Virginia's First Shots in the Civil War

Gloucester Point was critical to Virginia's river defense and had been continuously fortified since 1667. In an opening action of the Civil War, the first shots in Virginia were fired on May 3, 1861, when the USS Yankee sailed upriver and fired on Confederates at Gloucester Point. The Richmond Howitzers stationed there returned fire, and the Yankee withdrew to the river's mouth. Within a year, Union forces took control of the Point and maintained control of the county for the rest of the war.

Gloucester Point, Virginia · United States