WILLIAMSBURG PART 2

Let’s continue our visit to Williamsburg.

Next we visited the George Wythe House on Palace Green belonged to George Wythe (pronounced “with”), a leader of the patriot movement in Virginia, a delegate to the Continental Congress, and Virginia’s first signer of the Declaration of Independence. The house also served as General George Washington's headquarters just before the British siege of Yorktown, and French General Rochambeau made the home his headquarters after victory at Yorktown. In 1776, the house accommodated Virginia General Assembly delegate Thomas Jefferson and his family.

Parlor

Dining room

Office

 

Master bedroom

Children’s bedroom

Notice that there are no lighting fixtures in the house.

We then toured the Bruton Parish Church. In 1644, Harrop Parish in James City County became active, and it united with Middle Plantation Parish in 1658 to form Middletown Parish. Still more consolidation followed in 1674 when Marston Parish (1654) in York County merged with Middletown Parish to form Bruton Parish. The name honored the prominent Ludwell family and Governor Sir William Berkeley, whose ancestral homes were at Bruton in County Somerset, England.

Bruton's earliest vestry records of April 18, 1674, named the Reverend Roland Jones as the first rector and authorized buying glebe lands. After the Battle of Williamsburg in May 1862, Bruton served as a hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers.

There weekday services:  Noonday Prayer -  12 Noon, Monday through Saturday ; Holy Eucharist with healing  -  11 a.m., Wednesday and Sunday worship.

We invite you to join us for worship services on Sunday.

The altar and communion rail, made of black walnut, and the gold gilt cross are the central features of this historic church. The panel behind the altar, called a reredos, contains the Apostles’ Creed, the Ten Commandants, and the Lord’s Prayer. These fundamentals of faith, law, and prayer reflect canon law mandating their display in Anglican churches.

Towering over the rector’s pew is the eighteenth-century style pulpit. It features a cantilever-supported sounding board to help project the voices of those addressing the congregation.

These pews with doors were typical of unheated eighteenth- century English churches. The names on the pew doors of parish leaders and famous patriots who worshipped here, including U.S. presidents Washington, Jefferson, and Monroe, remind us of the prominent role Bruton played in colonial history. In the winter, the church is difficult to heat. In order to keep everyone a bit warmer, heating bricks or warming pans are placed on the floor inside each pew. The doors help keep the heat in.

Bruton has probably the largest colonial burial site still existing in Virginia. Some of the early tombstones and memorials are in the forms of chest and table tombs, obelisks, sculptural designs. Beginning in 1678 with the burial of Thomas Ludwell, secretary of the colony, the churchyard received the remains of important residents such as Governor Edward Nott.

South Gallery  is used by the speakers of the House of Burgesses and college faculty. This gallery overlooked such famous services as the day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer in 1774, held in sympathy for the people of Boston after the English Parliament closed their port.

Next was the Courthouse. Williamsburg's citizens assembled at their courthouse at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, May 1, 1783, to celebrate at last the end of the war with England – just as they had gathered seven years earlier to hear lawyer Benjamin Waller proclaim from its steps the Declaration of Independence.

Our tour guide did an excellent job of explaining the Courthouse.

Judges’ chamber

Jury room. There was no heat, no bathroom, no anything in this room. This usually lead to a quick verdict.

Paul was bad…again…to the stocks he goes!

Across the street is the Magazine. In 1714, the General Assembly had asked Governor Alexander Spotswood to build "a good substantial house of brick" precisely to protect the colony's arms and munitions. The occasion was the shipment of powder and muskets from Queen Anne's government in England.

Spotswood's Magazine safeguarded shot, powder, flints, tents, tools, swords, pikes, canteens, cooking utensils, and as many as 3,000 Brown Bess flintlocks – equipment needed for defense against Indians, slave revolts, local riots, and pirate raids.

Marsha shows how tight the fence post are.

 

So many munitions arrived from 1754 to 1763 in the course of the French and Indian War that the additions of a high perimeter wall and Guardhouse were necessary.

Firetruck just in case.

Stay turned for Part 3.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you real soon.

LUNCH AND BATTLEFIELD IN YORKTOWN, VA

Wednesday, August 11 – We headed for Yorktown today to see the historic city and have lunch with our friends, Fran and Wayne.

We feel we played a small part getting these two together. When we were in Livingston for Paul’s surgery, we played Mexican Train two nights a week. We invited Wayne and Fran to play with our group. Well, low and behold, they hit it off. They are newly weds!

We met them at the Yorktown Pub. A local eatery on the James River. We have their special of crab cakes…YUM!

Here is our group. Great seeing you two again!

We noticed a rather distinguished looking gentleman. Could he be a retired captain?

Here is a view of the beach and water.

After we finished our meal, we headed for the Yorktown Battlefield.

The Battle of Yorktown was the last major engagement of the American Revolution (1775-1783). Washington and Rochambeau's troops arrived on September 28, 1781, and the British officially surrendered on October 19, 1781.

American General--General George Washington---8,500 Americans
French General---Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau or just General Rochambeau---10,800 French

British General ---Major General Lord Charles Cornwallis---7,500 men

In August 1781, General George Washington learned that Major General Lord Charles Cornwallis' army was encamped near Yorktown, VA. After discussing options with his French ally, Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste Ponton de Rochambeau, Washington decided to quietly move his army away from New York City with the goal of crushing Cornwallis' isolated force.

With the army assembled, Washington and Rochambeau began the march to Yorktown on September 28. Arriving outside the town later that day, the two commanders deployed their forces with the Americans on the right and the French on the left.

On the night of October 5/6, the French and Americans began construction of the first siege line. By dawn, a 2,000-yard long trench opposed the southeast side of the British works. Two days later, Washington personally fired the first gun.

White is the French flag. U.S. flag is in the far left corner.

The British were camped at the far line of trees.

 

Largest gun emplacement built during the siege, the Grand French Battery opened fire on October 10 and inflicted great damage on the British. The superiority in artillery contributed greatly to Allied victory.

Field Gun…effective range,900 to 1340 yards. Fired mainly solid shot to batter down enemy earthworks, but could fire grapeshot against troops.

 

 

Finally, out of ammunition for his guns and unable to shift his army, Cornwallis decided to open negotiations with Washington. At 9:00 AM on October 17, a single drummer mounted the British works and beat the long roll as a lieutenant waved a white flag.

This is the famous Yorktown Surrender painting. Did you know that General Washington DID NOT accept the white flag. Claiming he was ill, Cornwallis sent Brigadier General Charles O'Hara in his stead. Approaching the allied leadership, O'Hara attempted to surrender to Rochambeau but was instructed by the Frenchman to approach the Americans. As Cornwallis was not present, Washington directed O'Hara to surrender to Lincoln, who was now serving as his second-in-command.

Rochambeau is last on the left----Washington last on the right
O’Hara is walking next to horse with Lincoln on the horse.

Another great day for revisiting our history.

Thursday and Friday, August 12 and 13 – Rain and overcast skies kept us in the motor home. Marsha did tons of cleaning and washing clothes. Paul had chores dealing with the car and motor home. We sat outside when the weather allowed.

Saturday, Paul will get the motor home ready to travel to our next stop…Gaffney, GA. We will be having our 30,000 check up done at the Freightliner factory.

Thanks for stopping by. See you soon.