place

Battle of Gloucester Point (1861)

1861 in Virginia1861 in the American Civil WarBattles and conflicts without fatalitiesBattles of the American Civil War in VirginiaBattles of the Chesapeake Bay Blockade of the American Civil War
Battles of the Eastern Theater of the American Civil WarGloucester County, VirginiaInconclusive battles of the American Civil WarMay 1861 eventsNaval battles of the American Civil WarRiverine warfare

The Battle of Gloucester Point, Virginia was the first reported exchange of fire in the American Civil War, following the surrender of Fort Sumter. As Lincoln extended the Union blockade to include Virginia, the rebels (notionally Confederates) tried to deny Union access to the local estuaries. On May 7, 1861, Lieutenant Thomas O. Selfridge Jr. commanding the USS Yankee was ordered to reconnoitre the new fortifications at Gloucester Point opposite Yorktown. Shots were exchanged, causing no casualties, Selfridge claiming that his guns were too small to damage the battery, commanded by Lieutenant John Thompson Brown, credited with firing the first cannon shot of the war in Virginia.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Battle of Gloucester Point (1861) (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

Battle of Gloucester Point (1861)
Hayes Road,

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Battle of Gloucester Point (1861)Continue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 37.27 ° E -76.498611111111 °
placeShow on map

Address

Hayes Road 2137
23072
Virginia, United States
mapOpen on Google Maps

Share experience

Nearby Places