This is a multi-stage cache. The given coordinates will take you to the first stage. You will then need to get the coordinates for the next two stages. Depending on traffic, you can expect about a 10 minute drive between stages. For the last stage, check the map closely and go in the back way from the neighborhood for easier access. Only the final stage has a cache and log. Dawn to dusk only. Most of the difficulty rating is due to the travel between places.
I have heard from the first few finders that there is a BIG bounce problem at the final stage, and they have sent coords that are different from what I got on my trips there. Checked again myself and got bounce and another set of coords, however, posted coords should be close. I have given a better hint and upped the difficultly due to this.
The first Africans arrived in Virginia in 1619 aboard a Dutch ship bound for Jamestown. Contrary to popular belief, they did not arrive as slaves but rather as indentured servants. By the 1630s, however, many Africans were being enslaved. By 1640 the first person given lifetime servitude, John Punch, was documented. The first legal slave wasn’t documented until John Casor in 1654. This was the one of the first times in history that slavery was based solely upon color and economics. Due in large part to the dependence on tobacco farming, slavery became wide spread in places like Virginia. About 1670, there were about 2,000 slaves in Virginia; by 1775, that number was closer to 150,000.
On the eve of the American Revolution, Virginia’s last Colonial governor, John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, knew his days as Virginia’s leader were numbered. In the late summer of 1775, he fled to Norfolk where he knew he had supporters. By the late fall, even that support was waning. To bolster his numbers, he established the Ethiopian Regiment. In exchange for defending the crown, slaves would be granted freedom. Accounts vary as to how many slaves joined the Regiment ranging from 100 to just over 500. What is known is that they did participate in the Battle of Great Bridge on 9 December 1775. Often called the “Bunker Hill of the South,” the Battle of Great Bridge saw at least two from the Ethiopian Regiment injured, James Sanderson and Cesar. While Dunmore’s regiment was disbanded in 1776 as he fled Virginia, over the course of the war some 30,000 Virginia slaves escaped or were granted freedom for serving in the military on both sides of the conflict.
Your first location is the site of the Battle of Great Bridge. Parking is at N 36° 43.265 W 076° 14.300. Take a look around and find the coordinates to lead you to your second stop. There are two markers that will give you the information you need to solve for the next stop which is N 36 43.ABB W 76 CC.DD7 (A&B and C&D are together).
A=The rounded number of Dunmore’s troops -200 (first digit only).
BB=What was the number of the regiment commanded by Fordyce?
CC=The number of the month Lord Dunmore issued his proclamation offering slaves freedom to fight +5
DD=The number of the day of the proclamation -2.
The Revolution did little to help enslaved people. Even people who were earned freedom often found themselves back into slavery. One later such man was Moses Grandy who helped build the Dismal Swamp Canal. Hired out by his masters, he was able to save money and buy his freedom. However, he was forced back into slavery—not once but twice. He was finally able to get his freedom and travel north when he was 44 around 1830. He remained there until he was able to earn enough to buy his wife and son and travel to London. There he wrote his autobiography that became a rallying point of the abolitionist movement.
Over the next four score plus years, tobacco production was no longer the main part of Virginia’s economy. Thanks to the invention of the cotton gin, cotton was now “king.” This once again caused the numbers of slaves to grow. By 1860, the issue of slavery divided our nation while the number of slaves continued to explode. According to the 1860 census, Norfolk County (roughly modern Chesapeake) had a population of just over 36,000. Of those, just over nine thousand or 25% were slaves. Nearby Princess Anne County (modern Virginia Beach) had an overall population of 7,714 with 3,186 (41.3%) being enslaved.
As our country broke apart over the issue of slavery, African-Americans again supported their country in the military. While some supported the Confederacy, most fought for the Union mostly after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 allowed them to serve in the army. By the end of the war in 1865 almost 10% of Union troops were part of a “colored” regiment. Just over 5,700 of these men were Virginians. Many like Corporal Miles James earned the Medal of Honor for their service. Others went onto help establish the Bells Mill community in Chesapeake.
Now that you are at the second stop, take some time to enjoy this location before heading onto the last spot which you can find by using these coordinates. N 36 43.AAA W 76 20.BBC
Proceed to the flag pole and plaque. The last 3 digits of the year that the flag pole was dedicated minus 9 is AAA. Now look up and to your left. Go to the large grouping of stones. Pay attention to the coloring and locate the large outline of a cross.
BB = the last two digits of the first year on the bottom of the big cross.
C = the number of little crosses on the big cross.
After the Civil War, the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments gave African-American males citizenship, but not equality. Segregation and Jim Crow limited the rights of these citizens, yet they continued to serve their country. Through two World Wars they fought in segregated regiments with white commanding officers. It wasn’t until 1948 that the military was desegregated.
During the 1950’s and 60’s, change was slow to come. While there are many well-known national names, some local ones helped break down barriers also. The last coordinates will take you near to a school named for one such man. A great, great-grandson of a slave, Dr. Hugo Owens worked to break down barriers so his children could experience equality. After serving in WWII, Owens became a dentist and activist. In 1970, Dr. Owens became one of the first African-Americans to serve on Chesapeake City Council. He later served as Vice-Mayor and on the school board before his retirement in 1990. During his lifetime, Dr. Owens served his community in many ways helping ensure equality for all.
Much has changed since those first Africans arrived in Virginia in 1619. The change has often been slower than what it should have been, but it finally came. Remember John Punch from the beginning of this? His 11th great-grandson became the 44th President of the United States.
FTF co-honors go to geospillz, winwinters and penguinteacher!!
You can check your answers for the final stage for this puzzle on GeoChecker.com.