Going back to the Well of History
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Stevan Resan will tell the story of The Well. You may have seen him as James Wood, founder of Winchester VA.
When and Where?
November 11, 2018, Sunday 2pm,
Godfrey Miller House Judge Woltz Pavilion in side yard.
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Steve Resan's talk will begin 3pm
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French and Indian War Foundation activities and awards will start at 2pm.
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All open to the public
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The well dug and blasted by Colonel George Washington's men still exists.
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See 2 Videos:
Click on this link to see Steve Resan drill through a 1930s slab, 31 May 2013. It was a historic moment since no eyes have seen the inside of this well for 80 some years.
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The Miner:
As George Washington became more acquainted with this "miner", this well digger, did he get the man's name right after awhile? See link how the miner's name evolved.
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Gasoline Alley Cartoon
Stevan Resan discovered this cartoon printed in 1932, the bicentennial of George Washington's birthday.
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This cartoon by Gasoline Alley from Argus-Leader (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) printed Tue, Jun 28, 1932
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The last frame on the right shows a fabricated story of the fort soldiers dumping out water to prove to the enemy they have enough water from the well to withstand any seige.
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Civil War Interest
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James E Taylor, an artist reporter embedded with General Sheridan's campaign before and after the 3rd Battle of Winchester, was so interested in the history of George Washington in this town of Winchester that he drew a picture of a Yankee standing by the Well.
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The Well today
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Steve Resan stated that the water has not been tested as potable.
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He will discuss whether the water was good for the Fort.
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This picture was taken before Steve Resan drilled holes in the 1930s cement slab.
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The Cement Slab
being from the 1930s
was not the rebarb in
slabs of today.
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There are steel beams
inside the cement.
But they are not evenly spaced,
so it was difficult to guess
where to drill the holes.
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Was a Spring ever found?
Lt Charles Smith writes from Fort Loudoun to GW who is dealing with dysentery at Mt Vernon on February the 23d 1758:
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"The well has been allmost full of Water But now is Cleared and they are at Work in it A Gain And there is Near Ninety foot deep. I Cant Say that there Is any Likelyhood of Any Spring,..."
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See the Well in relation to the boundaries of the Fort walls.
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Who was this Miner?
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As George Washington became more acquainted
with this "miner", this well digger,
did he get the
man's name right after awhile?
August 29, 1756
Paid a Dutchman for a bucket to the well. (Quarles notes: No doubt the well at Fort Loudoun)
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April 1, 1757
Paid Christian Heintz in part for digging well in Fort Loudoun
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July 5, 1757
To Christopher Heintz - well digger
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August 27, 1757
To John Christian Heintz - well digger
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October 7, 1757
To John Christopher Heintz - well digger
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April 22, 1758
To John Christopher Heintz - for working in barracks yard 16 days in blowing rock - digging 48 feet in well of Fort Loudoun
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Source: page 37 of George Washington and Winchester Virginia 1748 to 1758 by Garland Quarles, Volume VIII of Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society Papers
February 23, 1758
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Lt Smith writes from Fort Loudoun to George Washington who is at Mt Vernon trying to get well from his dysentery, that the well now 90 feet in depth had been been almost filled with water but was now cleared (frustrated most likely by seepage and runoff) and the digging resumed. Lt Charles Smith adds," I Cant Say that there Is any Likelihood of any Spring."
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Page 27 Quarles and Page 44 of Fort Loudoun, Washington's Fort in Virginia, Norman Baker.
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October 12, 1758, Lt Charles Smith writes, the well reaches 103 feet.And miner is owed payment. Pages 50-51, Norman Baker
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More Links to the Well
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See another version of these findings posted on Facebook before:
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The Well is the subject of speaker, Stevan Resan at the 16th Annual Meeting of the French and Indian War Foundation, Sunday 11 November 2018
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