Jack Jouett
Ride begins
### Ride begins

Jouett, twenty\-seven years old, lay asleep on the lawn of the [Cuckoo Tavern](/wiki/Cuckoo%2C_Virginia "Cuckoo, Virginia") (although an account by Thomas Jefferson says Jouett was at his father's house) in [Louisa County, Virginia](/wiki/Louisa_County%2C_Virginia "Louisa County, Virginia"), on the night of June 3, 1781\. During the night, he heard the sound of approaching cavalry and spotted the "White Coats," Col. Tarleton's British cavalry.

Jouett suspected that the cavalry was marching to Charlottesville to capture the members of Virginia's government. Jouett knew that the legislature was completely undefended. Very little fighting had taken place on Virginia soil from 1776 to 1780, so most of Virginia's forces were deployed elsewhere. The British had only recently begun significant campaigns in Virginia, so few forces were in the state except local militia. Jefferson and the legislators needed advance warning to escape. Jouett quickly mounted his horse and, at about 10 pm, began the 40\-mile ride from Louisa to Charlottesville. With the British cavalry on the main highway, Jouett had to take the rough backwoods trails to the overgrown Old Mountain Road, likely traveling only with the light of the full moon. He needed to ride fast enough to outrun the British.


What cavalry did Jouett spot?