Reorganizing The Militia In Virginia

Map Of Hampton Roads (VA)  - Virginia Coastal Area

From Stuart Lee Butler's Virginia Militia Units in the War of 1812 [links added]:

The third regiment ...was first stationed at Portsmouth,but some components were at Fort Nelson, Fort Norfolk, and Craney Island.  General Taylor ordered that the county militias arriving in the Norfolk area be re-organized and placed under completely new components.  Often the rank and file did not know their new commanders after reorganization went into effect.  This attempt at completely reorganizing the militia worked surprisingly well and was continued by Major General Wade Hampton who relieved General Taylor on April 7, 1813, as commanding officer of the 5th Military District.  Hampton's tenure was short-lived, and General Taylor reassumed command of U.S. forces in Norfolk on June 2, 1813.

Charlottesville Hospital

Just on the outskirts of the town (Charlottesville, Ontario, Canada) a rough frame building was erected in 1813 for a hospital.  This was put up during the cholera epidemic of that year.  From Ontario History

Canada's Fort Norfolk was also in Charlottesville.

Canadian Colonel Titus Williams

"...Titus was born in Long Island in 1790, and came over with his father [Jonathan Williams]. Four years before the war of 1812, Titus received an ensign's commission in the 2nd Regiment of Norfolk militia, and as soon as war was declared, he was made lieutenant... . He was second in command of the 100 volunteers from this county who accompanied Brock to Detroit...his rank was then raised to that of captain."

"Shortly afterwards he was ordered to the defence of Fort Erie... . When the attack came, the Canadians were forced to retire for their numbers were far inferior to those of the American force. However on his way back to Chippawa, Capt. Williams succeeded in surprising and taking prisoners thirty Americans under Capt. King." From Papers and Records, Volumes 2-4.

Source

Source

"The captives were forwarded from one place to another, Schlosser, Fort Niagara, Batavia, Geneva, Albany, Pittsfield, Mass., and, finally, Philadelphia."

"...they were liberated on the 18th of May 1814, and arrived in Upper Canada July 25th, 1814. On his return he was appointed adjutant and fought at Lundy's Lane."

His eyesight was restored in Buffalo, New York, in 1855, according to a testimonial.

In The Battle Of Craney Island

Stephen Thompson Neill was born in Lee county, Va., April 9, 1795. When eighteen years old he enlisted in the war of 1812.  He entered as a private in Lieut. James Graham's company of infantry, 94th regiment of Virginia militia.

He took part in the Battle of Craney Island and for some months was in a camp to the rear of Fort Norfolk.  In memory of the soldiers who fought and died in the Battle of Craney Island a monument is to be erected by the Dorothy Payne Madison Chapter of Richmond Virginia.

From the Family History Compiled by Lucy Henderson Horton... .

Fort Norfolk

Fort Norfolk Image From YouTube

Fort Norfolk, From Humble Beginnings, a YouTube video.

Fort Norfolk In Ontario

In 1812 Fort Norfolk was built at Charlotteville, of which nothing but the trenches remain.  This was a stake fort, the walls consisting of a double row of pointed stakes, the two rows being several feet apart, and the space between filled in with earth.  At the close of the war the fort was abandoned, and nothing more than the irregular trench marks its location.  From Ontario History

The District Capital for all of south-central Ontario, known as the London District, was placed near Vittoria in 1800 and then the no-longer existing town of Charlotteville nearby in Norfolk and finally returned to Vittoria in 1815. During the War of 1812, Fort Norfolk on the bluffs guarded the hinterland behind. [Source]

Forts Nelson And Norfolk

Fort Nelson, Fort Norfolk and the Marine Hospital:

From The American State Papers

Norfolk in 1813 was covered by Fort Norfolk on the right and Fort Nelson on the left bank of the Elizabeth River. These two feeble works and two small redoubts, called Forts Tar and Barbour, protecting the land approaches, being entirely insufficient for a good defense, Armistead threw up some additional intrenchments on Craney Island... .

Battle Of Craney Island

Originally I thought that my ancestor, William Hinds, was wounded in the Battle of Craney Island, because it took place on June 22, 1813, and he died on June 25, 1813 (now I have my doubts, but haven't ruled out that scenario).  He was from Virginia and served in the 2nd Reg. artillery.

See the Craney Island historical marker here.

According to this article:
Craney Island also has suffered from historical neglect, even though it was the scene of Virginia's only land battle during the War of 1812.

Map of Craney Island in Virginia and surrounding area from Campaigns of the war of 1812-15