Virginia companies numbered in total approximately eight hundred and fifty men, however they had in their possession no form of ammunition. On the evening of the 19th, Taliaferro knowing the importance of securing powder for his troops as well as the state, ordered the Independent Greys under Captain Richard C. Taylor to seize the powder magazine at Fort Norfolk. This was accomplished without firing a single shot and yielded 2,800 barrels of powder as well as other munitions. The whole of the Norfolk Force was then employed in removal of such supplies with 1,300 barrels placed on board a vessel bound for Richmond and 1,500 placed outside of the range of federal artillery within the area. On April 20, by order of the governor, the 3rd Virginia was mustered into service and was assembled under arms by approximately 2 o’clock that afternoon. They then preceded to march through the town's main thoroughfares in a show of strengthen before retiring for the evening with exception of the Portsmouth Artillery which in order to bolster their two brass 6 pound cannons secured several light artillery pieces from a revenue cutter within the harbor. The regiment as a whole was then quartered within the Portsmouth Court House & City Hall, while the artillery pieces were station on the corner of Court & High Street. About sunrise the following morning, the regiment parted ways with the Portsmouth National Light Infantry Greys, Old Dominion Guard & Portsmouth Rifles reporting to the Gosport (Norfolk) Naval Yard for the purpose of salvaging munitions, ships & supplies abandoned when federal troops in a hasty retreat set the yard ablaze. A quite intriguing tale as to how members within the 3rd perhaps saved the large stone dry dock is found within the records of Norfolk events as follows: "Privates David A. Williams, of the Old Dominion Guard, and Joseph F. Weaver, of the Portsmouth Rifle Company, attracted by curiosity, strolled down to the dry dock, and, looking down into it, noticed a train of loose powder, leading down to the culvert at the northeast corner. Mr. Williams immediately ran down into the dock and broke the connection by kicking one of the planks down. They then hunted for the fuse or slow match, but did not succeed in finding it, and concluded that after the train was laid the orders to blow it up had been countermanded, or that