At a council held at the capitol in the City of Williamsburg
on Friday the 15th day of August 1777:
There being captain intelligence of a large Fleet's
making its appearance on our coast, with intentuous doubt of invading
this State, it is therefore though necessary to give his Excellency
the Governor (who is now in Hanover) and the absent members of
Council immediate notice thereof in order to their repairing to
this place to consult on proper measure to be taken to counteract
the wicked designs of the enemy - and, in the meantime, the Board
to advise the Lieutenant Governor to ordr two companies of militia
from each of the following counties, forthwith to repair to Portsmouth,
there to do duty, till further orders - viz., Isle of Wight, Norfolk,
Princess Anne, Nansemond and Southhampton - and moreover, to empower
the commanding officer at that station to call from each of the
said counties such further supplies of their respective militias,
as he may think necessary for the defense of that garrison. And
the Lieutenant Governor is also advised to give the same powers
to the commanding officers at York and Hampton Garrisons, to call
for such parts of the adjacent militias as they may think necessary,
for the defense of said Garrisons.
Also to order two companies of Gloucester Militia forthwith
to repair to Gloster Towne, there to do duty 'til further orders.
Copied from the Council Orders
Given by Robert W. Robins
Executive Department
Richmond, Va., Dec. 20, 1850 - (Copied)
******
Tuesday, June 25, 1782
His Excellency having just received a letter from Count
Rochambeau (inclosing one from his Excellency, General Washington),
informing him that the French troops are under order immediately
to march to the northward - whereupon it is thought advisable
that the whole of Col. Dabney's Legion (except a Lieutenant's
command) should be ordered to cross without delay, from Portsmouth
to Hampton, where it appears necessary to post a few Dragoons,
for the purpose of communicating the necessary intelligence, and
that the rest of his corps be ordered to Yorktown, for the purpose
of preserving the stores and guarding the town. That for the immediate
garrisoning the town of York, a body of four hundred militia,
in and to Col. Dabney's Legion, be ordered in from the counties
most convenient (except Elizabeth City, Warwick, York, James City,
Gloster, Norfolk and Princess Anne) in shore for the term prescribed
by law, and then relieved as the law directs; and that the county
Lieutenants of Elizabeth City, Warwick, York, James City and Gloster
be directed to order their militia to hold themselves in readiness,
that a body of six hundred men may be collected on the shortest
notice to be thrown into the said garrison for the purpose of
defense. The Commissioner of War is directed to give the necessary
orders for complying with the above determination.
Executive Department
Richmond, Va.,
Dec. 20, 1850
(Copied)
Appendix L
Back to Gloucester County