Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

PART I — The Important References Arranged Chronologically.

"GREAT GUNS."
Governor's Palace: Block 20, Buildings #3A, B, C.

PART I.

Chronological data concerning Great Guns or Cannon in Williamsburg and Colonial Virginia is herewith set forth as an aid in determining the possible date of manufacture and size ^{and number} of pieces placed "before the Governor's House" during the 18th Century.

• 1.1. Virginia Magazine of History and Culture, Vol 5, page 117.
  June 21, 1667.
  "…hereby ordered and impowered to weigh and carry down to Point Comfort from the burnt ship Elizabeth Frigat all such great guns as can be weighed and got out of the said ship…"
• 2. Virginia Magazine of History and Culture, Vol 4, page 243.
  1667
  "…of whose guns we shall save two brass and about 27 of iron and some shott…last year to…build a forte for fourteene gunors, wc'h were all we had tell you ma'tie …to send…ten more and of these fourteen we fear…unservicable…"
• 3. Executive Journals of the Council of Colony of Virginia Vol II, page 74. May 22, 1700. "…do cause Six of the smallest Pieces of ordnance now at James Town to be carryed to the City of Williamsburg together with the Great Shott and all other things belonging to the Gunners stores (except the Powder) the several Pieces 2 of Ordnance and the Shott to be laid down upon or near the place designed for building the Capitall and the other things to be lodged in some convenient place in the Colledge of William and Mary…"
• 4.Calendar of Virginia State Papers and Other Manuscripts 1652-1781, Vol 1, page 74.

  "April 22, 1701

  "His Maj'ties Revenue Dr.

  	£. s. d.
  To Mr. Bentley for his Cart &c., to remove ye six gunns from ye Capitol to where they are placed	0 8 0
  To eight bottles of beer I gave ye men wch assisted me in ye removall	0 5 0
  To Mr. Bentley for his Cart &c., to fetch powder &c. from James Town…	0 8 0
  To eleven bottles of beer I gave ye men wch assisted in fireing…	1 7 0
  To Robert Bignall who assisted at Town and here in making Cartridges, cutting flagg Staffs, &c…	0 5 0
  	1 13 0 "

• 5.Virginia Historical Collections, Spotswood's Letters. To Lord Dartmouth October 15, 1711 Vol I, page 120
  "…Upon the apprehensions We had this summer of a ffrench Squadron…I made a Shift to to raise four Forts and raise some Lines for the defence of our Chief Rivers, and to mount about 70 pieces of Cannon, not finding at my arrival such a thing as…or one single piece of ordnance mounted…"
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• 6.6. Virginia Magazine of History and Culture Vol 35, page 184 1714 "…Fort Field, Fort Christiana…1714
  Spotswood built fort…mounted 5 cannon & garrison of 12 men." (An old iron cannon from this fort is now at William and Mary College.)¹
• 7.Virginia Historical Collections Vol II, page 76 Letters of Governor Spotswood
  • a.October 25, 1714
    To ye Lord Commiss'rs of Trade
    Tho I have received no intimation from y'r Lord'ps of the death of our late most gracious Queen …according to ye Directions transmitted therewith, I proclaimed his Maj'tie, King George, with all ye Solemnity…ye night Concluded with an entertainment at my house for all ye Gent. in Town, where his Maj't's health was drank with the firing of Guns and all suitable demonstrations of Joy for his Maj't's happy and peacable accession to ye Throne…."
