1780, Charleston

General Woodford arrived in Charleston on April 7, 1780 with the remains of his Virginia troops. With Woodford were only 700 of the 2,000 men that had started the march in December. Many of the troops had their terms of enlistment expire during the four-month march; others had fallen ill or deserted. Woodford's men were organized into a brigade made up of the First, Second and Third Continental Regiments. Colonel William Russell was commander of the First Virginia at this time.

Colonel Richard Parker had arrived with his newly raised regiment on March 31, now referred to as the First Virginia Detachment and separate from the First Virginia Continental Regiment. Parker was joined by the Second Virginia Detachment under the command of Colonel William Heath.

The British under General Clinton arrived by sea and began the siege of Charleston on April 14. By April 21 the Americans in the city were cut off on the landside as well. On April 24, Colonel Parker was killed during a British assault. Henry Lee described his death: "Always beloved and respected, late in the siege he received a ball in the forehead, and fell dead in the trenches, embalmed in the tears of his faithful soldiers, and honored by the regret of the whole army."

By May 7 provisions were low with casualties mounting daily. After conferring with his officers, Lincoln agreed to surrender terms on May 12, 1780. Over 5,000 American troops were captured, including almost all of the Virginia Continental Line. The terms of surrender stipulated that the militia would be allowed to go home, while the regulars would be imprisoned within the town. The officers were soon moved to quarters outside the city, awaiting exchange. Some months later many of the captured were moved to harsher conditions aboard British prison ships where many perished or remained until the end of the war.

Some men of the First Virginia managed to escape capture, perhaps by posing as militia when they were allowed to leave. In addition, several lieutenants were not in Charleston with their companies and were not captured. Some of these men found service with other units in the months after the fall of Charleston. The "new" Ninth Virginia Regiment, in garrison at Fort Pitt was the only Virginia Continental Regiment to remain in the field.

Many individuals who served with the First Virginia and were not in captivity participated in the battles that followed, including the victories at Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse and Yorktown. These included men whose enlistments in the First Virginia expired and who later reenlisted with other units, as well as officers who were promoted to higher ranks in other units.