Exploring the Chesapeake
- Chuck Hewett
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
The year, 1781, was a big year in Yorktown and marked the de facto end of the American Revolution. Though the new United States, British Empire, Kingdom of France, Spainish Empire and the Dutch Republic wouldn't sign the Treaty of Paris for another two years, the defeat of Cornwallis and his army at Yorktown by Generals Washington and Rochambeau brought Britain to its knees. That outcome was not pre-ordained. George Washington had hoped to evict the British from New York and was at first dismayed when he received word that Admiral deGrasse would sail from the West Indies to the Chesapeake instead. But ever the opportunist, he and French General Rochambeau led a combined 15,000 troops through the summer heat from New York to Yorktown to trap Cornwallis. Their arrival immediately followed deGrasse's defeat of the British Navy which had been blockading the port which eliminated Cornwallis' ability to evacuate his troops. As Washington and Rochambeau pounded the British redoubts with cannon balls and artillery, Cornwallis lost his last means of escape when a nasty storm driving wind, rain, and huge waves up the James River prevented relocation by small boat to Gloucester Point. Cornwallis hid in a cave before surrendering and declared himself too "indisposed" to attend the formal surrender ceremony that would follow.
As you can tell, the Admiral and I enjoyed our visit to Yorktown and its American Revolution Museum. Quite remarkable, the Museum explains the American Revolution
in clear, explicit detail and hosts a remarkable collection of the war's artifacts. Though it didn't lend itself to a picture, the actual tent that housed George Washington particularly impressed me as did the actual "ceiling" of his dining tent. Of course the Marquis de Lafayette played a substantial role in the war and its battles. When he returned to tour the United States in 1824, he apparently hugged this canon in Yorktown which he remembered because of the location of its canon ball strike.
In Yorktown, we tied up at Riverwalk Landing Marina, the small village's arrival point for tourists coming by boat, small cruise ship, bus, and the ubiquitous automobile.
We were barely off the boat when we ran into Washington, LaFayette, Rochambeau and deGrasse and, naturally, the Admiral couldn't resist hobnobbing with them.
While in Yorktown, we also enjoyed walking through the well preserved historic village , traversing the boardwalk next to the Yorktown Beach, and dining at the Yorktown Pub which offered surprisingly good fare.
From Yorktown, we traveled across and up Chesapeake Bay to Smith Island. On their small low island surrounded by salt water marshes, Smith Islanders eke out a meagher
existance through crabbing and catering to hearty tourists who make their way there on one of two small ferries that leave both Point Lookout, MD, and Reedville, VA.
As is often the case, hunger overtook us when we first arrived and we went to the only open restaurant which is part of the grocery store. To be honest, the lunch disappointed but observing the small selection of groceries and eavesdropping on the half dozen locals who made their way in while we were there provided insight into island life.
After lunch, we walked out and back along the island's only road which traversed the salt marshes between Ewell and Rhodes Point. We made it to the sewage treatment plant which sits about a mile from Ewell. Even in the early afternoon, bird watching as we walked through the marsh proved wonderful. We both observed two life birds, Clapper Rails and Seaside Sparrows! Such a treat! We also enjoyed numerous Glossy Ibises and Oyster Catchers while more common Purple Martin, Red-Winged Blackbirds, and Great Egrets were abundant.
Smith Island Cake has brought fame though not fortune to the island for a century and a quarter. Thought to have been first baked around 1900, this highly sought after dessert
offers eight to ten thin layers of cake interspersed with frosting which also covers the entire creation. The most common and perhaps longest running version is a yellow cake with chocolate frosting but numerous others have come since. We enjoyed a small piece of peanut butter chocolate with our lunch--the only kind available at the moment. We love being in places out of season and ahead of the crowd but most things, including the bakery, on Smith Island had yet to open for the season.
The next morning we enjoyed another walk--this time along the short streets of Ewell Village. There were a few well kept and somewhat prosperous looking homes, especially along the water, but the number of decrepit and even abandoned homes displayed the challenges to making a living on a small, remote island. Further indicative of that was the clutter just abandoned where it had last been used. I chose not to photograph most of the sad things we observed but I did snap a pic of this high and dry abandoned boat sitting where it undoubtedly washed up in a storm.
We also saw some cool things at our dock at Three Knots Marine (also not open but happy to take money). I think this picture of our shadows around the crab we were watching is pretty cool. I wish it were better.
And this Mama Duck and the remaining two chicks of her brood entertained us swimming around just off our bow.
Finally, at the risk of being sacrilegious, I called the gull in the photo below the Jesus Gull for his seeming ability to walk on water. And, by the way, note how close the
daymark is to water that is clearly non-navigable. And that reminds me to mention just how tricky it was to leave Tangier Sound and wind your way into Ewell. The narrow channel wound among shoals with bubba sticks frequently adding navigational insight to the Coast Guard provided daymarks. We watched locals with a combination of local knowledge and past tracks on their chartplotters zoom in and out. We plodded along at idle speed traveling carefully both heading in and heading out.
We're at Solomens Island Yacht Club today where we are spending a chilly, windy and wet day catching up on chores.