The Richard Henry Lee Chapter, Virginia Society, Sons of the American Revolution and Cobbs Hall Chapter, National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, held their annual joint luncheon meeting on Oct. 10 at Historic Christ Church in Weems. Presiding were SAR chapter president Michael Rhodes and DAR chapter regent Donna Weiler. Also in attendance was Mike Weyler, vice president of Virginia SAR.
Keynote speaker Barry Schwoerer, Vice President and Registrar of the Sergeant Major John Champe Chapter, VA SAR, addressed the involvement of Spain in the American Revolution. He began with a discussion of his patriot ancestor, Pvt. Salvador Carriaga, a Spanish “Soldado de Cuera” (“leather coat soldier”) serving at Presidio San Diego, California, at the time of the American Revolution.
In 1774, Spain held virtually all of the territory west of the Mississippi River from Louisiana to California, Mexico, and Florida.
At the outbreak of the Revolution, Spain and France saw opportunities to ...