The Kings Highway ~ Road to Yorktown

The Kings Highway ~ Road to Yorktown (HM1QSJ)

Location: Quantico, VA 22134 Prince William County
Buy Virginia State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 38° 32.312', W 77° 20.68'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 462 views
Inscription
In the late 18th century, armies made the most use of the King's Highway. Merchants preferred to move goods such as tobacco over the Potomac River since land travel was difficult. The road became a main transportation route after the Revolutionary War.

In 1781, Generals George Washington and Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau traveled with cavalry and baggage wagons along the King's Highway to Yorktown, Virginia. They rested and gathered supplies at Mount Vernon, then rode south on September 12, 1781. Rochambeau's Quartermaster General wrote that after passing the Marumsco Creek "...you proceed through the woods, passing Blackburn House [Rippon Lodge] on the left." The Generals mapped their route. One month after they traversed Prince William County, they defeated British forces at Yorktown and won America's independence.

Improvements Needed!
General George Washington ordered Colonel Harry Lee to improve the King's Highway in preparation for troop movement to Yorktown. In a letter dated September 17, 1781, Lee described work undertaken to accommodate the baggage train's passage through Prince William County. He wrote that 285 militia were
...on severe duty in repairing the roads which were impassable for the Baggage Wagons, Artillery, and mounted escorts...and in a few days I am in hopes will be completely accomplished which will open a direct way from Georgetown to Dumfries and shorten the distance many miles, besides being a much better road, and well supplied with forage, being a fine fertile Country well improved with Meadows.
Details
HM NumberHM1QSJ
Tags
Placed ByThe National Museum of the Marine Corps and Prince William County
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Sunday, February 21st, 2016 at 9:01pm PST -08:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 295646 N 4268175
Decimal Degrees38.53853333, -77.34466667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 38° 32.312', W 77° 20.68'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds38° 32' 18.72" N, 77° 20' 40.8" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)703
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 19262-19338 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Quantico VA 22134, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. This marker needs at least one picture.
  10. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  11. Is the marker in the median?