5th Grade Muster Call in Yowell Park

Help Bring History to Life for Culpeper’s 5th Graders!

This fall, Culpeper History Week will be a celebration like no other — and at the heart of it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for every 5th grade student in Culpeper County.

We are organizing a 5th Grade Muster Call, inviting all students to step into the shoes of the Culpeper Minute Men of 1775! In an exciting, hands-on educational experience, they will learn how ordinary citizens — many no older than they are — answered the call to liberty and helped ignite the American Revolution.

Students will gather in the spirit of the original muster at Clayton’s Old Field, where farmers, tradesmen, and frontiersmen stood shoulder-to-shoulder ready to defend their homes. They’ll see how the Minute Men trained, lived, and fought, with demonstrations of real 18th-century tactics, uniforms, and frontier survival skills.

Our goal is simple: 

Make history real. 

Make history unforgettable. 

Make history theirs.

Culpeper History Week will feature a full schedule of events (see below), but this Muster Call is a cornerstone — connecting our community’s young people with the courage and sacrifices that built our nation.

Why Your Support Matters

• All public, private, and homeschool 5th graders are invited.

• We are offering this event free of charge to families and schools.

• We are providing transportation scholarships and educational materials.

• We are building a living classroom — real history, real skills, real inspiration.

Your donation will help us cover critical costs:

• Costumes and reproduction uniforms for students to wear.

• Demonstrators and educators specialized in Revolutionary War history.

• Educational packets and souvenirs for students to keep as part of their learning experience.

Our dream is to make this an annual tradition, inspiring every generation of Culpeper youth with pride in their heritage and an understanding of the freedom they inherit.

The Legacy We Honor

In 1775, young men from Culpeper County mustered wearing hunting shirts dyed to match the autumn woods, each stitched with bold white letters: "LIBERTY OR DEATH!". They carried long rifles, wore bucktails in their hats, and marched under a rattlesnake flag warning "DON'T TREAD ON ME."

Today, those same ideals of bravery, self-reliance, and community service are alive in Culpeper’s children. By supporting the 5th Grade Muster Call, you help teach them that freedom is not just a story from a book — it is a living legacy they can touch, hold, and carry forward.

Highlights of Culpeper History Week Events:

• Oktoberfest at Salubria – Learn about Culpeper’s German roots and Revolutionary War contributions.

• Minutemen Leaders Tours – Visit homes and sites of Culpeper’s Revolutionary leaders.

• John Green’s Rifles Bivouac – Witness elite frontier riflemen train and fire their legendary long rifles.

• Colonial Hunt Breakfasts – Experience the equestrian traditions of colonial Virginia.

• Descendants Reunion – Celebrate Culpeper’s living connection to America’s founding generation.

(And so much more!)

Join us in teaching the next generation that liberty was — and still is — worth fighting for.

Donate today to help bring Culpeper’s proud Revolutionary story to life for every 5th grader!