Sudbury Skirmish
Revolutionary War in Chesterfield County, Virginia
The Revolutionary War in Chesterfield County, VA
Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia “1981-2021: 40 Years of Saving the Past for the Future - Preserving Chesterfield County History
Revolutionary War - Sudbury's Farm Skirmish
The Year 1781 brought the British to Chesterfield County. The fighting in the Revolutionary War soon centered in Virginia in 1781 starting with the Battle for Blandford Hill which led to the little-known battle or skirmish at "Sudbury’s Farm". For Chesterfield County, the skirmish at Sudbury’s Farm is an intriguing story in itself. Skirmish details are difficult to locate and many Revolutionar War pensioners related very much the same story and some were not positive on the prisoner and casualty numbers. However, the skirmish did occur. This was Chesterfield County’s “Lexington”. It was a little-known fight on May 23, 1781 with British Dragoons and Chesterfield Militia at Sudbury’s Farm in Chesterfield County, VA. The farm was located on a road now known as Hopkins Road which is 3 mi NW of Chesterfield, VA. In speculation, captured prisoners probably had given intelligence to the British General Lord Cornwallis that ultimately led him to Yorktown, VA. Other factors were in play and Cornwallis knew that Lafayette and his army were in Richmond. He knew that his forces were too small to deal with him, thereby sparing another battle for Richmond and the eventual defeat of his army by General George Washington and the French army and navy.
After Sudbury's Skirmish, the traitor Benedict Arnold led his British forces into Chesterfield County and Richmond burning stores and warehouses. General William Phillips burned the 1749 courthouse, the jail and the training center at Chesterfield. The Minutemen from Chesterfield lived to fight another day. Cornwallis' surrender ended the war in Virginia. Chesterfield County, Virginia was a prominent place in the last years of the war.
Revolutionary War -After The Skirmish
Chesterfield County, Virginia was a prominent place in the last years of the war. The militia regiments were organized by county officials and there were regular training sessions at the county courthouse. The Militia system relied on a draft or lottery to man their companies. Fortunately, from the pensioners applications, the men of Chesterfield responded when their number came up. And they marched to various locations. In times of peace, these training events became largely social events. The Revolutionary war was more intense in Chesterfield County and the reader would do well to explore the events in the resources of the Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia's Research Library.
For Chesterfield County, the skirmish at Sudbury ’s Farm is an intriguing story in itself. Skirmish details are difficult to locate and many pensioners related very much the same story and some were not positive on the prisoner and casualty numbers. However, the skirmish did occur. This was Chesterfield County’s “Lexington”. It was a little-known skirmish on May 23, 1781 with British Dragoons. The farm was located on a road known as Hopkins Road. (Sudbury’s Farm was 3 mi NW of Chesterfield, VA). In speculation, captured prisoners probably had given intelligence to the British General Cornwallis that ultimately led him to Yorktown, VA. Other factors were in play and Cornwallis knew that Lafayettea and his army were in Richmond. He also knew that his forces were too small to deal with him, thereby sparing another battle for Richmond and the eventual defeat of his army by General George Washington. (Pictured Top Left are re-enactors from Henricus Historical Park. Photograph courtesy of John Pagano, Historical Interpretation Supervisor who also researched the Sudbury Skirmish).