Port Walthall
Encyclopedia
Port Walthall was located on the north bank of the Appomattox River
in Chesterfield County, Virginia
, a few miles upriver from its confluence with the James River
at City Point
.
Port Walthall was part of 1600 acres patented by William Walthall, Merchant, 26 July 1656, land "Lying and being in the county of Henrico, on the north side of Appomatuck River." (Patent Book 4, p 178) William Walthall's ancestors were members of the Mercers Company in London who held stock in the Virginia Company and descended from Thomas Walthall bc 1450 Nantwich, Cheshire, and Margaret d/o Sir William Stanley of Hooten. (Malcolm Elmore Walthall, The Walthall Family: A Genealogical History of the Descendants of William Walthall of Virginia, 1952, rev. 1963, p 7)
In the period before the American Civil War
, Port Walthall was a major shipping and passenger embarkation location, and was served by a railroad. During the War, the railroad tracks leading to the port were melted down to manufacture Confederate
cannon. The point where the tracks joined the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad
some distance to the west was known as Port Walthall Junction.
The Battle of Port Walthall Junction
was fought on May 6–7, 1864, between Union
and Confederate
forces during the American Civil War
. Though initially successful, the Confederates were eventually defeated, allowing Union forces to cut the railroad, one of Richmond's vital supply lines.
After the War, the railroad branch to Port Walthall was never restored, and Port Walthall came into disuse. In modern times, the name is memorialized by the Walthall exit of Interstate 95
, VA-58.
Appomattox River
The Appomattox River is a tributary of the James River, approximately long, in central and eastern Virginia in the United States, named for the Appomattocs Indian tribe who lived along its lower banks in the 17th century...
in Chesterfield County, Virginia
Chesterfield County, Virginia
Chesterfield County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. In 2010, its population was estimated to be 316,236. Chesterfield County is now the fourth-largest municipality in Virginia . Its county seat is Chesterfield...
, a few miles upriver from its confluence with the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
at City Point
City Point, Virginia
City Point was a town in Prince George County, Virginia that was annexed by the independent city of Hopewell in 1923. It served as headquarters of the Union Army during the Siege of Petersburg during the American Civil War.- History :...
.
Port Walthall was part of 1600 acres patented by William Walthall, Merchant, 26 July 1656, land "Lying and being in the county of Henrico, on the north side of Appomatuck River." (Patent Book 4, p 178) William Walthall's ancestors were members of the Mercers Company in London who held stock in the Virginia Company and descended from Thomas Walthall bc 1450 Nantwich, Cheshire, and Margaret d/o Sir William Stanley of Hooten. (Malcolm Elmore Walthall, The Walthall Family: A Genealogical History of the Descendants of William Walthall of Virginia, 1952, rev. 1963, p 7)
In the period before the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Port Walthall was a major shipping and passenger embarkation location, and was served by a railroad. During the War, the railroad tracks leading to the port were melted down to manufacture Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
cannon. The point where the tracks joined the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad
Richmond and Petersburg Railroad
Richmond and Petersburg Railroad was a regional railroad serving east-central Virginia. It was strategically important to the Confederacy during the American Civil War, when it provided a vital supply and transportation route in late 1864 and early 1865 for Robert E...
some distance to the west was known as Port Walthall Junction.
The Battle of Port Walthall Junction
Battle of Port Walthall Junction
The Battle of Port Walthall Junction was fought May 6 – May 7, 1864, between Union and Confederate forces during the Bermuda Hundred Campaign of the American Civil War. Although initially successful, the Confederates were eventually defeated, allowing Union forces to cut a railroad.-Battle:In...
was fought on May 6–7, 1864, between Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
and Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
forces during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Though initially successful, the Confederates were eventually defeated, allowing Union forces to cut the railroad, one of Richmond's vital supply lines.
After the War, the railroad branch to Port Walthall was never restored, and Port Walthall came into disuse. In modern times, the name is memorialized by the Walthall exit of Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Virginia
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, Interstate 95 runs through the state. It runs concurrently for with Interstate 64 in Richmond, and meets the northern terminus of Interstate 85 in Petersburg. Though Interstate 95 was originally planned to go straight through Washington, D.C., it was instead...
, VA-58.