Hampton Roads Center , Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Battle of Big Bethel
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, March 26, 2010
1. Battle of Big Bethel Marker
Inscription.
Battle of Big Bethel. . On 10 June 1861, the first land battle of the Civil War in present-day Virginia took place here at Big Bethel Church. Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler, commanding at Fort Monroe, sent converging columns at night from Hampton and Newport News for a dawn attack against Confederate outposts there. The 1,408 Confederates, led by Cols. John B. Magruder and D. H. Hill, fell back to their entrenchments behind Brick Kiln Creek, near the church. Some 4,400 Federals under Brig. Gen. Ebenezer W. Pierce pursued, launched two disjointed attacks, and were repulsed. They then retreated to Fort Monroe, leaving the Confederates in control of most of the Peninsula.
On 10 June 1861, the first land battle of the Civil War in present-day Virginia took place here at Big Bethel Church. Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler, commanding at Fort Monroe, sent converging columns at night from Hampton and Newport News for a dawn attack against Confederate outposts there. The 1,408 Confederates, led by Cols. John B. Magruder and D. H. Hill, fell back to their entrenchments behind Brick Kiln Creek, near the church. Some 4,400 Federals under Brig. Gen. Ebenezer W. Pierce pursued, launched two disjointed attacks, and were repulsed. They then retreated to Fort Monroe, leaving the Confederates in control of most of the Peninsula.
Erected 2000 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number W-66.)
Location. 37° 5.474′ N, 76° 25.553′ W. Marker is in Hampton, Virginia. It is in Hampton Roads Center. It can be reached from Big Bethel Road (Virginia Route 600) 0.1 miles north of Semple Farm Road. This marker is located just inside the entrance to the Big Bethel Recreation Area. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1635 Big Bethel Rd, Hampton VA 23666, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Peninsula and in Coastal Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers.
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At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Henry Lawson Wyatt (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Battle of Big Bethel (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Battle of Big Bethel (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Battle of Big Bethel (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Battle of Big Bethel (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Battle of Big Bethel (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Battle of Big Bethel (within shouting distance of this marker); Battle of Big Bethel Union Monument (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hampton.
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, March 26, 2010
2. Battle of Big Bethel Markers
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, March 26, 2010
3. Big Bethel Reservoir
Much of the Big Bethel battlefield lies underneath the reservoir.
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, March 26, 2010
4. The only remaining earthwork from the Battle of Big Bethel
Credits. This page was last revised on November 3, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 26, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 5,763 times since then and 180 times this year. Last updated on September 5, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 26, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
