Town of Leesburg, Virginia
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Leesburg in the American Revolution
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Overview
Leesburg, the county seat of Loudoun, played a pivotal role in supporting the American Revolution. After the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed the Coercive Acts, closing Boston’s port and curtailing the rights of colonists in Massachusetts. In response, on June 14, 1774, leading men of Loudoun gathered at the Leesburg courthouse to adopt the Loudoun Resolves, pledging solidarity with Boston and agreeing to boycott British tea and goods. This meeting marked Loudoun’s formal commitment to the Patriot cause.
Leesburg became a hub for militia organizations. Loudoun was home to the largest number of men eligible to serve in the militia – around 1,746 free white men between sixteen and sixty – the most in Virginia, a fact noted by then Governor of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson. Local political leadership, as figures like Francis Peyton and Josiah Clapham helped steer resistance in the area.
The town also served as a strategic crossroads for troop movements; in 1781, General Anthony Wayne’s forces marched through Leesburg enroute to Yorktown. While no major battles occurred in Leesburg, its courthouse and surrounding farms were vital for recruitment, supply, and morale, making the town an essential contributor to the Revolution. After the war, many veterans returned to shape the new nation, serving as mayors, councilmen, and community leaders in Leesburg. Others claimed bounty lands in the South and West, populating new territories and carrying with them the memory of their Loudoun roots.
Timeline
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 1761 | First Loudoun County courthouse built at Market and King Streets. |
| June 14, 1774 | Loudoun Resolves adopted at Leesburg courthouse in response to the Coercive Acts; signers pledge support for Boston and boycott British goods. |
| 1775 | Loudoun Independent Militia forms; Leesburg becomes a drilling site for Minutemen. |
| August 12, 1776 | Declaration of Independence publicly read at Leesburg courthouse. |
| 1778 | British and Hessian prisoners marched through Leesburg enroute to Charlottesville Prisoner of War Camp. Local Leesburg Militia serves as guards. |
| Spring 1781 | General Anthony Wayne’s troops cross the Potomac at Noland’s Ferry and march through Leesburg toward Yorktown. |
| October 1781 | Loudoun militia participates in Yorktown campaign, Cornwallis surrenders. |
| 1784 | Continental Army veterans return home, Leesburg Courthouse processes pension claims for soldiers like Daniel Coleman. |
Historical Highlights
Loudoun Resolves
On June 14, 1774, Loudoun freeholders, men who owned property and could vote, met at the Leesburg courthouse and adopted the Loudoun Resolves, protesting Parliament’s Intolerable Acts passed to punish Boston for the December 1773 Tea Party. They declared taxation without representation unjust, warned British force would spark civil war, and pledged their "lives and fortunes" to defend colonial rights.
Transcript of Loudoun Resolves
Resolutions of Loudoun Co. Va
June 14th 1774
At a meeting of the Freeholders and other inhabitants of Loudoun County in the colony of Virginia held at the Court house in Leesburg 14 June 1774. Fr. Peyton in the Chair "To consider the most effectual method to preserve the rights and liberties of North America and relieve our brethren of Boston Suffering under the most oppressive and tyrannical Act of the British Parliament made in the 14th year of his Majesty’s Reign. Where by their harbour is blocked up their commerce totally obstructed, their property rendered useless.
Resolved, that we will always cheerfully submit to such prerogatives as his Majesty has a right by law to exercise as Sovereign of the British Dominions, and to no others.
Resolved: That it is beneath the dignity of freemen to submit to any tax not imposed on them in the usual manner by representatives of their own choosing."
Scan of Handwritten Loudoun Resolves
Courtesy of William and Mary Special Collections.
Washington’s "Headquarters"
Despite local lore, there is no evidence that General George Washington had a Revolutionary War headquarters in Leesburg. Numerous early 20th-century postcards connect him to 106 Loudoun Street SW and to 4 Loudoun Street SE.
George Washington knew Leesburg well, traveling through as a young surveyor for Lord Fairfax and later during the French and Indian War, but no records place him here during the Revolution. His friend Marquis de Lafayette visited 4 Loudoun Street during his farewell tour in 1825.
Postcard Number 1
Washington's Headquarters, Loudoun Street, Leesburg, Va.
106 Loudoun Street SW, Historic Postcard Collection (VC004) Thomas Balch Library
Postcard Number 2
Loudoun Street, showing Stone House at left in which Washington was entertained during the Revolution, also where Lafayette was welcomed August 9, 1825, Leesburg, Va.
4 Loudoun Street SE, Historic Postcard Collection (VC004) Thomas Balch Library
Christopher Greenup Musters Rolls
In April 1778, Lieutenant Christopher Greenup recorded the names of men serving in the 16th Virginia Regiment. His muster rolls, taken over two days, list local soldiers who stepped forward to join the Continental Army. These simple pages preserve the moment Leesburg and Loudoun men formally signed up to fight for American independence.
Contact the Thomas Balch Library to see the full document.
Leesburg Celebrates America 250
On July 4, 2026, our nation will commemorate 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence—a moment to reflect on our past, honor the contributions of all Americans, and envision the future we want to create. Leesburg has always stood at a crossroads—of migration, commerce, and ideas. By 1776, this thriving community was deeply engaged with the revolutionary ideals that shaped a new nation. America’s Semi-quincentennial year is the perfect time to explore Leesburg’s unique role in the struggle for independence.