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Bowman's
Folly
The house is located on Folly Creek on the north shore on Joynes Neck. It is
built upon an artificial mound created to give it a more impressive aspect.
The original Bowman's Folly was built by Captain Edmund Bowman in the late 1600s.
The current structure was built by General John Cropper, Jr., descendant of Edmund
Bowman, in 1815 to replace the original structure which burned.
The 1779 British Raid
on Bowman's Folly
The following story
about the British Raid on Bowman's Folly is adapted from the book, Virginia's
Eastern Shore written by Ralph T. Whitelaw. General John Cropper was born in 1755 and was involved in the American Revolution. In 1776 he was commissioned Captain of the shore company of the 9th Virginia Regiment. This regiment would later take part in the Battle of Brandywine and Battle of Germantown where 400 of its men would be captured by the British. General Cropper came home to Bowman's Folly for a six-month leave to spend time with his family, thinking he had escaped the war for a while. In February 1779, while still at home on leave he had another encounter with the British. A landing party from the tender Thistle had rowed up Folly Creek and landed a short distance from his house. This same ship was driven away from Wachapreague to the south by forts on the barrier islands. General Cropper became aware that the landing party was starting to surround his house with his wife and infant daughter sleeping in the bed. The men raided his house, imprisoned him in a room and took his wife and child to an outhouse. The English proceeded to destroy the furniture, pocket any items they thought of value. They began to drink the wines and liquor in the cellar and became drunk. General Cropper, assessing the situation stealthily opened the door to find two soldiers outside, he managed to escape the men, and ran two miles in his underclothes to his neighbor's house. They quickly grabbed three muskets and went back to the house. The neighbor was so alarmed with the number of lights and noise at the house he immediately dropped his guns and fled. General Cropper picked up the guns and fired them, yelling "Come on boys, we have got them now." This startled the raiders and they all took off running for the boats and rowed out of the creek. He discovered his wife and daughter in the outhouse and saw a train of powder had been laid to blow up the house. General Cropper was able to save his house and family, but their belongings had been destroyed and their slaves had been taken. |
Notes: HomeOfficial Trail Guide Web Site The Other Historic Site Guides: Historic Site Guide North Accomack - Chincoteague and Assateague IslandHistoric Site Guide Northampton - Willis Wharf to Eastern Shore Wildlife Refuge
The Trail was developed by the Accomack -
Northampton Planning District Commission in cooperation with Accomack County,
Northampton County, the Town of Chincoteague, the Town of Wachapreague, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and
the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program. It is a project of Virginia's Seaside Heritage Program,
a multi-year effort to restore living resources and promote sustainable ecotourism
on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. |
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