USA > Virginia > Historical collections of Virginia : containing a collection of the most interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, &c. relating to its history and antiquities ; together with geographical and statistical descriptions ; to which is appended, an historical and descriptive sketch of the District of Columbia. > Part 61
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Norfolk and its vicinity was the scene of some important military events in the war of the revolution. The British feet, to which Lord Dunmore had Hed at the outbreak of hostilities, made Nor- folk harbor its principal rendezvous.
In October, 1775, "a British oficer (says Girardin) with 12 or 13 soldiers, and a few sailors, landed at the county wharf in Norfolk, and, under cover of the mep-of-war. who made every show of friur upon the town in case the party were molested, marched up the main street to Holt's plating offire, from whence, without opposition of resist. ance, they carried off the types. with other printing materials, and two of the workweh. The corporation of Norfolk remonstrated with Dunmore on this outrage ; stated their ability to have cut off this small party, had they been so disposed ; and requested the immediate return of the persons and property illegally seized. Dunmore's answer was faneting and insulting in the highest degree. He said that he could not have rendered The people of Norfolk a greater service, than by depriving them of the means of having their minds prisoned, and of executing in them " the spirit of rebellion and Redition ;" that their not having ent off the sind! party who took Holt's types, he imputed to other redroas than their praceable intentions, as their drums were beating to arms without success the greater part of the time that the party were on shore. He gave them no satisfaction on the subject of restoring the persons and property seized and carried od: Halt, the printer, was not silent on the occasion. He published in the Williamsburg papers zu eloquent philippe against Dunmore, and a patriotic advertisement, mming bie intention to establish a new press, to be conducted on the same principles as that which had been destroyed."
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The administration of Virginia directed all their attention upon this part of the sen. , where they perceived the danger most formidable. Dunmore, alarmed at their prepar :. tions, constructed batteries and intrenchments at Norfolk, armed the blacks and tories, and forced the country people to drive their cattle and convey provisions to the fow .. The government of Va. dispatched, with myput a detachment of minute-men, under the command of Col. Woodford. into the county.
" Daumore, apprized (says Botta) of this movement, very prudently occupied a strong position upon the north bank of Elizabeth River, called Great Bridge, a fsv miles from Norfolk. This point was situated upon the direct route of the provincial troops. he throw up works upon the Norfolk side, and furnished them with a numerous artijere
only accessible by a long dike. As to the forces of the governor, they were littlo for- anidable : be had only 200 regulars, and a corps of Norfolk voluut is : the resulte con. sisted in a shapeless mass of varlets of every color. The Virgin and took pot out against the English, in a small village at a cannon-shot distance. Before then they hai a long narrow dike, the extremity of which they also fortified. Jn this stato the que pottise reigained for several days without making any movement."
Nn ingenious enatagem precipitated the operations. A servant of Man Madali's, father of the chief justice,) being properly instructed, desert 2 5. Durmore, and re- united that there were not at the bridge more than 300 amazon, as the Virginias, wie trusth were hunting-shirts, were contemptuously called. B. Keving the story, Dan muore dispatched about 200 regulars, and 300 blocks and teries to the Great Bridge;vis arrived there on the morning of the 9th of December. 1775, and just as the reveille had done .beating. made an attack upon the Virginians. They were signals defeated and lost 102 jo killed and we The com.ved particulare of this ction, called the " Battle of the Heart In published five days after, in the Virgini Gazete:
The Great Bridge is built over what is called the southern branch of Elizabeth River, 19 miles above Norfolk. The land on each side is marshy to a considerable distance from the river, except at the 1 ... extremities of the bridge, where are two pieces of firm land, which may not improperly be called islands, mindentholy Mountain; water and marin and pohled the wine by causewaye. On the Me piece of firm ground on the further or Norfolk side, Fred Bannere Id erected bis fort, in such a las! ". that his cannon conun inded the extreway on hisown side, and the bridges between his Hand as, weil the marches amand bit. The island of this side of the river cautioned six or seven houses, some of which were barnt down (there neprest the bridge) by the enemy after the arrival of our troops ; in the others, adjoining the e n eway on ourb side, were stationed a guard every night by Col. Woodford, hat withdrawn before day, that they might not be exposed to the fire of the enemy's fort in recrossiat the einseway to our comp. this mid way also being reminded by the day ;
The causeway on our side, in length was about 100 yards, and on the hither excentr ont 1.sokan was thrown uf. From the brestwork ran x street gradnaby ascending, phout the length of ku yu .. to a church where our in in body was encamped. "The great wade to North in shingles, tar, Die is, tad tirpentine, from the country back of this, but ocessioned so icany houses to be built here, whende the articies were conveyed to Norfolk by water. But this by the by. Such is the nature of the place as described to me, and such was cor shamion, and that of the enemy.
