Campaign of 1781 Lafayette's Encampment OC22
On 13 August 1781, the Marquis de Lafayette encamped his army in King William County. He place his militia four miles east between the Pamunkey and Mattaponi Rivers and stationed his light infantry - commanded by Gen. John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg and Lt. Col. Christian Febiger - a mile south of here. From these positions Lafayette spied on the British army under Gen. Charles Cornwallis entrenching downriver at Yorktown, and prepared to block its escape routes. Early in September, Gen. George Washington and his army arrived from the north, accompanied by Rochambeau’s French forces, to join Lafayette and begin the siege of Yorktown.

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Campaign of 1781 OC25
About a mile to the east, August 13, 1781, Lafayette, then commanding the American forces in Virginia, placed in camp his militia, consisting of Campbell’s, Stevens’ and Lawson’s Bridages. Wayne was at Westover; Mulenberg and Febiger were in camp on the Pamunkey four miles northwest. The campaign of Yorktown was about to open; these troops were late engaged there.

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George's Tavern Crossroads SA51
In 1792 Captain William George (1760-1827), a veteran of the Revolutionary War, established near this site on River Road an ordinary which stood until about 1900. During the campaign of 1781, General Von Steuben crossed the James River at Cartersville, passing through on his way to meet General Lafayette, who was camped in Louisa County. On 23 February 1782, after visiting Jefferson at Monticello, General Rochambeau passed the future site of George’s Tavern on his way to Tuckahoe. Taverns and ordinaries were welcome places for rest and refreshment along stage roads every ten to twelve miles.

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Campaign of 1781 V20
Here Lafayette, moving west to protect a supply depot in Albermarle from Cornwallis, entered this road, June 13, 1781.

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Benedict Arnold at Portsmouth Q8E
Arnold, after going over to the British, was sent to Virginia to make war on the state. He reached Hampton Roads in December, 1780, raided to Richmond and came to Portsmouth, January 19, 1781. Establishing his headquarters in Patrick Robinson's house, and using the old sugar house on Crawford Street as a prison and barracks, Arnold remained here until spring. Then again he went up the James to open the fateful campaign of 1781 that won the war for America.

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