Chapter 9:
The Battle of Craney Island

 

As the War of 1812 progressed, the British raided several Eastern seaboard towns. On June 22, they turned their sights on the Norfolk navy yard where the Americans were building faster, better frigates. A destroyed Norfolk would help the British ensure their mastery of the seas.

Craney Island was 30 acres standing at the approach to the city at Hampton Roads. It was fortified with two 24-pounders, one 18-pounder, and four 6-pounders, all on the southeast side of the island. Brigadier General Robert Taylor, commanding officer of the district, had two companies of artillery from Portsmouth under Major Faulkner of the Virginia State Artillery. Also included were a company of rifleman under Captain Roberts and 416 militia infantry under Lieutenant Colonel Beatty. These Americans had no means of escape if overrun, but they were “all cool and collected, rather wishing for the attack.”

General Taylor, seeing the U.S. force assembled, called for more men. Thirty regulars under Captain Pollard from Fort Norfolk, 30 volunteers under Lieutenant Johnson of Culpepper plus 150 seamen and 50 Marines under Marine Lieutenant Breckinridge were sent specifically to work the heavy guns. The American force, well aware of British intentions, now had 737 men situated where the British were expected.

At midnight, the American camp was alarmed by the crack of sentry Private Shutte’s musket. He had thought he heard a boat in the straights. The troops were called to arms and stood until dawn, but only a lone bush was seen floating towards the battery. No sooner had they stood down when a horseman dashed in and reported the British were landing two miles to the west at Major Hoffleur’s place.

Drums beat the long roll and, as daylight appeared, the British anchored in the Roads were seen moving in boats from their ships to the shore. Maj. Faulkner, a cool and skilled artillerist, ordered the three heavy guns on the southeast end of the island repositioned to the northwest next to the four 6-pounders commanded by Marine Lieutenant (later Major) Hale who was lying in wait. The merchantman Manhattan transferred the guns from one end of the island to the other. These seven guns in battery made a formidable defense. The infantry, riflemen and extra artillerymen formed a line behind the guns facing the strait at the mouth of Wise’s creek.

The 18-pounder was manned by the sailors and Marines from the U.S. Frigate Constellation. The two 24-pounders and the 6-pounders were officered by Capt. Emerson and commanded by Lt. Col. Beatty. A long pole was made and the U.S. flag was nailed to it and placed in the redoubt. A crescent of U.S. gunboats was stationed in a line stretching from Craney Island to Lambert’s Point. The Constellation lay nearer to the city of Norfolk.

The British landed 2,500 infantry and Royal Marines at Hoffleur’s Creek. They stealthily crept through the forest and emerged at the confluence of Wise’s Creek and the strait. They opened up with a barrage from a field-piece, a howitzer and a bevy of Congrieve rockets to cover the movement of a detachment that had been sent to cross the creek and gain the rear of the Americans’ left flank. The Americans answered with grape and canister and drove the flank attack out of reach of the artillery.

At the same time, British land barges approached with 1,500 sailors and Royal Marines that had been offloaded from their ships. They hugged the shore in two parallel lines to keep out of range of the gunboat artillery. They were led by Admiral Warren’s beautiful barge, the twenty-four-oar Centipede, which had a brass 3-pounder (called a Grasshopper) in the bow and was painted a rich green. She was commanded by Captain Hanchett, a natural son of King George III.

The Americans waited anxiously as the onslaught slowly approached. Faulkner gave a signal to Emerson who shouted, “Now my brave boys, are you ready?”

“All ready,” was the reply.

“Fire!” exclaimed Faulkner. The whole battery erupted with round, grape and canister shot blasting into the enemy. The volleys formed a storm of metal but the British kept coming until it was too terrible to endure. Their barges were thrown into disarray. The Centipede was hulled by a diagonal shot wounding several men including the leg of Capt. Hanchett. Orders were given to retreat and the flotilla turned back to their ships. The Centipede and four other barges were sunk in shoal water but Lieutenant Neale and some bold seamen waded in and captured the admiral’s barge. Among the cutlasses, small cannon, and pistols in its bow was found a little terrier. The Centipede was later used as a U.S. guard boat.

The British had thought this fight would be a cakewalk and had brought their breakfast, shaving kits and dogs with them but before sunset, the attack on Norfolk, the Constellation and the navy yard was abandoned. The battle had ended with no American losses. The British lost six killed, 24 wounded and 114 missing. Of the latter, 40 were prisoners and deserters.

Frustrated by their repulse, the British went on to attack the village of Hampton, Virginia. They burned the town and a company of Chasseurs—composed of French turncoats—raped a number of American women. The British, embarrassed by their action, shipped the Chasseurs off to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Craney Island was the first U.S. Marine battle where a detachment repulsed a battalion of Royal Marines back into the sea. The Marines’ excellent training in working the great guns had saved the Norfolk naval yard—resulting in a stunning and strategically important victory for America.