Patriot Guard Riders

Our assistance has been requested to escort Jewett Williams on his trip back to Maine. This mission will consist of the escort portion from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to Airmont, NY with escort by the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York PGR.

The cremated remains of a Maine Civil War soldier will spend the night in Gettysburg during a cross-country, 19 state trip from Oregon home to Maine where they will receive a burial with full military honors.

The remains of Private Jewett Williams of Company H of the famous 20^th Maine Infantry Regiment have been in the custody of the Oregon State Hospital since his death in 1922. They remained there, unclaimed by family, for 94 years until the Maine Adjutant General took legal guardianship of them last month. On August 1st, the cremains were handed over to the Patriot Guard Riders who began a cross-country relay through 19 states to bring Pvt. Williams back to his home state of Maine. Hundreds of riders have participated thus far with many more anticipated as the motorcade heads toward New England.

On Thursday, August 18 at 2:00 pm there will be a formal ceremony at Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park. It will be held at the location where Pvt. Williams and his regiment, serving under their former commander Joshua L. Chamberlain, took part in the formal ceremony that accepted the surrender of Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.

Pvt. Williams served from October 1864 through the mustering out of the regiment in July 1865. Shortly after the Civil War, he moved to Michigan, then Minnesota, then Washington State, and finally Oregon. He is returning to the state of his birth approximately 146 years after he left.

The cremains will be honorably transferred from the overnight care of the Monaghan Funeral Home to the Patriot Guard Riders of Pennsylvania at 9:00 am on Friday, August 19.

STAGING INFORMATION FOR NEW JERSEY RIDERS

New Jersey riders will meet Pennsylvania riders as they cross into New Jersey via Route 78. Staging area will be at Exit 7 on Route 78 East at the intersection of Route 78 and 173 in the gas station across Route 173 from the Pilot Travel Center. Riders should plan to be at the staging area by 1130 to meet the riders coming out of Pennsylvania. Eric Sithens will be the RC at the staging area and will be in touch with Pappy who will be with the group coming from Gettysburg. Once the Pennsylvania riders have arrived at the staging area, riders proceeding east and north with the escort will continue East on 78, then north on Route 287 to the staging area for the NY PGR in Airmont. The mileage is every bit of 100 miles plus so all riders arriving at the NJ staging area should make sure they gas up there for the trip up 78 and 287 as there are no gas stops currently planned until we get to Airmont. Another email will be provided on the 16th or 17th to provide any further updates to this mission.

RIDE CAPTAINS

Escort from Gettysburg – Pappy
Staging Area in NJ – Eric Sithens and possibly Ray Smith