MNSSAR October Meeting

The Color Guard again posted the colors for the October meeting of the Minnesota Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.

During the business part of the meeting Geoffrey Markham presented the MNSSAR with a functioning replica of a Brown Bess musket, a gift from compatriot Stuart Markham who was unable to attend the meeting. The musket is to be used by the Color Guard in their performance of duties. The dedication was as follows:
In April of 1775 35 yr old Barzillai Markham answered the call to arms and joined the Lexington Alarm as a Sgt.  In July of that year he was promoted to the rank of Ensign, 5th Co. 8th Connecticut Regiment. Because of ill health he  resigned his commission on 7 Oct. 1775 and was honorably discharged from the army.  

Barzillai was born 14 Nov. 1740 in Enfield Connecticut and died at age 84 on 1 June 1824  in Essex New York. 110 years before, his great great grandfather, Deacon Daniel Markham escaped to the shores of Cambridge Mass. to escape the tyranny of the king of England in 1665 to practice his religion and become a freeman.

It is with honor that I donate this working replica of a 1768 2nd Pattern "Bess" flintlock musket to the Minnesota Sons of the American Revolution, the Minnesota SAR Color Guard and to the memory of Barzillai Markham as a living memorial and teaching tool of the men of the Revolutionary War. The men who died or lived in that conflict, weather their actions great or small,  have impacted everyone who is here today and I salute them. May their memory always be kept alive and cherished.     Stuart Markham

Geoff Markham reading the dedication of the Markham Musket

Later, Color Guard Commander Theisen and Color Guard drummer Hyde showed the members the newly acquired drum which is property of the MNSSAR.