The Chowan River (cho-WAHHN)
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which r ...

. Retrieved 2013-02-08. is a blackwater river formed with the merging of Virginia's

Blackwater Blackwater or Black Water may refer to: Health and ecology * Blackwater (coal), liquid waste from coal preparation * Blackwater (waste), wastewater containing feces, urine, and flushwater from flush toilets * Blackwater fever, an acute kidney disea ...

and Nottoway rivers near the stateline between

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

and North Carolina. According to the

USGS The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

a variant name is Choan River. Flowing for approximately 50 miles (80 km) before ending in the Albemarle Sound on

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...

's coast, the river drains about of land in North Carolina and Virginia. Flowing through mostly swamp land with occasional high ground, the Chowan River grows to nearly two miles wide (3 km) at its opening to the Albemarle Sound. The river offers excellent fishing for catfish and largemouth bass. While tidal, the variation in tide heights in the Chowan River are normally less than one foot (30 cm) between high and low tide. The average depth is 16 feet and the maximum depth is 40 feet around Holiday Island. The Eden House bridge on US Route 17 marks the border between the Chowan River and Albemarle Sound. Significant tributaries include Bonds Creek, the Meherrin River, Bennett's Creek (which connects the Chowan River with Merchant's Millpond State Park), and the Wiccacon River. The river featured prominently in the Civil War in the region. As part of the Union plan to destroy the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad, Union ships sailed up the Chowan river, bombarding small Confederate posts outside of

Harrellsville, North Carolina Harrellsville is a town in Hertford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 106 at the 2010 census. Geography Harrellsville is located in southeastern Hertford County at (36.303895, -76.790083). North Carolina Highway 45 runs ...

(at Deep Creek, also known as Swain's Mill Creek) and outside of

Cofield, North Carolina Cofield is a village in Hertford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 413 at the 2010 census. History Deane House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Geography Cofield is located at (36.357424, ...

(at Petty's Shore, where an old bunker is still visible in the landscape). By the time the ships reached Winton, North Carolina, the local troops had been alerted to the oncoming ships. Hiding in the woods near the dock for an ambush, the Confederate battalion at Winton sent a slave girl down to the Union boats to tell them that the locals had fled in fear of a Union attack. The ambush was foiled, however, when a Union soldier saw the gleam of the sun on a musket barrel in the woods. The Union ships quickly pulled anchor, regrouped, and returned minutes later to burn Winton to the ground. That same Union fleet would go on to land at Murfreesboro, North Carolina (via the Meherrin River) and march west to the railroad at Weldon. The Chowan River is one of the three oldest surviving English place-names in the U.S. Along with Roanoke Island and the

Neuse River The Neuse River ( , Tuscarora: Neyuherú·kęʔkì·nęʔ) is a river rising in the Piedmont of North Carolina and emptying into Pamlico Sound below New Bern. Its total length is approximately , making it the longest river entirely contained in ...

, it was named in 1584 by Captains Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe, sent to explore the region by Sir Walter Raleigh. Their "Chowanook", or Chowanoke, name was shortened to Chowan.

References

External links

A story about the last family of Chowanoke Indians at Marvin T. Jones' local web journal roanoke-chowan.com
{{authority control Bodies of water of Chowan County, North Carolina Bodies of water of Gates County, North Carolina Bodies of water of Hertford County, North Carolina Rivers of North Carolina Tributaries of Albemarle Sound

See also

References

External links