September 2017 Trip to Colonial Virginia

Sept 19- 

The Trading Post at Petersburg

We met cousin Martha Kenley Dolliver at Dulles Airport and, after experiencing a taste of D.C. rush hour traffic, made it to Petersburg, Virginia just in time to enjoy dinner at Saucy's Barbecue. After filling up with smoked brisket and pulled pork we drove a few blocks to see "Peter Jones Trading Station which was an eerie sight with the stone ruins lit up with spotlights in the dark. We went back to visit it in the daylight later in our trip!

Trading Post at Petersburg, Virginia

Peter Jones was the son-in-law of Abraham Wood, who manned the fort here when Richard Womack the Adventurer was trading with the Indians for William Byrd I in the 1600's. It would have been from this fort/trading post that Richard left when he made his final, fateful trip in 1684. William Byrd wrote back to England...

"Old Sturdivant, his son, Millner, Shipy, Womacke, and Hugh Cassell were all killed by Indians in their return from the Westward, about 30 miles beyond Ochanechee..."

The Occaneechee Trail led 80 miles from Fort Henry in Petersburg to the Occaneechi Town on the Virginia border (near what is now Occaneechi State Park.) We think that Richard Womack was in his thirties at the time of his death- he left a wife (Mary Puckett- who was remarried to John Granger) and four young children. 

Tensions with the Indians had been running high, and Henrico County, where Richard lived, was on the western frontier and subject to attacks. The governor, William Berkeley, was not popular with the settlers in Henrico; they felt he was too passive regarding the Indian issues, and that he was establishing unfair rules regulating trading. Richard's employer,William Byrd I, who was a friend and neighbor of Nathaniel Bacon, encouraged him to form a local militia to drive out the Indians from nearby lands. This was the beginning of Bacon's Rebellion- an attempt to take over the government from Berkeley. Many men from Henrico were among the 600 followers of the Rebellion, but we do not know if Richard was one of them.

We found our hotel at Colonial Heights and were glad for a rest!

Sept 20-

 Did Richard Womack burn Jamestown?

We took a ferry across the James River to Jamestown. Bacon's supporters attacked Jamestown in September 1676. While the governor fled to safety, Bacon's men burned the capital to the ground. We viewed the reconstructed early capital of Virginia.

On the south side of the James River to Surrey, Virginia, we viewed a Jacobean brick structure known as "Bacon's Castle." 

"Bacon's Castle" home of Arthur Allen, looted by Bacon's supporters in 1676

This beautiful home was not owned by Bacon, but by a loyal supporter of Governor Berkeley, who was chased from his home in the fall of 1676 by Bacon's supporters, who  stayed in the home for several months, drinking his wine and feasting on his cattle. It was these actions that caused William Byrd to withdraw his support form the rebellion and return his loyalty to the governor.  If Richard Womack was involved in the rebellion, it was likely that he followed his employers political decision at this time, which may have saved his life. 

The death of Bacon by "bloody flux" and "lousey disease" led to an end of the rebellion. Berkeley regained power, hanging many of the rebels.

On a happier note, we ate dinner overlooking "Graybill Creek" at the Surrey Seafood Company. Something bit my eye, causing it to swell, and the owner rushed out, thinking it was an allergic reaction. A bit of ice and it was fine the next day.

On the way back to our hotel we stopped at Weston Manor overlooking the Appomattox River. We also saw Appomattox plantation, which was Grant's headquarters during the civil war.

Appomattox Plantation

Sept 21- 

Brick Beauties

Richard Kennon's Brick House

We drove to Richard Kennon's Brick House. Richard Kennon was a contemporary of the Womack's who was their neighbor on Swift Creek and the Appomattox River. 

Swift Creek

We toured Blandford Church, which was in Bristol Parish, the parish that the Womack's worshipped in. This simple church has hidden treasures- Tiffany stained glass windows representing each of the Confederate states. We couldn't take pictures, but these were the most impressive examples of stained glass that we had ever seen, with colors changing and illuminating the interior of the building in a most amazing way.

Blandford Church

We drove across the river to Upper Shirley Vineyards on the James River and had a nice lunch and wine-tasting.

Martha at Upper Shirley Vineyards

Janice at Shirley Vineyards

It was a longer drive than we expected to find the remote colonial home of Eppington at Winterpock. The Womack's had land at Winterpock which was eventually sold to the grandfather of Thomas Jefferson. The Eppes family built this home there, and Thomas Jefferson (the president) sent his daughters to stay there with Eppes relatives while he was ambassador to France.

Janice at Eppington Plantation at Winterpock

That night we had dinner at the Brickhouse English Pub in Petersburg.

Sept 22

The Road Home

Monticello

Martha at the Monticello gardens

We drove from Colonial Heights to Thomas Jefferson's home at Monticello and enjoyed a tour there, followed by lunch at the historic Michie Tavern.

Michie Tavern

Tired and anxious to head back home to WV, we were barely on the highway when the muffler broke off the van and we had to be towed to a repair shop where we spent several hours before we could continue our drive.

WV

We spent a few days relaxing at home in WV, visiting with Cat Hainfeld at her art gallery, viewing local sights, and bird watching. Tuesday we headed back to the airport, and Martha caught her flight, while Kerry and I had lunch with our grandson, Gabe. All in all, a great week!

Dolly Sods WV