By Korey Hughes
Special Correspondent

History buffs will be enthralled when they attend The Last Fight of the Confederate Navy: The Battle of Trent’s Reach, 1865 commemoration event at Henricus Historical Park on Saturday, Jan. 21. 

And, by the end of the day, they will understand that the land where the park currently exists was once a battlefield where Confederate and Union soldiers clashed, with our nation’s fate hanging in the balance.

John Pagano is the historical interpretation supervisor at Henricus. In addition to managing the park’s staff of historical interpreters, he also is its principal historian.

“The fight of Trent’s Reach encompassed the entire span of Henricus and Dutch Gap,” Pagano said. “Anywhere you stood, you would have been able to see the naval battle going on, about a half a mile between the ships and the shore battery, and it was quite a spectacle at the time.” 

According to Pagano, the battle was significant because it was one of the Confederacy’s last chances to turn the tide in the Civil War. 

“As far as being a major Confederate naval fight in the eastern theatre of war, it was one of the big finales of the war effort,” Pagano said. “Previously, the Confederate navy had purely been a reactionary force.”

“But, here, they went on the offensive.  Even though it was a brave effort, it failed miserably and proved that there was little more that the Confederates could do.”

During Saturday’s proceedings, there also will be a wreath-laying ceremony and a musket salute for 2nd Lt. Walter Thorn, an officer who risked his life to run atop the bulkhead at Butler’s Canal just before it exploded to save sentries.

Because Thorn, who was just 20 years old at the time, performed such a heroic act, it earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor. 

“The fuse was lit for the black powder to blow the canal, and Thorn was absolutely aghast that the sentries were still there,” Pagano said. “So, he went up there to rescue the black soldiers who would have been torn apart by the explosion.”

“And this was during a time when people wouldn’t have gone back to rescue black soldiers. And that’s why were commemorating him.”

Lectures will happen throughout the day, including one that will study the previously mentioned battle from a naval combat perspective, deconstructing the entire skirmish step-by-step. 

Another speech will compare current photographs of Henricus Historical Park’s layout with pictures of the land taken during the time of the conflict. 

And a Civil War battle re-enactment will be performed by Henricus staff, participants from the National Park Service in Petersburg and members of several local history groups. 

Saturday’s occasion will be the first time that the aforementioned clash has been commemorated, but Henricus Historical Park has plans to increase its Civil War programming going forward.

Pagano said he thinks that it’s important for Chesterfield residents to immerse themselves in local history. 

“Well, it’s all about the community you live in,” Pagano said. “And for our ancestors, it’s proper that people have a fair perspective on Chesterfield County’s past.”

“For quite some time, some histories have had more exposure, but others have been obscured. But it’s our responsibility to bring that history to life for Chesterfield (residents) so they can look at it with some form of reverence and understand the basic history that built their community.” 

The Last Fight of the Confederate Navy: The Battle of Trent’s Reach, 1865 commemoration event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, at Henricus Historical Park at 251 Henricus Park Road in Chester.

The event is free for members, but admission for the public is $8 for adults and $6 for children.

For more information, go to the Henricus Historical Park’s website, http://www.henricus.org/, or call 748-1613.