Compiled by Jim Moyer

(any suggestions, corrections, additions, welcomed)

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Why do we have a Fort Loudoun Day?

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We try to celebrate it on the weekend before or after as close to May 18 as we can.

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Fort Loudoun Day is based on a

May 18, 1756 letter GW writes

about starting construction of the fort.

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Col George Washington writes from Winchester VA to Lt Col Adam Stephen at Fort Cumberland May 18, 1756 :

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18 May 1756 letter Col George Washington in Winchester VA writes to Lt Colonel Adam Stephen who is at Fort Cumberland – Click on picture to enlarge. Hit backspace to return here. Click on source to see more.

Sir: When I wrote to you last,

I expected to have been at Fort Cumberland ere this; . . .

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I am also detained here [Winchester VA] to construct and erect a fort, which the Governor has ordered to be done with expedition.

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As it will be necessary to have a number of Carpenters, &c. to carry on the work with spirit, and vigour;

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18 May 1756 letter Col George Washington in Winchester VA writes to Lt Colonel Adam Stephen who is at Fort Cumberland – Click on picture to enlarge. Hit backspace to return here. Click on source to see more.

you are desired to send down all the men of Captain George Mercers Company;

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those that are there of Captain Bells.

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All the men that are really skilled in masonry: and if all these do not make up fifty; you are to complete the party to that number, out of the best Carpenters in other Companies.

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Source:

Founders Online link

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Actual Image of the above 18 May 1756 letter

Col George Washington writes to Lt Col Adam Stephen

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Sketch of the Well at Fort Loudoun. This well still exists today. This sketch is by James E Taylor embedded with the Yankee General Sheridan Campaign headquartered in Winchester VA

This well shown in sketch on left, still exists today .

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Although we use May 18 as the official start date of building the fort, May 3rd is the actual authorization to start, ratified by the House of Burgessess.

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Henings Statues:

The authorization date is often confused when looking at Henings statutes.  Henings statutes always show the March 25 date – the start of the session — at the top of each page.

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See this act of legislature, Chapter II, XVI, page 33, specifying the building of a fort in Winchester VA.  Or this link.

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Journals of the House of Burgesses:

The March 25, 1756 session, ending May 5, 1756,   is covered here in on page 335 to 397 of the 1756-178  Journals of the House of Burgesses.

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The Journals of the House of Burgesses actually show the law passed May 3rd in that 1st session of the House of Burgesses beginning March 25, 1756.

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May 3, 1756

The Governor has commanded me to lay before your House a Letter from Col.
“Washington, dated at Winchester, the 27th of April last, inclosing Letters from several
“other Officers of the Regiment.”  And the said Letters were read, and thereupon,

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Resolved,

That a strong Fort be with all Expedition and Dispatch erected at Winchester, in the County of Frederick, for the further Security of the Frontiers of this Colony.

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Page 393 Journal of the House of Burgesses of its session starting March 25, 1756

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Declaration of War

May 28, 1754

Historians date the start of the French and Indian War to Jumonville Glen.

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July 9, 1755

Even though, a major battle had occurred – Braddock’s Defeat, declaration of official war had not occurred.

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Norman Baker, historian for the French and Indian War Foundation, discovered the exact outline of Fort Loudoun. His disovery was proven accurate by subsequent archeological dig. For many years legends guessed the site to be more south on the Fort Loudoun apartments grounds. Click on aerial photo to enlarge.

May 17, 1756

Virginia did not know

yet that

Great Britain declared official war

on the day before

Fort Loudoun construction began.

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August 15, 1756

Colonel Washington

got word of this

formal declaration

ordering for the next day,

a “triple Discharge of the Artillery, and three Rounds of Musquetry, with loud Acclamations of the People.”

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ONE MORE THING.

This day May 18, 1756 was a busy day

when starting building of Fort Loudoun.

Just look at the correspondence here.

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And One more thing.

Executions of the Men listed below

were delayed

this day of May 18, 1756


 

Nathan Lewis was convicted of cowardice for returning to Fort Edwards from the Battle of the Great Cacapon.  And a Henry Campbell convicted for embezzling and then for deserting twice.

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Nathan Lewis still ALIVE?

