VIRGINIA ROLE IN HISTORY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00587R000201000013-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 1, 2010
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: September 7, 1976
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/01 : CIA-RDP91-00587R000201000013-7
September 7, 1976 -NORTHERN VIRGINIA SUN, Arlington, Virgin
Virginia Role in History
The Sun is to be saluted
for its excellent Bicen-
tennial series, "They Came
From Virginia," by
Jeanne Johnson Rust. It
gives everyone a better
understanding of the role
played by Virginians in the
winning of our nation's
independence.
In a recent column, "500
pounds of gunpowder," I
believe the honor ,to
Virginia would not be
complete without an im-
portant footnote paying
tribute to the Virginia
officers and an important
secret ally -- Spain -- who
made it all possible.
On May 12, 1776, the
Virginia Committee of
Safety dispatched two
officers, Captain George
Gibson and Lieutenant
Linn, to New Orleans to
seek new supplies of
gunpowder essential to the
colony's defense. The two
Virginians, assuming the
guise of traders, jour-
neyed down the Ohio and
Mississippi from Fort Pitt
to New Orleans.
With the invaluable
assistance of Oliver
Eollock, a New Orleans''
businessman, they were
successful in persuading
the Spanish Governor, Luis
de Unzaga y Amezaga, to
make the secret sale of
gunpowder to Virginia.
Linn took three-fourths of
the gunpowder- up the
river, getting it to Forts
Pitt and Wheeling just in
time to save those outposts
from the British and their
Indian allies.
To mask the effort and to
convince the British that
Spain was not violating its
neutrality, Captain Gibson
permitted himself to be
arrested. He was then
released quietly and sailed
for Philadelphia with the
remaining gunpowder and
other needed supplies--
muskets, blankets and
medicine:' The gunpowder
with which Clark first
outfitted his men was part
of the twelve thousand
pounds of gunpowder (!)
obtained by Gibson and
Linn from the Spanish
King's Stores in New
Orleans.
Later, as Clark con-
tinued his military suc-
cesses in the west, he
.continued to depend on the
secret aid of Spain granted
by Unzaaga s successor as
Governor , of New
Orleans, Bernardo de
Galvez: de Galvez-- for
whom Galveston, Texas, is
named and who was this
year honored by a statue in
Washington--provided not
only the needed military
supplies, but the finances
and credit needed to fund.,
the Commissary Depart-
ment and pay the troops.
de Galvez provided large
sums from his "very secret
service money" and loaned
even more from the
Spanish Treasury, and
has been credited with
enabling the Americans to
retain control of the
territory north of the Ohio.
He even allowed the
Americans to fly the
Spanish flag on supply
ships to protect them from
shelling by English shore
batteries. And, when Spain
entered the war on the side
of the Americans on June
21, 1779, it was Galvez, with
Oliver Pollock riding at his
side, who captured Baton
Rouge, Natchez, Mobile
and Pensacola from the
British.
Thus, in a footnote to the
"500 pounds of gunpowder;"
Virginians may find new
pride in, the success of
Captain Gibson and
Lieutenant Linn, and
those Virginians of
Hispanic descent may add
to that the pride of knowing
the vital role of Unzaga and'
Galvez in coming to
Virginia's aid.
(CAUGHEY, John Walton,
Bernardo de Galvez in
Louisiana.. Berkeley,
Univ. of California, 1934. p.
98.)
Edward F. Sayle
Chairman
Arlington County
Bicentennial
Commission
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/01 : CIA-RDP91-00587R000201000013-7