Nansemond River Crossing

Nansemond River Crossing. Battle of Providence Church Road. , In the summer of 1862, the waterfront here on the Nansemond River was packed with soldiers and artillery: Union Gen. John J. Peck's men built a series of earthwork forts, batteries, and trenches around the entire town. This position was a key crossing point. Union infantrymen in trenches on the high ground just behind you were prepared for a Confederate attack at any moment. Two Union gunboats, USS Smith Briggs and USS West End, patrolled the river to prevent an enemy crossing., Confederate Gen. James Longstreet's men partially surrounded the town from April 11 to May 3, 1863. During this time, the two sides exchanged rifle and artillery fire at various points across the river, but the Confederates made no attempt to cross., In the morning of May 3, four regiments of Union infantry crossed the bridge here and advanced on the Confederate picket lines on the north side, driving them back. The purpose of this probe was to test the strength of the Confederate lines to see if they were being thinned in advance of lifting the siege. The pickets withdrew to their main lines, which stood firm, offering no evidence of any planned retreat from Suffolk. This action became known as the Battle of Providence Church Road. Ironically, the Confederates did, in fact, withdraw all their forces around Suffolk that night in the darkness, just hours after the day's heavy fighting ended., "The enemy's works are very elaborate and strong, and in my opinion, if taken at all, can only be taken at an immense sacrifice of life." , Pvt. Armistead Burwell, 14th Virginia Infantry, April 20, 1863