Little Fork Church Notes From History – October 26, 2023
Notes from History No. 10, The first three Green’s on the Vestry
The below article was originally published in 2014 in the Little Fork Preservation Foundation newsletter and is focused on John Rouzee Duff Green 1730-1793. His father Captain Robert Duff Green 1695-1738 was one of the first Vestrymen for St. Mark’s Parish serving from January 1, 1731 to October 12, 1748 when he was replaced by his son William G. Green who served the Vestry until September 1, 1770 then his Brother John Green (the subject of this article) took his place on the Vestry. John as mentioned in the article below resigned his position on the vestry on December 23, 1776 to join the Culpeper Minutemen and is the only reference to war in the Vestry minutes of St. Mark’s Parish. In 1911 John and Susannah were reinterred in Arlington National Cemetery but other members of the Red-Green’s are still buried at Liberty Hall also known as Green’s Mill on the 1776 map of Culpeper.
Father Captain Robert Duff Green 1695-1738 Culpeper (Likely Liberty Hall)
Mother Eleanor Dunn Green 1698-1793 Culpeper, Liberty Hall
- William married Miss Coleman
- Robert married Patty Ball
- Duff Married Miss Barbour then Ann Willis
- John married Susannah Blackwell
- Nicholas Married Elizabeth Price
- James married Elizabeth Jones
- Moses married Miss Blackwell sister of Susannah
John Rouzee Duff Green 1730-1793 Arlington Nation Cemetery
Wife Susannah Blackwell Green 1739-1791 Arlington Nation Cemetery
Both John and Susannah were buried at Liberty Hall then reinterred and moved to the National Cemetery in 1911
Sons of John and Susannah
Lt. Robert Green 1758-1789 died Culpeper, burial Liberty Hall
wife Frances Edmonds Green died Kentucky, burial unknown
Adj. Gen. Moses Green 1771-1856 Culpeper, burial Liberty Hall
wife Frances Richards Green 1770-1844 Culpeper, burial Liberty Hall
Thomas Green 1775-1821 Kentucky, Broadcaste Cemetery
wife Lucy Peyton Green 1780-1845 Kentucky, Broadcaste Cemetery
Brothers of John, sons of Robert Duff Green
Maj. Robert Thomas Green 1722-1797 Culpeper, unknown
wife Mary “Patty” Ball Green 1727-1800 unknown Culpeper, unknown
James Green 1734-1809 Culpeper, unknown
wife Elizabeth Jones Green -1807 Culpeper, unknown
Lewis Green Sr. 1724-1784 burial Virginia, unknown
wife Elizabeth Sarah Lauderdale Green Tennessee, unknown
Duff Green
Nicholas Green (named in will of Robert Duff Green as a minor in 1748/9)
John Green (named in will of Robert Duff Green as a minor in 1748/9)
Moses Green (named in will of Robert Duff Green as a minor in 1748/9)
John Green, Vestry Man and Patriot
John Green was born in 1730, he was a veteran of the American Revolution. He was Colonel of the 10th Virginia Volunteers and, as such, fought throughout the Revolution.
He died in 1793 and was originally buried in Liberty Hall, Virginia. John Green was a member of Saint Mark’s Parish Vestry and was instrumental in building “the brick church. ”He resigned from the Vestry to join the Continental Army (see highlight box.)
He was reinterred in Section 1 of Arlington National Cemetery on April 23, 1931. He has been deceased longer than anyone else buried in the cemetery.
About Colonel John Green:
Colonel John Green (1730-1793) was the son of Robert Green (1695-1748) who came to Virginia at the age of 15 with his uncle William Duff, Joist Hite, and Robert McKay, Quakers. He traveled up the Rappahannock River and settled near Brandy Station on the Washington City and Virginia Midland Railroad. He built his home, named Liberty Hall, near a large spring on the road leading from Brandy Station to Rixeyville, and took up large tracts of land in what was in 1712 Essex, in 1721 Spotsylvania, in 1735 Orange, and in 1749 Culpeper County.
Robert married Eleanor Dunn of Scotland and had seven sons, all of whom had red hair, and have since become referred to as the “Red” Greens. Eleanor survived her husband by 45 years, and outlived four of her sons. Robert Green became a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1736, and was one of the first vestrymen of St. Mark’s Parish.
John married Susanna Blackwell and had eight children – seven sons and one daughter. He was a Colonel in the Revolutionary War, a member of the House of Burgesses in 1769, and succeeded his brother William as vestryman of St. Mark’s Parish in 1770. One of Susannah’s sisters married the Colonel’s nephew William, son of Robert, and another sister married John’s brother Moses. John inherited Liberty Hall, the family home.
Colonel John Green organized and commanded a company of Minute Men at the start of the Revolution and served for more than eight years. He was a Captain of the 1st Virginia, became a Major in 1776, was wounded at Mamaroneck on the 21st of October, 1776, became a Lieutenant Colonel in 1777; a Colonel in the 10th.
Virginia in 1778; transferred to the 5th Virginia in September 1778. He distinguished himself at the battles of Brandywine and Monmouth. He was assigned to cover the planned retreat of General Nathaniel Green from the battlefield at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse on March 15, 1781. The Americans had so few adequate troops in any battle that they could seldom stand and fight, so the planning for any battle included a plan to withdraw. Colonel Green was very unhappy with this assignment, and General Greene had to promise that he would assign the Colonel the forward assignment in the next battle to calm him down. In a later battle, Colonel Green was wounded while storming a breastwork and was crippled for the remainder of his life. In his will, he claimed to be “sick and weak, but in perfect sense and memory.”
He was commended by the Continental Congress and presented a sword for meritorious achievement. Light Horse Harry Lee referred to the Colonel in his memoirs as “one of the bravest of the brave.”
Colonel Green retired in January 1783 and was one of the original members of the Society of the Cincinnati. He received land warrants for almost 9,000 acres of land in Kentucky for his service in the war.
Colonel Green died in 1793 and was buried at Liberty Hall, but the remains of he and his wife were moved to Arlington Cemetery in 1911. The inscription follows:
John Green
Colonel 10th Virginia Volunteers
Revolutionary War
Born and died at Liberty Hall, Culpeper Co., Virginia
1730-1793
Commanded one of the first companies of Minute Men of Culpeper County
Organized and commanded a company in the Continental Line
Commended by the Continental Congress and directed to be presented a sword for meritorious service
Original member of the Society of the Cincinnati
This article is from the website of Arlington National Cemetery with additions.