The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-02-15
OUR PATRIOTIC WOMEN.
Daughters of the American Rev.
OIutIon.
THEY ENTERTAIN TONIGHT.
a History Of the Organization and
Its Aims. Charter Members of
Great Bridge Chapter Of
Norfolk. Description
of the Great Battle.

This evening at the Merrlmac
Club. which has been rendered for
the OCCASION. the Great Bridge Chap
ter of the Daughters of the Ameri
can Revolution will give musical
tes. The occasion promises to be an
unique innovation and withal most
enjoyable. Refreshments will be
served by Norfolk society beauties
in Colonial costumes and powdered
hair. Musical selections will be
rendered by Mrs. Brooke and Prof.
Miller, who have charge of the mu
sical programme; also by Misses
Hume, Baldwin aud Williams and by
Messrs. Jenkins and Nicholson.
The entertainment is given for
HIGHLY PATRIOTIC PURPOSE,
the raising of funds to rescue from
oblivion the colonial relicts in this
county. Some of the old family
graveyards on farms are now being
used for hog pens and the tomb
stones for door steps. 1t Is pur-
posed to move these slabs to Norfolk
and place them in the church yard
of Old st. Paul's.
The order of the Daughters Of the
Revolution is four years old and its
president is Mrs. Adlai Il. Steven.
son. The chapter here has been
organized since February, 1894, and
was chartered last September, the
charter members being Mrs. Hugh
n. Page, Mrs. Richard Wake, Mrs.
George II. Newton, Mrs. VIM.
Brooke, Mrs. John Graham, Mrs.
Thomas Il. Cooke, Miss Rountree,
Mrs. William Reed, Mrs. Edmund
Strudwick, Mrs. Phil Yeatman, Mrs.
L. w. Tazewell.
THE BATTLE OF GREAT BRIDGE,
From this action the Norfolk
Chapter OF the Daughters takes its
name. The ancestors of some of
the members of the local chapter
were participants in this battle and
to them many members in other
parts of the country trace the lin.
cage giving them the right to be
known as q Daughter of the Revolu.
ton.
The action took place at Great
Bridge. which spanned the Southern
Branch of Elizabeth river at the
point where even then thriving
town existed by the same name.
1t was only plain wooden bridge.
with an ordinary wooden railing On
each side; 1t was built on piles and
approached from either side by a
causeway and earthen embankment.
The battle was the outcome of the
collision between Lord Dunmore
and the cOlonists when at Williams
burg he had attempted to blow up
the magazine. which, being dscov
evered, ne was compelled to flee to
his ships. The troops Of the colo
nists were concentrated at Norfolk
and they awaited the English nd
vance at Great Bridge, ut one end
OF which they had thrown up "A
breastwork and the men were post
Bd behind it.
Dunmore's motley army of ne
groes ard disreputable white hire
lIngs were landed at Norfolk and ad
vanced upon Great Bridge. where
he threw up breastworks and armed
fhem heavily with artillery. Dun
more evidently thought that he had
but 300 "shirt men, "as the Virginia
hunters were called, to contend with
and he sent against them 900 reQu
lars and 400 negroes and tories. he
did not know of the patriots, some
gray and some beard ess, who had
Shonldered their old flint lock and
nondescript arms, and hurried to
the American position from every
surrounding county.
On Saturday, December 9th, 1775.
she British crossed the bridge and
nnder cover of q heavy cannonade.
attacked the American pickets.
Their fire was returned with splr
1t. throwing them into some copf1.
sion, but they were quickly rallied
and advanced with great resolution
across the bridge. The Americans
reserved their fire until the enemy
were within fifty yards, when thew
arose and solid sheet of fire was
delivered into the faces of the AT.
escking column, fourteen bujlets
passing through the body of Lieut..
Fordyce, III command. He fell but
quickly arose and, brushing his
knee as though he had but stumbled.
told his men the day was theirs
ead staggered on TO within afteen