First Fire

At daybreak on the morning of December 9, 1775, the British rolled two four-pounder cannon field pieces across the bridge under cover of smoke from burning buildings and piles of shingles on the south island, where British Lieutenant John Batut’s advance unit had set fires to camouflage the operation. The cannon were placed near the southern edge of the island facing the right flank of the American breastwork across the marsh, allowing constant fire at the face of the breastwork without endangering grenadiers marching along the arc of the causeway to the left of the guns. The Battle of Great Bridge began with cannon fire managed by gunners and marines brought from British ships in Norfolk harbor. A well-trained gun crew could fire up to four rounds a minute, and the firing was brisk and constant. As the grenadiers drew near the breastwork, the cannon were turned on the American encampment beyond and on the column of Colonel Woodford’s soldiers running down the street to join others behind the breastwork. Typically, each cannon required two gunners and six soldiers and officers to operate, with each piece cleaned, loaded with a cloth or paper cartridge containing gunpowder, followed by a ball or grape shot, and then ranged for firing.

Chesapeake, Virginia · United States