The Virginia Giant

My sister and I are history buffs. I blame my parents. As kids, they took us to Fredericksburg, Williamsburg, Gettysburg and every other city that had a battlefield or museum. For me, history is a hobby. My sister has made a career of it. She’s currently working for South Carolina 250.
Today, as we celebrate the 249th Birthday of America, I want to tell you about an unsung hero; Peter Fransisco, the Virginia Giant. At a time when most men were 5’6”, Francisco was 6’ 6” and a hulking figure. (At 16 years old, he was 6 feet tall and weighed 260 pounds.)
“Without him we would have lost two crucial battles, perhaps the War, and with it our freedom. He was truly a One-Man Army.” – Gen. George Washington
Born in Portugal, Peter Fransisco was sold into indentured servitude as a young boy and abandoned in City Point, Virginia (now Hopewell) at age five. Raised by Judge Anthony Winston, Patrick Henry’s cousin, he became a blacksmith apprentice at 15 and enlisted with the Continental Army in 1776.
Battle of Stony Point (1779): During a daring night time attack, Francisco entered the British fort first and received a large abdominal wound, but kept fighting. He walked out of the fort with the British flag.
Battle of Camden (1780): Francisco picked up a 350-pound cannon barrel about to be captured by the British, and carried it off the battlefield.
Battle of Guilford Court House (1781): He killed eleven British soldiers with a broadsword, after being stabbed by a bayonet during the battle.
On his way home to recover from his wounds suffered at Guilford, Francisco stopped at a Ward’s Tavern in Nottoway County, where he was confronted by a group of British Cavalry soldiers. It took 11 men to hold him down. When they tried to steal the silver buckles off his shoes, he killed three of the soldiers and wounded the other eight. Although he suffered a bullet wound, he stole one of the officer’s horses and escaped.
A year later, Washington summoned Francisco to Yorktown, where he witnessed the surrender of General Cornwallis and the remaining British forces. Francisco, who was fighting under Gen. Lafayette at the time, did not participate in the final battle. The Generals probably thought the enemy had already suffered enough at the hands of the Virginia Giant.
As we celebrate our Independence and Freedom this weekend, remember that America is a land of immigrants, like Peter Francisco. Their accomplishments over the last 249 years are essential to that freedom.
A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE EVENTS
Star-Spangled Squirrels Fest – Fourth of July
Friday, July 4, 2025
Time: Doors open at 6:00 p.m., and fireworks will begin at 9:00 p.m.
Tickets: $10 at the door.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m., and fireworks will begin at 9:00 p.m.
Nothing screams Fourth of July more in RVA than fireworks at The Diamond! This special, non-game event will be sure to bring the Funn to your Independence Day plans. Listen to live music from The Landsharks, a Jimmy Buffett tribute band, enjoy food and drink specials, and catch one of the largest fireworks shows in the region.
Snag a General Admission ticket to the event for just $10!
Go big for the 4th at Byrd Park
600 South Boulevard, Richmond, VA
Music at 5:30 p.m., fireworks around 9:15 p.m.
Richmond’s classic free concert and fireworks. Plan to arrive early—parking fills up fast.
Hanover Arts Center
July 4, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
500 South Center St. | Ashland, Virginia
A classic small-town parade with lawn games, pie, and very enthusiastic pets in costume.
“The bosom of America is open to receive not only the opulent and respected stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all nations and religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges…“ – President George Washington