Held The Line Until After Dark

BG Micah Jenkins

A minor fight the Battle of Dandridge was fought January 17^th 1864 in Jefferson County, Tennessee.

Union forces commanded by Major General John G Parke looking for forage south of the French Broad River and to push the Confederates out of their winter headquarters, advanced on Dandridge, Tennessee.  This movement forced Confederate Lieutenant General James Longstreet who was operating in the Dandridge area to fall back to Kimbrough’s Crossroads and bring up reinforcements.

Union Brigadier General Samuel D Sturgis who commanded the Cavalry Corps in the Army of the Ohio, road along the Morristown Road from Dandridge on January 16^th 1864.  As the Cavalry neared Kimbrough’s Crossroad they engaged a brigade with artillery from Alabama commanded by Confederate Brigadier General Micah Jenkins.  At the same time another unit of Union cavalry under Colonel Frank Wolford engaged another Confederate force on a bend of Chunky Road, east of Dandridge.  Unable to move the Confederates, the Union troops retired to Dandridge.  Sturgis prepared his men into a line of battle.  At about 4 pm the Confederates moved towards Dandridge, where the battle quickly grew into general fighting.  The Battle continued until after dark, with Union forces holding onto their line.

Having not crossed the river and not knowing how much of Longstreet’s force was in their front, Parke ordered a retreat to New Market during the night.  The Confederates followed, but without supplies they broke off and fell back to holding Dandridge.

Kind Of Late In The Game

An attack by the Confederate Major General John B Gordon that brought on the Battle of Fort Stedman on March 25th 1865, was an attempt to break the siege on Petersburg.

Confederate General Robert E Lee’s army of Northern Virginia had spent the last nine months in and around Petersburg, Virginia along a 37 mile long front. His supplies were short, and the Confederate soldiers there had suffered through a ruff winter. Lee had to break the Union hold. He pulled 12,000 soldiers, about half his army and massed them on the Union right, where the lines were only about 150 yards apart. The attack was to be focused on Fort Stedman and its 4 cannon.

On March 25th 1865 at 4am Confederate General John B Gordon’s skirmishers quickly overtook Union pickets. These were followed by ax men who cleared barriers in front of the fort. Fort Stedman under command of Union Major General John G Parke, fell in the first wave of Confederate attackers. This opened up a mile wide gap in the Union line. They turned the Fort’s captured cannons, using them to fire into nearby forts. Other of Gordon’s troops moved out into the trenches and batteries. Those Union soldiers who weren't taken prisoner, regrouped and slowed up the Confederate movement. Union reinforcements began massing for a counterattack. The counterattack placed the Confederates under a galling crossfire.

By 8am Lee who had been watching the attack, ordered Gordon to call it off. Many hundreds of Confederate soldiers surrendered. The battle was very costly for the Army of Northern Virginia, they lost over 2,900 men. Union losses were about 950.

A Forage Fight

The Battle of Dandridge was fought in Jefferson County, Tennessee January 17th 1864.

Union Major General John G Parke upon receiving reports of forage to the south of the French Broad River, moved on Dandridge, Tennessee on January 14th 1864. The Union troops crossed the river and occupied the area, forcing Confederate Lieutenant General James Longstreet to fall back from the area to Kimbrough’s Crossroad. On January 15th 1864 Longstreet brought in 61 regiment of infantry, cavalry and 20 pieces of artillery to threaten the Union base at New Market. Union cavalry under Brigadier General Samuel D Sturgis moved from Dandridge on January 16th 1864 to occupy Kimbrough’s Crossroad where they ran into some of Longstreet’s infantry and artillery. Skirmishing continue throughout the day. The Union cavalry couldn’t move the Confederate troops and were forced to fall back to Dandridge.

About noon on January 17th 1864 the Union received information of the Confederate preparation for an attack. The Union had about 26,000 men with 34 pieces of artillery. Around 4 pm the Confederates advanced on Dandridge. The fighting went on until well after dark, without the battle lines moving much from their starting position. Parke feared that Longstreet’s entire force was in front of him, and ordered a withdrawal in the night to New Market and Strawberry Plains. Longstreet’s men pursued, but do to a lack of supplies fell back to Dandridge.

Cannons Blew The Tops Off Trees

On the morning of March 14th 1862 the Union took the city of New Berne North Carolina.


Union General Ambrose E Burnside left Roanoke North Carolina on March 11th 1862 with 12,000 soldiers. They were met at Hatteras by 13 Union gunboats under the command of Union Commodore Stephen C Rowan. On March 12th 1862 the boats were in the Neuse River, and on the morning of the 13th they opened fire on the shore of North Carolina. Three brigades of infantry under Generals John G Foster, John G Parke and Jesse L Reno went ashore and began a march towards New Berne.

In New Berne North Carolina were 4,500 Confederates under the command of General Lawrence O’Bryan Branch. These men had very little military experience, most still didn’t have uniforms. These Confederates were in line in the early morning hours of March 14th 1862, as the Union naval cannon blew the tops off tree over their heads. Union troops attacked along the railroad, hitting against the Confederate fortifications. The battle went on for close to 4 hours before the Confederates were forced to retreat. Future Governor Zebulon Vance with the 26th North Carolina Infantry, isolated from there line held off Union troops, delaying the taking of the city. The Union occupied and held New Berne for the rest of the war. Union losses were about 476 killed, wounded, or missing, and the Confederates saw 584 losses.

An interesting web site with more about this battle
Battle of New Berne