September 11, 2019: Isle of Wight County, Virginia, 1861-1865 

War had come to Virginia. Troops rallied to protect the Confederate capital of Richmond at all costs. Isle of Wight County’s strategic location on the James River made it a natural candidate for the refortification and construction of defense works to protect the river and, ultimately, the seat of government for the Confederacy. Were the fortifications a success?

Please join us on September 11 when Jennifer England, Director of Isle of Wight County Museum, shares the story of Isle of Wight in the Civil War, including the 1864 Battle of Smithfield, activities at Forts Huger and Boykin, and new information gleaned from a recently discovered journal.

Union Gunboats on the Nansemond River, 1863 - Courtesy Virginia Historical Society