Battle of Darbytown and New Market Roads

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Darbytown and New Market Roads
partof=the American Civil War


caption=The situation in the fall of 1864 (Confederate in red, Union in blue).
date=October 7, 1864
place=Henrico County, Virginia.
result=Union victory
combatant1= flagicon|USA|1863 United States (Union)
combatant2= flagicon|CSA|1863 CSA (Confederacy)
commander1=David B. Birney, August V. Kautz
commander2=Robert Hoke, Charles W. Field
strength1=Corps
strength2=At least 2 divisions
casualties1=458
casualties2=700 [Kennedy, p. 438.]

The Battle of Darbytown and New Market Roads was an engagement between Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War, which took place on October 7, 1864 at Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign.

Prelude to the battle

The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign (June 15, 1864 – March 25, 1865) was a Union effort to capture the city of Petersburg, Virginia from Confederate forces under the command of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. During the Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Union forces captured Fort Harrison from the Confederates on September 30. This prompted Lee to order an offensive on the right flank of the Union forces (under the command of Ulysses S. Grant) on October 7.

Battle

The Union defensive lines, commanded by Brig. Gen. August V. Kautz and Maj. Gen. David B. Birney, were positioned along the length of New Market Road, with further Union cavalry defending Darbytown Road.

The initial Confederate attack, commanded by Maj. Gens. Robert Hoke and Charles W. Field, was successful in dislodging the Union Cavalry from Darbytown Road. The cavalry forces routed from the field, and the confederates attacked the Union defensive lines on the New Market Road. During this attack, the Confederate Texas Brigade's commander Brig. Gen. John Gregg was killed, and the attack was repulsed. The engagement resulted with a Confederate withdrawal to Richmond and thus Union victory.

References

* Kennedy, Frances H., ed., "The Civil War Battlefield Guide", 2nd ed., Houghton Mifflin Co., 1998, ISBN 0-395-74012-6.

Notes