Companion Organization

• Virginia State Society, Daughters of the American Revolution

• Virginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution

Major Historic Events in Virginia

1. George Washington saw Mt. Vernon for the first time in six years, and he entertained the allied general staff at his home.

2. The allied armies and navies converged on Yorktown, isolating Cornwallis from supplies or military support. The allies besieged the British camp, and gained victory at a cost of only 250 dead (30 American, 60 French, and 160 British) among the 29,000 participants (11,000 American, 8,800 French, and 10,000 British) directly involved in the siege. This does not count the sailors and marines from the 24 French and 19 British ships-of-the-line that fought for control of the Chesapeake Bay.

3. The French Expeditionary Force remained for eight months in various cities to guard captured prisoners and supplies while the U.S. Continental units left immediately after Cornwallis' surrender to return to guarding the area around New York City.

4. On the great march going south the French baggage train and hussars used two other camps in VA overnight. The whole French Expeditionary Force used another 16 camps overnight only going north (total nineteen plus an as-yet unknown [to the page manager] number of winter-over sites).

Recent Items for Virginia

Commonwealth of Virginia Funds that State's W3R Study

Tentative Schedule of W3R Related Events in Virginia

Tentative schedule of W3R-related 225th Anniversary events in Virginia still to be held in 2006. A full schedule of W3R events in all states is at www.w3r-us.org

Points of contact and notes regarding events are in brackets. Please provide any additional events or corrections to Kevin Vincent .

All year -- “Citizens at War” program at Colonial Williamsburg. Held every other day to explain the Revolutionary War in Williamsburg including events in 1781. See www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/visit/eventsandexhibits/revcity/index.cfm

Sep. 22: Arlington, Fort C.F. Smith Park, March to Yorktown reenactment of Georgetown encampment

Sep. 23: Arlington, ceremony to welcome March to Yorktown to Virginia and to commemorate crossing of the Potomac River by French wagon train [contact Kevin Vincent; marker dedication will be rescheduled to 2007]

Sep. 23: Alexandria, March to Yorktown encampment in Old Town Alexandria

Sep. 23-Oct. 6: March to Yorktown reenactment of march from Arlington to Williamsburg.

Sep. 23: Fredericksburg, reenactment with Generals Washington and Joe Weedon answering questions from the public.

Sep. 24: March to Yorktown visit to Mount Vernon

Sep. 24: Fairfax County, Pohick Bay Regional Park, March to Yorktown reenactment of Colchester encampment

Sep. 25, Dumfries, March to Yorktown encampment at Weems-Botts Museum

Sep. 26, Stafford County, March to Yorktown encampment at Aquia Episcopal Church

Sep. 27-28, March to Yorktown encampment at Fredericksburg [at George Washington’s Boyhood Home in Stafford County]

Sep. 28, Fredericksburg, welcoming ceremony for March to Yorktown at the Chatham Bridge followed by reception at the Lewis Store.

Sep. 29, Fredericksburg area, March to Yorktown encampment at Belvedere Plantation

Sep. 30: Caroline County, March to Yorktown encampment at Chase’s End Farm near Bowling Green

Oct. 2: Hanover County, March to Yorktown encampment [at Hanover Courthouse Park -- this is not the courthouse complex, but instead a county park one-half mile south]

Oct. 4: Arlington, ARRT program on the Siege of Yorktown by Glenn Williams from the US Army Center of Military History. See xenophongroup.com/patriot/arrt/arrtprgm.htm

Oct. 4, Talleysville, New Kent County, March to Yorktown encampment at Crump’s Mill

Oct. 5, Toano, James City County, March to Yorktown encampment at Upper County Park

Oct. 6, Williamsburg, March to Yorktown arrives in Williamsburg

Oct. 7: Endview Plantation, March to Yorktown reenactment of final approach to Yorktown and encampment to reenact siege of Yorktown Contact Mike Fitzgerald at MajRobtRogers@aol.com

Oct. 13-15: "Prelude to Victory" at Colonial Williamsburg [The Colonial Williamsburg website says that this reenactment will "represent September 26, 27, and 28, 1781 – the last three days of the period when General Washington and Le Compte de Rochambeau, commander of French forces, were headquartered in Williamsburg prior to the siege at Yorktown. www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/visit/eventsAndExhibits/specialEvents Reenactors participating in the Prelude to Victory will be welcome to continue their encampment in Colonial Williamsburg through the conclusions of the Siege of Yorktown reenactments]

