Just as ice and snow couldn’t stop Glover’s Regiment from crossing the Delaware and capturing Trenton 250 years ago, the frigid 15-degree temperatures and deep snow couldn’t stop more than 80 Marbleheaders from honoring Gen. John Glover’s memory on Saturday evening. Glover’s Regiment, followed by dozens of residents, marched down Washington Street to Old Burial Hill to the sound of drums and fifes, and the light of lanterns, to hold the annual ceremony honoring Glover.
Families watched in wonder through their frosty windows as the group, bundled up against the cold, participated in the Regiment’s annual March to Glover’s tomb on the 229th anniversary of his death in 1797.
“It’s just such a beautiful sight,” said Capt. Larry Sands of Glover’s Regiment, who has been taking part in this tradition for 35 years. “My favorite part is watching people peering out of their windows to see us go by as we’re marching to and from Old Burial Hill.”
Glover’s Regiment met at the Old Town House at 5 p.m. and marched to Glover’s tomb. Sands gave a brief speech about Glover’s invaluable contribution to the Revolution.
“His story is one of quiet heroism, steady leadership and a kind of practical brilliance that helped keep the Revolution alive at its most fragile moment,” Sands said.
Sands believes that telling the story of Glover’s Regiment is essential to understanding the history and enduring spirit of the town, and that it captures the courage and grit that defines Marbleheaders.
“Glover was not a man of privilege or aristocratic military training. He was a cord-wainer, a fisherman, a merchant and a community leader,” said Sands. “Yet when the colonies called for resistance, he stepped forward with a resolve that defined the seafaring people of Marblehead.”
Then the crowd, standing in the deep snow around the tomb, watched silently as the Regiment’s chaplain read a prayer. The regiment fired three musket volleys, lighting up the dark, snow-covered graveyard, and played a traditional fife before marching back into town. They ended the night by firing another three-musket volley outside Glover’s house in Glover Square.
