Non-Profit Dedicated to Historical Education of the American Revolution and the Colonial Period
The Battle of Great Bridge, December 9, 1775, was Virginia’s major opening salvo of the American Revolution. The buildup to and battle held the fate of who would govern Virginia in the balance. It proved to be a decided victory for the rebellious colonial Whigs, those calling themselves patriots. It pitted undisciplined rebel militia, farmers …
The Ethiopian Brigade was the brainchild of John Murray, the 4th Earl of Dunmore, Royal Governor Lord Dunmore of Virginia. On November 7, 1775, he issued a proclamation that rattled the chains of slavery; that which fueled the economy of both the northern and southern thirteen rebellious British Colonies in North America. Open warfare had …
Lord Dunmore, Royal Governor of Virginia, lays his knife and fork onto the plate before settling back in his chair. What seemed like tight quarters when he first set foot on the frigate HMS Fowey some months back, his cabin has now become quite comfortable like an old hunting frock. Accepting his second glass of …
A Conversation with Royal Governor Lord Dunmore “And what is the latest from Fort Murray?” “The rebels crossed the causeway at Great Bridge late last night and attacked.” Though it is a report of the first clash of arms at the newly constructed fortification at Great Bridge, Lord Dunmore features remain sullen and indifferent. It …
“I have once fought for the Virginians and by God, I will let them see that I can fight against them.” John Murray, Virginia Royal Governor Lord Dunmore, Fall of 1775 Royal Governor Lord Dunmore’s Fight to Retain Virginia as a Royal Colony was dealt a fatal blow with his loss to American Militia at …
Enlist no Stroller, Negro, Or Vagabond General George Washington In 1775, when rhetoric turned to open conflict, some militia commanders welcomed freemen and slaves into their ranks. Twenty percent of the country’s residents were of African heritage with four percent of that number freeman. For many, especially recruiters pressured to meet Congress’ demands for enlistment …
Escaped Slave, British Soldier, and the Greatest Guerrilla Fighter Of the American Revolutionary War It is late fall, 1775. A British officer stares out over the river. The wide mouth of the James River is choked with dark hulls that sit peacefully at their anchors, their towering masts swaying in the stiffening breeze that flows …