Book Review: Jonathan Dickinson's Journal by Jonathan Dickinson

Jonathan Dickinson's Journal: A True Story of Shipwreck and Torture on the Florida Coast in 1696 by Jonathan Dickinson

In late August 1696, the ship Reformation sailed from Jamaica intending to arrive at Philadelphia. The ship was caught in a storm and wrecked on the Florida coast with a crew of nine and sixteen passengers, including author Jonathan Dickinson. All survived the wreck but they were unable to salvage much from the boat. Dickinson had been traveling with his wife and infant son, a friend, a preacher, and several slaves. He was going to expand the family business in Pennsylvania. That plan changed as they faced hostile natives, friendly natives, and the Spanish during their trek northward. The journal was a popular account and provides some of the only first-hand information about the southern Florida Atlantic coast and the people living there before the Europeans came. Their adventure is exciting and miserable at the same time. They lost almost all their possessions as they progressed. They had to find or make shelters as the season grew progressively worse. Kindness and contempt came in uneven measures.

The subtitle's reference to torture is a bit sensationalistic but not nearly as much as the original title's reference to "the more cruelly devouring jawes [sic] of the inhumane CANIBALS [sic] of FLORIDA." The threat of cannibalism does come up but the only cases are second-hand information about a previously shipwrecked crew that were eaten by those other Indians. It reads more like a threat or scare tactic. The text is more straightforward and honest without embellishments or stereotypes. These English are marooned and pretend to be Spanish since the locals seem very hostile to the English and very respectful of the Spanish. The preacher, Robert Barrow, refuses to go along with the lie but he isn't the spokesman for the travelers and they get away with it for the most part. 

I found the book interesting as a tale I hadn't heard before told in an old-fashioned yet relatable style. It's about 100 pages long, making it a quick read.

Recommended for history buffs.

Yorktown Battlefield, Virginia--Part II

A continuation of yesterpost...

We went outside and did a driving tour of the Yorktown battlefield. Our first stop was the British Inner Defense Line, just outside the parking area for the visitor center.

Earthenworks created by the British to defend Yorktown

Further out is the Grand French Battery, part of the initial lines surrounding Yorktown.

French part of the battlefield

A bridge into the French area

Some of the guns are still outdoors. Field guns had a lower trajectory and were used to smash through enemy earthworks. During a battle, they could be loaded with grapeshot and fired at troops. Mortars shot explosive shells at high angles. The intent was to drop the bomb behind enemy fortifications for maximal damage. Howitzers fired lower velocity bombs at medium or high angles. The bombs would often bounce on the ground and go just over the earthworks to hit the troops just behind the defenses.

Mortar, howitzer, and field gun

Looking down the barrel!

View to Yorktown (not very visible, even in good weather)

Map of the battlefield

Next, we drove to where Redoubts #9 and #10 were located. The spots still have fortifications, though the #10 is so close to the river that it is fenced off. It does have a nice plaque commemorating the daring night attack on the redoubt by Alexander Hamilton and the Americans, armed with unloaded muskets and fixed bayonets.

By the English defenses

Americans storm Redoubt #10!

Redoubt #10

Plaque in the sidewalk

Closeup of the redoubt

Nearby is the Moore House, where representatives from both sides met to work out the surrender agreement. They negotiated terms of surrender which Washington altered slightly. The British wanted war honors, where they could march out with their battalion's flags unfurled and playing American songs in honor of the enemy's victory. Such honors were not accorded to the Americans at the siege of Charlestown, South Carolina. Washington wrote, "The same honors will be granted to the surrendering army as granted to the garrison of Charlestown." What goes around, comes around.

The farm was owned by Augustine Moore, who probably fled to Richmond with his family during the siege. The house changed hands a few times. During the American Civil War, the house (with its nice view of the York River) sustained considerable damage from shell fire and from soldiers in need of some wood for fires. The house was restored in 1881 for the centennial anniversary of the Yorktown battle.

Moore House with outer buildings

The Well

The front of the house

The privy and icehouse?

Back of the house

We didn't go to the surrender field or on the encampment tour (both driving). The kids were getting a little bored and (more importantly) hungry. Maybe next time!

Yorktown Battlefield, Virginia--Part I

The Yorktown Battlefield is part of the Colonial National Historical Park in Virginia. The Battle of Yorktown was a colonists' victory in 1781 over the English forces under the command of Lord Cornwallis, though that victory would have been impossible without French support. Though the war would continue for several years, this battle was the final major engagement and convinced the British to stop trying to subdue the colonies.  The battlefield has a visitor center just outside of town.

Visitor Center

View of where the British Inner Defense lines were (just outside the center)

Inside the center is a recreation of the surrender march made by Lord Cornwallis's troops. The small diorama is made from broken items from the store, a good way to recycle.

Surrender march

Our children had the chance to become park rangers. My daughter was the only one to take on that duty at Yorktown.

Dark glasses means a tough ranger

We remembered to bring our National Parks Passport and my daughter dutifully got a stamp for the battlefield.

Stamping the passport

The Lafayette Cannon is actually a British cannon that was dented by an allied cannonball. It's said that Lafayette came back to America in 1824 and identified the cannon as one used during the battle. He became all emotional and hugged the cannon! That's how a British cannon was named after a French general.

Lafayette Cannon

The museum has a model of the battlefield that has lights and a voiceover describing the main events of the battle. The Americans and French set up an outer siege line and bombarded the town. The French fleet cut off the river entrance so the British were not resupplied. The allies moved their lines forward after capturing two redoubts on the British left flank. The second line was so close that the cannons were practically firing at point blank range. British commander Lord Cornwallis wanted to evacuate his army across the river. On the night they would flee, a storm came up and prevented the escape. He eventually surrendered to General Washington. He sent his second in command with his sword to surrender officially. Washington was annoyed by this and made the British second in command turn over the sword to his second in command!

