Farragut Museum program shares ‘Spirit of America’
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Farragut High School chorus members, Rafika Amlani, left, and Abby Lu Eckles, sang Star Spangled Banner. - Tammy Cheek
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Andrew Bogle Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution members, in no particular order, Madeline Russell, Judy Blair Wilson, Suzanne Emery, Virginia Farris, Iris Davenport, Deborah Lindsey, Eleanor Meisenheimer, Betty Craig, Patty Murphy, Pat Chambers, Joan Pinkey were on hand to greet attendees of the Town’s Spirit of America program in Farragut Town Hall Wednesday July 8. - Tammy Cheek
A similar crowd heard the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1776 declare the American colonies were separating from England, creating a new nation.
Farragut Museum Committee welcomed a crowd who witnessed the reading of the Declaration of Independence as part of a Sharing the Spirit of America program, which took place in Farragut Town Hall Wednesday, July 8.
The event also was an opportunity to celebrate the life of Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, who was born July 5, 1801, in Stony Point, later called Lowe’s Ferry.
“On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia,” Farragut Mayor Ron Williams said. “This important document was written to formally announce and justify the 13 American colonies’ separation from Great Britain.
“Four days later, on July 8, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud in public for the first time by Col. John Nixon,” Williams said. “Because colonists could not witness the Continental Congress in real time, public readings were how ordinary citizens learned they were a new nation.
“Today, people across all 50 states and 16 U.S. territories will read the Declaration of Independence to commemorate its first public reading,” he said. “I am proud to be part of Farragut’s participation in the national America 250 event.
“Thank you to everyone who is celebrating with us.”
Following the posting of colors and Pledge of Allegiance from Farragut High School Reserve Officer Training Corps, Virtue Church Pastor Bill Lyle recited President and Gen. George Washington’s prayer.
However, first he referred to the First Continental Congress on Sept. 7, 1774, saying, “after the men gathered together to write this document … they realized they had to have the blessing of God. So, they called the Rev. Jacob Bouchard to come and open with prayer. He read Psalm 35.”
Then, “they had two hours of spontaneous prayer that were going on,” Lyle said. “This country was founded as a Christian country. That was ratified in 1882 by the Supreme Court case, The Church of Holy Trinity vs. The U.S.”
Then, he recited Washington’s prayer of 1783, “as he was residing as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army,” Lyle said. “This prayer is read at Mount Vernon
often.”
The prayer begins, “Now, I make it my earnest prayer that God would have these United States in his holy protection.”
FHS’s chorus members, Abby Lu Eckles and Rafika Amlani, singing of the national anthem, Star Spangled Banner, followed the prayer.
Then the reading of the Declaration of Independence began with Knox County director of Veterans Affairs Buzz Buswell, followed by Andrew Bogle Chapter of the DAR representative Judy Wilson, Museum Committee member Sue-Ann Hansler and retired U.S. Navy Chief Todd Johnson, taking turns reading the Declaration of Independence.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among those are the pursuit of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” … are the familiar words school children still learn.
In hearing the words, the Declaration justifies the separation, relating the injustices evoked against the colonists by Britain, “a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism” when it “burned our towns and destroyed the lives of our people.”
Following the reading, local historian Frank Galbraith related the life of Admiral Farragut.
Originally, David Glasgow Farragut was named James Glasgow Farragut, but after his mother died, Galbraith related how Commander David Porter with the U.S. Navy took in the boy, who was encouraged to join the Navy when he was still a child. Farragut would later change his name from James to David to honor his foster father.
“At the age of 9 and a half, [Porter] got [Farragut] in the Navy,” Galbraith said. He related Farragut’s service at the time of the Battle of Mobile Bay during the Civil War and how Farragut would be the first full admiral in the Navy.
