The Shadow
COVINGTON, VA (VR) – The Alleghany Historical Society elected new officers and board members on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at their annual membership meeting.
The new officers:
Cindy Arthur – President
Luke Bradley – Vice President
Secretary – Marian Paxton
Treasurer – Paul Linkenhoker
Board Members:
Bonnie Keyser
Floyd Harrison
Angie Jones
Lisa Worley
Missy Reid
Guest speaker was Phil Amick, board member of the Alleghany Highlands Genealogical Society, who spoke about veterans from the Revolutionary War in this Alleghany Highlands area. Some highlights from his presentation:
Alleghany County was part of Botetourt County in 1774 – 40 years from becoming its own county. There were about 250 men, maybe 1000 people here at the start of the Revolution. Men and women from Alleghany County were involved in the war, participating in the first and last major battles of the war as well as the battles in between, especially in the Carolinas. There are 16 soldiers with known burials here.
The Battle of Point Pleasant, even further west than we are, is often called the first battle of the Revolutionary War, but it was also the last battle of Lord Dunsmore’s War (British governor of Virginia).
Dunsmore called out for a two-pronged attack. Captain Andrew Lewis (Lewisburg named after him) was to go overland about 200 miles near Gallipolis with 1000 Virginians. Alleghany men like David Glassburn from Covington, Jacob Persinger, Captain Joseph Haynes and three of his brothers from near Low Moor – William Mann, William McClintic and Richard Trotter from Falling Springs all made this trip and fought in the battle.
Glassburn was wounded and lived to be 104 and is buried at Mallow Cemetery.
Richard Trotter was killed and his wife did not take it well. You know her name – Mad Anne Bailey. She put their child with their neighbors, the Manns, and fought the rest of the war as a scout and a spy.
Hanging in the Discovery Center is a large copy of the Declaration of Independence which hits on the VA250’s theme: America, Made in Virginia”. The Virginia Delegation had seven members that signed the Declaration. There were two more signers that were born in Virginia but became representatives for other colonies. There are nine Virginia-born out of the total 56 signers.
Thomas Jefferson was the star of the show – the primary author of the Declaration. He was also the youngest member of the Virginia delegation at 31. Other signers from Virginia:
Carter Braxton – Founding Father who had 18 children. Served Continental Congress
Benjamin Harrison – his son and great-grandson both became Presidents of the United States. Harrison later became Governor of Virginia
Brothers Francis and Richard Lee (Continental Congress) had a cousin who became General Robert E Lee’s grandfather
Thomas Nelson directed artillery fire against his own home when British General Cornwallis took over his plantation
George Wythe – Prominent lawyer, judge and mentor to Thomas Jefferson
You can explore full biographies and historical contexts for each delegate on the National Archives or read about their broader congressional contributions via Encyclopedia Virginia.
The Patriot’s Wall here is trying to memorialize our Revolutionary War heroes, but also give a bit of their backstories, as much as we can manage from 250-year-old recorders and memories. I hope that some of the families coming through will see their ancestor’s names and feel prouder this Fourth of July.
Please take time to visit the Discovery Center and see the walls that are full of information about the men and women who fought for our freedom 250 years ago. Help us celebrate this very special year in American history.
