September 14, 1864: Hampton Sets Out to Rustle Some Cattle
Note: Here is the best map I could find of Hampton’s Beefsteak Raid. There are surprisingly few of these out there.
Brief Summary: One hundred and fifty years ago today, on September 14, 1864, Wade Hampton set out with approximately 3,500 men of his Cavalry Corps from camps southwest of Petersburg on the Boydton Plank Road. His goal was to capture almost 3,000 head of cattle located on the plantation of fire eater Edmund Ruffin southwest of Coggin’s Point, a spot on the James River southeast of the massive Federal supply center at City Point.
Scout Shadburne of the Jeff Davis Legion had sent Hampton a detailed report of the area, the cattle, and the Union defenses arrayed to protect them on September 5. Hampton read the report and planned an operation to extricate the cattle and bring them back to Confederate lines, which he presented to Robert E. Lee in a letter on September 8. Lee’s reply on the 9th gave Hampton the go ahead, but questioned how Hampton would be able to return if “embarrassed” with wagons and cattle. He cautioned Hampton to take a circuitous route, watch the Jerusalem Plank Road for the enemy on his return, and keep his flank guards well out to give ample advanced warning.
Now that Hampton had decided on a plan, he needed to select a force to execute it. He took W. H. F. “Rooney” Lee’s entire two brigade division consisting of Rufus Barringer’s North Carolinians and Col. Lucius Davis’ Virginians. In addition, Rosser’s Brigade from Butler’s Division and the indpependt brigade of James Dearing were also selected to go in their entirety. Hampton padded out the expedition with 100 picked men from the brigades of Young and Dunovant from Butler’s Division.
Hampton set out on the Boydton Plank Road southwest of Petersburg early on the morning of September 14, 1864, collecting men as their camps were passed. Some men didn’t join the moving column until after the sun was up. Hampton turned slightly left onto the Quaker Road and headed south. Once the column reached Rowanty Creek, it moved quickly southeast roughly parallel with that body of water. They crossed Weldon Railroad well to the south of Ream’s Station, almost at Stony Creek, before reaching the Rowanty itself and Wilkinson’s Bridge. Here the Confederates settled in for the night. Day one of the raid was a complete success. Hampton had made his destination without alarming any Federals about what his column intended.
The raid would continue on September 15…
To Learn More, Read the Following:
Books:
- Blue & Gray Magazine, Vol. XXII, No. 3 (2005): The Petersburg Campaign: Beefsteak Raid & Applejack Raid
- Beefsteak Raid by Edward Boykin
- Hampton and His Cavalry in ’64 by Edward L. Wells
Best Posts Freely Available on this site:
- 150 Years Ago Today: Hampton’s Beefsteak Raid: September 15, 1864
- 150 Years Ago Today: Hampton’s Beefsteak Raid: September 16, 1864
- 150 Years Ago Today: Hampton’s Beefsteak Raid: September 17, 1864
- Beefsteak Raid by Edward Boykin
- Blue & Gray Magazine, Vol. XXII, No. 3 (2005): The Petersburg Campaign: Beefsteak Raid & Applejack Raid
- CLARK NC: 1st North Carolina Cavalry at the Siege of Petersburg
- CLARK NC: 2nd North Carolina Cavalry at the Siege of Petersburg
- LT: September 18, 1864 Daniel Personius
- Map: Action at Ebenezer Church: September 16, 1864
- MAP: The Cattle Raid, September 16, 1864 (Newspaper Map)
- MAP: Hampton’s Plan of Attack, Beefsteak Raid: September 16, 1864
- NP: September 20, 1864 Richmond Examiner: Hampton’s Dash Upon the Enemy, Sept. 14-17
- NP: June 8, 1882 Anderson (SC) Intelligencer: Butler’s SC Cavalry Brigade at the Siege of Petersburg
- NP: October 7, 1894 Charleston (SC) News and Courier: A Brilliant Cavalry Coup
- NP: July 25, 1896 The Evening Star (Washington, DC): Pierce Young and the Beefsteak Raid
- NP: October 5, 1902 The State (Columbia, SC): Hampton’s Cattle Raid in 1864
- NP: November 1, 1908 Charleston (SC) News and Courier: Butler and His Cavalry
- NP: September 20, 1914 Charlotte NC Observer: Hampton’s Cattle Raid
- NP: September 14, 1964 Petersburg Progress-Index: Siege Centennial, Part 28: Hampton’s Great Cattle Raid
- OR XLII P1 #2: Report of Lieutenant Colonel Michael R. Morgan, Chief Commissary of Subsistence, September 16, 1864
- OR XLII P1 #3: Report of Captain John H. Woodward, Commissary of Subsistence, September 16, 1864
- OR XLII P1 #6: Itinerary of the Army of the Potomac and Army of the James, August 1-December 31, 1864
- OR XLII P1 #10: Report of Surg. Thomas A. McParlin, U. S. Army, Medical Director, Army of the Potomac, August 1-December 26, 1864
- OR XLII P1 #12: Reports of Major Benjamin F. Fisher, Chief Signal Officer, AotP, August 1-October 31, 1864
- OR XLII P1 #14: Report of Brigadier General Henry W. Benham, commanding Eng/AotP and Defenses of City Point, August 1-November 19, 1864
- OR XLII P1 #230: Report of Brigadier General Henry E. Davies, Jr., commanding 2/Cav/AotP, September 16-17, 1864
- OR XLII P1 #231: Report of Asst. Surg. Elias J. Marsh, Surgeon-in-Chief, 2/Cav/AotP, July 30-Dec 12, 1864
- OR XLII P1 #335: Reports of Brigadier General August V. Kautz, commanding Cav/AotJ, Sept 16-17, Oct 7, and Dec 10, 1864
- OR XLII P1 #338: Reports of Lieutenant Colonel Ferris Jacobs, Jr., 3rd NY Cav, Sept 16-17 and Oct 7, 1864
- OR XLII P1 #341: Report of Major Samuel Wetherill, 11th PA Cav, commanding 2/Cav/AotJ, September 16-17, 1864
- OR XLII P1 #344: Report of Major Franklin A. Stratton, 11th PA Cav, September 16-17, 1864
- OR XLII P1 #348: Report of Captain George B. Easterly, 4th WI Btty, Aug 1-Sept 30, 1864
- OR XLII P1 #351: Reports of General Robert E. Lee, commanding Army of Northern Virginia, Aug 16-Dec 27, 1864
- OR XLII P1 #374: Reports of Major General Wade Hampton, C. S. Army commanding Cav/ANV, Aug 25, Sept 14-17, Sept 29-Oct 1, Oct 27-28, and Dec 7-11, 1864
If you have other resources you’ve found useful, feel free to post them in the comments section.