At the Great Bridge Bridge in Chesapeake, Virginia, thousands of drivers pass daily, unaware of the pivotal Revolutionary War battle that unfolded in this area — and the local hero at the center of it.
Billy Flora, a Black patriot soldier, played a critical role in the Battle of Great Bridge, a conflict historians say helped secure Virginia for the American cause and shaped the course of the nation's independence.
Tom Sledge, a retired Navy veteran and educator, portrays Billy Flora at the Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways Museum.
"It's like standing on sacred ground," Sledge said.
Sledge said he hopes visitors take away a powerful message from Flora's story.
"I'm hoping that they learn that anybody can accomplish greatness, even somebody young," Sledge said.
Harvey Bakari, Curator of Black History and Culture at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, described Flora's actions during the battle. Flora was among the guards positioned across the bridge to prevent British forces from crossing on a foggy morning.
"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.
As British forces advanced, Flora held his ground.
"Once he realized it's the British coming across and it's a foggy morning, he starts taking shots. He's probably taking a knee and he's shooting while the British shoots back at him," Bakari said.
Flora's most celebrated act came as he retreated.
"Before he gets back to safety, they say he stops. 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," Bakari said.
The battle itself lasted roughly 30 minutes, but its consequences were far-reaching. Elizabeth Goodwin, executive director of the Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways Museum, explained its significance.
"After the Battle of Great Bridge, the British lost about half of their assault force. They eventually retreated back to Norfolk. They boarded ships in the harbor for their safety," Goodwin said.
Goodwin said the museum is working to make sure more people understand what happened here.
"Hopefully we can educate as many people as possible as to what happened here and how our nation started right here in Virginia, was the largest colony at the time. And this was the first Patriot victory in the colony of Virginia during the Revolutionary War," Goodwin said.
Bakari said the stakes of the battle cannot be overstated.
"If the Patriots were not able to defeat the British and Governor Dunmore's attempt to recapture Virginia, then we have to ask the what if question. What if Governor Dunmore and the British were successful at Great Bridge?" Bakari said.
"The what if is how much resource would Virginia would have to use to fight the British, if they had not defeated them at Great Bridge?" Bakari said.
As the country approaches its 250th anniversary celebrations, Flora's story stands as a reminder of the contributions made by all who fought for American independence — including those whose names are only now receiving wider recognition.
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