Battle of Smithfield Walking Tour

BATTLE OF SMITHFIELD WALKING TOURS

SMITHFIELD, Va. – Join us at 2 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month to learn about the Battle of Smithfield. The tour begins with a presentation at the Isle of Wight County Museum.
 

The Battle of Smithfield was a relatively small skirmish during the American Civil War – taking place on from Jan. 31 to Feb. 1, 1864.

In 1863 and early 1864, Confederate units harassed Union gunboats on the Nansemond River and operated with relative impunity in the Smithfield area. Union Navy and Army commanders cooperated in a joint operation by sending landing parties into the towns of Chuckatuck in Nansemond County – present day Suffolk, Virginia - and Smithfield in to converge and trap an offending rebel unit.

The plan went awry when Union troops marching south from Smithfield encountered Confederate troops. Both sides disengaged and pulled back. On Feb. 1, 1864, cannons were fired down Main Street. The Union gunboat USS Smith-Briggs was sent to rescue the detachment but was destroyed. Nearly the entire landing force was captured and sent off to the Confederate prison near Andersonville, Ga.

Please wear comfortable walking shoes.

Interpreting local history, the museum’s exhibits include prehistoric fossils, Native American and Colonial artifacts, a country store and the museum’s most notable artifact - the world’s oldest, edible cured ham. The 1902 pork product exemplifies the patented Smithfield curing process.

Admission is $2 for adults.

The Isle of Wight County Museum is located at 103 Main Street in Smithfield. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The museum is closed New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and staff in-service day.

For more information, contact the Isle of Wight County Museum at (757) 356-1223 or visit www.historicisleofwight.com.