Yorktown in York County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

A 1681 Mortar

Photographed by Evan Dwyer, March 9, 2025

1. A 1681 Mortar Marker

Inscription. Although a century old this mortar was still serviceable in 1781 indicating that armament did not change so quickly then as now. It's Latin inscription carries its own message: "I send not the rays of the Sun but the thunderbolts of Jupiter."

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical year for this entry is 1781.

Location. 37° 13.882′ N, 76° 30.041′ W. Marker is in Yorktown, Virginia, in York County. It can be reached from Colonial National Historical Parkway. Marker is on a disused path north of the Colonial National Historical Park's Yorktown Battlefield Visitor Center, by the bluff beyond the "firing range" used for firing demonstrations in the 2010s-2020s. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1000 Colonial National Historic Parkway, Yorktown VA 23690, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Peninsula,

in Coastal Virginia,

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally,

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it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Yorktown Bicentennial Pine Trees (about 700 feet away); Yorktown (about 700 feet away); Tobacco Road (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Tobacco Road (approx. 0.2 miles away); Redoubt 10 (approx. ¼ mile away); Capture of Redoubt No. 10 (approx. ¼ mile away); Cornwallis Headquarters (approx. ¼ mile away); French Soldiers and Sailors (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Yorktown.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Don't Tread on Me! (was about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been permanently removed).

Where is the 1681 Mortar? image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Evan Dwyer, November 4, 2023

2. Where is the 1681 Mortar?

There is no historic mortar accompanying the 1681 Mortar Marker. the nearest mortar is this one, with 1741 date-stamped on the trunnions, up the hill from the old marker. What appears to be a replica of this exact same weapon was added to the area around the parking lot in 2025. Inside the Visitor Center is a much smaller British mortar but it lacks a Latin inscription. There is a French mortar down the road, but it is from 1756. The weapon referenced by the marker seems to be either in storage or gone.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 15, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 59 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 15, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.