On Saturday the 9th, inst., after reveille Leasing, two or three great guns and some masketry were dis- charged by the enemy, which, as it was not an unw. de! thing. war bat Hatte jogarded by Col. Woodford. However, soon after be heard a call to the soldiers to stand by their anos, upon which, with aff exp tion. he made the proper dispositions to receive them. In the mean time, the energy had crossed the bridge, fired the remaining houses upon the island, and some large piles of shingles, and attacked ... guard in the breastwork. Our men returned the are, and threw them into some confusion ; but they were instantly rallied by Capt. Fordyce, and advanced along the causeway with great revolution, kre .. . up a constant and heavy fire as they approached. Two field-pleces, which had been brought across the Midge and placed on the edge of the ideal for that of war for atwork. played lily at the tune upon us. Lieut. Travis, who commanded in the breastwork. ordered his .men to reserve their ore until the enemy came within fifty yards mat then they gave it to them with terrible execution. The Boys Fordyce exerted himself to keep up their sprits, reminded them of their ancient glory, and, wowiry ! : hat over his head encourteingiy, told them the any was their own. Thus pressing forward, Let With fifteen steps of the breastwork. His wounds were away, and his death would have been tous'. ..... And he met it in a better cure. The progress of the cutmy was now at an end, and they retreated over the car eway with precipitation and were dreadfully ruled in their rear,
Hitherto, on our side only the guard, consisting of twenty-five, and some others, in the whole not amounting to more than ninety, had been engaged. Only the regulary of the 14th regiment. in amber 120, had : dvaneed upon the e us way : wink afost 230 negroes and tories had, after reading the continued upon the island. The reand ry efor retreating along the cruceros, were again "i' Capt. Leslie, and the two field peres couldund playing npon our men. It was at this time they Woodford was advancing down the street won the breakwork with the main body, and agiert Han now directed the whole fire of the cure. Nowe were cagney konzer served: get in the three and the mask try, which kept up around el Gere, our men marched on with the unnost Faire Cal. Stevens, of the Culpeper battalion, was out round to the left to Bank the endtuy, which was done with, so much spirit and activity that a tout immediately engaged. The enemy Med into their fort levit ; behind them the two feld pieces, which, however, they took care to spike kes with nails.
Many were killed and warended in the flight ; but Gol. Weakford very predently restrained his temps Conta pur ging the endway too far. From the beginning of the attack, till the reprise at the breastisn't might be Jd or 15 minutes; till the total deled, upwards of half an hour. It te said that some of the Quemy preferred death to captivity, from fear of being scalped, which Lord Dunmore cruelly told them
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would be their frie should they be taken alive. Thirty-one killed and wounded feil into our hands, and the number borne off was much greater. Through the whole engagement every officer and soldier be- haver with the greatest calmness and courage. The conduct of our sentinel. I cannot pass over in silence. Before they quitted their stations, they fired at least three rounds as the enemy were crossing the bridge, and one of them, posted behind some shingles, kept his ground until he had fired eight times and, after he had received the fire of a whole platoon, arale his escape across the talked , that breastwork. was closed with as much humanity as it was conducted with bravery work of death being over, every one's attention was directed to the succor of the unhappy suderen . .! it is an undoubted fact, that Capt. Leslie was so affected with the tenderness of our troops to those capa- ble of assistance, that he gave signs from the fort. of his thankfulness. What is not paralleled in history, and will scarcely be credible, except to such as acknowledge a Providence over human affairs, this vie- tury was gained at the expense of no more than a slight wound ja a soldier's hind : and our circum- stance which rendered it still more annizing is, that the field-pieces raked the whole length of the street. and absolutely threw double-headed shot as far as the church, and afterwards, as our troops approached, cannonaded them heavily with empe-shot.
