March and Ship Transport through  
Virginia

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==== VIRGINIA ==== 

In Virginia the route has been marked with small green highway markers with white lettering. This was described in a brochure produced by the Expédition Particulière (Durf McJoynt, PO Box 137, Mt Vernon VA, 1981). In what follows, SR is State Route and SnR is Secondary Route. A Note about "Official" W3R Routes 1781 Sept 10 and 11 - For two days the allied generals -- Washington and Rochambeau -- and their senior staff members enjoyed the amenities of Mount Vernon and consulted about very serious military matters. The allied operation was at the most precarious phases of an exceptionally high risk operation – as the allied land and naval forces flowed in from distant geographic locations to focus on the British at Yorktown. The timely successes of three separate strategic movements were essential for victory – but they were beyond the immediate control of Washington or Rochambeau. Two Days at Mount Vernon [Expédition Particulière] provides the full story. "First Official Use of Mt. Vernon's Dining Room" by David R. Wagner (used with the artist's permission) Sept 12 -- The officers followed SR 235 to US 1 to SnR 611 to US 1 again, to Woodbridge, Dumfries, Stafford Court House, and Falmouth. The officers spent the night in Fredericksburg. George Washington had spent his boyhood here, and his brother had built the Rising Sun Tavern here in 1760.

Portion of the W3R Campsite map developed for the National Park Service 2000-2005 study of significance, feasibility and environmental impact. NOTE: These maps are tilted; north is about 45-degrees left of straight up.

Sept 13 -- SR 2 to New Post, Wideawake, Villboro to SnR 626 to SnR 609 to SR 2 again. Then SnR 631 to SR 2 north of Bowling Green to SnR 695 south of Bowling Green to SR 2 again to SnD 627 to SnR 654 west to SnR 656, then SnR 648 south to Lorne where they moved onto SnR 649 to SnR 600 to SnR602 to SnR 651 and back and forth across SR 2 several times to stay at the Hanover Court House Inn, travelling some 53 miles for the day. Sept 14 -- SnR 605 to SnR 604 to SnR 606 east of Studley to Old Church and Tunstall then SnR 609 to SR 249 to SR 30 to US 60 past Toana, Norge, and Lightfoot to arrive at Williamsburg after travelling 47 miles.

Portion of the W3R Campsite map developed for the National Park Service 2000-2005 study of significance, feasibility and environmental impact. NOTE: These maps are tilted; north is about 45-degrees left of straight up.

Sept 17 - General Washington met with Admiral de Grasse on the French flagship, the Ville de Paris at Hampton Roads [the bay area at the mouth of the James River]. To better match the British cavalry under Tarleton at Gloucester the allied commanders sent a dispatch to the hussars (Group C2) directing them to leave the baggage train (which could be guarded by local militia now) and instead travel to Gloucester. A more detailed and documented description [Expédition Particulière] of their route is available. Sept 21 -- The French baggage train, accompanied by Lauzun's cavalry, crossed the Potomac River at Georgetown (then a part of Maryland, now a part of the District of Columbia) [This site has been marked by the SAR.] About this time 200 cavalry in the Compaigne General under Baron Ludwig von Closen and Cromot du Bourg crossed the Lower Potomac River at "Laidlers Ferry" in Morgantown MD (near US Route 301). Sept 24 -- The troop transports from Annapolis began to arrive at Archer's Hope with the allied infantry. There they joined 3,300 troops under French General Saint-Simon, who had been delivered there on Sept 2 by de Grasse' fleet.. ==> Also on this day the baggage train was loading large amounts of hay at Col. Daingerfield's plantation, Belvidere, east of SR 2 and north of SR 17, south of the Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg. The hussars (Group C2) received a dispatch with new orders and set out (via Todds Bridge) for Gloucester. The wagons (Group C3) continued on their original route and would not all arrive at Williamsburg until Oct 4. The French forces near Yorktown now consisted of about 25,000 French sailors in Adm DeGrasse' fleet and Adm. Barras' squadron and about 9,500 land forces: 4,700 in the main corps 3,350 in the Corps de Saint-Simon, brought by Adm. de Grasse from the successful siege of Pensacola via Cuba. 800 borrowed from Admiral de Grasse' ships' garrisons for Gloucester -- where several British regiments, including Tarleton's Legion, were holding positions to protect British vessels in the York River between Gloucester and Yorktown). 600 brought by Adm. Barras from Newport Sept 28 - At 5 AM the grand allied army -- some 16,000 troops -- marched out of Williamsburg and set up camp outside the British defenses at Yorktown. Final preparations for a siege had to hurry forward, since food supplies were scarce. The Yorktown area was not prepared to raising or importing food for so many soldiers, who could eat up all of the colony's food reserves in a few weeks. Virginia Governor Thomas Jefferson struggled to obtain the required food, often giving his personal promissary notes to farmers to pay for supplies. Oct 7 - The French wagon train -- the last unit to arrive -- delivered its goods to the allied camp. On that same day American troops began digging trenches to encircle the British camp. The last major military action of the Revolutionary War that would take place in the United States was about to begin.

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