As late as 18 May 1756, some 2 weeks after the Court Martial’s sentencing, Sergeant Nathan Lewis is still living.

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Washington writes 18 May 1756 letter to  Adam Stephen who is still at Fort Cumberland.

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“…Instances of this are now before them of Nathan Lewis, Corporal James Thomas, and Henry Campbellall under Sentence of Death—The first for his cowardice at the action at Edwards’s; the others for desertion. I have a warrant from the Governor for shooting of Lewis, and shall delay the execution until the arrival of the new Recruits [ see orders 18 May 1756 reaffirming this point ] .  The others were tried but to-day; and the proceedings of the Court will be sent to the Governor; if he approves the Sentence—I shall make it my particular care to see them executed; as I shall every individual that offends in the like cases.7 “

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As late as 23 May 1756, Nathan Lewis is still alive.   GW in Winchester VA,  writes to Lt Gov Dinwiddie, discusses all the men listed above in the  previous letter and finally notes Nathan Lewis’s status:

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…as Lewis against Cowardice: whose execution I have delayed until the arrival of the Draughts. 

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FORT LOUDOUN DAY 2018

Compiled by Jim Moyer, updated 3/20/2017, 4/4/2017, 4/6/2017, 5/17/2017, 2/6/2018, 3/5/18, 3/27/2018

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In 2018 the Saturday closest was May 19, 2018:

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This was a hard fought for day.  The rain was coming so hard and relentlessly each day leading up to this day, that many called out.  Then the day’s event was cancelled.   But then since one of our former members was selling all his gear, a few were going to show up anyway to buy up that gear.   And then someone posted on Facebook, an old tune, what are we fighting for ?  Don’t ask me, Next Stop is Fort Loudoun, Man.    Those of us who showed up in uniform marched to the walking mall where a Children’s Festival was being held.  We marched down there to find recruits and let our presence be known.  One of us sang a few tunes. That singer was hard on the men.  It was bad enough we had French prisoners to worry about who marched with us. Then we marched back to Fort Loudoun to raise the Union Jack of King George II.  We fired 3 musket volleys.  The last one volley was in honor of our Foundation Historian, Norman Baker, who served on Iwo Jima in WWII.

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Saturday May 19, 2018

Photo by Winchester Star of the Captain Mercer Company of the Virginia Regiment when they observed Presidents Day Monday February 19, 2018. Click on photo to enlarge.

The annual

commemoration

of the beginning

of construction of

Fort Loudoun

is observed on

the French and Indian War Foundation’s property at:

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419 North Loudoun Street
Winchester, Virginia

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on Saturday, May 19, 2018
from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

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Who will be there?

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1. Captain George Mercer‘s Company of the Virginia Regiment 1754-1758.

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In the Red Coat is our esteemed General Braddock. With him are the Mercer Co of the Virginia Regiment celebrating with the General the 275th Anniversary of Fairfax County June 17, 2017

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2. General Edward Braddock !!! Finally the General will visit us. 🙂

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3. Colonel James Wood. Our stalwart founder of Winchester Virginia.

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4. Colonel James Wood, II Chapter of the Virginia Society of Sons of the American Revolution and members of its Color Guard.

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5. Vendors will be there. Maybe you need some things to join the Virginia Regiment? Maybe you want to read a story? Maybe you want to prepare for a frontier that could erupt at any time?

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Activities:

1. Tours of the Fort Loudoun grounds

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2. A flag-raising at noon

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3. Musketry demonstration

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4. Recruitment. March with the Virginia Regiment.

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This is a free event.

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At Fort Loudoun May 16, 2016 . . . . Interpreters – Left to Right . . . Ayden McClung, Thadd McClung both of the Provincial Militia, Ft. Dobbs, NC . . . William Hunt: Lt. of 1st Virginia Regiment . . . Fred Harmon of the Continental Army, Virginia Line, 13 Regiment, Fort Pitt . . . Robert Andrews, Brett Osborn: Col. James Woods Color Guard . . . Raleigh Boaze, speaker at the day’s event

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Usually

Fort Loudoun Day

is the Saturday

nearest

the 18th of May

because

that is the day

construction

of Fort Loudoun began.

