Battle of Great Bridge - Chesapeake, VA
Posted by: 
jaxnd
N 36° 43.287 W 076° 14.367
18S E 389315 N 4064688
Monument to the Revolutionary War Battle of Great Bridge
Waymark Code: WM3X0M
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 05/28/2008
Views: 111
Battle of Great Bridge Monument
Chesapeake, Virginia
About the monument & Battle of Great Bridge
The Battle of Great Bridge is a little known but important battle of the Revolutionary War. The then village of Great Bridge is located not far from Norfolk Virginia and at the time of the Revolutionary War was a major shipping point for items coming from the south to the port of Norfolk. At the time, Norfolk was occupied by British troops commanded by Lord Dunmore. After winning a battle at Kempsville, an area within current Virginia Beach, he sent troops south to Great Bridge. A battle occurred on December 9 1775 in which 102 British soldiers were killed and only one colonial soldier was wounded in the thumb. It was a small but strategic victory that drove Dunmore from Virginia. The war would virtually come to an end some 50 miles away at Yorktown on October 19 1781, when General Cornwallis surrendered to Washington and his allied troops.
A very good description of the Battle of Great Bridge is found in Wikipedia.
This monument was dedicated March 1, 2006 and is on the site of the future Battle of Great Bridge Museum. It is on the banks of the Albelmarle and Chesapeake Canal, which is a part of the Intercostal Waterway, starting in Norfolk and ending in Miami. The canal carries both commercial and pleasure boat traffic. Across Battlefield Boulevard is a park where you can watch the locks operate.
A modern drawbridge opened in early 2003 and replaced a 69 year old swing bridge.
About my visit
This monument is very close to my home, so I thought it would be appropriate for my first waymark. Great Bridge is now a section of Chesapeake, Virginia which is one of the larger cities in the Hampton Roads area of southeastern Virginia.
Date Created/Placed: May 28,2008
Address:
Chesapeake, VA, USA
Height: 24 feet
Illuminated: no
Website: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
Give a narrative of your experience. What did you think of the obelisk? Did you learn anything? Photos are always welcome too. Please no virtual visits.