GLOUCESTER — The Gloucester Museum of History recently announced the launch of the Battle of the Hook Driving Tour, a new self-guided driving tour exploring the events, people, and key sites of the battle.
According to the county, the Oct. 3, 1781, battle was one of the most important episodes of the siege of Yorktown, when the Duc de Lauzun’s Legion of hussars with 300 troops of the “Infanterie de Marine,” and Lt. Col. John Mercer’s Select Battalion of Grenadiers, under the overall command of French Brig. Gen. Claude de Choisy, defeated Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton’s British Legion and a detachment of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. The fighting at Gloucester helped cut off British escape routes from Yorktown, directly contributing to their surrender just sixteen days later, on Oct. 19, 1781.
The driving tour guides visitors to pivotal locations throughout Gloucester County, including the historic Tavern at Gloucester Courthouse (now the Gloucester Museum of History), Ware Episcopal Church, Abingdon Episcopal Church, and Seawell’s Ordinary. Each site reveals how local landscapes became strategic military positions during the final campaign for American independence, the county explains.
Additional highlights include the Second Surrender, memorialized at Tyndall’s Point Park, where British troops garrisoned in Gloucester surrendered to French forces one hour after the October 19, 1781, capitulation at Yorktown. The tour also directs visitors to Abingdon Elementary School, where they may experience interpretive signage and a new memorial honoring the five French soldiers who fell during the battle, the county said.
The tour brochure is available at the Museum of History and Gloucester Visitor Center, at no cost, and an online version is also available.
“This tour invites locals and guests to explore Gloucester’s beauty and history while visiting landmarks where decisive moments in America’s fight for independence unfolded,” said Robert Kelly, Gloucester’s Historic Resources Supervisor. “As we commemorate the nation’s 250th birthday, the tour is a powerful way to connect Gloucester’s history and landscapes with the broader story of America’s founding while also honoring the importance of the Franco-American Alliance.”
The driving tour is part of a larger initiative that began over six years ago to build awareness about Gloucester’s pivotal role during the closing days of the American Revolution, the county said.
The museum expressed its appreciation to interns Bella Woodfin and Angela Milligan for their research and authorship of substantial portions of the tour, and to intern Trina Dugan for her editorial review and feedback.
