On August 21, 2021, 14 compatriots from the Colonel James Wood II Chapter of the Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution (VASSAR) participated in a grave marking ceremony sponsored by the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter. The event was held at the Madden Family Cemetery, Elkwood, Virginia, to honor William Clarke, a Revolutionary War Patriot.
VASSAR Color Guard Presenting the Colors
Clarke was a Free African American who fought through the war against Great Britain. He enlisted in the 15th Virginia Regiment, serving under Captain Thomas Wells and Colonel David Mason. He continued his service as a soldier servant to Lieutenant Colonel Gustavus Wallace during the march to Charleston, South Carolina in 1780. Prior to the surrender of Charleston, he was sent to Virginia. On this trip, he met and then served under Colonel John Jameson at Wilmington, North Carolina….
