took refuge with all his forces in his
ships. The triumphant Virginians at once took possession of the town.

Dunmore lingered in the harbor with his fleet, and the victors opened
fire with their cannon on the ships. "Stop your fire or I will burn your
town with hot shot," he sent word. "Do your worst," retorted the bold
Virginia commander, and bade his men to keep their cannons going. The
ruthless governor kept his word, bombarding the town with red-hot shot,
and soon it was in flames.

The fire could not be extinguished. For three days it raged, spreading
in all directions, till the whole town was a sheet of flames. Not until
there was nothing left to burn did the flames subside. Norfolk was a
complete ruin. Its six thousand inhabitants, men, women, and children,
were forced to flee from their burning homes and seek what scant refuge
they could find in that chill winter season. Dunmore even landed his
troops to fire on the place. Then, having visited the peaceful
inhabitants with the direst horrors of war, he sailed in triumph away,
glorying in his revenge.

The lordly governor now acted the pirate in earnest. He sailed up and
down the shores of Chesapeake Bay, landing and plundering the
plantations on every side. At a place called Gwyn's Island, on the
western shore, he had a fort built, which he garrisoned mainly with the
negroes and low whites he had brought from Norfolk. Just what was his
purpose in this is not known, for the Virginians gave him no chance to
carry it out. General Andrew Lewis, a famous Indian fighter, led a force
of patriot volunteers against him, planting his cannon on the shore
opposite the island, and opened a hot fire on the fort and the ships.

The first ball fired struck the "Dunmore," the ship which held the
governor. A second struck the same ship, and killed one of its crew. A
third smashed the governor's crockery, and a splinter wounded him in the
leg. This was more than the courage of a Dunmore could stand, and sail
was set in all haste, the fleet scattering like a flock of frightened
birds. The firing continued all day long. Night came, and no signs of
surrender were seen, though the fire was not returned. At daylight the
next morning two hundred men were sent in boats to reconnoitre and
attack the fort. They quickly learned that there was nothing to attack.
Lord Dunmore had been preparing all night for flight. The fort had been
dismantled of everything of value, and as the assailan