This is certainly one of the sadest and extraordinary stories you will ever read.
This event took place at Yorktown, VA during the last major battle of the Revolutionary War.  It is the story of two brothers fighting on opposite sides. One is in the British Army and one in the Continental Army. During a battle for Redoubt #10, the brothers, unable to recognize each other  in the dark of the night, come face to face and kill one another.

Moments after British fort at  Yorktown- Redoubt #10, is captured by American troops October 14, 1781 
see this work and other beauiful paintings by artist David Wagner  at http://www.davidrwagner.com/va-assaultonredoubt10.htm

This story is taken from letters written by Continental Soldier James  Lyon  to his father Joseph Lyon Esqre.

 Letters from James Lyon to his father Joseph Lyon Esqre

Camp before Yorktown

Octr 7, 1781

To Joseph Lyon Esqre
Wester Ogil Manor,
near Baltimore.
My Honourable Sir & Father,—

Once more I beg to inform you that all is well with me, and I Hope both yourself & my mother are enjoying a like Good Health. Last night Genl Lincoln opened a long line of parallel Workes to the British, and now my lord Cornwallis will never march out of Yorktown except with cased colors, unless Sir Henry comes to his aide with the Fleat, which is most unlikely. With the French we have 12,000 men In Camp besides the French Fleat. General Washington is expected in Camp to-day, he having been to visit the count De Grasse. You will remember I wrote you before of my friend and Tent mate Lieut. Falvey Fraser, and how I carried him off the field, when he was so badly wounded at Germantown four years ago. Well a few days ago he told me some of his past life. I had always thought he was a Virginian. That afternoon I had ridden out below the Camp in the Direction of the York. I had gone about a mile when I saw Falvey coming across a meadow on my right, soe I stoped and waited for him. He is a splendid Horseman, and that afternoon the perfect union of horse and rider as they came straight across the field was beautiful to see. While I was waiting somebodye suddenly begun to sing on my left. I looked around but saw no one It seemed to come from a thicket of Pines about two hundred yards away. The song marvelously sweet & clear brought to mind the last time we went to church together, for it was soft and plaintive as a Hymn and not such a Song as one commonly hears in Camp. Though I was close & the Voice was clear I could not understand the words. I happened to glance at Falvey’s face & was struck by his rapt attention—he sat there on his Horse as still as a dead man on a summer afternoon & but for the throbbing- veins on his foreheade and the breathing of his Horse with no more sine of Life. The Song had touched a hidden chord of his Life. Then the Song stopped and as the last soft notes died away a boyish man in a Lieut’s uniform of the British army rode out from the Pines. Seeing us he raised his cap & laughed, and then he spurred his horse through the Pines. I pulled my Pistol to shoot him, but Falvey caught my arm and it went off in the- air.

Mike Krause took this photo of what appears to be a ghost at Jones cemetery on November 9th, 2011.
Mike snapped it when his 9 year old son pointed out the ghost rising from the grave. The grave is that of Emma Jones.
Emma’s ghost has been haunting this grave yard for decades.
She  likes visitors to stop by. She is said to especially like to give kisses to boys.

Evening Tour

The Civil War Battle of Williamsburg

May 5, 1862

painting of the battlefield hanging in Fort Magruder Hotel lobby

NEW…..I now offer a one hour evening lantern tour through historic Williamsburg.  We will sumerize the Battle of Williamsburg VA and the aftermath, including  stories of  residents under the occupation of Union forces. Many of the stories are of the patriotic women, some spies,   who let the northern occupiers know their feelings. Great stories .  This is another period of history of  Williamsburg that you will not want to miss. It is an entertaining and facinating part of history of this great city.

Visitors will view the  house occupied by General Joseph Johnson and later by his pursuer General George McClellan.See the bullet holes in the weather-vane. The stories of occupied Williamsburg are phenomenal and may of the best stories involve the patriotism of the southern ladies of Williamsburg.

A private one  hour  tour – Cost $100 for your group (can have up to 8 persons for this price- additional persons are prorated)

Contact Colonial Tours Now To Make Reservations For Your Civil War Tour

Email Your Reservations or Questions

click this envelope

or feel free to call for Reservations to:  757-897-9600

Battlefield Map

Line of Redoubts and Redans East side of Williamsburg

Captain John Smith excaped death numerious times  
during the years 1607-1609 when part of the Jamestown Colony
All these occurrences happened during a 2 1/2 year period 

 put to rhyme by JSS 

 

During the long 4 month voyage over to Jamestown aboard the crowded ship
“Susan Constant”   the following ocurred ……

aboard the “Susan Constant” pompous aristocrat Wingfield had a fit
he was angered due to the attention popular Captain John Smith did get
after a bit of devious scrutiny
he accused Smith of  ”concealing a mutiny”
but …at this he did not let the matter sit

Wingfield’s power he did abuse it 
he schemed  …Smith’s head…he will lose it’
when stopped at the island of Nevis, he had a gallows erected
but Wingield’s grand plan for Smith could not be effected
for as Smith explained  ”I could not be persuaded to use it”

soon after being elected President at Jamestown
Wingfiled  proved that a good leader he was not
he was removed  as president ..and put on trial for “guarding his pot”
also …guilty of making false charge against Smith he was  found…
he was ordered to pay Smith  some 200 pound**

removed to a boat in the James River
until the next ship due in would stop
there  the unremorseful Wingfield
was forced to await his lot.

