Janthina's Journey takes a thoughtful pause at Chesapeake Free Dock #2, a favorite staging spot for cruisers heading north or south along the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal. In this installment, Capt. Mac Rubel invites readers to look beyond the convenience of the dock and discover the Revolutionary War history quietly surrounding one of the most popular free tie-ups on the ICW.

Cruising south from the Great Bridge Bridge, Chesapeake Free Dock #2 is off to port, just across the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal from the Atlantic Yacht Basin fuel dock.  Dock #2 is a budget-friendly (free) stop that's convenient to stage for trips to Coinjock to the south or Chesapeake Bay to the north.  The dock is so popular with cruisers (a grocery store and shops are nearby) that during peak migration it is often full.  Those who get a spot and disembark to explore the adjacent park may come to realize that they have docked in the middle of American Revolutionary War history.  A short walk through the grounds and the museum provides a glimpse into a piece of the past that many pass by unknowingly. 

Looking out from Free Dock #2 the control tower for the bridge is visible on the other side of the canal.  The bridge control tower is situated at the approximate location of the revetments where, in December 1775, over six hundred revolutionary colonists were massed to defend the bridge from the assault of about 200 British regular troops sent by the Virginia governor, Lord Dunmore, to capture the strategic location.  The British marched in columns up the 14 foot wide causeway for what was to be an easy victory.  

The thirty minute long engagement ended with one militia men wounded on the thumb and over one hundred British killed, captured, or wounded.  The British retreated to Norfolk where, one month later, the British and Loyalists departed by ship after burning the town.  The Virginia Militia scored an early and important victory over the seemingly invincible British Army right here at Free Dock #2.

The next time you travel through Great Bridge take a couple of hours to stop and visit the Great Bridge Battlefield & Waterways Museum to find out more about our nation's past.  You will be docked in the midst of history.