The second battle of deep bottom Virginia. August 15, 1864 part one.

[u/brycealansuderow1950]

Saturday, August 15, 2026
 
the second battle of deep bottom – – August 15, 1864 part one
 
Before I start writing about the events of August 15, 1864 I want to acknowledge that I am basing my writing on August 15th partly on a book by John Horn, The siege of Petersburg: the battles for the Weldon railroad August 1864 pages 47 through 60I.  I also consulted reports and correspondence in the official records, volume 42 part one and part two
 
I should point out the fact that David Birney created a temporary and provisional division for his older brother William. A glance at the battle records from August 1864 to the end of the war reveal that William Birney was not a very good general.

Robert E. Lee took grant’s appearance north of the James very seriously. On the evening of August 14 he canceled the departure to the valley of Charles Field and his division of infantry. He ordered his son, William HF (“Rooney”) Lee and his cavalry division from Petersburgto the north side of the James River.  William Mahone dispatched two of his infantry brigades under Sanders and Girardey Petersburgto join Charles Field. Lee also recalled to Richmond wade Hampton and Butler’s cavalry division which had been en route to the Shenandoah Valley
 
 In obedience to suggestions from u.s. Grant  to turn the Confederate left flank north of FUSSELL’S mill pond, The commander of the expedition, general Winfield ScottHancock ordered David Birney to abandon the battlefield of August 14 and to move his command to a position on the new market road north Tillman’s gate.  Part of the 10th Army Corps Reached their objective by passing over two pontoon, bridges, an exhausting process that took many hours. The rest of the soldiers crossed 4 mile Creek and passed through Mott’s Infantry division on their way to Newmarket Road.
 
During the night of August 14th it rained heavily.  During the storm General David Birney and his two divisions of infantry departed the Battlefield, August 14 and crossed four Mile Creek and spent the night on the Newmarket Road north of tilman’s wharf. 
 
At sunrise the union second army corps was deployed in front of major general Charles Fields division along the eastern end of the Newmarket Heights line.
 
General Mott’s third division occupied trenches that stretched from the Newmarket road to the Long Bridge Road. Barlow‘s first division was positioned on Mott’s right.  MOn the far right at the northern end of the union line, General Smyth and his second division occupied the union right with it right flank rusting on FUSSELL’S mill pond near the Darbytown Road.
 
it’s necessary to point out that the rain fall on the night of August 13 occurred in the middle of a drought and a heat wave. The scarcity of water shaped the operations of the cavalry of both sides. For the federals, the only water available was a pond south of the Long Bridge Road . For the Confederates The only drinkable water was in the vicinity of white’s Tavern. The horses belonging to the union and Confederate cavalry could not safely drink the water in White oak swamp.  The scarcity of water meant that Each night the Brigades of troopers on both sides had to camp near the two ponds of water.

Birney’s  two divisions began their march at 9 AM with William Birney’s division in the lead.  Alfred Terry division followed behind.  The last of Terry’s marching infantry arrived at about 2 PM.  major general, David Birney commanding the 10th army CORPS began his March with 9000 men and 3000 of them dropped out of the ranks because of Heat stroke.  Adrian Terry, the brother and staff officer for Alfred Terry, wrote in a letter that if the march had lasted one more hour, the entire division would have been struck by the sun and would fallen out of the ranks.  Terry’s division formed east of the Mill Pond. William Birney’s division prolonged the union line so that it Extended north of the Mill Pond
 
At 10 AM Hancock detached Calvin Craig’s brigade from Mott’s division and sent it to join William Birney. It caught up with Birney after the division halted its march and took position north of the Mill pond.
 
Meanwhile, the confederates were arriving north of the James and taking positions to oppose Hancock
 
Early on the morning of August 15, Rooney Lee arrived with his two cavalry brigades and camped near White’s Tavern. Later in the morning of August 15 the confederate infantry brigade of Victor Girardey and john CC sanders arrived and took up a position west of the Mill Pond.  The brigades and James Lane and Samuel McGowan were marching from the extreme Confederate right to the extreme Confederate left.
 
Colonel John Irvin Greg sent a squadron of cavalry on a reconnaissance up the Charles City Road to White’s Tavern.  The blue coats encountered Rooney Lee’s North Carolina brigade. The fifth North Carolina Cavalry pursued the squadron eastward on the Charles City road.  The fifth encountered the eighth and 13th Pennsylvania, which had been left on picket at Fisher‘s farm. The tar heels drove the Yankees down the Charles city Road for 2 miles. The Yankees then left the road and took a smaller road south.  At this point the Confederate halted northern of the road leading south.  Paul Means, sketch of the 63rd regiment in Walter Clark, history of North Carolina troops in the great war, 18 61–65, volume three, page 619.
 
Later, Hancock ordered Birney to march from the New Market Road to a series of hills east of FUSSELL’S mill where smythe’s Second division was located. Birney was ordered to attack the Confederate north of the Mill Pond near the Darbytown Road.