JOHN WEAVER MEMORIAL SERVICE

JOHN WEAVER MEMORIAL SERVICE

22 June 2003

Weaver Cemetery, Allen County, KY

presented by

Glen Conner

At a memorial service such as this, it is customary to speak about the person being honored. We know a lot about John Weaver's life; we know what he did and when and where he did it. But, we know nothing about him as a person. Even so, I think we can infer quite a bit about his character from his actions.

All of us here today have made important decisions in our lives but, perhaps, not as important as the one John Weaver made 224 years ago. In 1779, the Revolutionary War was underway but the outcome was far from certain. From the day the Declaration of Independence was signed, it seems to me that all Americans had to make one of three choices. \par \par The first choice was to be loyal to the British Crown. Indeed, many Americans were Loyalists and supported efforts to suppress the Revolution. Many Loyalists fought for the British. For example, the battle of Kings Mountain in North Carolina was fought between Americans in the Continental Army and Americans in the British Army. In that battle, only the British commander was not an American. We know that John Weaver did not choose to be loyal to the King.

The second choice was to do nothing. In almost any decision, the easiest choice is to do nothing even though that is seldom the best choice. Most Americans who supported the Revolution in principle, took no active role in it. Because he couldn't read, John Weaver could have decided to do nothing with the excuse that he didn't have enough information on which to base a choice. Doing nothing would have been the safer choice because regardless of who eventually won, his neutrality wouldn't offend the winner as much as having been on the opposing side. We know that John Weaver did not choose to do nothing.

The third choice was to actively support the Revolution. This was a dangerous choice because, if the British won, the Rebels could be tried for treason. The signers of the Declaration of Independence knew that, if the British won, they were signing their own death warrant. John Weaver, at age 23, was mature enough to make a reasoned choice. He had additional time to think about the possible consequences of this choice as he walked or rode a horse from, we presume, Halifax County Virginia to Hillsborough North Carolina - a trip of about fifty miles. There he enlisted. Here again, he made another choice. He did not enlist into a State Militia as many supporters of the Revolution did. Most of them enlisted for a period of six months. John Weaver enlisted into the Virginia Continental Line Army - the equivalent of today's Regular Army. Usually, such an enlistment would have been for three years or the duration of the war - whichever came later. Although we don't know his motivation for enlistment, we can infer the depth of his commitment to the Revolutionary cause by his enlistment and by its length.

His military service was with the 5th Troop of the Light Dragoons of the 1st Regiment of the Virginia Continental Line Army. This was, in essence, a cavalry unit frequently used for reconnaissance to find the enemy and determine their activities. When a battle began, they engaged in a very personal way. Combat meant that they often were only a saber's length away from the enemy soldiers. It took courage and steadfastness for this kind of combat. Two years ago, I visited the Guilford Courthouse Battlefield in North Carolina. There is a small granite stone that identifies and marks the location of John Weaver's unit near the end of that battle on March 15, 1781. It was sobering to stand where he stood, view the battlefield as he saw it, and imagine the ferocity of the fighting that ensued.

His unit was in a series of important battles, engagements, and maneuvers in the Carolinas. We know that he was discharged from the Army about five years after his enlistment. His pay roll record shows that in January 1783, he received his monthly pay of $8.33.

We know about the hardships endured by the members of the Continental Army. We know that John Weaver must have endured similar hardships, privations, and challenges. But, we also know that he persevered past the end of the war in October 1781 to after the signing of the Peace Treaty in 1783. That confirms our understanding of the depth of his feelings about the foundation of our country.

I am in awe of John Weaver's commitment, his sacrifice, and his perseverance and attributes we all admire and respect.

I am proud of him! And very proud to be one of his descendants.

I wonder if John Weaver would also be proud of us?

I believe that he would have been proud of his Grandson, William T. Weaver, who is buried here in this cemetery too. William T. Weaver enlisted as a soldier in the U.S. Army during the Civil War to fight to preserve the Country that his Grandfather had fought to create.

In a moment, John Weaver's Great-great-great-great Grandson, Greg Weaver, will play taps. While taps is being played, may we remember this Revolutionary War Soldier, reflect on the common heritage that brought us together here today, give thanks for the sacrifices of our ancestors, and renew our commitment to serve our Country's needs.