**~$100,000

 

***

 The ambush at the Jamestown glass-house beach

 

Smtih was walking all alone on a beach path one day

an Indian  Chief  named Wochinchopunck, comparatively huge, .. was coming his way  

as they neared one another, the Chief  placed an arrow in his bow

he aimed it at Smith ….but he was just a  bit  too slow

Smith rushed the Chief, he pushed the bow to the side  

the Chief then pulled Smith into the water attempting to drown his hide

but Smith got the big Chief in a headlock and drew his big  Turkish knife

the Chief began whimpering and begged for his life

Captain Smith spared the Chief’s life’ …why?  ..well, just because,

that was the kind of man Captain Smith was.

 

***

How  Stingray Point in the Chesapeake Bay got it’s name

When exploring and mapping the Chesapeake bay
Smith was stung by a disagreeable ray
it was when he went fishing with his sword
he gigged something unfamilar,  a monster untoward

the barb in the ray’s lashing tail pierced his forearm
Smith got so sick his men were alarmed
thinking  he would not survive …his men dug him a grave
but a doctor applied heat to the wound and by this Smith was saved

this near death experience was surely a fright
feeling better,  he ate the stingray for supper that night
when he drew up his map,… he never forgot that ”ray”
he marked the spot on his map where he almost met death
that location is still called  “Stingray Point”  today.

 

***

 Captain John Smith goes off like a Roman candle 

His gunpowder bag about his waist did ignite
when asleep aboard a boat one night
 the flames were burning furiously,  “he is on fire his men cried ”
yes..water would save him … so he jumped over the side

 …this happened to Smith when he was President in 1609
suspects are some who were always bickering & waistng time
some say it was them that that set him aflame
yet  we find Smith in his writing never assigned any blame

sailing back to England  he was in agony from his burn
his wound would  heal…… and  he would return
four years later he’s exploring again
he maped the northern part of Virginia  and named it “New England“.

 

***

 

 

Two near death experiences- 1st Smith is captured  but spared while the men with him are killed

and weeks later warriors upon the orders of the great Chief Powhatan prepare to beat out his brains

but Captain John Smith is saved from death by Pocahontas

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As many Indians as can lay hands on him,  grabbed  him, 

put his head on large stones

and “others came out with clubs brain him and break his bones

 

he had gotten in this predicament due to a decision he had made

weeks earlier he left Jamestown leading  an expedition

to find some Indians with whom he could trade

to trade toys (bells, mirrors, beads)  for corn to feed the colony was the plan

a dozen men and Smith sailed in the barge Discovery, to bring back what they can

 

 

about 50 miles up the winding Chickahominy River was where he was surprised  

fighting one against 200 is not to be advised

hundreds of Indians in the woods shot many arrows at him

now  stuck and sinking into the mud of the swamp,

the situation began to look grim 

surrounded and without hope,  he threw his weapons  away

his only choice was to to “rely upon their mercies”  Smith would later say  

taken captive,  he must have thought …now what can I do

Smith gave his compass to to the groups leader Chief Opchanacanough

 

to test this Tassantassas  for bravery, to a tree Smith was tied

if Smith screamed when threatened with death he would surely die

arrows were notched in the bows, the question of his life they would settle 

all aimed at bound Smith,… to test this captives metal

brave Smith did not scream, he passed the Indian’s test, 

they released him, fed him and allowed hin rest

paraded through a dozen villages for  weeks he would go

finally  he is taken to the big chief’s village called Werowocomoco

 

 

on the chopping block went his head

if it wasn’t for Pocahontas, Smith would surely be dead

for suddenly  this beautiful your Indian princess of 11
timely appeard as if an angel from  heaven, 

she rushed to Smith before the warriors struck

this was yet another one of Smith;s strokes of good luck 

she pleaded for his life to the ruler of the land

to her father, the great Chief, called Powhatan

 

Powhatan granted Smith’s life out of regard for his daughter

Smith at the very last moment received the King’s quarter

 

you can believe this story, it is absolutely true

if you read Smith’s writings enough to know him, you will know it is true too.

