Near Gloucester Point in Gloucester County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Tarleton's Last Fight

Photographed by Beverly Pfingsten, April 18, 2008

1. Tarleton's Last Fight Marker

Inscription. Here, at the Hook, Tarleton, commanding the cavalry of Cornwallis's army, fought an action with Choisy's French force and Virginia militia, October 3, 1781. The Duke de Lauzun's cavalry charged Tarleton, who retired to Gloucester Point. There he was blockaded by the French and by Virginia militia.

Erected 1928 by Conservation Development Commission. (Marker Number 7-NA.)

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 October 3, 1878.

Location. 37° 16.551′ N, 76° 30.171′ W. Marker is near Gloucester Point, Virginia, in Gloucester County. It is at the intersection of Hayes Road and Hook Road, on the left when traveling south on Hayes Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2408 Hayes Rd, Gloucester Point VA 23062, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Middle Peninsula

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and in the Chesapeake Bay Region.

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 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named "The Hook" (a few steps from this marker); Battle of the Hook (within shouting distance of this marker); The Irene Morgan Story Begins (within shouting distance of this marker); 1953 Benthall Peanut Picker

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(approx. 0.9 miles away); 1920's Farm Equipment (approx. 0.9 miles away); Gloucester Point Chapel (approx. one mile away); Duc de Lauzun and the Battle of the Hook (approx. 1.3 miles away); French Soldiers Killed at the Battle of the Hook (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gloucester Point.

Another marker is no longer nearby. "The Hook" (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Also see . . .
1. Gloucester250 Battle of the Hook Driving Tour. Opens an online PDF from the Gloucester History Museum. (Submitted on April 20, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia.)

2. American Battlefield Protection Program 2021 Study. Link opens an online PDF to an extensive, thorough, and very informative report on this engagement as well as its context, location, landmarks, and historiography. This is the study responsible for correcting the battle's core area. (Submitted on April 20, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia.)

Additional commentary.
1. Misidentified Location
confusion appears to be an early 20th century map that included a Cavalry icon and the words "The Hook" on it at the intersection

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 26, 2021

2. Tarleton's Last Fight Marker

of "The Great Road" - the route of which Hayes Road follows in conjunction with portions of US 17 (US 17 bypassed this section, leaving it generally on the same roadbed & route as in 1781) - and "Hook Road", the terminus of Guinea Road. There is also a local anecdote about battlefield burials being found during the construction of the nearby Hardees in the 1980s that is thought to have reinforced the identification of this intersection as the battle site. The intersection was, however, the site of "Redoubt K" - a British earthen fortification guarding the British position at Gloucester Point from approach on The Great Road from the north. Note To Editor only visible by Contributor and editor

— Submitted April 20, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia.

Battle of the Hook Core Battlefield Area image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Evan Dwyer, April 11, 2026

3. Battle of the Hook Core Battlefield Area

Corrected in 2021, the site of the primary cavalry fighting that comprised the Battle of the Hook is bordered by U.S. 17 to the east, Crewe Road to the north, Williams Landing Road to the west, and Powhatan Drive to the south. Abingdon Park is the only largely open section of the battle area, and as a consequence is where a more detailed set of markers and the small memorial to those buried on the battlefield was placed in 2024.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 4, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,579 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 4, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 2. submitted on March 1, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on April 20, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia.