Third Anglo-Virginian War: Difference between revisions
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Outran called for reinforcements and they arrived on 1 July. Though only an additional 500 British soldiers they had with them the new Clyde Guns. The world's first automatic firearm. It was capable of firing up to 500 rounds per minute if used properly and if it did not malfunction. The British would use them to great effect during the Battle of Charlottesville. Douglas, hoping to repeat Washington's success, left the city to fight on 4 July. The Virginians were devastated by the firepower of the British and were forced to retreat. They would abandon Charlottesville and Victoria the next day and go back to Clarke.
New of the defeat spread like fire across Salvatia and Walker called for a "pilgrimage" to Grandchurch to defend their holy city from the British. Roughly a 1,000 colonist would make up its defense, Both men and woman began to drill and make a barricade. Children were sent to the countryside. The city had a population of less than 500 so small wooden forts were constructed to the north, west and southwest (Forts A, B, and C respectively) for the colonist to fight from.
At 5:30 AM, British artillery attacked Fort A and B until 6:15 AM. After that the British vanguard march towards hoping to move up the artillery as well. Despite the forts been badly damaged there still remained colonist who opened fire on the British soldiers. The skirmishes lasted until 7:05 AM with Fort B's capture and Fort A's forces retreating to Grandchurch. At 7:30, British artillery began to bombard Grandchurch directly. The AEF had taken all field artillery with them to Clarke for itself defense, leaving Walker with no ability to fight back.
The guns were silenced at 10:00 AM and a request to parley with Walker was sent. Outran promised that the British would respect the property rights of the Salvatian colonists (religious rights were never mentioned) so long as they surrendered. Walker refused and the British artillery continued. By 3:00 PM, the British attacked the town. The colonist used destroyed buildings as cover and the British used them to move around the barricades. The colonists soon ran out of ammunition and began to fight the British by hand. Many picked up farm tools like machetes to fight.
Walker began to see the hopelessness of the situation evacuated his force by 6:00 PM escaping to Fort C and then Zoerkersville. Some advised him to go Clarke and aid the AEF, but he refused. He knew that the British would go there instead and wished to leave them to their fate. The Battle of Grandchurch had up to 500 causalities for the colonists with 200 dead. Many of the survivors left and went back to their homes hoping that the British would leave them in peace.
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