Battlefield in miniature

In tribute to the importance of the French fleet blockading the Chesapeake Bay (and thereby the York River), the museum has a recreated boat inside the museum!

A ship far from shore ,in a bad way

The lower deck of the ship simulates the layout and conditions of a naval ship from the 1700s.

Wooden bunk and table

Mirrors made the place look bigger

Canvas hammock over a cannon!

Upstairs (or "on deck" if you like) are exhibits about the battle. The story of the siege is told with dioramas and displays. First we saw a display of French and American uniforms.

The allies wore blue

The first shot by the Americans was lit by General George Washington on October 9, 1781. The eighteen-pounder smashed into a dinner party where one British officer was killed and two others wounded.

Washington takes the first shot

One diorama shows the Americans attacking Redoubt #10. Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton (of musical fame) led a band of Americans with unloaded muskets and fixed bayonets in the assault of the redoubt on the night of October 14, 1781. At the same time, Comte Guillaume de Deux-Ponts led a French assault on Redoubt #9. Both attacks were successful and hastened the end of the siege.

Americans storm Redoubt #10

An interactive display explained what the different drum beats or "calls" meant. Soldiers heard a distinctive rhythm and knew whether to advance or retreat or follow some other order.

Don't ask for whom the drum calls, it calls for thee!

Another diorama shows the British surrender on October 19. The British marched out of town and surrendered in a field not far away. They gave up their flags, weapons, and musical instruments!

British marching not to victory

Another display shows items found in and around Redoubt #10.

Archeological finds!

Outside the boat are a few other exhibits. One shows a field table that Cornwallis used. The table comes apart easily and can be used in large tents as a desk or a dining table.

Cornwallis table

A large tent recreates George Washington's mobile headquarters. In addition to work desks and supplies, the tent included a dining set for meals.

Inside mobile HQ

Food service

The Chamber Tent was a smaller tent used by Washington as his private quarters. It was set up inside a larger sleeping marquee. One of Washington's descendants cut pieces from the walls of the tent to give away as souvenirs.

Chamber Tent

Next, we went out to the actual battlefield, the subject of our next post!

Historic Jamestowne, Virginia--Part II

A continuation of yesterpost...

Just outside the visitor center for Historic Jamestowne is the land owned by Governor George Yeardley, one of the earliest governors of the colony.

No buildings left

A footbridge leads over a swampy area to the original settlement.

Swampy area

Fort and flag in the distance

Just before the fort site there's the Tercentenary Monument. Built in 1907 to commemorate the 300th anniversary, the monument is 104 feet tall (the same number as of the original colonists!).

Tercentenary Monument

Base of the monument (shady side)

Base of the monument (sunny side)

A fancy gate leads into the area with the original church and fort. The church was built just outside of the fort.

A nice entrance

The church was reconstructed in the late 1890s over the original foundation. Most of the brickwork had been taken over the years for other projects or as mementos by visitors.

Rebuilt exterior

The church's graveyard is also reconstructed. Archaeological workers found a few graves just outside the foundations of the church.

Churchyard

Inside, visitors can seen the original foundation.

Bell tower foundation

They are still working on it!

Church interior

View from the altar

Memorial inside the church

Bell tower end of the church

Ad to get donations to help out the restoration

Nearby is a statue of Pocahontas. She was most likely born around 1595 at Werowocomoco, fifteen miles from Jamestown. She was the favorite daughter of Chief Powhatan and visited the colony often in 1608. John Smith credits her with saving his life twice. In 1613, Pocahontas was kidnapped by Captain Argall. While captive, she learned Christianity and was baptized. In 1614 she married John Rolfe, which established peace between the settlers and the natives. She went with Rolfe to England in 1616 with their son Thomas and met the Royal Court. She died in 1617 and was buried in England.

Pocahontas in her younger days

Copy of the 17th-century English engraving of Pocahontas

Archeology is ongoing at the site but no archeologists were on duty.

Blockhouse from the extended fort

Inside the fort grounds is a recreation of the barracks. A wooden frame would be coated with a mud mixture to make the walls. The roofs were typically thatched.

Barracks framed out

Sample of wall

One of the cannons on display

Several burial sites can be found around the property. These two next to each other do not seem to be related. On the left is the remains of a young European man who had a gunshot wound and was buried between 1607 and 1620. On the right is a European woman who was buried in the 1620s somewhere between the ages or 40 and 55.

Burial markers

A statue of Captain John Smith stands right by the waters of the James River. Part of the plaque describing him struck me as funny: "He was an arrogant and boastful man, often tactless and sometimes brutal. Physically strong and worldly wise, he made an excellent settler. However, his personality, his obvious qualifications and his low social position infuriated many of the colony's leaders and settlers." His early life is fascinating. He was born about 1580 to a yeoman farmer. He traveled Europe and fought as a soldier in the Netherlands and Hungary. He was captured and sold as a slave to a Russian master. He killed that man and escaped to Hungary. He made it back to England in time to colonize Virginia. He returned to England in 1609 where he published a few works (the book, a map, and a history of Virginia). He visited New England briefly to map the coast in 1614. He lived the rest of his life in England, dying in 1631.

John Smith statue

Close up 

Another memorial is the Hunt Shrine. Reverend Robert Hunt was the first Anglican minister in the colony. He died in 1608.

Hunt Shrine

The site also has a metal miniature of the original fort.

Triangle fort

Western end

Eastern end

The area also has a "new towne" with the foundations of various buildings from the 1600s. We didn't visit because the kids were done. The new town area was burned down in 1676 by Nathaniel Bacon who led a rebellion against the Colonial Governor William Berkeley.