The Battle of Peebles' Farm (or Poplar Springs Church) was the western part of a simultaneous Union

Union (American Civil War)

During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...

 offensive against the Confederate

Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...

 works guarding Petersburg

Petersburg, Virginia

Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...

 and Richmond

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...

, during the Siege of Petersburg

Siege of Petersburg

The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...

 in 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...

.

Background

In September 1864, Union Lt. Gen.

Lieutenant General (United States)

In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...

 Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...

 planned simultaneous attacks against both flanks of Gen. Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....

's Confederate army. The eastern attack would be carried out by the Army of the James

Army of the James

The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia.-History:...

 under Maj. Gen. 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....

 against the Confederate works at Chaffin's Farm

Battle of Chaffin's Farm

The Battle of Chaffin's Farm and New Market Heights, also known as Laurel Hill and combats at Forts Harrison, Johnson, and Gilmer, was fought September 29–30, 1864, as part of the Siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War.-Background:...

. The western attack was to be carried out by the Union V Corps

V Corps (ACW)

The V Corps was a unit of the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.-1862:The corps was first organized briefly under Nathaniel P. Banks, but then permanently on May 18, 1862, designated as the "V Corps Provisional"...

 under Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren

Gouverneur K. Warren

Gouverneur Kemble Warren was a civil engineer and prominent general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...

 and a cavalry division under Brig. Gen. David McM. Gregg with units from the IX Corps

IX Corps (ACW)

IX Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War that distinguished itself in combat in multiple theaters: the Carolinas, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi.-Formation, Second Bull Run, and Antietam:...

 and II Corps

II Corps (ACW)

There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps during the American Civil War.* Army of the Cumberland, II Corps commanded by Thomas L. Crittenden , later renumbered XX Corps...

 in support.

The battle

Grant had two intentions for Warren. First was to attack the opposite end of Lee's line to relieve pressure on Fort Harrison, which Butler's forces had captured and were holding against counterattacks. The second was to take advantage of the units Lee had removed from his right to retake Fort Harrison. Warren's attack was aimed at the fortifications guarding the Boydton Plank Road, which was being used to carry supplies into Petersburg from the Confederate railhead at Stony Creek to the south. This line was being extended to reach the vicinity of the Union flank at Globe Tavern. While the lines were being constructed a temporary line was held along the Squirrel Level Road. On September 30, the same day Lee was attempting to retake Fort Harrison, Warren and Gregg began marching along the Poplar Springs Road toward the Squirrel Level line in the area of Peebles' Farm and Poplar Springs Church.

Lee had indeed pulled forces from this flank for the counter attack on Fort Harrison (including the Light Division under Maj. Gen. Cadmus M. Wilcox

Cadmus M. Wilcox

Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox was a career United States Army officer who served in the Mexican–American War and also was a Confederate general during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...

) so Warren was marching against Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill's reduced corps. Around 1:00 p.m. Brig. Gen. Charles Griffin led the attack against the Confederates near the Poplar Springs Church. Griffin quickly captured Fort Archer on the extreme Confederate flank and the Squirrel Level line broke and fled so quickly that prisoners captured were minimal. Warren halted the attack to fortify the new position and not advance too far in front of the IX Corps. The Union attack forced Lee to recall the Light Division from its march towards Fort Harrison. The IX Corps under Maj. Gen. John G. Parke moved up on Warren's left but did not make an effective link with the V Corps flank. Maj. Gen. Henry Heth

Henry Heth

Henry "Harry" Heth was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He is best remembered for inadvertently precipitating the Battle of Gettysburg, when he sent some of his troops of the Army of Northern Virginia to the small Pennsylvania village,...

 was preparing to mount a counter attack, which came about 4:30 and routed the IX Corps and forced one of its brigades to surrender. Warren, who had originally feared a counter attack, now helped rally the broken IX Corps units and check Heth's attack and the fighting died down. Heth tried another flank attack the following day, which was repulsed, as was a cavalry attack under Maj. Gen. Wade Hampton

Wade Hampton III

Wade Hampton III was a Confederate cavalry leader during the American Civil War and afterward a politician from South Carolina, serving as its 77th Governor and as a U.S...

. On October 2 the Union position was reinforced by Brig. Gen. Gershom Mott

Gershom Mott

Gershom Mott was a United States Army officer and a General in the Union Army, a commander in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-Early life:...

's division from the II Corps. Mott spearheaded a Union attack that day, which was aimed for the Boydton Plank Road. The attack easily overran Fort McRae but was checked before it reached the Boydton Plank Road.

Aftermath

The Confederate defenders lost works on both sides of their lines. The Union army extended the siege lines past the Peebles' Farm area, bringing them all the closer to their ultimate goal of the Boydton Plank Road. The Union army was firmly entrenched in the area and later that month the II Corps would make an attempt to cut the Boydton Plank Road.