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See the letter

Col George Washington writes from Winchester VA

to Lt Col Adam Stephen

stationed in Fort Cumberland.


PAST EVENTS


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LAST YEAR’S

FORT LOUDOUN DAY

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Saturday 20 May 2017

419 N Loudoun St Winchester VA

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See previous

Fort Loudoun Days in this link.

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Our President David Grosso of the

French and Indian War Foundation

conducted free tours

around the fort’s footprint.

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Also on site was

Captain George Mercer’s Company

of Colonel George Washington’s

Virginia Regiment.

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Left to Right on front row:

Jim Moyer, Charles Harbaugh IV, Eric Bartock, Tony Elar.

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In between Eric Bartock and Tony Elar, and behind them is our commander, Tony Elar Jr (yes, the older one is Jr 🙂 )

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Click to enlarge this photo.

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Photo taken on Fort Loudoun Day, May 20, 2017

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Also on May 20, 2017, Fort Loudoun Day. Front and center is Mark Tooley from Fort Edwards Foundation holding up the camera, with Jim Moyer as Private in Captain Mercer Company of VA Regiment and Frenchman with his cannon in the background.

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Fort Loudoun Day, May 14, 2016

Compiled by Jim Moyer

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Time for the whole event:

10 a.m. to 3 p.m (rain curtailed event at 130pm)

419 N Loudoun St Winchester VA

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Speaker: Tony Elar – 11:30am

Tony Elar and his son and Foundation member and Jim Moyer are

recreating Mercer’s Co. of the First Virginia Regiment.

The company served under Washington at Fort Loudoun.

Topic: “Soldiers of the Virginia Regiment”.

Time: 11:30 a.m.

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See Pictures of this year’s Fort Loudoun Day 14 May 2016

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In the captions you will see Bold Italic representing links to further information. Click on those links.

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Pictures below are of the participants of last year’s event (2015), who will reappear this year (2016):

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Living history participants scheduled to appear for your questions:

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Col. James Wood, see story on his only election.

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DSC_0469latest pictures and movies 026

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Col. Wood’s Color Guard

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DSC_0493 DSC_0496.

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Soldiers Mercer’s Co.

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See link: http://jimmoyer1.wix.com/mercercompany1stva

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Click on: More about George Mercer and his company.

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Virginia_Provincials_1755_Uniform_Plate appeal to gw from winchester

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Dept. of Geographers – colonial era surveyors

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mason dixon days 1 DSC_0491

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Raleigh Boaze – Interprets life on the frontier as a backwoodsman

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DSC_0466 latest pictures and movies 029
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See what happened on

Fort Loudoun Day in 2015, 2014, 2013: Click on this link

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Click on what the 419 N. Loudoun Street location looks like.

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Fort Loudoun Day , May 16, 2015

commemorates start of building Fort Loudoun in May 1756.

See video below:

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We are delighted to announce a speaker, Raleigh Boaze

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Subject of talk by Raleigh Boaze:

“General Braddock’s Failed Attempt to

Capture Fort Duquesne and the Colonies Involvement “

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Raleigh Boaze is a living history interpreter of the 18th century colonial frontier. Mr. Boaze presents a first person account of life on the ‘American’ frontier in the years 1754 to 1775. Dressed in backwoodsman attire and accoutrements, he describes the settlers’ strife at the hands of the Native Americans aligned with the French opposing encroachment of the British colonists beyond the Appalachians and underscores the importance of this period in the eventual founding of our country.

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Mr. Boaze presents his interpretation of the 18th century frontier life in schools and before civic groups in the Mid-Atlantic region and has been instrumental in bringing about changes to history texts used in the public schools to ensure that they accurately portray life on the frontier during this period.

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2014’s Fort Loudoun Day

See video below:

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DSC00047 DSC00032 DSC00025 DSC00022 DSC00016

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A Thank You

to all those who participated

and visited

on Fort Loudoun Day

this past Saturday, 20 May 2017.

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The following presenters were there. And thank you.

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President David Grosso took over the tour of the Fort Loudoun footprint.  Those who went on that tour liked that David Grosso carried the aerial photo to show point of reference.

