ver that body, or the honorable convention is sitting, I
look upon it as my indispensable duty to address my intelligence to them
as the supreme power in this colony." Thus Colonel Henry's chagrin at
not being permitted to march himself against Dunmore was aggravated by
Colonel Woodford's declining, while detached, to acknowledge his
superiority in command. Woodford, upon approaching Dunmore, found that
he had entrenched himself on the north side of the Elizabeth River, at
the Great Bridge, about twenty miles from Norfolk. Judge Marshall says
that it was necessary for the Provincials to cross it in order to reach
Norfolk, but Thomas Ludwell Lee, writing at the time, says that there
were other ways by which to pass to Norfolk. "Our army has been for some
time arrested in its march to Norfolk by a redoubt, or stockade, or
hog-pen, as they call it here, by way of derision, at the end of this
bridge. Though, by the way, this hog-pen seems filled with a parcel of
wild boars, which we appear not overfond to meddle with." Some of the
more eager patriots were apprehensive that Woodford would be amused at
that post until Dunmore should finish his fortifications at Norfolk,
where he was now entrenching and mounting cannon, some hundreds of
negroes being employed in the work. Added to this the advanced season of
the year and the hourly expectation of the enemy's receiving a
re-enforcement from St. Augustine, as was known by intercepted
intelligence, made a bold movement necessary, "while we walk too
cautiously in the road of prudence."

Dunmore's power on land was confined to the counties of Norfolk and
Princess Anne; his recent course had united the colony with few
exceptions against him, and if the ministry had ransacked the whole
world for the person of all others the best fitted to ruin their cause,
they could not have found a fitter agent than Lord Dunmore. He had just
now proclaimed liberty to the slaves, and declared martial-law.

It was believed that one frigate could capture the whole of his fleet,
and other vessels laden with the floating property of tories, of
enormous value. John Page wished earnestly for a few armed vessels to
keep possession of the rivers, the arteries of commerce, at the least
the upper parts of them. While five thousand men could not defend so
exposed a coast against the depredations of Dunmore's fleet, yet five
hundred in armed vessels could easily take the fleet. But a majority of
the committee