Lt. Col. John Phifer - North Carolina Society, Sons of the American ...

Phifer Graveyard
Dedication
and
Wreath Laying
Ceremony
September 22, 2012
North Carolina Society
Sons of the American Revolution
Lt. Col. John Phifer Chapter
Saturday, 11:00 am
367 Lucky Drive Northwest
Concord, North Carolina

Dedication and Wreath Laying Program
Presentation of Colors
NCSSAR Color Guard
Invocation
Rev. Carl Fisher, Member
Lt. Col. John Phifer Chapter, NCSSAR
Pledge of Allegiance
Larry Clodfelter, Secretary
Lt. Col. John Phifer Chapter, NCSSAR
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands,
one nation under God,
indivisible,
with Liberty and Justice for all.
Pledge to the SAR
Larry Clodfelter
We descendants of the heroes of the American Revolution
who, by their sacrifices, established the United States of America,
reaffirm our faith in the principles of liberty and our
Constitutional Republic, and solemnly pledge ourselves to
defend them against every foe.
Welcome
John Misenheimer, President
Lt. Col. John Phifer Chapter, NCSSAR

Brief History on Lt. Col. John Phifer
John Misenheimer
Recognition of Guest
Scott Padgett
Mayor of Concord
Glenn Sappie
President, NCSSAR
Grady Hall
President, Salisbury Chapter, NCSSAR
Jim Wood
President, Mecklenburg Chapter and SVP, NCSSAR
Memorial Recognition
Roy Harold Cudd and Bernard William “Bill” Cruse, Jr.
Charter Members, Lt. Col. John Phifer Chapter, NCSSAR
Historical Cemetery Speaker
Bill Hallman, Historian
Phifer Family and The Great Wagon Road
Dedication of the Phifer Graveyard Marker
John Misenheimer
Unveiling of Marker
Members of Lt. Col. John Phifer Chapter, NCSSAR
Wreath Laying Ceremony
(When you are called, please render your Organization’s honors)
Reenactors
21 Gun Salute (If available)

SAR Recessional
Larry Clodfelter
Until we meet again, let us remember our obligations to our
forefathers, who gave us our Constitution, the Bill of Rights, an
independent Supreme Court and a Nation of Free Men.
Retiring the Colors
NCSSAR Color Guard
Benediction
Rev. Carl Fisher
Refreshments
Cabarrus Black Boys Chapter, DAR
Lunch
(Optional at Local Restaurant)
Three Huzzahs!!!
The Lt. Col. John Phifer Chapter, NCSSAR Wants To
Recognize Everyone That Has Given In Any Way With A Huge
Thank You! So Many People Have Contributed In Different Ways -
Dedicated Volunteers, Service, Labor, Money and Moral Support - To Make
Our Dream Of The Preservation Of The Phifer Graveyard A Reality.
Members of the Lt. Col. John Phifer Chapter, NCSSAR
Larry Clodfelter, B.J. Fisher, Barry Fisher, Brett Fisher,
Carl Fisher, David Hoover, John Misenheimer,
Sam Misenheimer, and Larry Welch
Prospective Members of the
Lt. Col. John Phifer Chapter, NCSSAR
Guy Beaver, Ben Biggers, Roger Eury, Bill Hallman and Van Phifer

Lt. Col. John Phifer
Written by John Misenheimer
The man for whom our Chapter is named was a true American Patriot.
Historically Cabarrus County, North Carolina is the most German county
in North Carolina and at the founding of our Chapter John Misenheimer
offered the name of Lt. Col. John Phifer for consideration. The other name
offered was Captain John Paul Barringer from the St. John’s Lutheran
Church community by Bill Cruse for consideration. The merit and worth
of both these honorable and true American Patriots was significant to the
German population in this region of the Old North State. The Charter
Members had to vote on their choice, and it was determined that we would
name our Chapter for Lt. Col. John Phifer. This decision did create our
mission to save and preserve the Phifer Graveyard, because this is where Lt.
Col. John Phifer is buried along with other notable Phifer relatives. The
father of Lt. Col. John Phifer was Martin Phifer, Sr.; and Representative
Martin Phifer, Sr. was the one that helped give Mecklenburg County its
name when the county was formed while North Carolina was still an
English Colony in 1762. When the citizens of Mecklenburg County, North
Carolina decided on May 20, 1775 to declare their freedom from British
rule they did write the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence; and
John Phifer was a signer of the infamous and treasonous document. The
historical records show that John Phifer was at the “Peoples’ Congress” in
Hillsboro, N.C., on August 21, 1775. Then in September 1775, the new
North Carolina Provincial Congress appointed John Phifer to the rank of
First Major in the Mecklenburg Militia. The first military action quickly
came in December 1775 with the “Snow Campaign” in South Carolina
against the Tory Scovillites, and the Mecklenburg Militia (including
Cabarrus men) commanded by Col. Thomas Polk and Major John Phifer
did answer the request by the patriots at the Star Fort of Ninety-Six to
come to their aid. Next the records show Colonel Richard Caswell (who
became the first Governor of the State of North Carolina) listed First Major
John Phifer, Captain John (Paul) Barringer and the Mecklenburg Militia as
having participated in the victorious first battle on North Carolina soil at