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To the Living History Interpreters :

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Captain Mercer’s company of Colonel George Washington’s VA Regiment of 1756. Left to Right are Jim Moyer, May or Middletown Charles Harbaugh IV, Eric Bartok, Tony Elar

Mayor of Middletown, Charles Harbaugh IV
Experienced Living History Interpreters Eric Bartock
Tony’s son

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Tony Elar Jr, (yes Jr)  acting as  our Captain George Mercer

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Bret Osborne, who leads his two woodsmen

to raise the Flag, a flag in 1756 only 47 years old of the union of England and Scotland parliaments, and 9 years since the Battle of the Culloden.

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And Steve Resan, our stalwart James Wood, also our Foundation board member, who has some interesting stories about that Well at Fort Loudoun.

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Mark Tooley, Center. Jim Moyer part of George Washington’s VA Regiment under Captain Mercer on left. and on the right is French Living History Interpreters on right with his cannon in the background.

Our French Living History Interpreters with their 3 pounder cannon – a thank you. Some younger citizens of this great Republic got to see the cannon fire.

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More on our French visitors to come.
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And Mark Tooley and another selling books from the Fort Edwards Foundation.

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Raleigh Boaze, a living history interpreter who gave at a previous Fort Loudoun Day a great story on the Braddock Expedition.

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John Adamson displayed his rifles and shared his knowledge on the rifles and muskets of the time. Normally 7 grooves and almost one full turn inside a 72″ barrel do those 7 grooves make. Fascinating.   See info on his visit to our annual meeting last.

DSC_0490

The Geographers – Left to Right – Michael Wood and Robert ‘Kass’ Kassebaum . This Fort Loudoun only Robert Kassebaum and wife set up the display.

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The Surveyor.  Quite a store of knowledge there.  They have appeared at every Fort Loudoun day since 2015.

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See their website – http://armygeographer.org/

And their Facebook Page.

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And we had several authors there.

Norman L. Baker, Foundation board member, who was in the battle of Iwo Jima. Take a look at his books on Fort Loudoun, The Braddock Road, and the ring of forts in old Frederick County.

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Patrick Murphy, a Foundation board member, was there too. His book has 131 pages, Beautifully Illustrated. The story of the French & Indian War in Shenandoah County as it exists in memory and artifact. Full color illustrations, fold-out map of French & Indian War sites in the County.

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An author of historian fiction was there. More follow up on him at a later date.

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Left to Right. Our Captain George Mercer, Tony Elar Jr, Jim Moyer and Living History Interpreter, Raleigh Boaze

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And one final thank you

to the energy and exuberance

of our Captain George Mercer,

aide de camp to George Washington,

our Foundation member,

Tony Elar Jr.

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FORT LOUDOUN DAY 2017

Compiled by Jim Moyer, updated 3/20/2017, 4/4/2017, 4/6/2017, 5/17/2017

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Fort Loudoun’s footprint in Winchester VA, on a hill overlooking the downtown walking mall. Click on photo to enlarge. Hit backspace arrow to return here. Click on this photo enlarge. Hit backspace arrow to return here.

Saturday 20 May 2017

419 N Loudoun St Winchester VA

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Stay tuned for further details.

Starts at 10am

ends  3pm

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Tours around the Fort’s footprint are conducted free.

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Norman Baker is our tour guide, usually.

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He was in the battle of Iwo Jima in WWII.

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Fort Loudoun Day is based on a

May 18, 1756 letter GW writes

about starting construction of the fort.

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Col George Washington writes from Winchester VA  to Lt  Col Adam Stephen at Fort Cumberland May 18, 1756 :

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18 May 1756 letter Col George Washington in Winchester VA writes to Lt Colonel Adam Stephen who is at Fort Cumberland – Click on picture to enlarge. Hit backspace to return here. Click on source to see more.

Sir: When I wrote to you last,

I expected to have been at Fort Cumberland ere this;  . . .

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I am also detained here [Winchester VA] to construct and erect a fort, which the Governor has ordered to be done with expedition.

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 As it will be necessary to have a number of Carpenters, &c. to carry on the work with spirit, and vigour;

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18 May 1756 letter Col George Washington in Winchester VA writes to Lt Colonel Adam Stephen who is at Fort Cumberland – Click on picture to enlarge. Hit backspace to return here. Click on source to see more.

you are desired to send down all the men of Captain George Mercers Company;

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those that are there of Captain Bells.

