The Americans had a battery of five guns that fired on Fairy as she sailed to reach Gordon. The battery was situated high on a bluff at White House Plantation (modern day Fort Belvoir), and on 1 September, Gordon sent Fairy, Meteor and several smaller vessels in an unsuccessful attempt to engage the battery and impede its completion. In all, the Americans had placed a total of 11 guns—five naval long guns and eight artillery field pieces—as well as a furnace for heating shot.
