THE BATTLE OF GREAT BRIDGE ~ VIRGINIA

It’s an amazing story of the Revolutionary War that many people may not know about.

The Battle of Great Bridge was the first major land battle of the war to take place in Virginia. The patriot rout of the British on December 9, 1775 at this strategic location, twelve miles south of Norfolk, would force the English to retreat and end English rule of the largest colony in America.

 

Artist's rendering of Great Bridge

Great Bridge was a seemingly insignificant structure crossing the South Branch of the Elizabeth River. It strategically connected the northern and southern portions of The Great Road, a primary route and supply line from North Carolina to Norfolk. It was used to transport livestock, farm produce, and various products needed to maintain British ships into Tidewater Virginia. The Village of Great Bridge, on the southern shore of the Elizabeth River, was gradually built up with wharves and warehouses. This transportation corridor, through a swampy area, was little more than a dirt trail in some places. In the 1690’s, major improvements were made to enhance travel. Causeways (a raised road or path that goes across wet ground or water) and bridges were constructed to improve the Great Road, to provide an easier land passage to the north.

In April of 1775, John Murray, fourth Earl of Dunmore, the Royal Governor of Virginia, took 20 kegs of gunpowder stored in the Public Magazine in Williamsburg infuriating the populace. Fearing for his life, he and his family evacuated the capitol and took refuge aboard a British warship in the James River. Loyalists in Portsmouth furnished housing for his men. In August the Third Virginia Convention resolved to raise an army for the defense of the colony. Colonel William Woodford was appointed to lead the Second Virginia regiment.

Norfolk was largely a Loyalist area, so Dunmore was able to keep a small British fleet in this port town. Over the next few months there were skirmishes when Dunmore’s men would come ashore, seize property, and threaten towns in the Hampton Roads area. General Thomas Gage offered Dunmore support by sending the 14^th Regiment of Foot to Virginia. In November Dunmore issued a Proclamation declaring martial law and offering freedom to Whig held slaves in Virginia willing to serve in the British Army, and many slaves enlisted to gain their freedom.

Dunmore’s troops headed toward Great Bridge when he learned that Patriots from North Carolina were posting themselves there. Upon their arrival at the north end of the bridge, he

Artist's rendering of Ft. Murray

ordered the construction of a stockade. The garrison, named Fort Murray, was primarily built by former slaves, who became known as The Ethiopian Regiment. In an initial skirmish at Kemp’s Landing, about ten miles from the bridge, the British outnumbered and routed the militia and sent them scattering. With this initial victory Dunmore, was confident of victory at the bridge. He was unaware that Col. Woodford and a large number of regulars from many Virginia counties, and a contingent from North Carolina, were rallying near the bridge. Patriots constructed a temporary fortification, or breastwork, on the south side of the causeway. Minor skirmishes occurred daily with continual canon fire.

Captain Charles Fordyce, commanding Dunmore’s 14^th Regiment of Foot grenadier unit, as well as sailors from the British ships at Norfolk, other Loyalists and the Ethiopian Regiment traveled overnight from Norfolk toward the bridge. Dunmore’s forces numbered around 670 men. One of the slaves from the Patriot forces went over to the British side claiming to be a deserter and told the British forces there were only about 300 troops on the Patriot side. Unbeknownst to the British, the Patriot forces numbered around 900 men.

Great Bridge and causeway

Confident of another success, the British replaced some of the missing planks on the bridge, rolled their canon out of the fort and began hammering the Patriot’s breastwork. Because the narrow causeway and bridge could only fit six men across, the British were not able to attack in their usual fashion. Patriots fired back at the British and began retreating. The last Patriot to retreat was a freed black man, Billy Flora, who bravely removed some of the planks to make it difficult for the British to cross the bridge and causeway. As the British approached the breastworks, the Patriots fired heavily killing Fordyce and many other soldiers. The British retreated and were hit by more Patriot regulars from a flank position and were ultimately chased back to the fort.

One hundred and two British soldiers were killed or wounded at the Battle of Great Bridge. The Americans, protected behind their breastwork, suffered not a single death and only one minor finger injury. During the fight Patriots left the breastwork to retrieve wounded British soldiers to care for them. After the battle, British Capt. Leslie, who lost a son there, thanked the Patriots for their compassion and returned to Norfolk. With no more access to vitally needed materials, Dunmore’s forces retreated to the British ships in the harbor.

These events helped to persuade some of the previously uncommitted locals to now favor the Patriot cause. Less than a week later the Fourth Virginia Convention condemned Dunmore and made a public declaration for independence.

