Weakening The Petersburg Line

Union Major General Benjamin F Butler’s Army of the James crossed the James River during the early morning hours of September 29^th 1864, to assault the Richmond defenses. The Union troops had early success at the Battle of New Market Heights [aka Battle of Chaffin‘s Farm]. Black troops from the Eleventh Corps were heavily engaged here, with fourteen receiving the Medal of Honor for Valor. Then the Confederates pulled together and contained the breakthrough. General Robert E Lee reinforced his line north of the James River and counterattacked on September 30^th 1864. After two days of fighting and about 5000 casualties, the Union forces entrenched, and the Confederates moved into a new line of work. As General Ulysses S Grant planned Lee shifted his troops to meet this threat to Richmond, thus weakening his line at Petersburg.

A Small Part Of The Petersburg Campaign

The Battle of New Market and Darbytown, which was part of the greater Richmond - Petersburg Campaign occurred on October 7th 1864.

With an escalating Union threat on Richmond Virginia, General Robert E Lee responded to the loss of Fort Harrison from the Battle of Chaffin’s Farm. The Confederates on October 7th 1864 took an offensive on the far right Union flank. After pushing Union cavalry out of their position along the Darbytown Road, Robert Hoke and Charles W Fields’ divisions attacked the Union line along the New Market Road. The Union defenses was under the command of Brigadier General August V Kautz and Major General David B Birney. The Rebels were repulsed.

Following this action Lee withdrew his army back into the defenses of Richmond. The Confederate Brigadier General from Texas; John Gregg was killed during the battle.