160th Anniversary of the Battle of Smithfield

Join us on Main Street for the 160th anniversary of “the Town of Smithfield’s most dramatic event.” This engagement between Union and Confederate troops saw artillery and musket fire reverberating up and down Main Street eventually resulting in the destruction of the U.S. Army Gunboat Smith Briggs. The day will feature living historians and scheduled events at the Isle of Wight County Museum, Ivy Hill Cemetery, Christ Episcopal Church and the 1750 Courthouse.

At the end of the 1864 engagement, the locals were said to have enjoyed coffee in Smithfield for the first time in a long while. You can do the same with a special brew at Cure Coffeehouse and an espresso stout from Wharf Hill Brewing!

1864 Battle of Smithfield 

9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday, February 4, 2024 

The day will feature living historians and scheduled events at these locations: 

• Ivy Hill Cemetery. 66 Civil War veterans are buried here. 451 North Church Street. 
• Isle of Wight County Museum. Living historians, Civil War history and exhibits. Purchase a Battle of Smithfield book here. 103 Main Street.  
• Christ Episcopal Church. On Sunday, Jan. 31, 1864, services were interrupted at Christ Episcopal Church when the janitor rushed in with cries of, “Yankee gunboats are in the creek! The congregation dismissed, and all hurried home.” Today the church’s bell will ring throughout the day, and the regular church service will be followed by guided tours. 111 South Church Street. 
• 1750 Courthouse. Meet a living historian portraying Randall Booth, the enslaved man who saved Isle of Wight County’s court records in 1862. 130 Main Street.  

At the end of the 1864 engagement, the locals were said to have enjoyed coffee in Smithfield for the first time in a long while. Visitors can do the same throughout the day. Make plans to caffeinate and spend the day in downtown Smithfield. 

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

Schedule of Events 

9:30 a.m.               Ivy Hill Cemetery Walking Tour 

9:30 a.m.               Christ Episcopal Church Bell Ringing 

10:30 a.m.             Christ Episcopal Church Service (All are welcome.) 

Noon                      Christ Episcopal Church Bell Ringing 

Noon-3 p.m.         Tours of Christ Episcopal Church 

Noon-4 p.m.          Isle of Wight County Museum exhibits, living historians and Civil War history 

1-3 p.m.                 Meet Randall Booth at the 1750 Courthouse 

3 p.m.                    Christ Episcopal Church Bell Ringing 

3 p.m.                    Walking Tour down Wharf Hill begins at the Isle of Wight County Museum 

3:30 - 5 p.m.         Informal Civil War discussion at Wharf Hill Brewing 

Battle of Smithfield 

Dramatic events unfolded during the Battle of Smithfield on January 31 and February 1, 1864, when minie balls and artillery rounds flew down Main Street in both directions and when the explosion of the U.S. Army gunboat Smith Briggs could be heard for miles around. 

In 1863 and early 1864, Confederate units harassed Union gunboats on the James and Nansemond Rivers. Union Navy and Army commanders decided to cooperate in a joint operation and sent landing parties into Chuckatuck and Smithfield to converge and trap the Confederate units. 

The plan went awry when Union troops marching south from Smithfield encountered Confederate troops southwest of the town. Both sides disengaged and pulled back. The next morning, cannon fire was exchanged along Main Street. The Smith Briggs was sent to rescue the detachment but was destroyed in a fiery explosion. Nearly the entire landing force was captured and sent to prison. 

The Coffee Connection 

Equipped with goods and considerable supplies of coffee and tea, the Smith Briggs was unloaded by local citizens before she was destroyed by Confederate soldiers. Local resident Mollie Cowper recalled that she enjoyed coffee for her supper that night. It was the first she had in many months as the Union had blockaded southern ports and cut off the South’s access to coffee.  

Where to Find Coffee and Coffee Substitutes 

• Cure Coffeehouse, 113 N Church Street. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., you can purchase a cup of Cannon Fire.  
• Wharf Hill Brewing, 25 Main Street. Purchase a pint of Espresso Stout to enjoy during a casual discussion of Civil War history.  
• Isle of Wight County Museum, 103 Main Street: Enjoy a sample of Peanut Coffee while learning more about coffee substitutes during the Civil War. 
• 1750 Courthouse, 130 Main Street: Get your sample of Blockade Coffee here. Sweet potatoes play a starring role. 
• Christ Episcopal Church, 111 South Church Street: Acorns, beets and chicory root were often added to coffee to stretch supplies. Sample Chicory Coffee here. It’s caffeine-free. 
• Ivy Hill Cemetery, 451 North Church Street. Acorn Coffee will add to the ambiance of this walking tour. Hulled, dried, roasted and ground, acorns taste like coffee and have been used as a substitute all over the world in times of war. 
• Nelms House, 308 Main Street. Offering coffee and a variety of teas.