The Gov. Paul Hamilton (Beaufort) and Dr. George Mosse (Hilton Head) Chapters of the SAR recently held the 27th Annual Pilgrimage to the Tomb of the Declaration of Independence signer Thomas Heyward, Jr. of South Carolina.  The Hilton Head Island High School Naval JROTC Color Guard provided the colors for this years event.  Guest speaker, Hamilton Chapter Secretary Tom Mikell, presented information of how the Heyward family came to the colonies and eventually to the low country of South Carolina.

[caption id="attachment_12566" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/News-2013-Thomas-Heyward-Pilgrimage-II.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-12566" alt="From left: Charlene Shufelt, Thomas Heyward, Jr. DAR Chapter Regent; Frank Wood, Color Sergeant Beaufort Gov. Paul Hamilton Chapter SAR; and Atlee Compher, 1st VP Dr. George Mosse Chapter SAR Hilton Head Island. (Photo by Anita Henson)" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/News-2013-Thomas-Heyward-Pilgrimage-II-300x209.jpeg" width="300" height="209" /></a> From left: Charlene Shufelt, Thomas Heyward, Jr. DAR Chapter Regent; Frank Wood, Color Sergeant Beaufort Gov. Paul Hamilton Chapter SAR; and Atlee Compher, 1st VP Dr. George Mosse Chapter SAR Hilton Head Island. (Photo by Anita Henson)[/caption]

During the ceremony Low Country Regional Vice President Paul Greer brought greetings from the South Carolina Society.  Additionally recognized were Charlene Shufelt, Regent of the Thomas Heyward, Jr. Chapter DAR, Janet Gillespie, President of the Hilton Head Island Chapter and Anita Henson of the Dr. Henry Woodward Chapter, both Colonial Dames XVII Century.

Wreaths were placed near the tomb by Color Sergeant Frank Wood of the Hamilton Chapter and 1st VP Atlee Compher of the Mosse Chapter in addition to the DAR placement by Regent Charlene Shufelt.