THE SOUTH’S BUNKER HILL!

Please join the American Revolution Round Table of Richmond for our next meeting on Wednesday, January 20, when Norm Fuss will present “The Battle of Great Bridge: The South’s Bunker Hill.”  Norm has written and spoken widely on various aspects of the revolution including uniforms, finances, and engineering.  My grandsons participated in his engineering field program and enjoyed it.  Now hear the story of Virginia’s first battle in December, 1775.  Meeting details and maps are here.  http://arrt-richmond.blogspot.com/p/2013-meeting-schedule.html  Dinner begins at 5:30 in the Heilman Dining Center, with the meeting following at 6:30.

January marks the beginning of our tenth year and that also means that we all need to reenlist.  Details are here.  http://arrt-richmond.blogspot.com/p/directors.html  Please bring the completed Membership Information form to the meeting and see Woody and Mark.  Remember that $5.00 of your dues goes to preservation.  Thanks for rejoining, so that you’ll get priority access to...

Our Saturday, April 2 tour of “Benedict Arnold Raids Richmond,” led by John Maass and Mark Lender.  John has already led two great tours for us, and Mark’s Arnold presentation in August was well received by the many in attendance.  Here’s a brief description:

“After appearing in the Chesapeake in late December, 1780, British General Benedict Arnold landed a force of about one thousand men at Westover, on the James River. Arnold’s men marched to Richmond on 5 January. Here and at Westham, the British destroyed small arms, canvass, rope, hemp,fuses, shot, tobacco, cannon, and “a foundry for casting iron cannon,” along with private property. They faced little opposition from Patriot forces. 

“The raiders left Richmond around noon on January 6, marched southeast and camped at Four Mile Creek along the New Market Road, north of Deep Bottom. Arnold then proceeded to Berkeley Plantation on the James River, freed some of the slaves there and, on January 10, boarded his ships to sail downstream. Although almost four thousand militiamen gathered to defend the Tidewater area against Arnold’s excursion, they were divided between Fredericksburg, Williamsburg and Cabin Point, on the south side of the James. Virginia’s response was slow and hesitant, for which Gov. Thomas Jefferson received much of the blame. 

“The April bus tour will include key sites associated with the British raid, including Westover and Berkeley Plantations, Charles City Court House, Four Mile Creek, Church Hill, and the site of the Westham Foundry.”


We’ll leave the University of Richmond and spend the entire day in the field.  The cost will be $35.  All details will be available shortly.  But mark your calendars now.  We will gladly accept registrations at the January 20 meeting.  The tour will be opened to others after our members have priority access.


Having missed December, a list of other interesting stories and bits of historical information follow.

America’s History 5th Annual Conference of the American Revolution is filling up fast, following last year’s sell out.  Details of the March 18 – 20 premier conference on the revolution (my description, not theirs) are here.  http://americashistoryllc.com/2015/5th-annual-conference-of-the-american-revolution/  You will not be disappointed and will be supporting our sponsor.

Yorktown’s Dave Riggs sent this about archaeological findings at Minute Man National Historical Park. http://www.npr.org/2015/11/29/457756732/archaeologists-dig-to-complete-revolutionary-war-history?sc=17&f=7&utm_source=iosnewsapp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=app  Thanks, Dave.

My Vermont friend Jim Ayrey forwarded this about the battle of Bennington.  http://www.meadvilletribune.com/news/local_news/edinboro-university-forensics-professor-detects-blood-on-revolutionary-war-projectiles/article_53ba8b00-7bf1-5a5e-9618-e64b4a91b28c.html  Thanks, James.

Douglas Powell reminds us that the 235th Anniversary Commemoration of the Crossing of the Dan occurs in February, in South Boston. More details are here.  http://www.prizery.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=234&Itemid=199  And thanks to Douglas. 

Check here for nominees for the 2016 ARRT-Richmond Book award.  http://arrt-richmond.blogspot.com/  Mike Harris, our 2015 winner, will be speaking to us about Brandywine in July.  Thanks to Tyler Whitley, Lynn Sims, and Mark Lender, our award committee.

Here is a wonderful article from Army History magazine by our South Carolina SCAR pal Charles Baxley describing the obscure taking of the colonial village of Dorchester, SC by Gen. Nathanael Greene and Lt. Cols. John Laurens and Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee’s aborted raid on Johns Island in January 1782; along with Greene’s maneuvers from November 1781 to February 1782.  http://www.history.army.mil/armyhistory/AH98(W).pdf.  Be sure to check the SCAR calendar at http://www.southerncampaign.org/calendar-of-events/ for the most comprehensive listing of revolutionary events.   

Thanks to John Maass for this enlightening article about Washington and flags.  http://www.army.mil/article/157348/West_Point_Museum_exhibits_trophy_flags_presented_to_Gen__George_Washington_until_2017/

At our last meeting, Dr. Murray Ellison of the Lifelong Learning Institute of Chesterfield County joined us and spoke about their work and course offerings.  There site is here.  http://llichesterfield.org/  If you are interested in either taking or offering a course, please contact them.  It certainly doesn’t need to be revolutionary history! 

Finally, as I got my revolutionary start at Valley Forge, I like to occasionally acknowledge the Friends.  They are here.  http://www.friendsofvalleyforge.org/?utm_source=enews+2015-12-29&utm_campaign=2015-08-04&utm_medium=email  The Muster Role Project is simply fabulous.

See you and a friend on January 20.

Bill Welsch













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