Flag Officer Garrett Pendergrast |
The Battle
of Gloucester Point in Virginia occurred on May 7th 1861 and is
reported to be the earliest action of the Civil War to take place in Virginia.
In early May
1861 it came to the attention of the Union Navy that a Confederate leaning
force was building fortifications at Gloucester Point, Virginia. On May 7th 1861 Union Flag Officer
Garrett J Pendergrast ordered an examination of the area. He sent Navy Lieutenant Thomas O Selfridge
Jr, who commanded the USS Yankee a converted steam tug, up the York River on a
reconnaissance of the area. As the
Yankee pulled to within about 2,000 yards of Gloucester Point a shore battery
fired a shot across the tug’s bow.
Selfridge continued his course and the guns on shore fired at them
again.
The battery
on the shore; manned by the Virginia State Richmond Howitzers under the command
of Lieutenant John Thompson Brown, fired between 12 and 13 shots at the Union
tug. The Yankee returned fire on the
battery, but couldn't get the elevation, and his guns were too small to have
done much damage anyway. After firing on
each other, the Yankee turned around and headed back to its base near Fort
Monroe.
There were
no reported injuries.
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