An article in a succeeding piper says: " A correspondent on whose information we my depend. in- formas us that our soldiers showed the greatest humanity and tenderness to the wounded prisoners. Suv- era! of them ran through a bet fire to lift up and bring in some that we're bleeding, and who diey feared Would die if not speedily assisted by the surgeon. The prisoners expected to be scalped. and cried out, " For God's sake, do not murder us.' One of them, unalde to walk, cried out in this manner to one of our men, and was answered by him, 'Put your arm around my neck, and I will show yon what I intend to do' Then taking bim with his arm over his neck. he walked slowly along, bearing him along with great tenderness, to the breastwork. Capt. Leslie, seeing two of our soldiers tender !; removing a wound- ed regular from the bridge, stepped upon the platform of the fort, and bowing with great respect. thanked them for their kindness. These are instances of a noble disposition of soul. Men who can act thus, must be invincible.
The repulse of the British at Great Bridge, determined the Virginians to march to Norfolk, " the strong-hold of ministerial power, and the focus of hostile enterprise ; and a numerous party under Col. Stevens was immediately detached to Kemp's Landing, with orders to secure. in the neighborhood of that place, every person known to have iett Norfolk smee the battle of the Great Bridge.
" Among the individuals arrested in consequence of these orders, one William Calvert reported that he was present when Dannve received the news of the defeat. His fond- ship, frantic with rage, swore, in his impotent ravings, that he would hang the boy who brought the information. The intrenchinents at Norfolk were hastily abandoned. more then 20 pieces of canton spiked and dismantled, and the fleet presented to by the lite governor and many of the disaffected, with their families and the who i portable said valuable of their effects, as the only asylum against the imparting sereceber of the patriots. Nothing but trepidation, shame, and despair, was now to be van sinnig those rash and infatuated boasters who lately burled defiance and insult in the face of the Virginians -- who, with ferocious joy and presumptuous confidence, spoke of easy triomphe over them-considered their noble enthusiasm as a momentary effervescence of popular phrensy-denied their courage, as well as their ability to resist ministerial omnipotence- and in their dreams of ideni copobest, druh around confise tion. proscription, and death."
In consequence of u pacific declaration, issued by Col. Woodford to the inhabitants of Princess Anne and Norfolk counties, many of the inhabitants resorted to his camp. To those who had joined the enemy through fear alone, all reparatie medresen was extended ; while upon others a vigilant eye was kent. Thes taken Dr ains ware each coupled with handcuff's to one of his black fellow-soldiers, as a ations and placed in confinement. On the night of the 11th, five days after the battle of Great Bile .. the Virginians entered Norfolk, and the succeeding morning Col. Howe assined be command.
" Although the greater part of the loyalists of Norfolk and its environs had sought rofure in the governor's fleet, there had, nevertheless, remained a considerable number of them; either on account of their reluctance to leave their properties, or their dread of the sea and of famine, or perhaps because they hoped to find more lenity on the part of their fellow-ririzens who made profession of liberty, than they had shown towards them when they had been superior in this country.
. But it is certain that the patriots, on acquiring the accenderey, made the ts feel it cruelly, and over- whelmed them with all those vexations of which there are so many examples in civil wars, between mnen of different parties. The governor. transported with rage, and touched by the piteon : cries of the loyalists, panted to avenge them. This reciprocal hatred was daily exasperated by the rencontres which took place very frequently between the two parties ; the provinciale watching at all point of the shore in prevent the royal troops frem landing. in order to forage in the country, and the latter on the contrary, engerly spying every means to plunder provisions upon the American territory. Then altitude of months to be fed. kept them constantly in a finishing stato. A ship of war arrived in the mean fare, in the bay of Norfolk. Lord Duminore sent a Bag on shore to apprize the inhabitants that they must tureich provisions, and cease firing, otherwise he should bombard the town. The provincials answered only by a refusal. The governor then resolved to drive them out of-the city with artillery, and to bam the houses situated upon the river. He sent in the morning to give notice of his design, in order that the women, children, and all except combatants might Retreat to a place of safety."
