Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Raid Upon the Potomac 1781 - Gunston Hall Plantation

Camp
The Battle on Saturday
     This past weekend the 17th Light Dragoons participated in the "Raids Along the Potomac" event at Gunston Hall Plantation the home of George Mason.  The event was hosted by the 7th Virginia of the Continental Line, the Cold Stream Guards, and our unit of the British Brigade.

     The setting was Virginia 1781 as Lord Cornwallis marched his Army into Virginia that spring with Gunston Hall Plantation serving as the backdrop.  The event offered two excellent battles, a tactical, plundering of the out buildings and cellar by the dragoons, and campfollowers marching out with the army and getting ambushed by the rebels!

A woman on the ration is shot and the ladies work together
to take her with them to get away from the rebels.
     The women were following the Army out and as we were leaving found ourselves in the middle of the rebels and the men trying to protect us.  We had to fall on the ground, get up and run, then fall again.  We were herded into the woods but just before one of the women went down.  One of us would not leave her lying there, so we so we dragged her off.  Her shoes fell off so we grabbed those too and all that she was carrying.  Once in the woods we were told to run through the gully - most of the women couldn't maneuver it and we had to go on the road.  We were open to anything at that point, almost running behind the rebels main line.  Another woman went down and we didn't have time to drag her so we grabbed her basket, took off down the road, and into the woods finally safe.  

In Battle

Woman on the Ration with Taz - Photo by Kelsey Freeman of Drifting Focus Photography

Sergeant Fisher testifies on behalf of a soldier's conduct on the field.