Virginia Beach, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Skirmish at James’s Plantation

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, July 16, 2025

1. Skirmish at James’s Plantation Marker

Inscription.
British forces under Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold raided Richmond early in Jan. 1781 and established a base in Portsmouth later that month, seeking to control the Tidewater region. Groups of local militia, including 520 men led by Capt. Amos Weeks, disrupted British operations in the area. Arnold ordered Capt. Johann Ewald, commander of Hessian cavalry and riflemen, to pursue Weeks. On 15 Feb. at James's Plantation near here, Ewald surprised Weeks and inflicted about 120 casualties. Joined by Lt. Col. John G. Simcoe of the Queen's Rangers, Ewald followed the remaining militia south to Pungo Chapel before returning to Portsmouth. Weeks's force regrouped and continued to harass the British.

Erected 2019 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number KV-33.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Revolutionary. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical date for this entry is February 15, 1781.

Location. 36° 45.282′ N, 76° 0.825′ W. Marker is in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It is on Elson Green Avenue 0.2 miles south

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of Princess Anne Road, on the right when traveling south. The marker stands on the north side of Three Oaks Elementary School. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2201 Elson Green Avenue, Virginia Beach VA 23456, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in 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,

in the Tidewater,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Princess Anne County (approx. 2.2 miles away); Sgt. Miles James (approx. 2.3 miles away); Miyazaki Japanese Garden (approx. 2.8 miles away); Japanese Maple Tree (approx. 2.8 miles

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, July 16, 2025

2. Skirmish at James’s Plantation Marker

away); Peace Monument (approx. 2.8 miles away); Azumaya of Miyazaki Garden (approx. 2.8 miles away); Eastern Shore Chapel (approx. 4.3 miles away); The Flame of Hope (approx. 4.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Virginia Beach.

Also see . . .
1. Skirmish at James’s Plantation: Victory and Defeat for Benedict Arnold in Virginia. (Submitted on July 16, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
2. Once largely forgotten, a Revolutionary War skirmish is remembered in Virginia Beach. (Submitted on July 16, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 16, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 448 times since then and 264 times this year. Last updated on September 13, 2026, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 16, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.