 

Smith escaped death six other times from Indian attacks. during his 2 1/2 years at Jamestown
(not yet put in rhyme but coming in the future), They are :

….Smith saves his men and himself when ambushed and surrounded by 600-700  armed  warriors

….Smith and his exploreers were attacked multiple times when exploring the Chesapeake Bay

1st by the feared Massawomeke Indians, then Rappahannock Indians twice,  then by the Hasinnigas Indians , then a Nansemond Indian ambush.

….Smith and his men were poisoned when invited to supper by a nearyby Indian tribe 

There is more…

….Smith’s arch enemy and troublemaker Ratcliff,  when president of the council,  (mouthpiece for Archer,  Ratcliff’s cohort troublemaker), accuses Smith of  being responsible for the loss of some men when he was ambushed  by Indians on the Chickahominy expidition. Smith was put under arrest and scheduled to be hanged the next day.   

…. Smith is aboard ship in a cabin terribly burned  from his accident. In comes a couple of the individuals that were primary trouble makers at Jamestown with pistols to kill Smith. 

 

 

If you wish read Smith’s adventures in his own words, it is best to to purchase Smith’s  illuistrated autobiography …

you can find it online

follow this link, it will save you some time

 

Captain John Smith’s writings  in his own words

CLICK LINK BELOW TO BUY THIS BOOK

Travels and works of Captain John Smith… Edited by Edward Arber… A new ed,

 good luck and happy reading .

Please consider leaving a comment below about this page . Thanks in advance.

 

   

Captain John Smith’s 1612 Map of  the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia

This was the most accurate and detailed map of the Chesapeake Bay area for over a century.  By making this map, Captain John Smith made more solid geographic contributions to the knowledge of the East Coast than anyone else in the seventeenth century.  This voyage to make this map began in June 1608, just months after being released from capture by Powhatan.  Captain John Smith undertook this journey of discovery and exploration of the largely unknown and unrecorded Chesapeake Bay in a 27 foot long sailboat with a dozen men.  Looking at the map today, Smith’s geographical accuracy is astounding given that he traveled about 2500 miles and had only primitive mapmaking tools to work with. It seems unbelievable that he was able to accomplish this voyage in only two and a half months. Smith and his men fought battles during their exploration and met giant-like Indians (see their picture on the map).

Captain John Smith should be recognized as the greatest founder of the American colonies.  His maps prepared the way for settlement of Virginia.

Unlike the blurry picture above, the map for sale is crisp and  sharp in detail.  

If you wish to purchase a copy’s of this map, email me by clicking  the link below.
Tell me how many copies you wish and I will quote you a cost including shipping.

  

Read about Smith and his explorations. Book referral’s are provided at the website   www.CaptainJohnSmith.US

Captain John Smith

Sometimes Governour of Jamestown Virginia, and Admiral of New England

©

Captain John Smith

1580 – 1631

“Brass without but gold within”

from an inscription below Smith’s picture on the Map of New England (sentiment believed written by Sir Samuel Saltonstall)

©

Book Recommendations

Captain John Smith wrote eight books. Two are autobiographies. These autobiographies may be the first English illuistrated autobiographies written. If any readers  find an earlier written English illuistrated autobiography, I would like  have that information. The books he wrote are listed at the end of this blog. 

Some used copies can be purchased cheaply at Amazon.  I have placed links (click  highlighted name of book) to find it at Amazon

My favorite book-The American Dream by J.A. Leo Lemay, 1991 

This book examines the character of Captain John Smith. This book is not a saga, nor ment to be a biography, but it is an examination of Smith’s life, his relationships with friends and enemies. It also includes explanations of errors written about Smith by authors of the past. This author has done a complete job in this book, leaving out nothing. I realize that this author (Lemay) has come to admire Captain John Smith as I do, as one of the most interesting and awesome individuals who has lived.   



Smith on History

“History is the memory of time, the life of the dead and the happiness of the living.” Smith

 

Smith on the American Settlements

“I call them my children,” he says of the American settlements, “for they have been my wife, my hawks, my hounds, my cards, my dice and in totall, my best content, as indifferent to my heart as my left hand to my right.” from 1922 New England Trials

Smith on Virtue

“honour is our lives ambition” . “Then seeing that we are not borne for our selves, but each to helpe other, and our abilities are much alike at the houre of our birth, and the minute of our death: Seeing our good deeds, or our badde, by faith in Christs merits, is all we have to carrie our soules to heaven, or hell: Seeing honour is our lives ambition; and our ambition after death, to have have an honorable memorie of our life: and seeing noe meanes wee would bee abated of the dignities and glories of our Predecessors; let us imitate their virtues to be worthily their successors”.from the conclusion of Smith’s A description of New England (1615;1:361)