Lacking the needed provisions, Dunmore’s naval forces began bombarding Norfolk and burned the Loyalist stronghold. The Patriot forces finished burning Norfolk, leaving only St. Paul’s Church standing. Dunmore retreated to Gynne’s Island and never returned to Virginia. The British left Virginia alone for the next three years while the war raged on elsewhere.

Virginia DAR Memorial to
The Battle of Great Bridge

The area of Great Bridge is now part of Chesapeake, Virginia, and a new bridge stands not far from where the original was located. “The Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways History Foundation was formed to promote the development of a battlefield park and visitor center.” A monument was placed at the park by the Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution. To learn more about The Battle of Great Bridge: http://www.gbbattlefield.org/

Joseph Plumb Martin - Soldier of the Revolution

Re-Enactor Photo by Thomas Deitner

Joseph Plumb Martin was only fourteen years old when the first shots of the American Revolution were fired in 1775. But by the time the Continental Army was formed under the command of General George Washington in 1776, fifteen-year-old Martin was allowed by his grandparents (his guardians) to join the fight.

The Army was his home for the duration of the war.

Virtually none of us would even be aware of his existence except that, as an older veteran in his 70’s, Martin penned recollections of his experiences in the war. He felt compelled to describe his life as a soldier, explaining the incredible sacrifices he and his fellow soldiers had endured.

Martin wrote his war memoir at a time when many Americans were questioning whether or not pensions should be given to these aging veterans. Martin hoped to remind his country, for whom he had made great personal sacrifice, that the soldiers of the Continental Army were indeed worthy of support.

Here is an excerpt from his writings, published as A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier.

Campaign of 1777:

The army was now not only starved but naked; the greatest part were not only shirtless and barefoot, but destitute of all other clothing, especially blankets. I procured a small piece of raw cowhide and made myself a pair of moccasins, which kept my feet from the frozen ground…

The army continued at and near the Gulf for some days, after which we marched for the Valley Forge in order to take up our winter quarters. We were now in a truly forlorn condition—no clothing, no provisions and as disheartened as need be. We arrived, however, at our destination a few days before Christmas. Our prospect was indeed dreary. In our miserable condition, to go into the wild woods and build us habitations to stay (not to live) in, in such a weak, starved and naked condition, was appalling in the highest degree, especially to New Englanders, unaccustomed to such kinds of hardships at home. However, there was no remedy, no alternative but this or dispersion. But dispersion, I believe, was not thought of—at least I did not think of it. We had engaged in the defense of our injured country and were willing, nay, we were determined to persevere as long as such hardships were not altogether intolerable. I had experienced what I thought sufficient of the hardships of a military life the year before (although nothing in comparison to what I had suffered the present campaign) … But we were now absolutely in danger of perishing, and that too, in the midst of a plentiful country. We then had but little and often nothing to eat for days together; but now we had nothing and saw no likelihood of any betterment of our condition. Had there fallen deep snows (and it was the time of year to expect them) or even heavy and long rainstorms, the whole army must inevitably have perished. Or had the enemy, strong and well provided as he was then, thought fit to pursue us, our poor emaciated carcasses must have “strewed the plain.” But a kind and holy Providence took more notice and better care of us than did the country in whose service we were wearing away our lives piecemeal.

I found this original, unedited narrative compelling and gripping. It is truly my favorite first-person resource for the era.

I also found another edition with commentary, entitled Ordinary Courage, Edited by James Kirby Martin, to be a useful companion to the original.

There are Amazon links to both below.

A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier

Ordinary Courage

The Day After the Colonial Ball & a Birthday Surprise!

In Colonial America many did not celebrate Christmas with lavish festivities. Until 1753 with the Gregorian calendar change, the New Year was not celebrated until March. There were no balls that dropped, nor balls to dance at until dawn. So inquiring minds may want to know what great celebration took place during the Christmastide season in colonial times.

 

Christmastide takes place from Christmas Day until twelve days following, called the feast of Epiphany or Three Kings Day. It is the day following Twelfth Night, when many colonials attended grand balls, the highlight of the season.
 
Today, January 6th, is that very day, time to remove your wreaths from the front door and be sure that your Christmas decorations come down and are stored away until next year. It also happens to be the day following Colonial Quills/CACW founder Carrie Fancett Pagels birthday. So, I thought we might ask her, if she were attending a Birthday Gala in her honor on Twelfth Night in the 18th century, what would she have worn to the ball? What might you have worn?

Please include your answers, and include links to a colonial costume (from Pinterest or on elsewhere on the internet) in your comments. Who is attending the ball? Characters from a favorite colonial story you've read or written? We'd love to know!  Be sure to have some cake and extend your birthday tidings to Carrie!