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All the men that are really skilled in masonry: and if all these do not make up fifty; you are to complete the party to that number, out of the best Carpenters in other Companies.

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Source:

Founders Online link

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Actual Image of the above 18 May 1756 letter

Col George Washington writes to Lt Col Adam Stephen

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Sketch of the Well at Fort Loudoun. This well still exists today. This sketch is by James E Taylor embedded with the Yankee General Sheridan Campaign headquartered in Winchester VA

This well shown in sketch on left, still exists today .

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THIS Assembly met in its first session

on March 25, 1756,

to authorize building this fort

and continued in session till May 5.

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See this act of legislature, Chapter II, XVI, page 33, specifying the building of a fort in Winchester VA.

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BTW the day before

an official declaration of war

was made by Great Britain to France.

Winchester VA didn’t get news

of this declaration until August 1756

but war unofficially started

according to historians

at Jumonville PA in 1754

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ONE MORE THING.

This day was a busy day. Just look at the correspondence here.

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PAST EVENTS

Fort Loudoun Day, May 14, 2016

Compiled by Jim Moyer

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 Time for the whole event:

10 a.m. to 3 p.m (rain curtailed event at 130pm)

419 N Loudoun St Winchester VA

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Speaker: Tony Elar  – 11:30am

Tony Elar and his son and Foundation member and Jim Moyer are

recreating Mercer’s Co. of the First Virginia Regiment.

The company served under Washington at Fort Loudoun.

Topic:  “Soldiers of the Virginia Regiment”.

Time: 11:30 a.m.

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See Pictures of this year’s Fort Loudoun Day 14 May 2016

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In the captions you will see Bold Italic representing links to further information. Click on those links.

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Pictures below are of the participants of last year’s event (2015), who will reappear this year (2016):

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Living history participants scheduled to appear for your questions:

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Col. James Wood, see story on his only election.

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DSC_0469latest pictures and movies 026

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Col. Wood’s Color Guard

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DSC_0493 DSC_0496.

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Soldiers Mercer’s Co.

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See link: http://jimmoyer1.wix.com/mercercompany1stva

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Click on: More about George Mercer and his company.

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Virginia_Provincials_1755_Uniform_Plate appeal to gw from winchester

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Dept. of Geographers – colonial era surveyors

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mason dixon days 1 DSC_0491

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Raleigh Boaze – Interprets life on the frontier as a backwoodsman

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DSC_0466 latest pictures and movies 029
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See what happened on

Fort Loudoun Day in 2015


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This video, unfortunately, does not cover all those who helped.

To see all credits listed for those involved please scroll down.

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For the source of celebrating Fort Loudoun Day,

see letter from George Washington to Adam Stephen May 18, 1756.

Another site to check for that same letter is here.

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Left Click on any picture to get a larger picture.

Left click again and picture will become very large.

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Raleigh Boaze, was our featured speaker this year on Fort Loudoun Day 16 May 2015 Saturday.

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DSC_0466

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A living history interpreter in frontier deerskin and linen, not a re-enactor, Raleigh Boaze flashed a smile and a blade when somebody mentioned a man bag.

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latest pictures and movies 021 latest pictures and movies 029

Were frontiersman extra sensitive someone asked?

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About the Braddock Expedition, its gigantic logistical problems, its impact afterwards, how the collision of two forces led to a horrific battle, Raleigh Boaze detailed this epic story for the audience.

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Bill Hunt, our last year’s speaker, was in English Lieutenant Dress Uniform. He often portrays Andrew Montour, a metis, and who was paid high compliment by Conrad Weiser, and George Washington.

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latest pictures and movies 018 latest pictures and movies 019 latest pictures and movies 020

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On Picture Below.

Interpreters – Left to Right

  Ayden McClung, Thadd McClung both of the Provincial Militia, Ft. Dobbs, NC

William Hunt:  Lt. of 1st Virginia Regiment

Fred Harmon of the Continental Army, Virginia Line, 13 Regiment, Fort Pitt

Robert Andrews, Brett Osborn: Col. James Woods Color Guard

Raleigh Boaze, speaker at the day’s event

DSC_0480

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And two engineers were there under a tent, using ink from lamp oil, the other drawing the outlines of a fort with 4 corner bastions.

