E-Newsletter

History, Western Virginia, Independence

Last week, I welcomed Fort Blackmore’s Lexi Hillman, the Ninth District’s Congressional Art Competition first place finisher, and her family to the nation’s capital.  They attended the official unveiling of the art exhibit and a ceremony for the students.  Her artwork, The Mountains’ Echo, was made using pencil, and depicts historical figures and images from the rich history of the mountains in western Virginia.  It now hangs in the U.S. Capitol, representing the Ninth District in Washington.

Virginia is not only proudly represented in the Capitol today as part of an impressive display of work created by young artists, but this week of Independence Day, I can’t help but note the role that the Commonwealth of Virginia played in the crafting of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of this country.  Drafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, when he was just 33 years old, this document outlined the self-evident truths and freedoms that We the People continue to cherish and fight to protect, and also declared the causes for the separation of the American colonies from the British Empire.

Among the facts listed in the Declaration of Independence pointing to a “history of repeated injuries and usurpations” committed by the British Empire…

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

In 1775, Lord John Murray Dunmore, the royal Governor of the Virginia Colony, ordered British ships to sail up the James River to Norfolk, which at that time was the largest city in Virginia.  Dunmore ordered the naval fleet to attack Patriot troops and destroy the town.  The British bombarded Norfolk, shelling it with artillery and cannon fire, and also attempted to burn certain properties and engage with the Patriots on land.

However, the British were caught off guard when expert Patriot riflemen were fighting back and striking down the British troops from a distance.  Working together, the Patriots and members of Virginia’s local militia pushed back the British troops to their ships, and Captain Squire ordered a retreat.  But in their haste, two British ships were captured when they ran aground.

And the Patriots?  The Patriots had no fatalities in the Burning of Norfolk.

In July of 1776, western Virginia’s own General Andrew Lewis, as commander of the forces in Virginia during the American Revolution, erected a battery facing Gwynn’s Island and a camp established by Dunmore.  Lewis and his men fired at the British from their base, damaging their camp and ships and compelling the evacuation of the island.  What is now known as the Battle of Gwynn’s Island ultimately forced Lord Dunmore to abandon Virginia, making him the last royal governor of the Virginia Colony.

Each year around Independence Day, we reflect on the founding of these United States and celebrate the birth of our great nation.  We pay tribute to those who – like the Patriots and members of Virginia’s local militia– have served, fighting to protect our sovereignty and our natural rights granted by God.  We also honor Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Richard Henry Lee, George Wythe (for whom Wythe County was named), and others who signed their names to the Declaration of Independence, pledging their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to the cause of freedom. 

In western Virginia, we are proud of our history, our love of freedom, and our dedication to independence.  May we forever remain vigilant and committed to preserving and protecting the self-evident truths and freedoms so carefully outlined by our Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence, and may God continue to bless these United States. 

As always, if you have concerns or comments or wish to inquire about legislative issues, feel free to contact my offices. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov.

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