Tuesday, May 7, 2013

In search of historical markers: the Gunpowder Incident, Gloucester Point...

The Magazine at Williamsburg:  Provincial or Royal property?
          I have always been fascinated by the events of spring, 1775 in Virginia, to which we today refer as the Gunpoweder Incident.  Generally speaking, this involved Royal Governor Lord Dunmore's authorization for Royal Navy personnel to confiscate provincial arms powder stores in Williamsburg, securing them aboard Royal Navy shipping. As events unfolded there are political agitators (Patrick Henry), enraged gun-toting farmers (the Hanover Militia) and provincial bureacrats (Receiver General Richard Corbin) caught up in the fury.  What's not to like, this is the kind of stuff  worthy of the Drudge Report!

Virginia Gazette [1]
         I am currently conducting research into routes, sites and events associated with the Gunpowder Incident (1775) and the march South to Gloucester (1781) in planning preservation march events.  In my search I came across a helpful site (link), Colonial America.com that locates State Highway Historical Markers.  Pretty useful, and user friendly!

Historical Marker, Site Map locator:  A Useful tool
Hope you enjoy this tool as much as I did.  Apparently, if we march to Laneville to demand payment from Richard Corbin (Provincial Receiver General) for the gunpowder, we're crossing the Pamunkey and Mattaponi in flatboats!

[1] Virginia Gazette.  Retrieved from 
http://research.history.org/pf/declaring/gunpowder.cfm

2 comments:

  1. Here's some cool things I found at Laneville. http://virginiarelics.wordpress.com/2014/06/22/spanish-cob-livery-buttons-colonial-nameplate-half-cent/

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    1. Joey, Thanks for sharing your finds on your blog. Were those oyster shells in the trashpit with the bottle? The kick on the shard may help you to date the pit. The livery buttons were very unique. Thanks again.

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