150 Years Ago Today: Hampton’s Beefsteak Raid: September 15, 1864

September 15, 1864: Crossing the Blackwater and Planning the Attack

Note: Here is the best map I could find of Hampton’s Beefsteak Raid.  There are surprisingly few of these out there.

Brief Summary: After bedding down on the night of September 14, 1864 just west of Rowanty Creek, Hampton’s Confederate troopers got an early start on the morning of September 15, 150 years ago today. Hampton’s men crossed Wilkinson’s Bridge and headed past Belsche’s destroyed mill, a site they’d see more of on their return.  After reaching the Jerusalem Plank Road, the column utilized that thoroughfare for a bit before turning off onto the road toward Cabin Point and a destroyed bridge over the Blackwater on the afternoon of the 15^th.

That destroyed bridge, and its rebuilding, was the key to the entire operation.  Hampton had deliberately chosen this route to cross the Blackwater, because he knew that the Yankees knew this bridge had been destroyed and was impassable.  Hampton brought along handpicked “mounted engineers” commanded by Lt. John F. Lanneau, an engineer on Hampton’s staff.  These men were given the appropriate tools prior to the expedition and now set to work rebuilding the bridge over the Blackwater.

While this bridge work was ongoing, Hampton gathered his subordinates and explained the plan.  Rosser’s Brigade and the handpicked men from Young’s and Dunovant’’s brigades under Lt. Col. Miller of the 6^th South Carolina Cavalry would overwhelm the 1^st District of Columbia Cavalry at Sycamore Church, then head north to rustle the cattle at Coggins’ Point.  Rooney Lee’s Division would head northwest up Lawyer’s Road and guard the left flank near Prince George Court House.  This was the direction of the main Union army and the supply depot at City Point, and more trouble was expected in this vicinity than any other.  James Dearing’s brigade was to head northeast to Cocke’s Mill and block the road to Fort Powhatan to the northeast.  Fort Powhatan, erected on the James River, was also thought to be a potential, though lesser, source of trouble.  Once Rosser et al had gathered up the cattle and had a good head start, Lee and Dearing would be recalled and the whole force would beat a hasty retreat to the Confederate lines.

Lanneau’s men worked hard and had finished a suitable bridge over the Blackwater by nightfall.  Hampton’s Confederate troopers crossed this previously impassable waterway and headed northeast.  When the column reached Lawyers Road, they split up.  Lee headed northwest on Lawyers Road towards Prince George Court House to set up his blocking position, while Rosser, Miller’s picked men, and Dearing moved northeast.  They too would eventually split so that Rosser et al faced Sycamore Church in the center, and Dearing faced Cocke’s Mill on the right.

The 1^st District of Columbia Cavalry, about 400 men, guarded Sycamore Church and Cocke’s Mill.  Major J. Stannard Baker led two battalions at Sycamore Church while Captain Will S. Howe and the remaining battalion were camped at Cocke’s Mill.  As Hampton prepared to attack, the sleeping men of the 1^st DC Cavalry had no idea what was about to hit them…but that is a story for tomorrow, September 16.

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 14, 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.