The Revolutionary War and its impact on Gloucester County was the topic of the Jan. 26 meeting of the Gloucester Historical Society, which was held at the Abingdon Episcopal Church Parish House, White Marsh.

Gloucester High School teacher, historian, author and Revolutionary War reenactor Michael Cecere discussed the Gloucester colonials’ response to the growing clouds of war. 

In early 1776, Virginia fielded two regiments of “regulars,” or formally trained soldiers, who were supported by militia groups and even a small number of irregular minutemen. As Virginia did not declare independence from Britain until May of that year, the Old Dominion was more or less spared the large-scale military actions going on in the northern colonies early in the war.

The regular regiments Virginia did have were stationed near Great Bridge in Chesapeake, Cecere said, though after the oldest of the 13 colonies declared independence that would change.

“The fourth Virginia ...