  • b. Vol II, page 78
    To Col. Blakeston
    Dec. 1st, 1714
    S'r:…As I hope these addresses will be look'd on as dutiful, so I can assure you y't no part of his Maj'ts' Dominions has been more unanimous in proclaming and owning him as their Sovergn. Last Thursday was observ'd as a General Thanksgiving for his Maj'ts happy and peacable accession w'thas much Solemnity as this country is capable of, and at Night the Council and Burgesses, with what Strangers were in Town, had 4 an entertainment at my House, with Fireworks, illuminations, and several Salvos of great Guns…."
  • c. Vol II, page 140. February 16, 1715 (1716)
    "To Lds Comm'rs of Trade Stores of War within the Colony sent since my arrival here…2 field pieces, with their carriages and furniture, all w'ch are in good order, but as I am now removing all… into a new Magazine…"
  • d.Vol II, page 349. May 31, 1721 "…I thought it prudence to lay hold of this opportunity to put the Country in a better posture of Defence, and have got the Council Unaminously to Consent to ye Erecting of Batterys at the mouth of James River, York and Rappahannock, where I shall in a few days have 54 p's of Connon mounted, and hope when these Batterys are finished according to the Plan I have laid the Country will be under no dread from Alarm at what the pirats may be able to do…."
• 8.Hening's Statutes at Large
  • a.Vol 4, page 199. 1727 "…and also all manner of carts, waggons, draught horses, or oxen, or other conveniences for the land carriage of provisions, great guns, arms & ammunitions …digging or entrenchings, or towards the mounting the great guns, and making them useful.....making carriages for great guns."(The above again enacted Vol 6, page 115, 1748.)
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  • b. Vol 6, page 117, 1748 "…appoint…militia, residing next to the several batteries respectively, as he shall think fit to attend the said batteries."
• 9.Virginia Gazette, William Parks, Editor
  • a.November 5, 1736
    "Last Saturday being His Majesty's BirthDay, the same was observ'd here with firing of Guns…."
  • b. January 21, 1736/37
    (Prince of Wales birthday)"...observed here by Firing great guns."
  • c.c. November 4, 1737
    (H'ms birthday) ".....The great guns were Thrice discharged."
  • d.November 3, 1738
    "…His Majesty's Birth Day, was observed…at Noon the Cannon at the Governor's House were trebly discharg'd…."
  • e.November 2, 1739
    "…His Majesty's Birthday…at Noon the Great Guns at the Governor's were trice discharg'd…"
  • f. November 7, 1745
    "…At Noon the Great Guns at the Govrs. were thrice discharged.
• 10.Journals of the House of Burgesses of Virginia
  Page 173, March 5, 1745. "A petition of James Bird,…and that the House will 6 make him some Allowance for cleaning the Great Guns before the Governors House."
• 11.Virginia Gazette
  • a.July 18, 1746
    "…and a Round of Cannon which were removed to the to the capital for this purpose, was discharged at each Health, to the Number of 18 or 20 round, which lasted til near 2 o'clock
  • b.November 21, 1751 (arrival of Gov. Dinwiddie) "…Under a Discharge of the Cannon."
• 12.GOOCH's Letters, Research & Record Dept., C.W.I (cc) October 13, 1741.
  "The Virginians were mightily rejoyced at my Return Day and night firing Guns, Bonfires and Illuminations."
• 13.Public Record Office, London. C.0.5, #1327 Photostat, Research Department.
  

