S4E24 "The Black Robe Regiment"

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:01]Welcome back to Revolutionary War Rarities, the podcast from the Sons of the American Revolution.

[00:00:06]>> [music] >> www.fastfunhistory.com And now, Revolutionary War Rarities.

[00:00:15]Brethren [music] and friends, gather close as I have a story to tell.

[00:00:20]I am Peter Muhlenberg, pastor, patriot, [music] and soldier of the Continental Army.

[00:00:25]Welcome to this special telling of Revolutionary War Rarities.

[00:00:30]Today, I speak to you not as a distant historian, but as one who lived these days of fire and faith.

[00:00:37]I stand before you in my black robe once more, as I did in Woodstock, Virginia, on that fateful Sunday in January 1776.

[00:00:46]But know this, beneath these garments beats the heart of a man who traded the pulpit for the battlefield when tyranny demanded it.

[00:00:57]The British mocked us clergy as the black-robe regiment, a term born of their fear.

[00:01:04]They saw how our sermons stirred the souls of ordinary men to resist oppression.

[00:01:10]We were no formal regiment with drums and flags, but our influence was mightier than any bayonet line.

[00:01:19]King George himself called this uprising a Presbyterian rebellion.

[00:01:24]So great was the role of faithful preachers in awakening the colonies to liberty.

[00:01:31]From the earliest stirrings, men of God preached that unjust rulers lose their divine mandate. Scripture itself teaches resistance to tyranny when it defies the Lord's justice.

[00:01:44]In New England and beyond, pastors expounded on natural rights, consent of the governed, and the duty to oppose despotism.

[00:01:53]Ideas that echoed straight into the Declaration of Independence.

[00:01:58]But let me tell you of my own hour.

[00:02:01]It was January 21st, 1776 in the Lutheran Church at Woodstock.

[00:02:07]The Virginia Convention had just commissioned me Colonel of the new 8th Virginia Regiment, mostly German folk like my parishioners.

[00:02:16]I ascended the pulpit in my black robe, opened to Ecclesiastes chapter 3.

[00:02:22]To everything there is a season, a time to keep silence, and a time to speak, a time of war, and a time of peace.

[00:02:31]I paused, looked upon my people, and declared, "In the language of the Holy Writ, there is a time to preach, and a time to pray.

[00:02:43]But those times have passed away.

[00:02:46]There is a time to fight, and that time has now come."

[00:02:52]With that, I cast off my black robe, revealing the blue and buff uniform of a Continental Colonel beneath.

[00:03:01]The drums rolled outside as men rose, kissed their wives, and stepped forward.

[00:03:08]In half an hour, over 160 enlisted.

[00:03:12]By the next day, near 300, forming the heart of my regiment. [music] Whether the robe throwing was as dramatic as tales later told, the call was real, and the response was thunderous. [music] Forward march!

[00:03:29]We marched to Charleston's defense, [music] then north to join General Washington.

[00:03:34]I rose to Brigadier General, commanding the Virginia line.

[00:03:38]My men fought at Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, and stood firm through Valley Forge's bitter winter.

[00:03:46]Later, we helped secure Virginia against invasion, and were present at Yorktown's triumph, where British arms finally laid down.

[00:03:55]My statue now stands in the US Capitol, robe over one arm, sword in the other, reminding all that faith and freedom march together.

[00:04:06]Yet I was not alone.

[00:04:08]The Black Robe Regiment numbered many brave souls.

[00:04:11]Reverend Jonas Clark of Lexington sheltered Hancock and Adams.

[00:04:16]His trained minutemen met the green that April dawn in 1775.

[00:04:22]Reverend James Caldwell, the fighting parson of New Jersey, rode to battle with pistols and rallied troops at Springfield by tearing hymn pages for wadding, crying, "Give 'em Watts, boys!"

[00:04:35]Reverend John Witherspoon, president of Princeton, signed the Declaration and mentored Madison while blasting tyranny from his pulpit.

[00:04:44]These men, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Congregationalist, drew from scripture and Calvin's teachings to argue that liberty is God-given.

[00:04:54]The British burned churches, arrested pastors, yet we endured.

[00:05:00]Our sermons were the colonies' newspapers, forging resolve where ink alone could not.

[00:05:06]Why did this matter?

[00:05:09]Because the Revolution needed more than muskets. It needed hearts convinced this was a righteous cause.

[00:05:16]Without the Black Robe Regiment, the will to fight might have faltered.

[00:05:21]We bridged altar and assembly, showing that serving God and country are one.

[00:05:26]Now, as I close, remember, courage wears many robes. Mine was black, then blue, but always for liberty under God.

[00:05:36]Thank you for hearing this old soldier pastor's tale. May the spirit that moved us then stir anew. Go forth and keep the flame alive.

[00:05:45]Now, thank you for [music] joining us today. Make sure and join us again in 2 weeks for another episode of Revolutionary War Rarities.

[00:05:53]This has been a production [music] of the National Society, Sons of the American Revolution. www.sar.org In the land of [music] the brave where the spirit's alive when the call [music] for freedom made our hearts thrive from the pulpit they rose with courage so [music] true the black robe regiment, we honor [music] you.

[00:06:25]With a prayer on their lips and fire in their souls >> [music] >> they rallied the masses igniting our goals.

[00:06:34]>> [music] >> In times of despair, they led us with pride. [music] With the word as their weapon, they stood BY OUR SIDE.

[00:06:48]ARISE AND >> [music] >> LIFT YOUR VOICE.

[00:06:50]LET THE WORLD HEAR YOU sing for the black robe regiment, freedom's offering.

[00:06:58]Standing tall, [music] standing strong throughout every fight.

[00:07:04]Guided [music] by faith, they brought us the light.