With American troops having been driven from Petersburg at the Battle of Blandford, and the tobacco stored the having been destroyed, on April 27, the British Army left in search of fresh supplies.

British General William Phillips, with the light-infantry, and part of the jägers, and of the cavalry of the Queen's Rangers, marched to Chesterfield Court House, where he destroyed a range of barracks which could accommodate two thousand men, three hundred barrels of flour, and other stores.

On the receipt of this reply, General Arnold ordered two three-pounders, under Lieutenant Rogers, to open a fire on the stern of Tempest, a state ship mounting twenty guns.

At the same time Lieutenant Spencer led a party of Yagers, "by a route partly covered with ditches, within thirty yards of her stern," in order that all who showed themselves on deck might be picked off.

A shot from one of the British pieces cut Tempest's cable; she sheered around, and exposed herself to a raking fire from Lieutenant Rogers' three-pounders; the crew, taking to the boats, attempted to escape.