Well it’s only the 4th day of my trip and I have seen so much. There was nothing really to see in Fredericksburg, so I started out early this morning for Williamsburg, only 90 minute drive. With possible rain on Wednesday, I decided to visit Yorktown which was planned for Friday. So I will gain a day in case the rain ends up ruining some or all of a day. Yorktown, why is it so special, well it is considered that last battle of the Revolutionary War, British General Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington after French & American armies, numbering around 7,800 men, began a siege of Yorktown. They surrounded the British forces and on October 19, 1781, General Cornwallis formally surrendered his army to Washington. The surrender took place in the Moore house near the battle field. So I have now been to the house that Lee surrendered to Grant and where Cornwallis surrendered to Washington all in the span of 4 days…😎
Well my first stop is the American Revolution Museum. Wonderful museum on the history of the war. I think this is a must see if in the area. They also had outside a re-creation of a Continental Army encampment. Had a musket demonstration, see below. They also fire a cannon in the afternoon, but I was gone by then. Plus a re-creation of a Revolution-era farm. Both were nice, people in the clothing of the time and can ask questions. The prices for things are using fractions, this is based on a dollar, in that time you would cut a dollar in 8ths they were called bits, think everyone has heard the term 4 bits, this is where it comes from.
From the museum, then stopped in downtown Yorktown, not much there, but they had a replica of the windmill used to grind grain, specifically wheat and corn, into flour and meal. The original was built around 1711 and destroyed during the siege of Yorktown.
My final stop was the Battle field itself which is a national park. Did the driving tour of the battlefield, this was not what I expected. I loaded a app on my phone that told story as I drove through battlefield, but for the most part there is nothing to see, just fields and forest and signs that say this was here. It was nice sunny day, so the drive was pleasant. The only real site to see was the Moore house, which looks original, but you could not go in. I did take a picture of a sign for Washington’s headquarters to show an example of nothing there but a sign 😊
