150th Anniversary of the Second Battle of Deep Bottom

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150 years ago, on August 14, 1864, the Second Battle of Deep Bottom began.
The Union expeditionary force was led by Winfield Scott Hancock and the Confederate defending force was led by General Charles Field and, on August 16, by General Robert E. Lee himself.
On August 14, after crossing the James River, Hancock placed the Union X Corps, under David Birney on his left and his 1st and 2nd division on his right. His 3rd division took position in his center, under Gershom Mott. Hancock ordered Mott to demonstrate against Richmond, his first two divisions (assigned to Francis Barlow) to breach the Darbytown Road. Birney was ordered to take the New Market Heights.
The Union plan went awry from the beginning. Birney's troops were halted before the New Market Heights and failed to achieve the penetration Hancock wanted. Barlow made contact with the Confederates and was surprised by their strength. Hancock ordered him and Mott to attack en masse and seize the Confederate entrenchments. Yet, their effort was poorly coordinated and they were given a handsome repulse.
On August 15, Hancock ordered Birney to join him and attack the Confederate left. Birney was slow and suffered many casualties from heat stroke. Hancock executed only a reconnaissance in force.
On August 16, the Yankees renewed their efforts. Their cavalry tried to advance to Glendale and the Charles City Road. But, General Rooney Lee was blocking their path, they were assaulted and forced back to Fisher's Farm, their prong no longer a danger. The Yankee infantrymen began with better luck. Their numerical superiority t\started to tell and Ambrose Wright's brigade from Georgia started giving way. General Robert E. Lee, upon seeing what was going on, took action. He arrived at the front and, amidst cries of "Lee to the rear!" he, with William C. Oates, led the attack that crumbled the Yankees and drove them back to where they started.
On August 17, no fighting occurred. A truce was made so that the dead and wounded would be retrieved. On the next day, General Lee planned a counterattack, which was launched on the afternoon, shortly before dark. Due to the time it started and the weariness of Lee's men, the assault didn't achieve gains in the field. Yet, it convinced Hancock that he was threatened and would be assaulted when and where General Lee wanted. Thus, on August 20, Hancock withdrew north of the James, gaining nothing apart from casualties, his expedition a total failure.
The Yankees suffered 3000 casualties in the battle and the total increases when adding the victims to heat stroke. Moreover, more than half of the Yankee losses were killed and captured.
On the other hand, General Lee and his Confederates suffered 1000 casualties, most of them wounded and quick to return in his ranks.
Civil War Scholar.
 
On August 17, no fighting occurred. A truce was made so that the dead and wounded would be retrieved. On the next day, General Lee planned a counterattack, which was launched on the afternoon, shortly before dark. Due to the time it started and the weariness of Lee's men, the assault didn't achieve gains in the field. Yet, it convinced Hancock that he was threatened and would be assaulted when and where General Lee wanted. Thus, on August 20, Hancock withdrew north of the James, gaining nothing apart from casualties, his expedition a total failure.
The Yankees suffered 3000 casualties in the battle and the total increases when adding the victims to heat stroke. Moreover, more than half of the Yankee losses were killed and captured.
On the other hand, General Lee and his Confederates suffered 1000 casualties, most of them wounded and quick to return in his ranks.
Civil War Scholar.

From wiki...

The Second Battle of Deep Bottom, also known as Fussell's Mill (particularly in the South), New Market Road, Bailey's Creek, Charles City Road, or White's Tavern was fought August 14–20, 1864, at Deep Bottom in Henrico County, Virginia, during the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign (Siege of Petersburg) of the American Civil War.

During the night of August 13–14, a force under the command of Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock crossed the James River at Deep Bottom to threaten Richmond and attract Confederate forces away from the Petersburg, Virginia, trenches and the Shenandoah Valley. On August 14, the X Corps closed on New Market Heights while the II Corps extended the Federal line to the right along Bailey's Creek. During the night, the X Corps was moved to the right flank of the Union line near Fussell's Mill. On August 16, Union assaults near the mill were initially successful, but Confederate counterattacks drove the Federals back. After days of indecisive skirmishing, the Federals returned to the south side of the James on the night of August 20. The Confederates achieved their objective of driving back the Union threat, but at a cost of diluting their forces as the Union had hoped.

By Sept. 29, 1864... Little over a month on this date the battle for Ft. Harrison marks the moment Lee's famed Army of Northern Virginia lost its claws and teeth... lost its punch...
 
The two battles at deep bottom of my specialties along with the rest of the siege of Petersburg

Why don't you contact me so I can share some information with you?

Bryce Suderow
[email protected]
Bryce...my GGGrandfather was shot in the leg at second battle on August 15 so the CSR indicates. He was 3rd Lt Joshua B Everett on 59th Ga Inf Co F under Tige Anderson. His widow states in the Pension record that he was shot by a sharpshooter
 
Bryce...my GGGrandfather was shot in the leg at second battle on August 15 so the CSR indicates. He was 3rd Lt Joshua B Everett on 59th Ga Inf Co F under Tige Anderson. His widow states in the Pension record that he was shot by a sharpshooter
Also...one CSR card states he was admitted on the 16th and another says he was wounded on the 15th...my understanding is there was not much if any fighting on the 15th ...mainly on the 16th is when fighting started..true or untrue? Bruce
 
I'll text @Bryce and ask him to log in and answer yall's questions. He's done a ton of research on Deep Bottom and is very generous in sharing information. Stay tuned.
 
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As promised, I sent a text to Bryce asking him to check out your questions. Unfortunately he doesn't login here often and has forgotten his CWT password.

I sent him a link to this thread so he was able to read your posts @Noonanda and @beverett and he is eager to help. He has generously offered to send you copies of three articles he has written on the Battles of Deep Bottom. If you will contact him by email at [email protected] he will send the files your way.
 
As promised, I sent a text to Bryce asking him to check out your questions. Unfortunately he doesn't login here often and has forgotten his CWT password.

I sent him a link to this thread so he was able to read your posts @Noonanda and @beverett and he is eager to help. He has generously offered to send you copies of three articles he has written on the Battles of Deep Bottom. If you will contact him by email at [email protected] he will send the files your way.
Thanks so much for your help @lelliot. I've emailed Bryce.
 
Here are links to everything on my Siege of Petersburg site pertaining to Second Deep Bottom. I've got quite a few items, including unpublished reports, maps, and plenty of newspaper articles:

 
Bryce...my GGGrandfather was shot in the leg at second battle on August 15 so the CSR indicates. He was 3rd Lt Joshua B Everett on 59th Ga Inf Co F under Tige Anderson. His widow states in the Pension record that he was shot by a sharpshooter

Why don't you email me. I want to tell you more about what your regiment did on august 16th

bryce suderow
[email protected]
 
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