December 1775

December 1775 had two incidents (one in Virginia and one in Canada).  This highlights the fact that the war was spreading beyond  Boston.

I had never understood why many of the very early battles that took place happened in upper New York and Lake Champlain and into Canada with Montreal and Quebec.  But Ken Burns' documentary playing on PBS this week helped me understand a bit about what was going on.  In December 1775 the British were still in Boston, but the milita and patriots had them under siege with patriots camped around the perimeter of the area and the newly formed navy causing some havoc in the harbor.

The British held forts in the north in both Montreal and Quebec and the patriots decided to engage these troops in an effort to command these forts for themselves.  Last night's presentation even said something about the possibility of having these areas come into the colonies as a 14th colony.

However, the attack by the patriots was unsuccessful in the far north.  While the partriots were successful in capturing the fort at Montreal, their attack on Quebec City was the first major defeat for the Patriots.  And while the Americans continued to contemplate the possibility of attacking these areas of Canada, the sheer number of men and supplies to be transported to the far north prevented the patriots from attempting an invasion.

The second event happened in Virginia.  The Battle of Great Bridge on December 9 was by contrast a decisive victory for the Patriots.

Threatened by rebellion, Virginia’s Royal Governor, John Murray, the Earl of Dunmore, ordered the Royal Marines of the H.M.S. Magdalen to seize the gunpowder stores of Williamsburg, Virginia, the colonial capital. Word of Dunmore’s decision quickly spread, prompting militia companies from surrounding counties to converge on Williamsburg.

Dunmore fled to Norfolk and began raising an army. 

Lord Dunmore and his men were camped at Fort Murray on the northern side of the Elizabeth River.  The Patriots gathered on the south side of the bridge.  At the time of the confrontation it is estimated that there were 900 patriots gathered.  

The battle lasted less than an hour. By the time it was over, the British had lost more than 100 men killed and wounded. Only one Whig was wounded. Within the next few days, the Whigs entered Norfolk, and Lord Dunmore fled Virginia.

Here is information sent by National DAR about this battle.  The information is provided by the Great Bridge Chapter of the DAR