War Comes to the Old Brick Church

Early in the war, Confederate authorities were concerned that Union forces might advance up the James River from Fort Monroe. As a precaution, they constructed waterfront artillery batteries along the river, including in Isle of Wight County, and posted infantry regiments nearby to protect them. This brought the war to the sleepy grounds of St. Luke's Church, when Col. W. Dorsey Pender's 3rd North Carolina Volunteers (later reorganized as the 13th North Carolina Infantry) camped here. Pender's regiment was part of Gen. John Pemberton's brigade, and supported a North Carolina battery located at the mouth of Jones Creek north of the church. In July 1861, Pender wrote his wife, "You will see that I call this place Camp Ruffin. ... The location and appearance of the camp are anything but agreeable in looks and or in comfort. ... We have three camps stretching over about three and half miles."
Union Assistant Adjutant General William Whipple reported in November 1861 that escaped slaves told him of a large Confederate force on the grounds of the "old brick church near Smithfield." In the spring of 1862, Confederate forces crossed the river to oppose Union Gen. George McClellan's advance up the Peninsula toward Richmond. A subsequent article in Harper's Weekly reported that after the camp was vacated, the church "was
left entirely despoiled of everything movable or destructible."
(captions)
Confederate camp, 1861 - Courtesy Library of Congress
Pvt. John L. Wood, 3rd North Carolina Volunteers, 1861 Courtesy Library of Congress
St. Luke's Church, ca. 1920 photo - Courtesy Isle of Wight County Museum

Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.

Show me all markers in:  Smithfield, VA  |  Isle of Wight County  |  23430  |  Virginia  |  United States of America

St. Luke's Church
Saint Luke's Church
Benn's Church
Josiah Parker
Missile Magazine and Launch Operations
People and Places, circa 1957 at N-75L
1954 Nike-Ajax Missile Site N-75L
Nike-Ajax Missile Radar Control Site N-75C
Liquid Maze Historical
Joseph W. Luter, III Historical

• GPX
• KML
• LOC

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.