On this day 250 years ago at White Plains, the Fourth Provincial Congress of New York convened and declared the State of New York independent.

On the same day on the Commons in New York City, the Declaration of Independence was read by George Washington to the Continental Army and local citizens. The crowd then proceeded to the nearby Bowling Green where they tore down the statue of George III.

Sources: Schecter at 102-03; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Provincial_Congress

On this day 250 years ago on Cricket Hill in Virginia, over 2000 men of the 7th Virginia Regiment with companies from the 2nd and 6th Virginia and Virginia militia, over 2000 men in all, with two artillery batteries with a total of seven cannon, began bombarding British forces commanded by Gov. Lord Dunmore on Gwynn’s Island, and his fleet of ships anchored off the island. Although the Virginia soldiers outnumbered Dunmore’s men about four to one, they had had only a few canoes to cross the narrow channel from Cricket Hill to Gwynn’s Island.

The overall American commander was Brig. Gen. Andrew Lewis and the artillery was under the command of Capt. Louis d’O’hickey Arundel (frequently referred to as “Dohickey Arundel”), a volunteer from France, who had trained his artillerymen well. Capt. Arundel had invented a cannon made of wood bound with iron bands and Arundel insisted on firing his experimental cannon during the bombardment of Gwynn’s Island. The cannon exploded in its first use, killing Arundel instantly. He was the only American casualty of the battle but the American artillery were very effective. The British never reported their casualties but they may have exceeded 100 (not counting the hundreds who perished on the island from smallpox) with the second American shot famously killing the boatswain of Lord Dunmore’s ship Dunmore and wounding the Governor slightly. The American bombardment forced the British to abandon Gwynn’s Island and severely damaged the British ships before they could pull out of range.

Sources: Wrike at 79-83; https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/battle-of-gwynns-island/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gwynn’s_Island

On this day 250 years ago in Baltimore, Dunlap’s Maryland Gazette published the Declaration of Independence.

Source: Display at the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.