Unsung Hero

“Now listen my children and you will hear”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

You won’t hear about the midnight ride of Paul Revere or even about the ride of Jack Jouett. Instead you will hear about the ride of another unsung hero of the Revolution.

On that spring night in 1781 it was dark and stormy. The occasional flashes of lightning illuminated the horse and rider as they raced through the darkness. A few hours before, the rider, Jesse Thomas, had been resting at his home, Royal Oaks, in Cumberland County. He was recuperating from a wound he received at the Battle of Cowpens. Suddenly, he had received an unexpected visitor. The man was an escaped prisoner of war and he told Jesse that Cornwallis had dispatched two regiments of redcoats. One under the command of Col Tarleton was heading to Charlottesville to capture Thomas Jefferson. The other under command of Col. Simcoe was headed to Point of Fork to capture the arsenal there.

Point of Fork situated at the confluence of the James and Rivanna rivers was under command of Baron Von Steuben and housed a storehouse of weapons, ammunition and other supplies vital to the war effort.

The rider crouched low over the brown mane of Fearnaught, his gallant steed, as they made their way towards the James River. The large chestnut stood 16 hands high and was as swift as an antelope. Reaching the river they found it in flood. There were no bridges and the ferry was out.

Leaning low over the horse’s neck he ordered “cross over”. Without hesitation they plunged into the raging water and with powerful strokes reached the other shore. They then raced to Von Steuben’s camp and warned him of the approaching danger.

Von Steuben and his troops were able to transport their stores across the James River. They also dropped artillery pieces into the river.

Thus Jesse Thomas and Fearnaught helped to foil Simcoe’s plans and helped to hasten victory for the emerging nation that would be known as America.