Near Dolphin in Brunswick County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Smoky Ordinary
"Making Tracks"
| | Wilson-Kautz Raid | |
Over two days, June 27-28, 1864, dusty columns of approximately 5,000 exhausted Union cavalrymen, with artillery, wagons, and ambulances, passed this spot near Smoky Ordinary. Gen. James H. Wilson's division led the way, with Gen. August V. Kautz's regiments following. Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had ordered the expedition from Petersburg to tear up track and destroy bridges on the South Side R.R. and the Richmond & Danville R.R. to deny Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee their use. The cavalrymen largely accomplished their mission but were blocked at their main objective, the Staunton River Bridge, by an unexpectedly strong defense. The raiders swept eastward, back to Petersburg, a round trip of about 350 miles. When they passed Smoky Ordinary, there were approximately 80 miles remaining.
Confederate cavalrymen dogged the Federals' trail, attacking the rear guard. Col. Edmund Pope, 8th New York Cavalry, wrote, "The skirmishing had been continuous, and the fighting, sometimes severe. A vast number of vehicles of every description, and contrabands to the number of several thousands, crowded the roads and hindered the
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The ordinary (a place where a complete meal but not lodging could be obtained at a fixed price) that stood one-quarter mile north of here, catered to travelers on the north-south stage road as early as 1750. During the Revolutionary War, British Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton led his Legion of cavalrymen along many of the same roads taken by Wilson and Kautz 83 years later. In July 1781, Tarleton led 300 troopers from near Jamestown to Bedford County to destroy Continental army supplies and storehouses. He and his men passed by Smoky Ordinary and accomplished their mission, as well as preventing more than 2,000 Virginia militiamen and Continental troops from reinforcing Gen. Nathanael Greene in North Carolina.
Erected by Virginia Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles • War, US Civil • War, US Revolutionary.
Location. 36° 49.772′ N, 77° 44.334′ W. Marker is near Dolphin, Virginia, in Brunswick County. It is on Liberty Road (County Road 634) north of Old Stage Road (County Road 712), on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10422 Liberty Rd, Dolphin VA 23843, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Virginia, specifically in the Piedmont, and in Southside Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named Smoky Ordinary (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Reedy Creek Baptist Church (approx. 3.4 miles away); Lt. Col. John Lyman Whitehead Jr. (1924-1992) (approx. 4.8 miles away); Ebenezer Academy (approx. 6.2 miles away); Sturgeon Creek (approx. 6.3 miles away); Brunswick County, Virginia (approx. 6.8 miles away); Meherrin Indians (approx. 6.8 miles away); Brunswick County / Greensville County (approx. 6.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dolphin.
Other markers no longer nearby. Smoky Ordinary (has been replaced with this marker); a different marker also named Smoky Ordinary (was approx. 0.4 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on September 6, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 6, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 6, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