See their website – http://armygeographer.org/

And their Facebook Page.

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latest pictures and movies 037

On picture below :

The Geographers – Left to Right

Michael Wood and Robert ‘Kass’ Kassebaum

 DSC_0490

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Correction for video: 419 N Loudoun is the Baker-Darlington-Hardy House.

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Norman Baker, French and Indian War Foundation historian, working with the Boy Scouts sprayed a line representing where the 16 foot high wall stood, impressively showing the curtain wall to be 18 feet wide at its base.

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latest pictures and movies 024 latest pictures and movies 025

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Norman Baker walked the group around the perimeter of the fort to show its size and command of this 40 foot rise overlooking the Winchester walking mall.

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captioned 419 N Loudoun Street aerial jolley archeological dig

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Steve Resan, another French and Indian War Board member, walked about as James Wood (Senior). By the way, James Wood died in 1759, but here James Wood was — walking about, clearly present in front of us all, occasionally clearing his throat, and establishing firm footing with his cane, could inform all comers of the details of his life.

latest pictures and movies 026DSC_0469

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Patrick Murphy, another board member and author of French and Indian War in Shenandoah County, Life on the Inner Frontier 1752-1766, confirmed there were Eastern Woodland Buffalo, for which James Wood paid bounty.

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Our speaker, Raleigh Boaze, on Fort Loudoun Day, after his speech on the Fated Braddock Campaign, showed us his rifle, the source of daily modern metaphors:

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flash in the pan,

half cocked,

cock sure, cocky,

lock stock and barrel,

keep your powder dry

buck = 1 dollar for a male deerskin

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Raleigh Boaze spoke of the clothing he made and how he made the rifle he carried.

Porcupine Quill, cut and flattened, vegetable color dyed, decorated his knife holster, belt, and other parts of the frontier woodsman clothes

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Mayor Elizabeth Minor came,

along with City Council Member John Hill.

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More details to come of all those who came to help portray living history, and of all those Board members who helped with this event, setting up chairs, tables, the tents, and who brought food and refreshment on a day that bore down some hot temperature.

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THE FLAG RAISING

Always on Fort Loudoun Day, do those so dedicated, raise a flag which at the time of Fort Loudoun was just 50 or so years old, representing only the parliamentary union of Scotland and England.

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And such union was so fragile, that the Scottish troops the King raised for this war didn’t hang around long in London before they shipped out to North America, because the Battle of Culloden 1746 was still a fresh sore in many memories.

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And after a recent referendum for Scotland independence not voting for a stronger version of the home rule they have now, the new Party emerged to take seats away from Labor.

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220px-Union_flag_1606_(Kings_Colors)_svg

Click on flag above to see its history

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Who knows? We might be seeing this same flag again.

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latest pictures and movies 033 latest pictures and movies 030

DSC_0494

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Brett Osborn, former member of Board of Directors. This year he didn’t bring his fake rotten teeth.  .

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Living History Interpreters have lots of details to consider, details simply beyond the scope of we civilians.

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latest pictures and movies 023

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Pictures below taken by R Patrick Murphy, member of the French and Indian War Foundation Board of Directors

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DSC_0466 DSC_0469 DSC_0480 DSC_0482 DSC_0490 DSC_0494

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Our 16 May 2015 Fort Loudoun Day advertisement:

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Fort Loudoun Day , May 16, 2015, 10am to 1pm

commemorates the start of building Fort Loudoun in May 1756.

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We are delighted to announce a speaker, Raleigh Boaze

AND …

last year’s speaker, Bill Hunt who portrayed a British Lieutenant

AND …

A group portraying Washington’s Engineers

The Dept. of Geographers https://www.facebook.com/ArmyGeographer was a staff unit of Washington’s headquarters during the Revolutionary War.

They functioned as road surveyors & cartographers for

Washington’s northern & southern armies.

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For Ft. Loudoun Day we will portray

Washington’s engineering managers

during the construction phase of the fort 1756-1758.

