PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Billy Flora, a local hero you may not have learned about in history class, has quite the remarkable story.
And you may be saying, who was that?
Flora was a free Black man from Portsmouth. He fought in two key battles during the American Revolution — the Battle of Great Bridge and the Siege of Yorktown. His story is brought to life through a dramatization at the American Revolution Museum in Yorktown.
Harvey Bakari, Curator of Black History and Culture at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, said Flora's actions at the Battle of Great Bridge on Dec. 9, 1775, were extraordinary.
"We don't know if he thought he would be a hero, but nevertheless, he's one of the guards and they're standing across the bridge to prevent the British from coming across," Bakari said.
Bakari described how Flora held his ground as British forces advanced through the fog.
"Once he realized it's the British coming across and it's a foggy morning, he starts taking shots," Bakari said. "He's probably taking a knee and he's shooting while the British shoots back at him."
Flora's most celebrated act came as he prepared to retreat to safety.
"Before he gets back to safety, they say he stops," Bakari said. "He turns around, he runs back, he picks up the planks so that the British can't get across, and he's, as they described it, he's doing this under a shower of bullets."
Those events unfolded in what is now Chesapeake, Virginia, near the Great Bridge Bridge — within walking distance of the Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways Museum. Elizabeth Goodwin is the executive director and drew our attention to a nearby historical marker recognizing Flora's contributions.
"This talks about William Flora's gallantry during the Battle of Great Bridge and what he did to slow the British advance," Goodwin said. "He was a free born black man who decided that his interests were best served in joining the local militia and fighting for the patriots. This scene depicts the British crossing — the advanced sentries led by Billy Flora slowing the British by firing their muskets at them."
Goodwin said the battle itself, though brief, had an outsized impact on the war.
"Because after the Battle of Great Bridge, the British lost about half of their assault force," she said. "So it was significant because it forced the British out of Virginia, out of the colony of Virginia."
Tom Sledge, a retired Navy veteran and educator, portrays Billy Flora at the museum. He said he hopes visitors take away a broader message from Flora's life.
"I'm hoping that they learn that anybody can accomplish greatness, even somebody young," Sledge said. "Somebody that wasn't recognized, especially being black during that time period in history."
After the war, Flora returned to civilian life and operated a successful business in Portsmouth. Historians say there is much more to learn about his contributions to the region.
For more information at the Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways Museum, click here:
And for more information about the American Revolution Museum in Yorktown, click here:
