Daily highlights from the history of the Commonwealth and from the lives of Virginia's most interesting people.
Alexandria, Va.
Joined January 2010
- Tweets11.6K
- Following119
- Followers1.5K
- Likes23
October 28, 1861: Twenty five coal and ammunition vessels accompanied by two warships (Vandalia and Gem of the Sea) departed Hampton Roads, #Virginia destined for Port Royal, South Carolina. The remainder of the fleet, including 17 warships and all of the army transports, put out to sea the next day. The full fleet of 77 vessels was the largest assemblage of ships that had ever sailed under the American flag. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle…
October 28, 1776: #Virginian General George Washington leads the Continental Army in the Battle of White Plains. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle…
October 27, 1810: President (& #Virginian) James Madison annexes West Florida. #JMU #UVA millercenter.org/the-preside…
James Madison's Montpelier - Here is the web page for James Madison's Montpelier (@JMMontpelier) located near Orange, #Virginia. Montpelier.org
October 27, 1935: A bronze tablet was unveiled at the Aquia Catholic cemetery in memory of the Spanish Catholic Jesuits who died in 1571 while trying to establish the St. Mary's Mission in Virginia (36 years before the founding of Jamestown)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajac%C…
October 26, 1676: The Colonial #Virginia rebel Nathaniel Bacon died from disease effectively ending Bacon’s Rebellion. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan…
Bacon's Castle - Here is the web page for the historic home Bacon's Castle, which is owned by @preservationva and located in Surry County, #Virginia.
preservationvirginia.org/his…
October 25, 1888: Polar Explorer Richard E. Byrd was born in Winchester, #Virginia. He was awarded the Medal of Honor. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richar…
October 25, 1818: The famous female Union spy Elizabeth Van Lew was born in Richmond, #Virginia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizab…
October 24, 1861: #Virginians in western counties voted to form a new state, which eventually became West Virginia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Histor…
October 23, 1746: The Fairfax Stone was placed at the source of the North Branch of the Potomac River in order to settle a boundary dispute concerning the Northern Neck of #Virginia. A 1746 survey by Colonel Peter Jefferson (Thomas Jefferson's father) and Thomas Lewis resulted in both the placement of the Fairfax Stone as well as the establishment of a line of demarcation known as the "Fairfax Line", extending from the Stone to the south-east and ending at the source of the Rappahannock River.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairfa…
October 23, 1962: After leading several U.S. Navy pilots on the first low-level photo recon flights to take detailed pictures of the Soviet missiles in Cuba, Commander William B. Ecker flew to Washington D.C. and briefed the U.S. Military Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon located in Arlington, #Virginia. This day's events were described in the book “Blue Moon Over Cuba” and depicted in the movie “Thirteen Days.” youtube.com/watch?v=2N3Ypzcy…
October 22, 1775: #Virginian Peyton Randolph died. He was the first President of the Continental Congress. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peyton…
Peyton Randolph House - Here is the web page for the Peyton Randolph House located in Colonial Williamsburg (@colonialwmsburg), #Virginia.
colonialwilliamsburg.org/eve…
October 21, 1994: #Virginia Governor George Allen granted an unconditional pardon to Edward Honaker after it was proved that Honaker was innocent. centurion.org/cases/edward-h…
October 21, 1804: #Virginians Lewis & Clark arrived in the Mandan villages where they met Sacagawea who provided important assistance to them. virginiahistory.org/collecti…
October 21,1861: Confederate forces defeated Union troops during the Battle of Ball's Bluff, #Virginia. A Union officer, Col. Edward D. Baker died in this battle. He is the only sitting U.S. Senator to be killed in a military engagement. Baker was a close friend of President Lincoln. When Lincoln learned of Baker's death, he was reportedly seen openly crying tears of grief. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle…
October 20, 1803: The U.S. Senate ratified the purchase of the Louisiana Territory, which was negotiated by President (& #Virginian) Thomas Jefferson. history.com/this-day-in-hist…
October 20, 1783: The #Virginia legislature voted to emancipate slaves who fought for American Independence during the Revolutionary War.
encyclopediavirginia.org/ent…
October 20, 1932: The #NFL star Roosevelt Brown, Jr. was born in Charlottesville, #Virginia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roosev…