Revolutionary War hero gets his due
Headstone marks grave of Sgt. Major John Champe
Hero honored after 200 years
Bob Gay/The Dominion Post photos
Bagpiper Tom McLaughlin, of the Kanawha Valley Pipes & Drums, leads a color guard made up of members of the West Virginia Sons of the American Revolution to begin the service marking the grave of Revolutionary War hero Sgt. Major John Champe at Pricketts Fort State Park on Sunday afternoon. Champe died in Marion County and was buried in Prickett Cemetery.
Amid flags flapping in the breeze, the marker honoring Champe was unveiled during the service. The stone stands among other historic graves in the park's cemetery.
BY JOHN WILFONG
The Dominion Post
Revolutionary War hero Sgt. Major John Champe was laid to rest with the military honor he never received.
Not only did the hero -- who played a vital role in the attempt to bring turncoat Benedict Arnold to justice -- never receive a military burial, it's been more than 200 years since his burial place has been marked.
Through the cooperative efforts of the Marion County Historical Society and the Sgt. Major John Champe Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, based in Leesburg, Va., his final resting place was commemorated Sunday in the Prickett Cemetery at Pri cketts Fort State Park.
First came a procession of the West Virginia Sons of the American Revolution color guard, lead by the somber sounds of bagpiper Tom McLaughlin, of the Kanawha Valley Pipes and Drums.
Then John Schneider, a sophomore at Fairmont Senior High School, heralded Champe's freshly placed headstone by playing "Taps" on his bugle.
The sounds of "Taps" washed over the crowd of more than 50 onlookers who came to honor Champe's bravery and patriotism.
Champe played a key role in Gen. Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee and Gen. George Washington's effort to capture Arnold.
Lawrence Moison, president of the Sgt. Major John Champe Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, detailed Champe's move, at the request of Washington, to infiltrate the British, disguised as a deserter, and bring Arnold back into the hands of the American forces.
"Surely, without the courage of heroes like him, we would not enjoy the freedom we do today," Moison said. "He was a wonderful citizen-soldier. He had all the characteristics of greatness."
And, Moison pointed out, Lee counted on Champe greatly. Champe was a standout among Lee's troops, who were commonly known for their valor. Champe is mentioned frequently in Lee's writings, excerpts of which were read Sunday.
Moison said Lee described Champe as, "rather above common size, full of bone and muscle, with a saturnine countenance, grave, thoughtful and taciturn, of tried courage and inflexible perseverance."
So it was not surprising that Champe had been chosen to fake desertion and enlist under Arnold's command.
Though Champe failed in his attempt, missing only by a day an opportunity to apprehend the rogue Arnold, he was able to gather valuable information and rejoin the American army.
Now a solitary headstone marks the man's contributions to America's freedom. Champe reportedly died of a heart attack while in the area of the state park, spotting land to settle on with his family.
Several of Champe's descendants helped celebrate his day of honor. George Fletcher, of Cumberland, Md., is Champe's great-great-great-great-grandson. Jack Champe McClung, of Charleston, and David Champe, of Ebensburg, Pa., also can trace their roots back to Sgt. Major Champe.
Each of the men has been researching whatever pieces of their heritage they can, but all knew of the man's greatness.
"It's a feeling of personal gratification and patriotism," Fletcher said. For the Sgt. Major John Champe Sons of the American Revolution chapter, "it's a steppingstone in the right direction."
Events that commemorate heroes from the country's past help build interest, Fletcher said, an interest that has been lacking in recent years.
Fletcher said he has done extensive research on Champe, suggesting several books that prominently mention the man, his actions and his heritage: "Now and Long Ago," by Glenn D. Lough, a history of Marion County; "Memories of the War in the Southern Depar tment of the U.S.," by Henry Lee; "The Papers of George Washington"; "Loudon County, Families and Histories," a look at the heritage of Loudon County, Va.; and "George Washington: A Life," by Willard Sterne Randall.