George Washington Papers

[Diary entry: 25 March 1775]

25. Returnd to the Convention in Richmond. Dined at Galts & went to Mrs. Randolphs of Wilton.

Today the convention accepted an amended report of the defense committee, which recommended that each county “form one or more voluntier Companies of Infantry and Troops of Horse,” that every infantryman have a rifle or firelock and a tomahawk and “be cloathed in a hunting Shirt by Way of Uniform,” while the county committees were to be in charge of raising the money for munitions from among the local citizenry (VAN SCHREEVEN description begins William J. Van Schreeven et al., eds. Revolutionary Virginia: The Road to Independence. A Documentary Record. 7 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1973–83. description ends , 2:374–75). The convention also appointed a committee to report on manufactures, to which GW was appointed, and then chose the same seven delegates who had attended the First Continental Congress to attend the second Congress set for May. In the polling GW stood second to Peyton Randolph (VAN SCHREEVEN description begins William J. Van Schreeven et al., eds. Revolutionary Virginia: The Road to Independence. A Documentary Record. 7 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1973–83. description ends , 2:376).

Anne Harrison Randolph, a daughter of Benjamin and Anne Carter Harrison of Berkeley, was the widow of William Randolph (1710–1761). Since her husband’s death she had presided over Wilton, which was built in the early 1750s about six miles south of Richmond on the north side of the James River. The house was later moved to the west end of Richmond (DU BELLET description begins Louise Pecquet du Bellet. Some Prominent Virginia Families. 4 vols. Lynchburg, Va., 1907. description ends , 4:133).

Index Entries