In this episode of Revolution Revisited, host Maggie Creech and historian Robert (Bert) Dunkerley explain how Britain’s shift to a Southern Campaign in 1780 made the South, and ultimately Virginia, decisive in the final years of the Revolution.

Inside the Epsiode:

After early failures in 1776, Britain captured Savannah and Charleston, where many Virginia Continentals were taken prisoner, and fought brutal, morale-shaping actions like Waxhaw under Banastre Tarleton. Despite American disasters such as Camden, Patriot victories at Kings Mountain and Daniel Morgan’s Cowpens blunted British momentum, culminating in Guilford Courthouse, a costly British win that weakened Cornwallis. The episode follows the war’s expansion into Virginia: Jefferson’s capital move to Richmond, Benedict Arnold’s 1781 raid and destruction, attacks on Petersburg and Osborne’s Landing, raids toward Charlottesville stopped by Jack Jouett’s warning, and Cornwallis’s move to Yorktown, where Washington and Rochambeau marched south to besiege him.

Robert M (Bert) Dunkerly, author and historian

• Robert M. (Bert) Dunkerly is a historian, award-winning author, and speaker who is actively involved in historic preservation and research. He holds a degree in History from St. Vincent College and a Masters in Historic Preservation from Middle Tennessee State University. He has worked at fourteen historic sites, written over a dozen books, and numerous scholarly articles. His research includes archaeology, colonial life, military history, and historic commemoration. He is a past President of the Richmond Civil War Round Table, and serves on the Preservation Commission for the American Revolution Round Table-Richmond. He has taught courses at Central Virginia Community College, the University of Richmond, and Virginia Museum of History & Culture. Dunkerly is currently a Park Ranger at Richmond National Battlefield Park. He has visited over 500 battlefields and over 1000 historic sites worldwide. He enjoys exploring local bookstores, battlefields, and breweries, not necessarily in that order.

00:00 Welcome to the Series

00:42 Why the South Mattered

03:17 British Strategy Shift

05:40 Georgia and Charleston Fall

07:34 Waxhaws and Tarleton

11:42 Camden to Cowpens Turnaround

13:44 Guilford Courthouse Clash

16:20 Virginia Giant Legend

18:34 War of Attrition Explained

20:45 Arnold Raids Richmond

25:18 Petersburg and Statewide Raids

29:15 Yorktown Trap Set

30:47 Closing and Next Episode

• Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution – The Journal of the Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution
• The Virginia Continental Line, by John Settle
• The Revolution in Virginia, by John Selby

Revolution Revisited™ is produced by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. This podcast is made possible by the generous support of William & Karen Fralin.

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