Oct. 14-15: Washington, D.C., Wreath-laying ceremony at Rochambeau statue at Lafayette Square [Contact: pat.aj@verizon.net]

Oct. 16: Charlottesville lecture by Katherine Woltz on “The Surrender at Yorktown” with the Alliance Française de Charlottesville See avenue.org/afc/Yorktown.html

Oct. 17: Charlottesville lecture by Lionel Estavoyer regarding Besancon, France, and the Revolutionary War, with the Alliance Française de Charlottesville [information available at avenue.org/afc/Yorktown.html

Oct. 18: Petersburg lecture by Delane Ward on Lafayette sponsored by the Alliance Française de Charlottesville Information available at avenue.org/afc/Yorktown.html

Oct. 18: Set up for Siege of Yorktown reenactment See www.siegeofyorktown.org

Oct 19-22: Yorktown Day Celebrations [Nicole Yancey; Karen Rehm (NPS contact); Todd Post (reenactor contact) -- multiple ceremonies and reenactments at Yorktown and other Tidewater locations

Oct - Aug. 2007: Mount Vernon exhibition on the close "father-son" relationship between George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette. The exhibition will be the principal celebratory event in America to mark the 250th anniversary of Lafayette's birth.

Nov. 10-12, 2006 -- “Brothers in Arms” at Colonial Williamsburg [not specifically related to the W3R but focusing on African-Americans who served with Patriot forces including the 2nd Rhode Island Regiment]

Status of the W3R in Virginia: 2006 Mar 27

Virginia has an array of geographically and institutionally separate commemorative initiatives now underway related to the W3R. Several established institutions such as Yorktown National Park, Colonial Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, and Gunston Hall have formulated 225th Anniversary plans outside of the W3R framework, although we have been coordinating with them to include their programs in the W3R schedule. In addition, the following W3R projects are now underway:

(1) Ms. Andree King and Ambassador Nathaniel Howell of the Alliance Française de Charlottesville and the Albemarle/Charlottesville Historical Society, Mr. Jay Harrison of Orange County and others have formed a committee to plan W3R-related activities in Central Virginia. Among other events, they are planning a reenactment for the 225th anniversary of the ride of Virginia's "Paul Revere" -- Jack Jouett's ride in 1781 to warn Governor Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia legislature of the approach of British raiders. Updates on the events underway by this very active group can be found at avenue.org/afc/Yorktown.htm

(2) Todd Post is organizing reenactors for several events including a reenactment on July 15-16 of the battle of Green Spring, the final engagement in Virginia near Williamsburg that preceded the Siege of Yorktown. Information about the event is at www.battleofgreenspring.org/. Proceeds from this event will help to preserve the Green Springs battlefield, which we hope to have as one of the key sites on the W3R. Don Troiani of Historical Art Prints has graciously donated one of his limited edition Revolutionary War prints to the Battle of Green Spring event to be raffled as a fund raiser for preservation of a portion of the original Green Spring battlefield. More information about the print and raffle are available at the Green Springs website.

(3) Joe Chudzik [forservice@verizon.net] has reported development of a site on Old Colchester Road in Fairfax County for a proposed wayside historic marker and interpretive signage to commemorate the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route through Fairfax County."

(4) The Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) are following up on their success in placing a W3R "Route to Victory" display at Mount Vernon, by working with the National Park Service to have a "sister" display erected at Yorktown. The VA Daughters will again pay for it. Carol Howerton [capope4@aol.com] is the point of contact for this outstanding project.

(5) The Virginia Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) is interested in sponsoring W3R events including a program to commemorate the visit by Washington and Rochambeau on 10-11 September 1781 to Mount Vernon. The vice president, and future president, of the Virginia SAR, Mr. Joe Dooley [joexyz@verizon.net] is the point of contact for the SAR.

(6) On April 1 and 2, Gunston Hall is hosting "Crisis on the Potomac: Revolutionary Reenactment & Battle." This event is a reenactment of the British naval raids all along the Potomac River, and other major waterways that occurred in early 1781, that plundered Virginia plantations, tobacco warehouses, and slaves, and caused George Mason to evacuate his family and belongings to Maryland. This is the first event in Virginia to commemorate the 225th anniversary of military events that occurred in 1781, and opens the exciting year of reenactments throughout 2006 until the surrender at Yorktown in October. Everyone is encouraged to attend.

Exhibit on Lafayette and Washington