Belestre was a Gascon?
"Gascon" --- We had one here in town. We had a French prisoner at Fort Loudoun. We actually had more than that come through Winchester VA....
By Jenkins By George
You see this "by Jenkins" phrase often in the letters of the time. . We ran into this again as we trek through 1757. It's time to pause...
Rough Draft - more ways than one
Thomas Jefferson writes how the British created the slavery problem. Now the British are freeing the slaves to fight the "Patriots." This...
Where's Lord Loudoun in July 1757?
Lord Loudoun is up north, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He was in Philadelphia in March 1757 taking care of plans for the southern...
Winchester VA and Happy Treason Day
Winchester VA was one of the biggest towns on the Appalachian frontier. It became a military outpost for one reason -- to reduce the...
Longest Battle Fought with Nobody
Next time you drive down Braddock Street in Winchester VA and you drive past the Braddock Cannon on Cork and Braddock, you will think of...
French Prisoner at Fort Loudoun Winchester VA
. . . The French Prisoner is Belestre. His rank is Ensign. François-Louis Picoté de Belestre is his full name. In June 1757 June...
Drafting Men
. One of Colonel George Washington's instructions to the drafting of men 1 July 1757: . . . endeavour to give these men a favourable...
The problem with Atkin
The problem with Edmond Atkin is he has no S at the end of his last name. That's just for starters. But the real problem right now on 20...
Reduce to 10 companies
GW explained to Dinwiddie on 10 July 1757 that he could not make the June return of the Virginia Regiment because he had not yet got the...
