st Virginia Regiment uniforms of the Virginia Continental Line. The only difference is the uniform's material— wool versus synthetic fabric. In the center of this custom-sewn fag is the civic wreath. The column in the middle of the wreath is the Roman numeral one, designating the 1st Virginia Regiment. The left branch in the wreath is composed of oak leaves with 13 acorns. This design goes back to Roman times when a garland of oak leaves and acorns was bestowed on a person who saved the life of a citizen in battle. Julius Caesar often wore one as his civic crown. The right branch in the wreath consists of dogwood leaves with 11 blossoms. The dogwood is the Virginia state tree and fower. The printed phrase on the ribbon on the obverse side of the fag reads: FOR CONSTITUTIONAL LIBERTY. On the reverse side the ribbon has the one word, VIRGINIA. There is a plan to recognize the regiment's engagements with the British by adding 10 battle streamers. Anyone with an ancestor in that regiment will have renewed interest in their own family's history. This action has taken one chapter's color guard to its next level of development. — Daniel N. Klinck Flying Regimental Colors SPRING_14_sar22-27.indd 23 5/7/14 4:44 PM