SATURDAY 3/8: ‘Confederate Raid on Cherrystone’

The Cape Charles Historical Society will present “Bold Work: The Confederate Raid on Cherrystone,” a free lecture by Civil War historian Kellee Blake, 2 p.m. Saturday, March 8, at the Palace Theatre, 305 Mason Avenue. Blake will share the dramatic story of the March 1864 attack on Federal operations by Captain Thaddeus Fitzhugh and a select group of Confederate raiders.

CAPT. THADDEUS FITZHUGH

While not a battleground in the usual sense, the Shore experienced a perpetual series of Confederate actions, especially disruptions to Union ship navigation and the telegraph line running  from Fortress Monroe via Cherrystone to Washington. In the early morning hours of March 5, 1864, a contingent of Confederate cavalrymen from the Western Shore overwhelmed the Federal guard at Cherrystone and, in adroit work, achieved one of the most successful raids on the wartime Chesapeake Bay.

Led by Captain Thaddeus Fitzhugh, himself no stranger to the Shore, the predawn strike garnered valuable vessels, cargo, and prisoners for the Confederacy; destroyed the telegraph office; and ruined the Shore’s most vital Federal operations. Fitzhugh’s “bold work” was national news and infuriated Federal leaders, especially Generals Benjamin Butler and Ulysses Grant.

Though a vast Federal force pursued Fitzhugh, he eluded capture and regrouped to raid again. Would he strike the Shore once more? Had he been helped by the Shore’s people? Had Fitzhugh’s own brother, a doctor on the Shore, been involved?

Guests are cautioned to be aware that Confederate raiders may still linger in the area. Members of the Eastern Shore Refugees will be in position with authentic military dress and ready to answer questions about their organization.