South Boston
I was in South Boston yesterday and noticed this highway marker on 501 just north of 58. I certainly didn't know that Cornwallis ever came that far west, but my Revolutionary War knowledge is pretty thin. Oddly enough, that marker wasn't the only Revolutionary War related marker in South Boston-- this one commemorates a "folly" (presumably an odd house) of one of Washington's Valley Forge quartermasters who later became a deputy clerk of Halifax County. Finally, very close to the Green's Folly marker is this one, commemmorating the South Boston resident who moved to Springfield Illinois and performed Lincoln's wedding to Mary Todd. Virginia: mother, quartermaster and marrier of Presidents.
posted by Virginian | 9:11 PM
1 Comments:
A Comment emailed to me from Eric Helms Monday, Esq and posted with his permission, clearing up my poor Revolutionary War understanding and telling me about "Green's Folly:"
Cornwallis came through Halifax on the "Race to the Dan" --after Cowpens, Greene slowly retreated northwards thru the Carolinas, drawing Cornwallis away from his supply base at Charleston. He stayed just ahead of Cornwallis, and, when he crossed the Dan into Virginia, arranged to collect all the boats, so he was on the north bank and Cornwallis stuck on the South. Greene's tactical withdrawal is still hailed for its military brilliance. After this, Greene was joined by a large contingent of Virginia militia, re-crossed the Dan, and met Cornwallis in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Cornwallis won, although at great cost, and he then decided to abandon the Carolinas, march north into Virginia and resupply--at Yorktown.
The best account is Richard Henry Lee's magisterial history of the Revolution's southern campaign.
Green's Folly is actually a rather typical (if large) late-Georgian clapboard manor house which has since (1840s?) had a four-column classical portico added. It is now the clubhouse for a golf course.
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