Culpeper, Virginia has always carried the echoes of revolution. Walk across its fields, stand in its old churches, or listen to the stories passed from generation to generation, and you’ll hear the unmistakable rumble of a people on the brink of independence. It was here among farmers, frontiersmen, and determined patriots that the call to liberty rang the loudest.

A Voice That Sparked a Revolution

On March 23, 1775, inside Richmond’s historic Saint John’s Church, Patrick Henry delivered words that would ignite a movement. Delegates like Culpeper’s own Henry Pendleton and Henry Field Jr., and Fauquier representatives and future Culpeper Minutemen Thomas Marshall and James Scott, listened as Henry rose before the Second Virginia Revolutionary Convention.

The colony was divided. Should Virginia arm and organize its militia? Should they brace for the conflict looming on the horizon?

Then Henry spoke, his voice carrying the urgency and fire of a people pushed too far:

“Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there is no peace. The war has actually begun! … Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! … Give me liberty or give me death!”

The words were electric. Within months, Culpeper answered the call with unmatched resolve. Between late September and mid-October 1775, more than 600 men from the Culpeper Military District mustered at “Clayton’s Old Field” and marched to Williamsburg by far the largest deployment from any Virginia locality during that pivotal moment.

Culpeper did not just hear Patrick Henry’s words. They lived them.

250 Years Later, the Spirit of Liberty Returns

As the nation prepares to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, Culpeper once again honors the cry for freedom this time in a uniquely local, handcrafted way. Chuck and Jeanette Miller of Belmont Farm Distillery have unveiled a tribute to both Culpeper’s revolutionary history and the enduring legacy of Patrick Henry’s immortal declaration.

Introducing: Liberty Lightning – A Revolutionary Release

Crafted for America’s 250th anniversary, Liberty Lightning blends the very best of Belmont Farm’s heritage:

• 100 proof corn whiskey
• Aged in their signature bourbon barrels
• Small-batch, limited release
• Available exclusively in the Belmont Farm gift shop through 2026.

Liberty Lightning is more than a spirit it is a toast to the courage, grit, and unshakeable determination of the patriots who stepped forward in 1775.

It is a reminder of a time when ordinary people did extraordinary things. In addition, it’s a celebration of Culpeper’s lasting role in securing the freedoms we enjoy today.

Raise Your Glass to Liberty

Patrick Henry’s words still resonate across the Commonwealth, but especially here in Culpeper where the call to action was met with unwavering spirit. Today, that legacy is distilled quite literally into something you can savor.

“Give me LIBERTY or give me death!” he proclaimed.

Two and a half centuries later, Belmont Farm Distillery invites you to raise a glass to that same spirit of independence. Visit Belmont Farm in Culpeper, Virginia and claim your bottle of Liberty Lightning while supplies last.

Source: https://emergingrevolutionarywar.org/2025/09/01/the-coming-of-war-in-culpeper-virginia-1775/