On the first of January, 1776, " between three and four o'clock in the afternoon, a heavy cannonde from the frigate Liverpool. two stoops of war, and the ship Danmore, opened against the town. Under cover of the ganz, several parties of marines and sailors were landed, and set fire to the houses on the wharves. As the wind blew from the water, and the buildings were chiefly of wood, the flames rapidly
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NORFOLK COUNTY.
spread, The efforts of the American commanders and their men to stop the progress and ravages of the fire, proved ineffectual. The conflagration raged for nearly three days, and corsomed about nime-team!" of the town. Frareely cup even the strongest imagination picture to itself the distress of the wretched inhabitants. most of whom. friends or foes, saw their homes, their property. their all, an indiscriminat pay to the irrepressible Gary of the flames. The hours of the configuration were heightened in the thunder of canon from the ships, and masketry of the hostile parties that encountered each . :. ; in sharp conflict near the shore, and on the smoking ruins of the devoted town. In these encontrar. i." British were uniton'y requiled, and driven back to their boats with shame and loss. Of the .. by a singular good fortune, none were killed, and only 5 or 6 men wounded, one of white Boy Rome winnen and children were. however, reported to have lost their lives. In this affair o Stevens still added to his time. At the head of his hardy, indefatigable, and irresistible band. I . to be with the rapidity of lightning to the water-side, struck a large party of Batich, who had just kunted magn. und comprlied them to retire, with slaughter and in dismay, to the protection of their wooden wills, in general, during the whole of this attheting scene, both officers and men evinced a spira worthy of veterans.
"Sncb was the melancholy event which laid prostrate the most flourishing and richest town in the colony. Its happy site, combining all those naturil advantages which invite and promote navigation and commerce, had been actively seconded by the industry and enterprise of the inhabitants, -Before the existing troubles, an influx of wealth was rapidly pouring into its lap. In the two years from 1793 to
zens, many of whomi possessed affigent fortunes. The whole actual loss, on this lamentable occasion, has been computed at more than three hundred thousand pounds sterling ; and the mass of distress at- tendant on the event is beyond all calculation."
After the conflagration of Norfolk, occasional skirmishes took place between the Vir- minians and the enemy, in which the latter suffered most severely. "On the 6th of February, Col. Robert Howe, who was now commander of the American troops, aban- dound Nortik, or rather, the site on which Nerbyl had stond ; for seareely any vestige of that ill-fated town was now to be seen. After removing the inhabitants, the remain. ing edifices had been destroyed ; and the mournful silence of gloomy depopulation now reigned where the gar, animating bustic of an active cimulous crowd had sou lately pie- vailed." Howe stationed his troops at Kemp's, at the Great Bridge, and Suffolk. Tu the latter place numbers of houseless and distressed fugitives from Norfolk had resorted ; humanity and hospitality had thrown open her doors, and every building was crowded with these unfortunate wanderers.
The most energetic measures were resorted to by the committee of safety, to preclude the flotilla of Dunmore from obtaining sup- plies along the banks of those waters which their presence still infested. By these measures they were compelled to abandon their infrenchmenis, and after burning the barracks they had crected near the ruins of Norfolk, to seek a refuge on board their vessels, where much suffering awaited them. In the latter part of May they Were seen mandavring in Hampton Roads and they finally landed and intrenched themselves at Gwyn's island. The signal defeat that awaited them there, is detailed under the head of Mathews county.
On the 9th of May, 1779, a British fleet from New York, conducted by Sir George Collier, anchored in Hampton Roads. The government of the state had orected Fort Nelson a short distance below Portsmouth, on the western bank of Elizabeth River, to secure Portsmouth, Norfolk, and the marine yard at (-osport, fioso insult. This work was garrisoned by about 150 men, under Major Thomas Matthews, who abandoned it and retreated to the Dismal Swamp. On the Ilth, the British took possession of Porta- inoath. and detached troops in Norfolk, Gosport, aud Suffolk. At the two Arst ther destroyed abundance of naval and military stores, and the last they burnt. They . also destroyed, besides much public and private property, upwards of a hundred versole. They remained but a short time, and then re-embarked for New York.