  "Virginia
  "Account of Stores of War at Williamsburg & Condition of the Guns in ye Sevl Forts of Virginia in July 1750. Rec'd with Col. Lee's Letter of 12th July 1750.

  "Magazine.
  "…2 mortars wt 563 & 326. ——."

  "Governor's House…
  "…2 Brass Ordnance wt each 1588 — 9 Pounders 1 small do. 450 — 5 Pounders 4 Iron do (of which 2 at the church) each wt about 8.2 in. [?]"

• 14.Virginia Historical Collections — Dinwiddie Papers
  • a.To Wm. Trent Esq. January 1754[?] Vol III, page 55.
    "…I have some cannon come in…ten…I send up 7 to the Commissary at Alexandria…they carry four pound shot. I fear there will be difficulty in carrying them out…as you are acquainted with the Roads…"
  • b.To the Govr. of Mass.....[1754?] Vol III, page 70.
    (The French)".....in a palisaded fort mounted 8 Pss Cannon, 6 Pounders and 1 Pss carrying 4 pd shot."
  • c.Message to House of Burgesses…[1754?] Vol III, page 75
    "…to build a Fort there at the Forks of Monongehala and as His M'ys gracious present of 30 Pieces of Cannon, 80 Bls. Powder and other Ordnances Stores suitable are arrived, I have sent Ten of the Cannon and a Proportion of Ammunition to Alexandria, from thence…."
  • d.To Govr. of S. Carolina April 15, 1754 Vol III, page 129
    "…We have no coe-horns, mortars or shells, and as we are not going to attack but build forts they are not immediately wanted…."
  • e. To James Abercromby Aug. 15, 1754 Vol III, page 286
    "…you may mention small Bombs, coehorns, Granade shells, small Pss Cannon, not exceeding two pounders, as they are to be carried 400 miles over some high mounts."
  • f.To Col. Spotswood Dec. 29, 1754 Vol III, page 443
    "…you was so kind to promise to cast some Iron Shott y't are wanted for the Expedit'n. The Dement's are to be 3 Inches 5-10 Diam'r…."
  • g.To General Braddock June 3, 1755 Vol IV, page 49 "…I shall immediately order up 10 Guns with their appurtenances to Fort Cumberland…."
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  • h.To Gov. Morris July 29, 1755 Vol IV, page 127 "°There are four 12 pounders at Winchester and two 4 pounders at Fit. Cumberland."
  • i.To Earl of Halifax Oct. 1, 1755 Vol IV, page 223
    "…He carried four 6 pounders and four coehorns "the last were necessary to be left at the fort in case of attack)…."
  • j. To Lords of Trade Feb. 23, 1756 Vol IV, page 338 "…There are three Forts in this domain, one call'd F't George, at the mouth of the James River…the Sea has quite undermined it…all guns now burried in the sand. There was mounted on y't Fort ten 24 pounders, six 12 pounders, and four 9 pounders. They were sent in here by Queen Elizabeth and King Charles…The other two Forts are on York River, one at the Town of York, had mounted 4 guns of 18 and 9 P'rs, 10 small G of ½ Shot, but the large Guns are all Honey Comb…The other Fort at Gloucester…had 15 Guns of 18, 12 & 6 Pounders mounted…not fit for Service…."
  • k.To Govr. Morris Feb. 1756 Vol IV, page 360
    ".....to send some Engineers to manage the G't Guns. There are four 12 Prs of Brass sent in here and four more at Winchester of Iron....."
  • l.To Col. Washington July 13, 1757 Vol IV, page 669
    "The Guns at Colo Hunters can't be spar'd at present, but 14 g't guns, when mounted at F't Loudon…will make a good defence."
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• 15.Journals of the House of Burgesses of Virginia
  Vol 10, page 163
  "Thurs. Dec. 20, 1764
  "…It appears to your committee that there are now in the said Magazine two Brass Cannon, and two Brass Mortars, which are useless…."
• 16. Virginia Gazette, Alexander Purdie, Editor
  July 26, 1776 "…Declr'n of Independence, accompanied by firing of Cannon & Musketry."

"GREAT GUNS."
BEFORE THE GOVERNOR'S HOUSE
WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA

PART II.

In Williamsburg, from the time of its beginning, "Great Guns" or Cannon formed a considerable part of the local scene. The first guns to appear here were moved from Jamestown to the site of the capitol in 1700¹. In 1701 these same pieces were moved to a new site and fired². The location of this new site might possibly have been the house then occupied by the Governor, the first Magazine or the Church. Since in 1714 guns are mentioned at the Governor's House³ it is quite possible that these were all the same guns from Jamestown.

During the first half, particularly the second quarter, of the 18th Century there were numerous references to the firing of the guns during celebrations. The Account of Stores of War in Williamsburg lists "two brass 9 pounders, one brass 5 pounder and two iron guns of wt about 8.2 (?)" at the Governor's House in 1750⁴. Since the firing of great guns was an established part of state celebrations it seems logical to 11 assume that the major part of the above battery was more or less a permanent installation at the Governor's House from the earliest part of the Century. It seems equally correct to assume that the guns of the 1750 inventory were probably of 17th or early 18th Century ordnance Regulations.

According to Thor. Borresen¹ in his report of February 11, 1938 "Guns (Cannon) that are mentioned as having been stored in the Williamsburg, Virginia, Powder Magazine at various times." The field pieces at the Magazine in 1715 (1716² would have been of the 1697 or the 1736 regulations for British Ordnance. Since these guns arrived in Virginia between 1710 & 1716² and could not have been of a later ordnance than 1736. The guns at the Governor's House were probably of an earlier period, the latest of the ordnance of 1697 since they may have been moved from Jamestown.

The data after 1750 mostly concerns the French and Indian Wars and Revolutionary period during which times there was considerable influx and movement of ordnance, and during those periods the guns at the Governor's House could have been replaced with guns of later manufacture. But since nothing as definite as the inventory of 1750 is known of their size ^weightor number it is recommended that an attempt be made to design or procure cannon of no later manufacture than the ordnance of 1697 and to mount them on mid-18th Century carriages. Considerable research will be required for this project because the majority of the known English military handbooks and pieces are of a later period than 1697.

The research to date indicates only that these Great Guns were "at the Governor's House¹" or "Great Guns before the Governors House²" The latter is perhaps more logical and more specific in that such items are more of public than private character. It would therefore seem feasible to arrange the three brass and two iron pieces in an orderly way either on the Palace Green or the plots directly in front of the Palace. An attractive arrangement would perhaps be to center each of the two large brass pieces against the South Elevations of the Flanking Buildings, and the other three pieces facing south on the North end of the Palace Green if all five pieces are to be reconstructed. If two only are to be reconstructed, the locations South of each Flanking building would seem appropriate.