Battle of Chester Station - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

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The Battle of Chester Station was fought on May 10, 1864, between Union

Union Army

The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...

and Confederate

Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...

forces during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. The Confederates attacked portions of Benjamin Butler

Benjamin Franklin Butler (politician)

Benjamin Franklin Butler was an American lawyer and politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and later served as the 33rd Governor of Massachusetts....

's Union forces.

Background

The Action at Chester Station was a relatively minor battle of the Bermuda Hundred Campaign and ended indecisively. It started as a Union expedition against the Richmond & Petersburg Railroad. The object was to destroy the railroad in order to cut the line of communication. It was met by a reconnaissance-in-force of two confederate brigades led by Major General Robert Ransom, who attacked south from Drewry's Bluff near the Winfree House. Both sides fought gallantly and fiercely including hand-to-hand.

Battle

When the Federal (Union) troops reached the vicinity of Chester Station they were divided into two wings. The left wing, commanded by Maj. O. S. Sanford of the 7th Connecticut Infantry moved up the railroad toward Chester Station, where the 6th Connecticut Infantry was engaged in tearing up the track, and remained there for about an hour, when orders came to join the other column on the turnpike below. Here the right wing, commanded by Col. C. J. Dobbs of the 13th Indiana Infantry, had encountered a force of Confederates too large to overcome, and Dobbs sent back for reinforcements. In the meantime he formed line of battle with his own regiment on the left, the 169th New York Infantry on the right, one section of the 1st Conn. battery in front, supported by a detachment of the 67th Ohio Infantry, and awaited the onset. The Confederates, with infantry, cavalry and artillery, advanced, and when they were within easy range Dobbs gave the command to fire. A tremendous volley from his entire line checked the Confederate advance and a second threw them into confusion, compelling them to retire for the purpose of reforming their lines. At this juncture Sanford arrived with the left wing and went into position with the 6th Connecticut Infantry on the right of the road and the 7th on the left as supports to the advanced lines. Two companies of the 7th Connecticut Infantry were sent forward to support a battery and the remainder of the regiment moved up to the top of the hill and opened fire on the Confederate's left, driving them back to the woods. One of the guns of the 4th New Jersey battery was abandoned by the men and an effort to capture this piece was thwarted by this regiment, Sanford sending Lieut. Barker with Co. K to bring in the gun, which he did in the face of a galling fire. The 7th New Hampshire Infantry came up and went into position just as the Confederates advanced again, having been reinforced, and again they were allowed to come within easy range, when they were greeted with a murderous fire from both artillery and infantry. This settled the contest. After a vain endeavor to rally the shattered ranks the Confederate officers gave up the attempt and sought the cover of the woods. Gen. A. H. Terry, commanding the 1st division, 10th corps, arrived on the field after the action had begun, and during the latter part of the engagement directed the movements of the Union troops.

"To add to these difficulties the woods were fired early in the action, and the smoke and flames driving into our lines blinded us and deranged the precision of movements." Brig. Gen. Seth Barton C.S.A.

Aftermath

Gen. Terry reported the Union loss as being 280 in killed, wounded and missing, and estimated that of the Confederates as at least twice that number, some 50 prisoners remaining in the hands of the Federals.

The return of casualties in Barton's Brigade showed a total of 249 in killed, wounded and missing including the loss of a commanding officer of one of his regiments, Lt. Col. Joseph R. Cabell of the 38th Virginia Infantry.

Two Confederate brigades faced an Ohio regiment, which was pushed back despite arrival of reinforcements from Drake's brigade. Confederate successes, while they had superior numbers, including the capture of one cannon (which was recovered by the Union forces), were halted when Hawley's brigade arrived on the field. The growing Union reinforcements started to outnumber them and they were compelled to retire to Drewry’s Bluff, at the same time the Federals withdrew east to Bermuda Hundred. The result was a draw with neither side having surrendered, been defeated, or gained any ground. The Union forces succeeded in destroying some railroad track and the Confederate forces succeeded in stopping them from doing anymore damage. Maj. Gen. Ransom relieved Brig. Gen. Barton of his command and Col. Voris was brevetted Brigadier General for meritorious service.

Order of battle

The Union Forces:

Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler

Benjamin Franklin Butler (politician)

Benjamin Franklin Butler was an American lawyer and politician who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and later served as the 33rd Governor of Massachusetts....