In October, 1750, Brig. Gen. Lestie, with about three thousand troops from New York, landed at Portsmouth, and took possession of vessels and other property on alaw. coast. He soon left the shores of the state and sailed for Charleston, and shortly after joined Cornwallis. When Aruold invaded Virginia in January, 1781, the waters of Elizabeth River were again entered by the enemy. Portsmouth was for a time the head-quarters of the-traitor. Cornwallis was also at Fortsmouth just previous to taking post at Yorktown.
Portsmouth, the seat of justice for Norfolk county. is on the left. bank of Elizabeth River, immediately opposite Norfolk, with which
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there is a constant communication by a ferry, distant three quar. ters of a mile. The town was established in February, 1752, 0% the land of William Crawford. Like Norfolk, and several of the large towns of eastern Virginia, many of its early settlers were Reach and Fish, principally engaged in mercantile puistits. De common with Norfolk, it possesses one of the best harbors in the
View in the Harbor of Portsmouth.
Union, in which vessels of war are generally lying at anchor, and vessels of the largest size come to its wharves. A short distance below the town is the U. S. Naval Hospital, a large and showy building-shown on the right of the above view -- built of brick. and stuccoed. On the opposite side of the river stand the ruins of Fort Norfolk : it is, on or near the site of Fort Nelson, built in the war of the revolution.
The U. S. Navy Yard is directly on the southern extremity of Portsmouth, halt a mile from the central part of the town, in that portion of it called Gosport, where the general government has built a large and costly dry dock, of the host materials and work manship, capable of admitting the largest ships. The construc- tion of vessels at the navy-yard, at times employs as many as 1,400 men ; and it is this source that proves one of the principal means of the support of the town. The Portsmouth and Room- cke rail-road commences at this place, and with the connecting rail-ronds forms a communication with Charleston, S. C. The Virginia Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy, established here in 1840, by Capt. Alden S. Partridge, numbers about forty pupils. Portsmouth contains a court-bouse, jail, 6 churches -- 1 Presbyterian, I Episcopal, 1 Catholic, I Baptist, I Methodist, and
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1 do. for blacks-a branch of the Bank of Virginia, and a popula- tion of about 7,000. The town is beautifully laid off into squares, and its sito i: level. With Norfolk, it possesses an excellent
Shelled offers orals, Re. aboand. The Train Martor o Highly esteemed by epicures.
Navy Yard, Gosport.
The village of Deep Creek is situated at the northern extremity of the Dismal Swamp canal, about 10 miles from Norfolk. It is a depôt of the canal, and contains about 30 dwellings. Its com- mercial business is principally confined to a trade in large juniper or white cedar shingles, and other lumber from the Dismal Swamp. which gives constant employment to several schooners, plying to the northern cities.
The celebrated swamp called the " Dismal." lies partly in Virginia and partly in North Carolina ; it extends from north to south nearly 30 miles, and averages, from cast to west, about 10 miles. Five navigable rivers and some creeks rise in it. The sources of all these streams are hidden in the swamp, and no traces of them appear above ground. From this it appears that there must be plentiful subterraneous fountains to supply these streams-or the soil must be filled perpetually with the water drained from the Higher Lands which surround it The latter hypothesis is most probable, b vanse the soil of the swamp is a complete quagmire, trembling under the feet, and filling In- mediately the impression of every step with water. It may be penetrated to a great distance by thrusting down a stick, and whenever a fire is kindled upon it, after the layer of leaves and publish is burned through, the coals sink down, and are extinguished.
The eastern skirts of the Dismal Swamp are overgrown with reeds, ten or twelve feet high, interlaced everywhere with thorny bamboo briers, which render it almost impossible to pass. Among these are found, here and there, a cypress, and white cedar, which last is commonly mistaken for the juniper. Towards the south there is a very large tract covered with recas, without any trees, which being constantly green, and waving in the wind, is called the green sem. An evergreen shrub, called the gall.bush, grows plentifully throughout, but especially on the borders; it bears a berry which dyog a black color, like the gall of an oak -- and hence its name.
51
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Neat the middle of the swamp, the trees grow much closer, both the cypress and cedar ; and being always green, and loaded with lige tops, are much exposed to the wind, and corily blown down in this beegy place, where the girl is too butt to afford sufficient hold to the roots. From these causes the passage is nearly always obstructed by trees, which ly piled in heaps, and riding upon each other : and the snags left ju them pointing in every direction, render it very difficult to clamber over thein.
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