1776 - Surgeon General’s War Report ~ Burning of Norfolk ~ God Bless Our Men!

British warships have been anchored in Norfolk Harbor since mid-June 1775 when Lord Dunmore took refuge there following the gunpowder incident at the Williamsburg magazine.  In 1775, a plank bridge over the Elizabeth River at Great Bridge was the only access point to the two low-lying counties, Princess Anne and Norfolk.  In early December, Patriot forces met British and Loyalist forces ordered by Lord Dunmore; the British were decimated at this battle of Great Bridge. By 14 December, Patriot forces had withdrawn to the South with 1200 militia to occupy Norfolk.

On 1 January 1776, British forces anchored in the harbor began shelling the city and landing parties were sent to burn specific properties at the water front to deprive the Patriots of protective cover.  Being outnumbered and unable to repel the landing parties, our Patriots withdrew, burning and looting Loyalist houses instead.  Within three days most of Norfolk had been destroyed.  Destruction was completed on February 6 by the Patriots, effectively denying the British authority their last significant foothold in Virginia. Troops from Virginia and North Carolina “most wantonly set fire to the greater part of the houses within the town….to burn all that came in their way.” In total, the Patriots destroyed 1,279 buildings, compared to 54 by Dunmore.  It is believed some civilians were killed while trying to escape the burning buildings.

The ill-judged and misapplied fury, discharged upon the weak and the innocent, was not confined to the town. The country around, for several days, was illuminated with the fires of the houses they burnt, amongst which is the distillery, about three miles from the town, a work of great value and public utility, with a large stock of rum and molasses. Alas, this will further hamper our efforts to supply medicinal rum to our hospitals!

Your Obedient Servant, Dr. Charles Driscoll  

Surgeon for the Armies of the Commonwealth of Virginia

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_Norfolk

https://cardinalnews.org/2025/12/16/norfolk-was-burned-the-only-american-citydestroyed-during-the-revolution-250-years-later-controversy-remains-over-who-orderedits-destruction/ https://www.americanhistorycentral.com/entries/norfolk-burning-1776/