Dunmore's War
(1774)

Moses Milam:    Botecourt County, Virginia, Capt Henry Pauling's Co.

On 24 December 1774 Governor Dunmore wrote to Lord Dartmouth, "every county is now arming a company of men whom they call an independent company."  Most counties had already formed, or were in the process of forming, such independent companies.  By the end of the year at least six companies were fully formed, armed and prepared for action.  Patrick Henry assumed political leadership, realizing that a number of independent volunteer companies, formed in and by various counties, could not provide the force necessary for a sustained war.  He saw these companies as barriers against the Amerindians and as a reservoir of trained or semi-trained manpower from which an regular force might draw.  He had not yet considered the possibility of enlistment in a national regular army, but was bound to the concept of a statewide militia under state command.  Henry's position at the end of 1774 may be summed up by the following resolution which he offered at the First Virginia Convention. 

Resolved, That a well regulated militia, Composed of gentlemen and yeomen, is the natural strength and only security of a free government; that such a militia in this colony would for ever render it unnecessary for the mother country to keep among us, for the purpose of our defence, any standing army of mercenary soldiers always subversive of the quiet, and dangerous to the liberties of time people, and would obviate the pretext of taxing us for their support.  That the establishment of such a militia is, at this time, peculiarly necessary, by time state of our laws for the protection and defence of the country, some of which have already expired, and others will shortly be so; and that time known remissness of the government in calling us together in legislative capacity, renders it too insecure, in this time of danger and distress, to rely that opportunity will be given of renewing them, in general assembly, or making any provision to secure our inestimable rights and liberties, from those further violations with which they are threatened.  Resolved, therefore, That this colony be immediately put into a state of defence, and that there be a committee to prepare a plan for embodying, arming, and discipling such a number of men, as may be sufficient for that purpose.

       The Virginia militia filled a number of vital and important roles during the Revolution, supporting the patriot cause in both the north and south.  In March 1775 the Virginia Convention met in Old St. John's Church on a hill above the falls of the James River in Richmond.  The delegates were seeking privacy and distance from royalist Governor Dunmore.  Patrick Henry immediately moved that the "Colony be immediately put in a state of defense," meaning that the militia be formed, disciplined and armed.  Opposed by even some of the patriots, Henry then delivered his famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech, which was more than sufficient to carry the motion.  Henry's speech at the Convention was based on the assumption that a simple militia would be insufficient because a prolonged war was inevitable and that a real, substantial force, based on, but separate from, the general militia, was to be absolutely necessary for the defense of Virginia.  Henry argued that a mere show of force in the form of a general and broad muster of the militia would accomplish nothing because the British authorities would not be intimidated.  His purpose was to convince the assembly that they should abandon all hopes of a peaceful reconciliation and prepare for a prolonged war.

       After considerable debate Henry introduced a second resolution which called for placing the colony in a full state of military preparedness.  The state was to call into service a body of men sufficient to defend it from both the English forces along the coast and the Amerindians whom the British might seduce into making raids along the frontier.  The men were to be completely trained in military arts, fully armed and subjected to standard military discipline.  This would become the select militia of yeomen and gentlemen of which Henry had spoken earlier in his first motion.  Richard Henry Lee, who had spoken in favor of Henry's position, seconded the motion.  Thomas Jefferson also rose in support of Henry's plan, as did the distinguished jurist, St. George Tucker and John Taylor of Caroline County.  Thomas Nelson, one of the wealthiest men in Virginia, declared that, should the British land troops in his county, he would summon his militia to resist whether he had authorization from the Convention or not.  Other militia officers rose to second Nelson's position.  Washington, perhaps recalling his distaste for militia, said nothing.

       The Williamsburg "gunpowder affair" became for Virginia what the British attempts at confiscation of the same commodity at Lexington and Concord was from the militia of Massachusetts.  Patrick Henry had demanded that Dunmore release the colony's supply of gunpowder at the Williamsburg Magazine for militia use.  Dunmore related the order of 19 October 1774 from Lord Dartmouth which forbade the export of gunpowder and arms to the American colonies.  The royal governor interpreted the order as including the distribution of arms and powder already in the colonies, stored in the royal armories and magazines.  Henry argued that the arms and gunpowder in question had been sent for militia use and the royal authorities had simply neglected to distribute these to the county militias.  Dunmore sent 20 kegs of gunpowder from the public magazine on the night of 20 April 1775 and had it loaded aboard the schooner Magdalen.  As word of this confiscation circulated many Virginians talked open rebellion.  Council, on Henry's recommendation, addressed a communication to Dunmore, pointing out that the powder had been stored for the protection and security of the colony and that it must be restored to it.  Dunmore claimed that the mere presence of the gunpowder among the militia constituted a call to arms and an open invitation to the more rebellious leaders of the militia to actually rebel.  He would release the powder immediately upon hearing of any Amerindian incursion, but, for the time being, it would remain with Captain Collins aboard the Magdalen.

       Henry summoned the militia.  A significant body of armed men gathered at Fredericksburg.  Volunteers arrived from Hanover and New Castle.  With the arrival of each new militia, the commanders sent messages to Williamsburg, bragging on their gathering strength.  By 26 April, the governor saw that his position was untenable.  Dunmore acquiesced to Henry's demand by pledging his honor to return the powder, but he considered this the first act of rebellion in his colony.  Honoring his pledge to return the confiscated gunpowder proved to be Dunmore's last act as the generally recognized royal political authority in Virginia.  On 29 April the Virginia Gazette carried news of the events at Lexington and Concord.  Patrick Henry used this news as an occasion to spur the patriots onto greater action.  To him, after the "robbery" of the gunpowder, "the next step will be to disarm them, and they will then be ready to arms to defend themselves."  Even after the return of the powder, Dunmore had planned to remain in his mansion.  He took the precautionary step of ordering that it be fortified, even to the point of bringing in artillery, but he was soon intimidated by the gathering militia from the countryside.  On the morning of 8 June 1775, Dunmore abandoned Williamsburg, escaped to Yorktown and boarded the man of war Fowey.  There he issued his final report on the gunpowder affair. 

I have been informed, from undoubted authority, that a certain Patrick Henry, of the county of Hanover, and a number of his deluded followers, have taken up arms and styling themselves an Independent Company, have marched out of their County, encamped, and put themselves in a posture for war, and have written and dispatched letters to divers parts of the Country, exciting the people to join in these outrageous and rebellious practices, to the great terror of all His Majesty's faithful subjects, and in open defiance of law and government;  and have committed other acts of violence, particularly in extorting from His Majesty's Receiver-General the sum of Three hundred and Thirty Pounds, under pretence of replacing the Powder I thought proper to order from the Magazine;  whence it undeniably appears that there is no longer the least security for time life or property of any man:  I have thought proper, with the advice of His Majesty's Council, and in His Majesty's name, to issue this my Proclamation . . . .