Butts Station in Chesapeake, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Battle of Great Bridge

Photographed by T. Elizabeth Renich, December 6, 2025

1. Battle of Great Bridge Marker

Inscription. Early in Dec. 1775, colonial troops under Col. William Woodford, including the 2d VA Regiment and Culpeper Minutemen, erected breastworks near here to guard the southern end of a narrow causeway between Norfolk and North Carolina. Royal Governor Lord Dunmore, based in Norfolk, sent British troops to dislodge them. On 9 Dec., elements of the 14th Regiment of Foot, Virginia Loyalists, and the Ethiopian Regiment (Black men promised freedom if they fought for Britain) attacked. Woodford's forces, firing at close range, quickly halted the advance, and the British retreated to Dunmore's fleet off Norfolk. This victory strengthened the resolve of the colony's leaders to fight for independence.

Erected 2022 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number KY-5.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Patriots & Patriotism • War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical date for this entry is December 9, 1775.

Location. 36° 43.198′ N, 76° 14.372′ W. Marker is in Chesapeake, Virginia. It is in Butts Station. It is on South Battlefield Boulevard north of Albemarle Drive, on the right when traveling north. This current marker stands in place of the previous KY 5 Battle of Great Bridge (1934, Conservation & Development

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Commission) that was reported missing. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 131 S Battlefield Blvd, Chesapeake VA 23322, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Hampton Roads,

specifically in Coastal Virginia,

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

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. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Battle of Great Bridge Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); Planning a Canal (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Marshall Family (about 500 feet away); Battle of Great Bridge DAR Monument (about 500 feet away); Great Bridge Marshall Memorial (about 500 feet away); Billy Flora (about 500 feet away); Civil War Anchor (about 600 feet away); Father & Son Canal Builders (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chesapeake.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Battle of Great Bridge (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

More about this marker. The old 1934 KY 5 marker was visible when driving past it, the newer 2022 marker is parallel with South Battlefield Blvd. If you don't know where to look for it before you cross the drawbridge, you'll miss it. First place you can turn right once you've crossed the bridge leads to the entrance of the Great Bridge Battlefield & Waterways Park & Visitor Center.

Battle of Great Bridge Marker (just before crossing the bridge) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by T. Elizabeth Renich, December 6, 2025

2. Battle of Great Bridge Marker (just before crossing the bridge)

Battle of Great Bridge Marker - green bridge lights are reflected on the marker, parallel w/road image. Click for full size.

Photographed by T. Elizabeth Renich, December 6, 2025

3. Battle of Great Bridge Marker - green bridge lights are reflected on the marker, parallel w/road

Credits. This page was last revised on June 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 7, 2025, by T. Elizabeth Renich of Winchester, Virginia. This page has been viewed 189 times since then and 110 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 7, 2025, by T. Elizabeth Renich of Winchester, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.