That the militia of the county saw considerable service is apparent by an order made at the term of court held in March, 1782, which reads as follows:

"To His Excellency, Benjamin Harrison, &c. The court, in behalf of the inhabitants of the county of Isle of Wight, humbly represent the unhappy situation of their county during the last invasion. Being a frontier county, we were actually exposed to the depredations of the enemy, who not only landed almost daily on our shores, but repeatedly marched through the county, committing the most wanton destruction."

"We further represent that during the last invasion, we had one-half of our militia on duty for the first three months and afterwards one-third part till about the 20th of November, and that in case of another invasion, to which we are liable, we shall need the assistance of others; and in view of all these facts, we have discharged ourselves from the operation of an act entitled An Act for the filling up of our quota of troops in the continental service."

War of 1812:

In this second war with Great Britain, Isle of Wight county was ready with her money and men to do her full part. No sooner than war was declared (June 11th, 1811), the raising of companies by voluntary enlistment went on actively, and before the end of the war (1815), several hundred men of this county had become soldiers of the United States. Ten companies, containing, in the aggregate, five hundred enlistedmen, were mustered into the service of the United States as the Twenty-ninth Regiment of Virginia Volunteers, of which Joseph W. Ballard, of this county, was major, in command. The officers of these companies were: Captains Wm. B. Moody, Richard Bidgood, Joseph Atkinson, James Atkinson, David Dick, Simon Gwaltney, Robert Jordan, John Lawrence, Robert Tynes and Charles Wrenn. Lieutenants David Dick, Robert West, Charles Wrenn, Joseph Godwin, Jno. W. Eley, Josiah Holleman, Willis Morris, Exum Eley, George W. Driver, Joseph Hodsden. Ensigns - Isaac Moody, Tristam Bunkley, George Wilson, Josiah Wrenn, Henry Applewhaite, Dawson Delk. In addition to the foregoing named companies Captain Shield mustered a company of forty-eight men, which was organized in Smithfield, entered the service February 8th, 1813, and served out their enlistment at Norfolk: Officers - Hamilton Shield, captain; Peter Jones, lieutenant; Archibald Atkinson, ensign.

     In this war the enemy attempted very few incursions into this county and never far from their ships. The Twenty-ninth was called upon to show its mettle but once. The British attempted to land at the "Rocks" on James River, but Captains Dick and Wrenn, with their companies, poured such a well-directed fire into their ranks that they returned to their vessels immediately.

     The British man-of-war, "Plantagenet," for several months lay off the "Rocks," and although her very presence and her occasional changing of position kept detachments of the Twenty-ninth busy watching her movements, after the reception given her men on their first attempt to land, they never, during the entire war, repeated the experiment.

Mexican War:

     In this war the scene of action was so far removed from this section and volunteers poured in in such overwhelming numbers, that the United States refused to received thousands, hence this county had no opportunity to participate in it in any organized method; but adventurous spirits enlisted in other places. James Davis enlisted in Captain Robert Scott's company of Richmond; Alfred H. Darden and Richard Parr, happening to be in Mississippi, enlisted in the regiment commanded by Colonel Jefferson Davis, and were in several battles. Benjamin Gale enlisted in Captain J. P. Young's company in Portsmouth.