the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge on February 27, 1776. The Regulators
and the Scottish Highlanders under the command of Brigadier General
Donald McDonald (the husband of the famous Flora McDonald) wanted
to join up with the British army at Wilmington, N.C. After that First
Major John Phifer was a delegate to Congress at Halifax on 4 April 1776
in a failed attempt to adopt a state constitution. At the Congress on 22
April 1776 John Phifer was successfully appointed Lieutenant Colonel
under the command of Griffith Rutherford who was appointed Brigadier
General for the Salisbury Military District (which included the western
half of North Carolina and all of Tennessee – the total number of soldiers
under the command of General Rutherford was greater than the number
General George Washington commanded when he originally assumed
command of the Continental Army). Mecklenburg County (including
present day Cabarrus County) was within the Salisbury Military District.
By 14 July 1776, Lt. Col. John Phifer and the Mecklenburg Militia had
met Brigadier General Rutherford at Old Fort (now a town in the N.C.
mountains near Asheville) to take part in the Cherokee Indian Expedition
(over into present day Tennessee) that resulted in the Cherokees suing for
peace and effectively ending the British efforts to increase the Indian threat
in western North Carolina and the Piedmont region, too. The significance
of all these military efforts involving Lt. Col. John Phifer resulted in the
British military high command leaving both North and South Carolina
alone until May 1780, and the cause of liberty grew even stronger here in
the southern states during these four long years. After the battles, finally,
in November 1776, efforts resumed to get on with the unfinished business
to adopt the state’s first constitution. Although John Phifer was still a
Mecklenburg delegate he did not attend, but was at his home called “Red
Hill” having returned from fighting with the Cherokee Indians in the
mountains that summer and fall of 1776. Lt. Col. John Phifer was still in
the prime of his life at the age of 30 in 1776, and he very much wanted
to render greater service for the cause of liberty. On Friday, 23 November
1776, the other four Mecklenburg delegates had worked to achieve a new
appointment for Lt. Col. John Phifer and he was appointed at the same
military rank to the Second Battalion North Carolina Continental Line

under the commanding officer, Brigadier General Allen Jones, to go to
the aid of Charles town (now called Charleston), South Carolina. With so
much opportunity and promise ahead of Lt. Col. John Phifer in his life,
and his military career for the cause of freedom we must wonder how bright
his liberty light would have actually grown? Therefore, it was a real shock
when John Phifer suddenly died, having fallen ill back in Mecklenburg
County (presently Cabarrus County) at his home called “Red Hill” located
on the Great Wagon Road, and the heartfelt news travelled quickly by
messenger on horse to the four Mecklenburg delegates in Halifax. On
Friday, 30 November 1776, the Congress at Halifax, upon learning of the
untimely loss of such a courageous leader as exemplified in Lt. Col. John
Phifer, took action to select another man to take his place in the line of
command with the Second Battalion by appointing Lt. Col. John Pacely
“in his room,” or meaning in his place. Today, we the members of the Lt.
Col. John Phifer Chapter, NCSSAR believe that it is our obligation to live
a patriotic life for the “cause of liberty and freedom” as if we are serving “in
his room” following the patriotic example Lt. Col. John Phifer lived and
died for. Therefore, it is the forever living Spirit of 1776 that Lt. Col. John
Phifer lived and died for that does inspire us always, and we the members
of the Lt. Col. John Phifer Chapter, NCSSAR do keep that Spirit of 1776
alive everyday in our hearts as we recall the noble deeds of our Chapter’s
namesake - Lt. Col. John Phifer, a true American Patriot.
There are two younger brothers of Lt. Col. John Phifer that equally believed
in the “Cause of Liberty,” and they are Col. Caleb Phifer and Col. Martin
Phifer, Jr. They both served in the American Revolution as well. During the
days of the American Revolution Captain Martin Phifer, Jr. did serve in the
North Carolina Continental Army, and did get to know General George
Washington. After the war when George Washington became the U.S.
President he did make a tour of the southern states in the year of 1791, and
he planned to have dinner and stay the night at “Red Hill” then the home
of Martin Phifer, Jr. President Washington made the following diary entry:
“I left Charlotte about 7 o’clock Sunday morning . . . and lodged that night
at Major Phifer’s.”