Charlottesville

A History of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781 in the Southern Provinces of North America — T. Cadell (Banastre Tarleton)

Tarleton's own account of his career as a British cavalry commander, including the June 1781 Charlottesville raid. The British perspective on the operation's objectives and execution, written with access to his own orders and dispatches.

Jack Jouett's Account of His Ride to Warn Jefferson, June 3-4, 1781 — Library of Virginia

Jouett's account of his 40-mile night ride from Cuckoo Tavern to Charlottesville to warn Jefferson and the legislature of Tarleton's advance. The Virginia counterpart to Paul Revere's ride, documented in Jouett's own words.

Journal of the Virginia General Assembly, May-June 1781 — Library of Virginia

Official legislative record of the General Assembly session meeting at Charlottesville before its hasty adjournment ahead of Tarleton's approach. Documents the near-capture of Virginia's government.

Thomas Jefferson to William Gordon, July 16, 1788 (Account of Tarleton's Raid) — Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Papers

Jefferson's retrospective account of the June 4, 1781, British raid on Charlottesville, written seven years after the event. Primary testimony on his escape from Monticello and the near-capture of the Virginia legislature.

Thomas Jefferson's Monticello: Research and Collections — Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Monticello

The Jefferson Foundation maintains extensive archival and archaeological resources on Jefferson's wartime experiences, including documentation of the events of June 4, 1781, the British seizure of Monticello, and the Hemings family's situation during the raid.

Albemarle County in Virginia — Michie Company (Edgar Woods)

County history covering the Charlottesville and Albemarle region during the Revolution. Draws on local family records, court papers, and church registers. Valuable for identifying the civilian population's response to the raid.

Enslaved Community at Monticello During the Revolution — Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Getting Word Project

The Foundation's oral history project documenting the Hemings and other enslaved families at Monticello. Includes material on the wartime situation of enslaved people during the British raid, some of whom fled to Cornwallis's lines.

Jefferson the Virginian (Jefferson and His Time, Vol. 1) — Little, Brown (Dumas Malone)

First volume of the definitive six-volume Jefferson biography. Covers the Charlottesville raid and Jefferson's controversial wartime governorship in detail, drawing on all available correspondence and Virginia executive records.

Tarleton's Raid on Charlottesville — Virginia Magazine of History and Biography

Early scholarly reconstruction of the June 4, 1781, raid. Cross-references Tarleton's memoirs with Jefferson's letters and Virginia militia reports to reconstruct the sequence of events.

University of Virginia Special Collections: Albemarle County Revolutionary Era Papers — University of Virginia, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library

Manuscript collections including Albemarle County militia records, land surveys, and correspondence from the 1781 period. Particularly useful for local militia response to the British invasion.

Monticello Visitor Guide: Jefferson and the Revolution — Thomas Jefferson Foundation

Visitor-oriented interpretive materials covering Jefferson's wartime experiences and Monticello's place in the 1781 British Virginia campaign. Good starting point for physical site orientation.

Tarleton's Raid -- Wikipedia — Wikipedia

General reference overview of the June 1781 raid. Covers Jouett's warning ride, the legislative escape, and the seizure of Monticello. Cross-check with Jefferson's letters for factual accuracy.