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.

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... .

Portsmouth, Virginia's Historical Sites On YouTube

War of 1812 Portsmouth Historical Sites on YouTube:

...[An] overview of nine Portsmouth historical sites, including Ft. Nelson Park, Battle of Craney Island, Ball House, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum, Hoffler Creek, Ft. Lane, Cedar Grove Cemetery, Trinity Church, and Norfolk County Court House.