Craney Island historical marker recognizes famous American victory over British

Posted September 3, 2009
By Brittany Brown, Norfolk District Public Affairs, and Allison Mall, Moffatt & Nichol

9/3/2009 - NORFOLK, Va. — The Battle of Craney Island, fought a year after a young United States declared war on Great Britain in June 1812, became the battle that would save the cities of Portsmouth and Norfolk, Va., from British invasion.

On June 22, 1813, 2,000 British soldiers and their foreign allies came ashore at Hoffler's Creek, located west of Craney Island near the mouth of the Nansemond River. The British force launched attacks from land and water, but was repelled by American forces.

The Battle of Craney Island represented one of the few American-won battles during the War of 1812. Moreover, Norfolk and Portsmouth's Gosport Navy Yard was spared an attack.

In commemoration of this historic victory, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Portsmouth History Commission's Daughters of the War of 1812 and the Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve Foundation joined community members July 20 at the Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve to unveil a Virginia Battle of Craney Island historical marker.

Several local and state dignitaries, including Portsmouth Mayor James W. Holley III and U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, attended the historic unveiling.

Located just outside the gates of Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve in Portsmouth, the Battle of Craney Island historical marker joins markers dedicated by the City of Portsmouth to Craney Island and the Gosport Navy Yard, the nation's old¬est naval ship¬yard.

The Battle of Craney Island historical marker reads, "On the morning of June 22, 1813, during the War of 1812, British naval and marine forces under the command of Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren landed here at Hoffler Creek. American armed militia under the command of Gen. Robert B. Taylor blocked the British advance, brought them under heavy artillery fire and caused them to retreat. Approximately 200 British soldiers were killed, four to five barges were sunk and the "Centipede" was taken along with 22 prisoners. Norfolk, Portsmouth and the Gosport Navy Yard, now the Norfolk Naval Yard, were saved from capture."

Today's Craney Island is a manmade 2,500-acre confined dredged material management disposal site, located in Portsmouth, and built by Norfolk District in 1957, adjacent to the original island.

For more information about the future of Craney Island, visit http://www.craneyisland.info