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We will have our survey instruments, maps and probably an inked diagram of Ft. Loudoun made with period drawing instruments. We will have our own table & fly.

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Subject of talk by Raleigh Boaze:

“General Braddock’s Failed Attempt to

Capture Fort Duquesne and the Colonies Involvement “

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Raleigh Boaze is a living history interpreter of the 18th century colonial frontier. Mr. Boaze presents a first person account of life on the ‘American’ frontier in the years 1754 to 1775. Dressed in backwoodsman attire and accoutrements, he describes the settlers’ strife at the hands of the Native Americans aligned with the French opposing encroachment of the British colonists beyond the Appalachians and underscores the importance of this period in the eventual founding of our country.

.

Mr. Boaze presents his interpretation of the 18th century frontier life in schools and before civic groups in the Mid-Atlantic region and has been instrumental in bringing about changes to history texts used in the public schools to ensure that they accurately portray life on the frontier during this period.

.

For the source of celebrating Fort Loudoun Day,

see letter from George Washington to Adam Stephen May 18, 1756.

Another site to check for that same letter is here.

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SEE FORT LOUDOUN DAYS FROM 

PREVIOUS YEARS 2014 AND 2013

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The Agenda of Events

May 17, 2014  Saturday

  10am to 1pm 

419 N. Loudoun St

 

    Cell Phone Tour 703-574-6110

   Everyone is Welcome, All free, Light Refreshments, Rain or Shine

10am to 1pm

             Tours of the grounds every half hour 

                       by Historian and Author Norman Baker

             18th Century Painting demonstrations 

                       by Living History Interpreters Kevin O’Malley of New York

             Larry Johnston,  “Liberty Man” will be present 

             Steve Resan will portray James Wood

11:30am Speaker:   Bill Hunt   Portraying a Lt. in the F&I War

12 Noon Raise the British Flag

By 1756, when George Washington and his men

began building Fort Loudoun,

the union of Scotland and England was only 50 some years old

See what the Union Jack looked like in link below:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acts_of_Union_1707

with Living History Interpreters  and Bagpiper Bryant Lafollette

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FORT LOUDOUN DAY 2013

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This letter states one of the reasons why

we celebrate this day every year:

From George Washington in Winchester VA, May 18, 1756

 To LIEUTENANT COLONEL ADAM STEPHEN

​ “Sir: … I am also detained here to construct and erect a fort, which the Governor has ordered to be done with expedition. As it will be necessary to have a number of Carpenters, &c. to carry on the work with spirit, and vigour; you are desired to send down all the men of Captain George Mercers Company; those that are there of Captain Bells. All the men that are really skilled in masonry: and if all these do not make up fifty; you are to complete the party to that number, out of the best Carpenters in other Companies.”

[Note:Washington’s plan for this fort, which was called Fort Loudoun, is in the Washington Papers , Library of Congress. An extract of the act of the Virginia Legislature, dated May 12, 1756, authorizing the building of the fort, is also in the Washington Papers. ]

Click on complete letter below:

http://etext.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=WasFi01.xml&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=327&division=div1

 

Pictures from Fort Loudoun Day 2013

 

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Larry Johnson and Jim Hildbold bring the spirit of Fort Loudoun Day to life.

 

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Larry Johnson, “Liberty Man”, explains life in the 1700’s.

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Mom and son look over Liberty Man’s display.

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A good time was had by all !  Charles Hall & Patsy Gochenour pose for a picture.

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Dad and son join Living History Interpreters Jim Hildbold for a photo op.

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Local SAR members provide support for the raising of the Union Jack.

From Left to Right: Paul Chase, Ralph Pierce, Jim Hildbold, Rob Andrews, Brett Osborn and Jack Lillis.

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Liberty Man in a reflective moment before giving his presentation.

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Norman Baker, FIWF Historian, provides visitors a most excellent tour.

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Dr. David Clark, Archaeologist, explains how to conduct a proper dig.

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FIWF Board members and SAR support:  Steven Resan, Norman Baker and Brett Osborn.

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Essay Contest Winner Sydney Shepard, Living History Interpreters Phil Hunter and Essay Contest Runner Up Taylor Hall.