BoydtonPlankRoad
Battle of Boydton Plank Road
Oct. 27-28, 1864
Event ID # ba002461
Federal Troops Engaged: 2nd, 5th and 9th Army Corps, and Gregg's Cavalry Division.
Confederate Troops Engaged: Maj. Gen. Henry Heth’s division and Maj. Gen. Wade Hampton’s cavalry
This battle is also known as Hatcher's Run and Burgess Mill.
"The Boydton and Petersburg Plank Road, built between 1851 and 1853, was the first all-weather route connecting Southside Virginia's tobacco and wheat farms with the market. Pine and oak planks, 8 feet long, 1 foot wide and 3 to 4 inches thick were laid across paralleled beams slanted toward a ditch. Along the approximately 73 miles, there were 7 toll houses and keepers. Stagecoaches drove the 73 miles Monday through Saturday, stopping every 11 miles for food and fresh teams. Condemned by 1860, it nonetheless provided an important route for troop movements during the Civil War.
Parts of some highways, including U.S. 1, follow the old roadbed, and Petersburg still has a thoroughfare called Boydton Plank Road. A ten mile extension to the Roanoke River at Clarksville was completed in 1856.
Boydton Plank Road was mentioned numerous times in Robert E. Lee's dispatches to President Jefferson Davis and Secretary of War John C. Breckenridge .
On Oct. 24 Gen. Grant determined upon a reconnaissance in force against the right of the Confederate lines at Petersburg, and if possible gain possession oreferred to were the movements of Butler's army on the north side of the James river. (See Fair Oaks, Oct. 27, 1864) Gen. Warren, commanding the 5th corps, was directed to move to Armstrong's mill on Hatcher's run, a short distance above the Vaughan road, where he was to take position to support Parke, and if the latter's attack was successful Warren was to follow it up by moving to the left of the 9th corps. Otherwise he was to endeavor to open the bridge over Hatcher's run on the Boydton road at Burgess' mill, and by keeping on the right of Hancock make an effort to turn the enemy's flank. All the columns moved at an early hour (from 2 to 3:30 a. m.). Parke and Warren drove in the enemy's pickets, but found the works completed, with abatis in front, and held by a force too strong to assault. Griffin's division of the 5th corps was in front of the extreme right of the new intrenchments and Warren was ordered to send a division across the run to attack the Confederates on the flank and drive him from the line, thus opening the way for the rest of the 5th and 9th corps. Crawford's division was selected and sent across the creek, but owing to the dense undergrowth its commander made a mistake and followed a small tributary of the run instead of the main stream. This caused a serious delay and it was 4 p. m. before Craw ford was in position to begin his attack. The enemy's skirmish line was driven back and Crawford had formed his men in line of battle, when he received instructions to halt and wait for further orders. In his report he says : "The country around me was a perfect wilderness. Even the prisoners captured from the Confederates had become lost in the woods, and were attempting to gain their own rear when they wandered into my lines." At 1 a. m. on the 28th he received orders to withdraw and by daylight was again on the north side of the creek.
Hancock's advance reached Hatcher's run at daylight to find the ford obstructed by fallen trees and a force of the Confederates in rifle-pits occupying the opposite bank. Smyth's brigade of Egan's division waded the creek and drove the Confederates from their position. The whole corps then pressed forward and struck the Boydton road about a mile south of Burgess' mill just as Gregg had repulsed an attack by some of Hampton's cavalry. When Hancock came out on the open ground near the plank road the Confederates opened fire on the head of his column with artillery from Burgess' tavern and also from the White Oak road on his left. Beck's battery soon silenced the guns at the tavern and Egan's division was pushed forward toward the bridge at Burgess
' mill, driving the Confederates across the run. Mott's brigade was then started for the White Oak road, a brigade of cavalry was sent to relieve Egan, in order that he might follow Mott, but at this juncture Grant and Meade came upon the field and Hancock was ordered to halt at the Boydton road and extend his right to con nect with Crawford on the south side of the run. Egan accordingly sent two brigades to the right of the road and deployed two regiments still farther to the right, but failed to find Crawford's line. By this time the Confederates had 9 guns in position on the north bank of the run on Egan's front, 5 more about 800 yards distant on the White Oak road on his left, and opened up an annoying artillery fire. Gregg was directed to send a brigade of cavalry to dislodge or capture the battery on the left, but found it supported by an infantry force behind hastily constructed breastworks and did not make the assault. Maj. Bingham, of Hancock's staff, who had been sent to communicate with Crawford, now returned and reported a gap of about three-fourths of a mile between the right of the 2nd corps and Crawford's left. Grant and Meade now left the field, giving Hancock verbal orders to hold his position until the next morning and then retire by the road over which he had advanced. Notwithstanding this order, Hancock, knowing the desires of his superiors, decided to carry the bridge and gain possession of the high ground north of the run. McAllister's brigade of Mott's division was sent forward to Egan, who was intrusted with the necessary preparations. For some time prior to this heavy firing had been heard on the right, which was thought to be due to Crawford's attack, and Pierce was ordered to send two regiments of his brigade well into the woods to ascertain what was going on there. Egan moved against the bridge and part of the 164th N. Y., the advance of the storming party, crossed the creek and captured a l0-pounder Parrott gun, when the firing on the right grew nearer and heavier, showing that the Confederates was advanc ing from that direction. Hancock, therefore, sent orders to Egan to sus pend operations at the bridge and face his command to the rear. The two regiments of Pierce's brigade were overpowered and fell back in some disorder to the plank road, where they rallied, though 2 guns of Beck's bat tery, commanded by Lieut. Metcalfe, were captured by the Confederates.
Egan now swept down on the enemy's flank, while the brigades of Pierce and De Trobriand advanced from the Dabney Mill road. The 2 guns were recaptured with several hundred prisoners and 2 stands of colors. About 5 p. m. Hancock received a communication from Gen. Humphreys, Meade's chief of staff, to the effect that the signal officers had discovered a large force of the Confederates moving down the Boydton road, and repeating the orders to withdraw. During the night the whole corps was quietly withdrawn to Dabney's mill, where the troops were halted to cover Crawford's retreat.
The Federal loss in the several engagements along Hatcher's run was 166 killed, 1,028 wounded and 564 missing. The Confederate casualties were not ascertained. Concerning this movement Gen. Humphreys says : "Had the 5th corps followed Hancock closely over the Boydton road by the Dabney mill road, as originally intended, the result might have been more favorable. We could have carried the high ground on the north bank of Hatcher's run at Burgess' mill easily and thus have turned Lee's right, and most probably have secured a footing on the South Side railroad. But the attempted movement up Hatcher's run failed of any favorable result."
Sources:
/www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMK3V_Boydton_and_Petersburg_Plank_Road_A_Timbered_Turnpike
All the Battles of the Civil War
Bibliography:
Trudeau, Noah Andre. The Last Citadel: Petersburg, Virginia, June 1864 - April 1865 Jordan, David M. Winfield Scott Hancock: A Soldier's Life