Sausage Making in Colonial Virginia by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Sausage Making at Yorktown Victory Center in Virginia

Sausage making in colonial Virginia was quite a chore.  These two men are making sausages at Yorktown Victory Center in Virginia.  First the pork had to be chopped.  The man on the left used a cleaver to chop the meat into tiny pieces. This was very labor intensive, as you can imagine.

The pork was seasoned for the sausage with thyme and other seasonings, perhaps fennel and parsley and other herbs. The pork was first chopped into tiny sections and then transferred to a trencher or a bowl and then stuffed inside the casing.

The pork mixture was pushed through a funnel, to which the casement was "attached" by the sausage stuffer holding the casing to the opening in the funnel.

The Yorktown Victory Center does wonderful demonstrations this time of year about how farmers prepared food for winter.  Hogs were normally killed in late November and then the meat put up.


The sausage casing gets slippery and is difficult to keep attached.  In the picture below, the sausage maker is using two fingers to hold the casing to the funnel.

The meat had to be pushed through the funnel with a wood spoon, in this case, and into the casing.  This required some attention on the part of the sausage maker.

This looks quite different from the way my mother made sausage.  She had a meat grinder and ran the meat and seasonings through the metal grinder which had a crank handle. It had a section where the casings attached and if I recall correctly, there was a metal clip device that kept the casing on while Mom made the sausage.







Question:  Have you ever seen sausage made?  What did you think?  Do you make sausage or have you ever?

A Colonial Favorite: Eggnog Punch by Cynthia Howerter

Americans have always loved their eggnog.  A popular drink in the American colonies, eggnog originated in Britain where it derived from a medieval beverage called “posset.”

Posset, served hot, was composed of eggs, milk, either ale or wine, and whatever spices were available.  Due to the ingredients which weren’t readily available to the masses, it was a drink mostly enjoyed by the lord of the manor and his guests.   

Over time, the ale in posset was replaced by wine or brandy and the name changed to "eggnog."  This delicious libation continued to be enjoyed almost exclusively by the English upper class whose large estates provided them with dairy products.  Alas, the common folk had little access to dairy products and rarely saw a glass of milk.  

Life in the colonies was vastly different from England.  Thanks to the numerous farms, eggs and milk were not only abundant, but readily available to most people, allowing citizens from all walks of life to enjoy eggnog punch.  Wealthier colonists added expensive wines and brandies to their eggnog punch, while the affordability of rum made it a popular addition to the average person’s nog.  No matter what type of alcohol was used, its addition to eggnog most certainly delivered a “punch”—hence the significance of that term.

It’s not known exactly how the name “eggnog” came into being.  During the seventeenth century, drinks were served in wooden cups and mugs called “noggins.” It seems logical that the serving of the egg-based drink in a noggin was combined into one word, “eggnog.”  Perhaps after one had consumed several noggins of the alcohol-laced punch, it was just easier to lift an empty mug and request a refill using an efficiency of words: "Egg-nog--if ye please."

George Washington loved eggnog, so much so that he is supposed to have hand-written his own recipe for it.  He notes that the concoction should be “tasted frequently” as it cured in a cool place for several days, but as he did not identify who the taster should be, we will leave that to our imaginations. 

Over two-hundred years later, Americans still enjoy their eggnog, especially during the Christmas holidays.  While it can be purchased ready-to-drink, there’s nothing like a punch bowl filled with homemade nog.

My family and our guests have enjoyed the following recipe for several generations.  I do hope you’ll try my recipe, and as you lift a cup in a toast, remember to thank our forefathers for passing along this traditional drink. 

To you, your good health, and the New Year! 

Cynthia Howerter’s Eggnog Punch

Yolks of 12 large eggs (use pasteurized eggs, available at most grocery stores)

2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 quart whole milk

1 quart heavy cream

3 cups half-and-half

Ground nutmeg for dusting

            In a large mixing bowl, beat 12 egg yolks,* sugar, and nutmeg until the mixture lightens in color and falls off the whisk or beaters in a solid “ribbon.”  In another bowl, combine the milk, cream, and half-and-half; slowly beat this mixture into the egg mixture.  Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least three hours.  Pour into a punch bowl and dust with additional nutmeg.  Makes about 24 small noggins.

*Note:  Either use the egg whites for another recipe or dispose of them.

All photographs ©2014 Cynthia Howerter

Award-winning author Cynthia Howerter loves using her training in education, research, writing, and speaking to teach and inspire others about a time in America that was anything but boring. A member of the Daughters of the American revolution (DAR), Cynthia believes history should be alive and personal.

Visit Cynthia's website: Cynthia Howerter - all things historical