Three sons of Philip Ballard served in the Revolutionary War. They were William, Thomas and Philip Jr. They left their home in Orange Co., Virginia and first joined the Culpeper Minutemen.

The Culpeper Minutemen Flag

Culpeper, Fauquier and Orange counties, forming one district, raised a cadre of 350 men, 150 men from Culpeper, 100 from Orange and 100 from Fauquier, called the Culpeper Minute Men. Organized July 17, 1775, under a large oak tree in “Clayton’s old field” (later known as Catalpa Farm).

The Committee of Safety commissioned Lawrence Taliafero, of Orange, to be the Colonel; Edward Stevens, of Culpeper, to be the Lieutenant Colonel; and Thomas Marshall of Fauquier to be the Major of this Battalion. They also commissioned ten Captains for the Companies which were to make up the Battalion, among them were: John Jamieson, then Clerk of Culpeper County and a member of the Committee of Safety; Philip Clayton; James Slaughter; George Slaughter; and Capt. McClanahan, A Baptist minister, who regularly preached to his troops. (It was the custom then to put all the Baptists in one Company, for they were among the most strenous supporters of liberty, The Methodists went into another, according to the wishes of the Committee of Safety which recommended that the different religious denominations each organize companies of their own kind.)

They adopted uniforms consisting of hunting shirts of strong, brown lines, dyed with an extract of the leaves of trees (probably the broad of oak leaves). On the breast of each shirt was worked in large white letters the words: “LIBERTY OR DEATH.” A wag of the times said that this was too severe for him, but that he would enlist if they could change the motto to “Liberty or be Crippled.”

Their flag had a rattlesnake with 13 rattles, coiled in the center, ready to strike. Underneath it were the words: “DON’T TREAD ON ME.” On either side were the words: “LIBERTY OR DEATH.” And at the top “THE CULPEPER MINUTE MEN.”

The Minute Men took part in the Battle of Great Bridge, the first Revolutionary battle on Virginia soil.

On November 8th The Committee of Safety ordered the Commander-in-Chief of the Virginia forces, Col. Patrick Henry, to discharge the remainder of the Culpeper Minute Battalion from duty at Headquarters. The married men were discharged and single men joined other companies. Col. Taliaferro led half the Battalion home while Lt. Col. Stevens remained to lead five companies to Norfolk under Col. Woodford of the 2nd Virginia.

Minute battalions throughout the state lost officers and men to the newly forming continental regiments as well as the Virginia State Line in 1776. On 17 December 1776 the House of Delegates passed an ordinance abolishing the minute battalions.

Grand Union Flag

The Grand Union Flag is considered to be the first national flag of the United States. Adopted on 3 December 1775.

William being one of the married men returned home in Orange Co., Virginia. Thomas and Philip Jr. remained and was part of one of the companies under Col. Woodford of the 2nd Virginia.