Siege of Suffolk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of Suffolk |
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| Part of the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War |
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 Suffolk Battlefield |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States (Union) |
 Confederate States |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 John Peck |
 James Longstreet |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 20,000 | 25,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 44 killed 202 wounded 14 missing 260 total |
500 killed/wounded 400 captured 900 total |
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The Siege of Suffolk, also called the Battle of Suffolk, happened during the American Civil War. It took place from April 11 to May 4, 1863, near Suffolk, Virginia. This event was a key part of the fighting in the Eastern Theater.
Contents
Why the Siege Happened
In 1863, Confederate Lieutenant General James Longstreet was put in charge of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina. He had four main goals for his troops:
- Protect Richmond, the Confederate capital.
- Help General Robert E. Lee's main army if they needed it.
- Gather food and supplies for the Confederate armies.
- Try to capture the Union army base at Suffolk.
Longstreet had about 25,000 soldiers for this mission.
Suffolk's Strong Defenses
The Union forces at Suffolk were led by Major General John J. Peck. His troops were part of a larger Union department. When Longstreet's army got close, Peck received more soldiers to help defend Suffolk. He also got help from two small fleets of Union navy ships.
General Peck set up Suffolk's defenses in a big circle around the city. The city had good natural protection. The Great Dismal Swamp was on one side, and the Nansemond River was on the other. These natural barriers made it harder for the Confederates to attack. The navy ships helped protect the river areas.
The Siege Begins
Longstreet's Confederate forces attacked Suffolk on April 11. They crossed the Nansemond River and pushed back some Union guards. However, General Peck quickly made sure his base was ready for a fight. The Confederate advance, led by Brigadier General Micah Jenkins, decided not to attack the main Union base directly. Instead, they dug trenches on the west side of the Nansemond River.
General Peck thought the southern parts of his defenses would be attacked the hardest. He moved many of his soldiers from the river areas to help defend the south. This left the river mostly to the Union navy. Longstreet's troops did indeed attack the southern lines first. Confederate Major General George Pickett's division tested the Union defenses. They found the Union positions too strong for a direct attack.
The next day, Union soldiers pushed back and got their lost positions back. For several days, Pickett kept trying to find a weak spot in the Union lines. He even sent scouts into the Dismal Swamp, but he gave up on that idea. Longstreet soon realized that attacking the southern front was not working. He decided to focus on the river front, which was not as heavily defended. The fighting on the southern front then quieted down.
A second Confederate division, led by Major General John Bell Hood, also arrived. They dug trenches along the Nansemond River. Hood's soldiers tried to attack the Union navy ships on the river. But it was clear that soldiers alone could not clear the river of Union ships.
Fighting at Norfleet House
To solve their problem on the Nansemond River, the Confederates built new gun batteries. One was at an old fort called Fort Huger, and another was near a farm known as Norfleet House.
On April 14, Union sailors spotted new dirt, which meant the Confederates were building the Norfleet House battery. Union ships immediately opened fire. One Union ship, the USS Mount Washington, got stuck and was damaged. The Fort Huger batteries also opened fire, trapping the Union ships. Luckily, another Union ship helped free the Mount Washington. The ships escaped, but this showed that the navy alone could not protect the river.
General Peck realized his mistake in moving soldiers away from the river. He quickly put General George W. Getty in charge of defending the river. Getty built new Union batteries on the east side of the river, right across from the Norfleet House Battery. On April 15, Getty's guns opened fire. After three hours, the Confederate guns at Norfleet House were silenced. This fight cost the Union 5 killed and 16 wounded.
Taking Hill's Point
With the Norfleet House Battery silenced, the next big obstacle was near Fort Huger at Hill's Point. Union forces built Battery Stevens across the river. Union sailors tried a night attack on April 17 but were stopped by Confederate guards.
On the morning of April 19, Union ships and batteries opened fire on Hill's Point. At 5:00 p.m., General Getty gathered 270 experienced soldiers. They boarded a Union gunboat, the Stepping Stones, which was covered to hide the soldiers. Getty himself led the troops. The plan was for the gunboat to pretend to sail past the fort. Then, it would land the soldiers just above the fort. The soldiers would then rush the fort from the side and back.
The plan started well. About 300 yards from where they would land, the covers were dropped, showing the soldiers. But with only 30 feet to go, the Stepping Stones hit something in the river and stopped. The Union soldiers were completely exposed. Luckily, the Confederate soldiers were not at their posts. Captain Hazard Stevens, from Getty's staff, jumped into the water and waded ashore. About 100 more soldiers followed him, holding their rifles above their heads.
Stevens and the first 100 soldiers quickly attacked the fort. The rest of the soldiers moved to attack the back. The Confederate soldiers appeared, and their cannons turned towards the attackers. But Getty's soldiers reached the fort without firing a single shot. The entire Confederate force at Hill's Point surrendered in just 10 minutes. No Confederates were killed or wounded, but all 130 were captured. Getty's forces had 3 killed and 10 wounded.
Getty quickly worked to make the fort stronger for a counterattack. Union cannons were brought into the fort. Later that night, Confederate Colonel John K. Connally brought his inexperienced troops forward. They were nervous and opened fire, showing their positions in the dark. Getty's troops fired back accurately. Confederate Major General Evander M. Law arrived and ordered Connally to pull back. Another Confederate general, Major General Samuel G. French, decided not to attack Hill's Point again. He thought it would be foolish for the Union troops to stay in such an isolated spot.
The next day, General Hood checked the area, but Getty's troops were still there and making their position even stronger. After thinking about it, Getty decided to leave Hill's Point on April 21. The Confederates took the point back, but it was no longer a threat.
Ending the Siege
The Union navy ships left the Nansemond River for a while. But they made a deal with Getty to return if Union guards could be sent to Hill's Point. Getty's soldiers tried three times to cross the river but were stopped each time.
While Longstreet was besieging Suffolk, his troops were also very successful at gathering food and supplies in the Blackwater region. Suffolk was close to Washington, D.C., so important leaders like General-in-Chief Henry Halleck and Secretary of State William H. Seward visited the defenses. Seward even stayed overnight in Suffolk.
Finally, on April 30, Union sailors landed at Hill's Point and set up guards. Around this time, Longstreet started hearing about Union troop movements in northern Virginia. He thought he would be called to help General Lee. General Peck also heard these reports and told the Union commander that he could hold Longstreet at Suffolk.
On May 1, the first day of the Battle of Chancellorsville, the Union commander thought Longstreet had already rejoined Lee. But Peck insisted he had not left Suffolk. None of Longstreet's forces had returned to Lee yet, but the Confederate supply wagons began moving north. It was clear that Lee and the Union army were fighting a major battle. Longstreet told Richmond he would not leave until his wagons were safe.
On May 3, the orders to withdraw were given. Early that day, Getty's division attacked some Confederate troops and captured their first line of trenches. The fighting caused many casualties. Later that day, Longstreet continued with his withdrawal plans. Union troops chased the retreating Confederates but could not catch them. By May 9, Longstreet had rejoined Lee's army.
What Happened Next
Longstreet had two main goals for this mission: gathering supplies and protecting Richmond. He completely succeeded in both. The only goal he failed at was capturing the Union base at Suffolk.
On the other hand, the Union's main goal was to hold Suffolk, which they did. However, while Peck was defending Suffolk, his forces could not stop Longstreet from gathering supplies. So, it's fair to say that both sides achieved some of their main goals. General Peck was praised for how he handled the defense of Suffolk. The campaign against Suffolk was Longstreet's first time leading an independent command.
Images for kids
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Map of Suffolk Battlefield core and study areas by the American Battlefield Protection Program
