Smithfield, Virginia is in the southeastern part of the state across the James River from Newport News. The town is famous for its smoked hams, processed there since the late 1700’s. Smithfield was also the site of a small but sharp engagement fought on the town’s Main Street during the Civil War. The Battle of Smithfield was an overwhelming Confederate victory. These are the events that led to the Duel on Main Street.
In early 1864, Union army gunboats of the “Naval Brigade” were regularly patrolling the rivers and streams around Newport News. Confederate infantry and artillery were just as regularly ambushing the gunboats from concealed positions along the riverbanks. The ambushes greatly annoyed Brigadier General Charles K. Graham, the commander of the Naval Brigade. He wanted to put an end to the attacks.
January 30, 1864
In late January, General Graham received a report that a small group of Confederate infantry was on the peninsula formed by Chuckatuck Creek and the Nansemond River. He organized an expedition to scatter the Rebels. Graham planned to land troops at Smithfield and Chuckatuck. The group at Smithfield would march towards Chuckatuck and attempt to capture any enemy troops they engaged along the way. In preparation for the expedition, the gunboat Flora Temple was sent to reconnoiter Chuckatuck Creek while the gunboat Smith Briggs scouted the Nansemond River.
On Saturday morning, January 30, 1864, the Flora Temple ventured up Chuckatuck Creek. The boat went upstream until the creek became too narrow to proceed. The crew made fast to Corbell’s Landing and began slowly turning around. When the Flora Temple came abreast of the bank, a small contingent of Confederate Signal Corps men opened fire from concealed positions along the edge of the creek. The Confederates were able to get off 80 rounds before the boat completed its turn and raced back downstream. Ten or twelve Yankee crewmen were hit. The pilot and wheelsman were both killed.
Later that day, Captain Nathaniel A. Sturdivant of Company A, 12th Battalion Virginia Light Artillery, was ordered to take a section of artillery and hurry to Cherry Grove on Chuckatuck Creek. Perhaps Sturdivant could further damage the Flora Temple or even capture the vessel. Sturdivant left his camp near Ivor Station with two guns. He was accompanied by Company F, 31st North Carolina Infantry (a small company numbering 47 men) and a detachment of the 7th Virginia Independent Cavalry.
January 31, 1864
The next day, General Graham marshalled his forces near the mouth of the Nansemond River. He left half his force there, with orders to sail up the river and land at Holliday’s Point at 2:00 p. m. After landing, the men were directed to march to Chuckatuck village and rendezvous with the other group coming from Smithfield. Graham then sailed for Smithfield, landing the remainder of his troops there at 1:25 p.m.
The Union force at Smithfield was under the command of Captain John C. Lee of the 99th New York (also known as the Union Coast Guard). It contained members of his own company as well as troopers from the 12th New York Cavalry and men from Batteries A and B of the 3rd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, about 110 men in all. Lee got his men organized and set out for Chuckatuck, some 10 miles away.
General Graham remained at Smithfield with two gunboats. He waited for two hours in case Captain Lee encountered a superior enemy force and was forced back to the town. At 4:00 p.m., the general, having heard nothing from Captain Lee, sailed for Holliday’s Point on the Nansemond River. Due to heavy fog, General Graham did not reach his destination until 8:00 that evening. There, he learned that forty Union soldiers had marched to Chuckatuck village, waited until dark, and then returned to their boats. Graham was disturbed to hear that Captain Lee had not arrived at Chuckatuck as planned.
Captain Sturdivant waited at Cherry Grove until high tide without sighting an enemy vessel. He then began his march back to Ivor. In the area of Scott’s Mill, about four miles from Smithfield, the Rebels collided with Captain Lee’s Union troops. Sturdivant cooly deployed his troops in a defensive position. The two sides traded a few volleys, then the fighting stopped.
Captain Lee, for unknown reasons, decided to break off contact with the enemy and retreat to Smithfield, reportedly leaving ten dead on the field. All the Union boats had sailed for the Nansemond River. With no naval transport, Lee’s men were forced to spend the night at Smithfield.
The Confederates waited near the mill for about an hour, then withdrew and resumed the march to Ivor. The Virginia calvary remained in the area, keeping an eye on the Yankees. The Confederates lost one man killed and one captured. Lieutenant Perkins of the 31st North Carolina was wounded in the leg during the skirmish and bled to death shortly after being hit. A cavalry trooper was captured just as the engagement began.
Shortly after returning to camp, Captain Sturdivant received an order to rush back to Smithfield. The Yankees were trapped there without any naval support. Perhaps the Confederates could bag the whole bunch. Three companies of the 31st North Carolina (G, I, and K) were dispatched to support Sturdivant’s guns. The Confederates set out for Smithfield before dawn.
Copyright © 2021 – 2025 by Kirk Ward. All rights reserved.