Skirmish at Waters Creek

The Skirmish at Waters Creek was a small skirmish during the American Revolutionary War between a group of local patriots and British troops. The skirmish occurred at Waters Creek in Newport News, Virginia, during the spring of 1781.cite book |last=Rouse|first=Parker Jr.|title=Endless Harbor - The Story of Newport News|origyear=1969|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=dzYTAAAAYAAJ&q=skirmish+at+waters+creek&dq=skirmish+at+waters+creek&ei=WZ1ZSOjWOouujgHa9emQDA&pgis=1|accessdate=2008-06-17 |edition=1st|publisher=Franklin Printing Company|id=Library of Congress Card Number 75-92458|pages=11]

Background

The skirmish was the result of an earlier campaign of over 1,000 British troops that landed in October of 1780, and a blockade of the James River that was composed of 54 ships that stretched from Newport News point to the Nansemond River. During this time, the British plundered local farms in numbers too great for the local militia to stop. cite book |last=Quarstein|first=John, V|coauthors=Rouse, Parke S. Jr.|editor=Finneran, Elisa F.|others=Conner, Edward A.|title=Newport News - A Centennial History|origyear=1996|edition=1st|year=1996|publisher=City of Newport News|location=Newport News, Virginia|id=Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 96-71877|pages=23]

The expedition

Lord Cornwallis, while on his Peninsula campaign, sent Captain Brown on a foraging mission. This mission brought Brown, and his group of 40 soldiers, up the James River where they landed near Newport News Point. Several hours after landing, Brown and his soldiers were met by 30 Virginia militiamen.

The skirmish

The militiamen were led by Captain Edward Mallory, a resident of Hampton, Virginia. The militiamen divided their forces with the cavalry leading the charge from the front while the infantry fired from the flank. Captain Mallory himself was killed in the attack, after being wounded by shot, saber and bayonet.The militiamen were able to hold off the British forces, forcing them to retreat to Newport News point and eventually their boats. While retreating, Captain Brown was injured and left behind.

The aftermath

Before the battle, Captain Mallory's brother, Col. Mallory had been captured by the British and was being held captive in a British ship with threats of returning him to England for trial and punishment.cite book |last=Maxwell |first=William|title=The Virginia Historical Register and Literary Note Book|origyear=1850|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=zy4dAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA25&dq=Captain+Edward+Mallory&ei=hvRfSJHPCYrGjgHiq52QDA|accessdate=2008-06-23|volume=III|year=1850|location=Richmond, Virginia|pages=25] Upon the capture of Captain Brown, the British agreed to exchange prisoners. The truce began when the British fleet sent surgeons to attend to the injured Brown. Brown was in such serious condition that he was not moved, and died two months later. Even though Captain Brown died, the British honored their agreement and released Captain Mallory's brother, Col. Mallory.

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