In 1777, Johann Conrad Döhla journeyed from present-day Germany to fight alongside the British Army during the American War for Independence. He was one of the about 20,000 German-speaking troops, collectively referred to as “Hessians,” hired by King George III to help defeat the American Revolutionaries. Döhla fought from New
If the wind is right, you can sail under the Coleman Bridge. While proceeding out Sarah Creek into the York River, a fellow asked if we could do just that. I was puzzled since the bridge was barely in view. Then he explained. “I was the chief bridge inspector on
Before Yorktown, Lord Earl Cornwallis was quite the warrior. So was Francis Marion, who earned the moniker the “Swamp Fox” for his exploits in South Carolina. Journalist John Oller debunks numerous myths in a new biography, “Swamp Fox: How Francis Marion Saved the American Revolution.” In this extract, Cornwallis’s lieutenant Banastre Tarleton and Marion
Even as the sailing season continues to rev up, osprey season is winding down. They arrive in May to build their nests in one week. They have their fledglings in June and teach them to fly and fish in July. By August, they’re out of here on the way to
Women played divergent roles in the American Revolution. The new Museum of the American Revolutionary War at Yorktown conveys life among the female camp followers. In a new book, “Revolutionary Conceptions: Women, Fertility and Family Limitation in America, 1760-1820,” historian Susan Klepp asserts that procreation is power. –Courtesy of the
She’s sitting on the rail, which is always precarious. The rail is better than the lifelines, which move, but it’s still a terrible idea. Hence, her center of gravity is too high. In fact, they both belong back in the cockpit where things are safer. She’s holding the dog
Stephanie King stopped off in Williamsburg from North Carolina on her way to Alexandria to take her two children sailing. “It’s the first time he’s been on a boat since the accident last year. He was evacuated from the water and spent five days in ICU,” she said of her
I once wrote an article for the Colonial Williamsburg Journal about the origin of ice skating. It began on the Hudson River in New York, where wealthy aristocrats took to speeding alongside trains on the coast—and beating them. Steve Brown had a similar experience growing up in Michigan. He took
Although it’s taken for granted by locals, the Coleman Bridge is a spectacular piece of engineering and a vital link between two regions of eastern Virginia. After the boom years of World War II, it became apparent the ferry from Yorktown to Gloucester Point would be insufficient to transit commuters
Some men have their heart set on buying a sailboat as a life-long dream. No wonder, since sailing is a magnificent adventure that is too frequently interrupted by life. Seldom do I encounter a woman who wants a boat for her husband. That was the case with LJ and Allen
