Panic took hold of these proud and powerful commonwealths.

Cockburn had no scruples about setting the torch to private houses, "to cause the proprietors who had deserted them and formed part of the militia which had fled to the woods to understand and feel what they were liable to bring upon themselves by building forts and acting toward us with so much useless rancor." Though Cockburn was an officer of the British navy, he was also an unmitigated ruffian in his behavior toward non-combatants, and his own countrymen could not regard his career with satisfaction.
Admiral Warren had more justification in attacking Norfolk, which had a navy yard and forts and was therefore frankly belligerent.

Unluckily for him the most important battery was manned by a hundred sailors from the _Constellation_ and fifty marines.

Seven hundred British seamen tried to land in barges, but the battery shattered three of the boats with heavy loss of life.

Somewhat ruffled, Admiral Warren decided to go elsewhere and made a foray upon the defenseless village of Hampton during which he permitted his men to indulge in wanton pillage and destruction.