On Settling American Land

And here in Florida, Virginia, New-England, and Cannada, is more land than all the people in Christendome can manure, and yet more to spare than all the natives of those Countries can use and cultivate. The natives are only too happy to share: If this be not a reason sufficient to such tender consciences; for a copper kettle and a few toyes, as beads and hatchets, they will sell you a whole Country . . . the Massachusets have resigned theirs freely. Advertisements

 

Smith’s thoughts on slavery in America – these thoughts are before slavery was introduced in America by English

“Let all men have as much freedom in reason as may be, and true dealing, for it is the greatest comfort you can give them, where the very name of servitude will breed much ill blood, and become odious to God and man”. Advertisements

Smith’s Pep Talk To Crew

delivered by Captain John Smith to his men when 12 days into exploring the Chesapeake bay in an open boat, when their bread was spoiled, the men tired and wished to turn back.

“Gentlemen”, ” what shame would it be for you to force me to returne with a months provision, scarce able to say where we have been, nor yet heard of that wee were sent to seeke. You cannot say but I have shared wit you of the worst that is past; and for what is to come, of lodging, diet, or whatsoever, I am contented you allot the worst part to myself. As for your fears that I will lose myself in these unknowne large waters, or be swallowed up in some stormie gust: abandon those childish fears, for worse then is past cannot happen, and there is as much danger to returne, as to proceed forward. Regaine therefore your old spirits : for return I will not (if God assist me) til I have seene the Massawomeekes, found Patowomeck, or the head of this great water you conceit to be endlesse.” rememberence of speech written by Dr. Walter Russell and Anas Todkill

The Occupation Of Land In America Smith says there is so much uninhabited land in Florida, Virginia, New England, and Cannada, their natives so few, and in England a great need.

“For God did make the world to be inhabited with mankind,” further Smith says ” And here in Florida, Virginia, New England, and Cannada, is more land than all the people in Christendome can manure (cultivate), and yet more to spare than all the natives of those countries can use and culturate (cultivate).” yet he says , “for a copper knife and a few toys, as beads and hatchets, they will sell you a whole Countrey (district); and for a small matter, their houses and the ground they dewell upon; but those of Massachusets have resigned theirs freely”.  Advertisements

I am interested in getting feedback on Captain John Smith, so  please leave  me your comments and suggestions.

Thanks, John

mmmmm…looks good

Taste the breakfast that George Washington had most everyday at Mount Vernon.

Recipe for George Washington’s favorite breakfast of Hoecakes

General Washington started each day with a breakfast of Hoecakes as described by members of his  family and guests.

Nelly Custis Lewis, Washington’s step-granddaughter, who was raised  at Mount Vernon, recorded Washington’s habit of eating hoe cakes for breakfast and recorded how they were made.  She wrote “He rose before sunrise, always wrote or read until 7 in summer or half past seven in winter. His breakfast was then ready – he ate three small mush cakes (Indian meal) swimming in butter and honey, and drank three cups of tea without cream.”  She described the recipe in a letter as: “The bread business is as follows if you wish to make 2 1/2 quarts of flour up-take at night one quart of flour, five table spoonfuls of yeast & as much lukewarm water as will make it the consistency of pancake batter, mix it in a large stone pot & set it near a warm hearth (or a moderate fire) make it at candlelight & let it remain until the next morning then add the remaining quart & a half by degrees with a spoon when well mixed let it stand 15 or 20 minutes & then bake it – of this dough in the morning, beat up a white & half of the yilk of an egg – add as much lukewarm water as will make it like pancake batter, drop a spoonful at a time on a hoe or griddle (as we say in the south). When done on one side turn the other – the griddle must be rubbed in the first instance with a piece of beef suet or the fat of cold corned beef………”

ingredients :

8 2/3 cups white cornmeal
1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
1 egg
Warm water
Shortening or other cooking grease
Honey & Butter

1. In the evening before planning to have the hoe cakes for breakfast, mix in a large container 4 cups white cornmeal, 1 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast, and just enough warm water to make the mix the consistency of pancake batter (about 3-4 cups war  water). Cover and set in a warm place overnight (a radiator type of space heater will best simulate the fireplace as described in  Nelly Custis Lewis’s description).
2. In the morning, gradually add remaining cornmeal, egg and enough warm water to again give the mix the consistency of pancake batter ( about 3-4 cups). Cover and let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Add cooking grease to a griddle or skillet and heat until water sprinkled onto it will bead up.
4. Using a large spoon, pour a large spoonful of batter on the hot griddle or skillet to make each cake  (before pouring each batch, you will need to stir  the batter well  as the batter  has a tendency to separate).  Brown the hoecake on each side.
5. Serve  hot with honey and butter.

I am interested in getting feedback about this recipe, so  please leave  me your comments and suggestions.

Thanks, John