, U. S. Army, commanding Department of Virginia and North Carolina

Gen. Quincy A. Gillimore

Quincy Adams Gillmore

Quincy Adams Gillmore was an American civil engineer, author, and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was noted for his actions in the Union victory at Fort Pulaski, where his modern rifled artillery readily pounded the fort's exterior stone walls, an action that...

, U. S. Army, commanding Tenth Army Corps

The expedition was made up of detachments of the 1st and 2nd brigades, 1st division, 10th corps; part of the 2nd brigade, 1st division, 18th corps, and consisted of

Brig. Gen. Alfred H. Terry

Alfred Terry

Alfred Howe Terry was a Union general in the American Civil War and the military commander of the Dakota Territory from 1866 to 1869 and again from 1872 to 1886.-Early life and career:...

, U. S. Army, commanding First Division

Col. Alvin C. Voris, Sixty-seventh Ohio Infantry

67th Ohio Infantry

The 67th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 67th Ohio Infantry was organized by consolidation of recruits for the 67th Ohio Infantry and 45th Ohio Infantry and mustered in for three years service under the command of...

Capt. Alfred P. Rockwell, First Connecticut Battery

Col. Jeremiah C. Drake , of the One hundred and twelfth New York Infantry, commanding Second Brigade, 18th corps

Col. Cyrus J. Dobbs, Thirteenth Indiana Infantry

13th Regiment Indiana Infantry

The 13th Indiana Infantry Regiment, was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during theAmerican Civil War.- Service :The 13th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment was originally accepted for state service for one year and was organized at Indianapolis for the U. S. service by volunteers from the...

Col. John McConihe, One hundred and sixty-ninth New York Infantry

Lieut. John H. George, Fourth New Jersey Battery

Col. Joseph R. Hawley

Joseph Roswell Hawley

Joseph Roswell Hawley was the 42nd Governor of Connecticut, a U.S. politician in the Republican and Free Soil parties, a Civil War general, and a journalist and newspaper editor. He served two terms in the United States House of Representatives and was a four-term U.S...

, of the Seventh Connecticut Infantry, commanding Second Brigade, 10th corps

Col. Redfield Duryee, Sixth Connecticut Infantry

Maj. Oliver S. Sanford, Seventh Connecticut Infantry

7th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry

The 7th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Because it was in the same brigade as the 7th New Hampshire Volunteer Regiment, both regiments were often jointly called the 77th New England.-Service:The regiment...

Lieut. Col. Thomas A. Henderson, Seventh New Hampshire Infantry

George W. Cole, Second U.S. Colored Cavalry (unattached) fought
dismounted in this action
The Confederate force consisted of Barton's, and Gracie's brigades of Ransom's division

General G. T. Beauregard, C. S. Army, commanding Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia

Maj. Gen. Robert Ransom, Jr.

Robert Ransom, Jr.

Robert Ransom, Jr. was a major general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. His brother Matt W. Ransom was also a Confederate general officer and U.S. Senator.-Early life:...

, C. S. Army, commanding Department of Richmond

Brig. Gen. Seth M. Barton

Seth Barton

Seth Maxwell Barton was a United States Army officer and, then, a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He later became noted as a chemist.-Early life and career:...

, C. S. Army, commanding brigade

Capt. George K. Griggs, was promoted to commander and Colonel after Lt. Col. Joseph R. Cabell was killed in the
engagement Thirty-eighth Virginia Infantry

38th Virginia Infantry

The 38th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia....

Col. James. J. Phillips, Ninth Virginia Infantry

9th Virginia Infantry

The 9th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia....

Col. William White, Fourteenth Virginia Regiment

14th Virginia Infantry

The 14th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia....

Col. William R. Aylett Fifty-third Virginia Infantry

53rd Virginia Infantry

The 53rd Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia....

Lieut. Col. W.H. Ramsey,Fifty-seventh Virginia Infantry

57th Virginia Infantry

The 57th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia....

Brig. Gen. Archibald Gracie

Archibald Gracie III

Archibald Gracie III was a career United States Army officer, businessman, and a graduate of West Point. He is well known for being a Confederate brigadier general during the American Civil War and for his death during the Siege of Petersburg.-Early life and career:Archibald was born into a...

, C. S. Army, commanding brigade and was not engaged in the fight which took place on this day except for skirmishing around Ware Bottom Church.

41st Alabama Infantry

43d Alabama Infantry

59th Alabama Infantry

60th Alabama Infantry

External links

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Background

Battle

Aftermath

Order of battle

Further reading

External links