Battle of Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road

The Battle of Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road (also known as the Second Battle of Fair Oaks) was fought October 27–28, 1864 in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign of the American Civil War.

Battle of Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road
Part of the American Civil War

A drawing of the action on the 27th, by Alfred Waud.
DateOctober 27, 1864 (1864-10-27) October 28, 1864 (1864-10-28)
Location
Result Confederate victory
Belligerents
United States (Union) CSA (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
Benjamin F. Butler James Longstreet
Units involved
X Corps
XVIII Corps
Longstreet's corps
Casualties and losses
1,603 100

In combination with movements against the Boydton Plank Road at Petersburg, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler attacked the Richmond defenses along Darbytown Road with the X Corps. The XVIII Corps marched north to Fair Oaks where it was soundly repulsed by Maj. Gen. Charles W. Field's Confederate division. Confederate forces counterattacked, taking some 600 prisoners. The Richmond defenses remained intact. Of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's offensives north of the James River, this was repulsed most easily. Union casualties were 1,603, Confederates fewer than 100.[1]

Background

Union

The following Union Army units and commanders fought in the Battle of Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road. It is compiled from the official tabulation of casualties, so includes only units which sustained casualties.[2]

Army of the James

MG Benjamin F. Butler

X Corps

BG Alfred H. Terry

Division Brigade Regiments and Others

First Division
    BG Adelbert Ames

First Brigade

  Col Alvin C. Voris

Second Brigade

  Col Joseph C. Abbott

Third Brigade

  Col Harris M. Plaisted

Second Division
    BG Robert S. Foster

First Brigade

  Col Newton Martin Curtis

Second Brigade

  Col Galusha Pennypacker

Third Brigade

  Col Louis Bell

Third Division
    BG Joseph R. Hawley

First Brigade

  Col James Shaw, Jr.

Second Brigade

  Col Ulysses Doubleday

Artillery Brigade

  Ltc Richard Jackson

  • 1st U.S., Batteries C & D

XVIII Corps

MG Godfrey Weitzel

Division Brigade Regiments and Others

First Division
    BG Gilman Marston

First Brigade

  Ltc John B. Raulston

Second Brigade

  Col Edgar M. Cullen

Third Brigade

  Ltc Joab N. Patterson

Unattached

Second Division
    BG Charles A. Heckman

First Brigade [not engaged]
Second Brigade

  Col Edward H. Ripley

Third Brigade

  Col Harrison S. Fairchild

Third Division

First Brigade

  Col John H. Holman
  Ltc Abial G. Chamberlain

Second Brigade

  Col Alonzo G. Draper

Unattached
  • 2nd U.S. Colored Cavalry (dismounted)

Artillery Division

Cavalry Division
    Col Robert M. West

First Brigade

  Col George W. Lewis

  • 3rd New York
  • 5th Pennsylvania
Second Brigade

  Col Samuel P. Spear

Third Brigade

  Col Andrew W. Evans

Artillery Brigade

Confederate

The following Confederate army units and commanders fought at the battle.[3]

First Corps

LTG James Longstreet

Division Brigade Regiments and Others

Field's Division
     MG Charles W. Field

Anderson's Brigade


   BG George T. Anderson

Law's Brigade


   Col William F. Perry

  • 4th Alabama
  • 15th Alabama
  • 44th Alabama
  • 47th Alabama
  • 48th Alabama
Gregg's Brigade


   Col Frederick S. Bass

Benning's Brigade


   Col Dudley M. Du Bose

  • 2nd Georgia
  • 15th Georgia
  • 17th Georgia
  • 20th Georgia
Bratton's Brigade


   BG John Bratton

  • 1st South Carolina
  • 5th South Carolina
  • 6th South Carolina
  • 2nd South Carolina Rifles

Fourth Corps

Division Brigade Regiments and Others

Hoke's Division
     MG Robert F. Hoke

Hagood's Brigade


   BG Johnson Hagood

  • 7th South Carolina (battalion)
  • 11th South Carolina
  • 21st South Carolina
  • 25th South Carolina
  • 27th South Carolina
Colquitt's Brigade


   BG Alfred H. Colquitt

  • 6th Georgia
  • 19th Georgia
  • 23rd Georgia
  • 27th Georgia
  • 28th Georgia
Clingman's Brigade


   BG Thomas L. Clingman

  • 8th North Carolina
  • 31st North Carolina
  • 51st North Carolina
  • 61st North Carolina
Kirkland's Brigade


   BG William Whedbee Kirkland

  • 17th North Carolina
  • 42nd North Carolina
  • 66th North Carolina

Cavalry Corps

Division Brigade Regiments and Others

W. H. F. Lee's Division
     MG W. H. F. Lee

Barringer's Brigade


   BG Rufus Barringer

  • 1st North Carolina Cavalry
  • 2nd North Carolina Cavalry
  • 3rd North Carolina Cavalry
  • 5th North Carolina Cavalry
Beale's Brigade


   BG Richard L. T. Beale

Dearing's Brigade


   BG James Dearing

  • 8th Georgia Cavalry
  • 4th North Carolina Cavalry
  • 16th North Carolina Cavalry

Butler's Division
     MG Matthew Butler

Butler's Brigade


   Col Hugh Kerr Aiken

Young's Brigade


   Col J.F. Waring

Horse Artillery


   Maj R. Preston Chew

  • Hart's (South Carolina) Battery
  • Graham's (Virginia) Battery
  • McGregor's (Virginia) Battery

Abbreviations used

Military rank

Other

Battle

Notes

  1. Salmon, p. 445.
  2. "Number 7. Return of Casualties in the Union Forces". Official Reports Part 1 (Serial Number 87) – Reports. The Siege of Petersburg Online. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  3. Trudeau, Noah Andre. The Last Citadel: Petersburg, Virginia June 1864 April 1865. Boston, Massachusetts: Little, Brown and Company, 1991. ISBN 0-316-85327-5.

References

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