Forgotten Stories of Pilots Shine in Yorktown Station

A ship’s bell, speaking trumpet, lead line and a manumission for a man named Caesar Tarrant.

These tangible objects donning a table at the Continental Army encampment at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown are used with others to convey the little-known stories of Revolutionary War pilots, many of whom were Black or Indigenous.

The Revolutionary War was effectively won at Yorktown, a town situated on the shores of the York River with easy access to the Chesapeake Bay and beyond. While Washington’s army surrounded British troops on land, the aligned force of the French Navy and budding Virginia Naval blockade on the water helped cement a definitive victory for the patriot cause.

The specialized knowledge and in-depth skill that these men had of local and regional waterways gave them value, power and autonomy that they would not have had ashore in a White-dominated society.

A manumission document for Caesar Tarrant, a Hampton Roads man and skilled pilot who was hired by the Virginia Navy, fought in several Chesapeake Bay military operations and freed for his “meritorious services” during the war, is among the reproduction objects used as a springboard to share contributions of forgotten men during the war. Other stations explore recruitment, exploring Black soldiers who fought on both sides of the war; transportation efforts by wagoners, who were free and enslaved; and the ravages of disease, including smallpox which devastated troops at Yorktown.

Programs go beyond the history books to share diverse narratives throughout the year and during events, such as Liberty Celebration on July 4 and Yorktown Victory Celebration October 14.

—T. J. Savage, Continental Army encampment Supervisor