Revolution Timeline
Revolutionary War in Chesterfield County, Virginia
Chesterfield in the Revolution Time-line
Researched by John Pagano, Henricus Historical Park Historian
July 14, 1774 – “Chesterfield Resolves” Chesterfield County citizens led by burgesses Archibald Cary and Daniel Watkins, met at the courthouse and approved supporting Massachusetts in their struggle against the Crown
November 24, 1774 – The Chesterfield Committee of Safety and Correspondence formed
December 17, 1774 – 1426 bushels of grain sent to the relief of Massachusetts from Chesterfield County to Boston and received by Samuel Adams
March 20, 1775 – Daniel Watkins and Archibald Cary at St. John’s Church with the assembly and Patrick Henry when “Give me Liberty, or Give me Death” was delivered
April – May 1775 – Governor Lord Earl of Dunmore’s “Gunpowder Incident” in Williamsburg incites the local militia to take to arms and march to Williamsburg to confront the governor
Fall – Christmas 1775 – Chesterfield Militia “Minute” Company under Captain Francis Goode and Lt. George Markham march to Williamsburg, York, Hampton, and Portsmouth to be in the campaign to rid Portsmouth of British forces of Governor Dunmore. They were mustered out just before Christmas.
Winter – Spring 1776 – Chesterfield men enlist in three Continental Army companies, Captain John Markham’s Company, 1st VA Regiment, Captain Ralph Faulkner, 5th VA Regiment, and Captain Charles Fleming’s Company, 7th VA Regiment and served with Washington in the Main Army in NY, NJ, PA, and DE
July 4, 1776 – The war changed from rebellion to a War of Independence after representatives of the colonies approved the Declaration of Independence, drafted largely by Thomas Jefferson in Philadelphia
1776 – Georgia recruits Virginians to fill its quota of Continental soldiers and officers of the 2nd Georgia Regiment recruit at Chesterfield CH and promise land grants for service and several of these men fight in battles in Georgia and SC
Revolutionary War Time-Line Continued...
March 1777 – Virginia sent 10,000 pounds of gunpowder to Chesterfield to be kept in a magazine supervised by Archibald Cary and guarded by the Chesterfield Militia
August 1777 – Chesterfield Militia march to Gloucester, Virginia in response to a possible British Raid in the Chesapeake
1778 – Some POW’s of the British surrender at Saratoga, NY are brought to Chesterfield CH and eventually join the other prisoners in Charlottesville
June 17, 1779 – Chesterfield CH becomes a home for new British POW’s captured by General George Rogers Cark in his campaign against British outposts in the western territories, who are sent to Williamsburg then back to Chesterfield
May 1779 – Admiral George Collier’s British fleet raid Virginia and the Chesterfield Militia return to the field
Summer 1779 – A huge forest fire sweeps through Chesterfield County’s woods and farms and is finally put out on July 14
Summer 1780 – Virginia General Peter Muhlenberg proposes that Chesterfield CH become a rendezvous for Continental recruits and troops joining the southern Continental Army
August 16, 1780 – Chesterfield Militia fight in the Battle of Camden, SC
1780 – A powder magazine is established at Falling Creek Church and guarded by Virginia regulars of the former 2nd Virginia State Regiment newly merged as the “Virginia State Legion”
Fall – Winter 1780 – Chesterfield CH becomes a Continental Army hospital and barracks for Continental recruits. The hospital is superintended by Dr. William Rickman of Charles City County. General Fredrick Wilhelm Baron de Steuben takes command from Muhlenberg and turns Chesterfield CH into the Valley Forge of the South.
January 5, 1781 - British General Benedict Arnold with a small army march from Westover Plantation and capture Richmond, VA destroy the Westham Foundry and Laboratory. Chesterfield Militia form and gather at several points on the James River to repel his troops from crossing into the county.
Revolutionary War Time-Line Continued...
January 6, 1781 – Veteran Continental Army officer Colonel John Nicholas leads a small force of militia and Continental soldiers on loan from Chesterfield CH, that gathered at Tuckahoe Creek, and attacked Arnold’s outposts west of Richmond
1781 – Colonel William Davies takes command at Chesterfield CH and writes that men there are dying of exposure, privations, and sickness
January – March 1781 – Chesterfield Militia march to join General Muhlenberg commanding the “Corps of Observation” trapping Arnold inside his defenses around Portsmouth, VA
February – March 1781 – Several hundred men from Chesterfield Barracks march to join General Nathaniel Greene’s Southern Continental Army in NC
March 15, 1781 – Chesterfield Militia fight with General Greene at the Battle of Guilford CH, NC
April 25, 1781 – British General William Phillips leads his army against General Muhlenberg’s Virginia militia at the Battle of Petersburg, VA. It is fought on both the Petersburg and Chesterfield side of the Appomattox River. General Steuben has the Chesterfield CH barracks and manufactories abandoned and send his Virginia State Artillery and Virginia State Legion to assist Muhlenberg. The Chesterfield Militia form everywhere including Manchester and ware Bottom Church and watch the river crossings, eventually Steuben send them towards the fighting. The Chesterfield militia cover the American retreat over Pocahontas Bridge to camp at Chesterfield CH.
April 26, 1781 – American Army leaves Chesterfield CH and marches to Falling Creek Church
April 27, 1781 – American Army camp at Falling Creek Church and there await battle, but only British cavalry scout the position resulting in a brief skirmish while General Phillips and his troops destroy the Chesterfield Barracks and depot. At the same time General Arnold marches to Osborne’s Landing and after fighting militia and the Virginia State Navy there, capture almost the entirety of the Virginia Navy
Revolutionary War Time-Line Continued...
April 28-29 – The American Army march to the coal pits close to the James River and there await battle again, securing the strategic Tuckahoe Ferry crossing
April 29 – May 1 – British troops burn most of Manchester and Warwick, including Archibald Cary’s Mills
May 1781 – The Chesterfield Militia Battalion under Colonel Robert Goode join the new American commander in Virginia, General Marquis de Lafayette and his elite battalion of light infantry and camp with them at Wilton Plantation in Henrico, opposite smoldering Warwick
May 20, 1781 – British General Lord Cornwallis arrives in Petersburg from NC with several regiments of British veterans. Colonel Goode asks Lafayette to leave Wilton to guard Chesterfield and cross and camp and Osborne’s town, Ware Bottom Church, and finally at Ezekiel Sudbury’s midway between Chesterfield CH and Cary’s mills
May 23, 1781 – Colonel Robert Goode’s Battalion of approximately 140 men is attacked by British cavalry commander Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton and his 300 mounted soldiers of the British Legion. Several of Goode’s men are killed, dozens wounded, and over 50 men captured in a rainy action where many muskets wouldn’t fire.
July 1781 – Veteran Pennsylvania Continental soldiers of General Anthony Wayne enter Chesterfield County and pass through Osborne’s town, Chesterfield CH, and on to Goode’s Bridge and Amelia County attempting to guard against Tarleton’s cavalry raids
July – October 1781 – Chesterfield Militia participate in Lafayette’s Virginia Campaign against General Cornwallis
October 19, 1781 – Chesterfield Militia companies participate in the surrender of General Cornwallis’ British Army at Yorktown, VA
September 3, 1783 – Treaty of Paris ends the American Revolution