The Battle of Hatcher's Run (also known as the Battle of Dabney's Mill) took place from February 5 to 7, 1865, during the American Civil War. Fighting occurred at several locations in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, southwest of Petersburg. The battle was part of the Petersburg Campaign and constituted Union Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 8th Offensive. On February 5, Grant and his Army of the Potomac commander Maj. Gen. George G. Meade sent Maj. Gen. David McMurtrie Gregg’s cavalry division to disrupt a Confederate supply line along Boydton Plank Road around Dinwiddie Court House. However, Gregg discovered that the Confederates had largely abandoned the supply route. Later that day, under Gen. Robert E. Lee’s guidance, Confederate forces from Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon’s Corps and Lt. Gen. A. P. Hill’s Corps attacked one of the Union infantry forces (Maj. Gen. Andrew A. Humphreys commanding) sent to support the cavalry raid. The Federals beat back three Confederate attacks near Armstrong’s Mill. Concerned about further attacks the following day, Grant and Meade consolidated their forces around Hatcher’s Run.
On February 6, the Union launched attacks along Vaughan Road and at Dabney’s Mill. By late afternoon, the Union had cleared Vaughan Road of Confederate forces. At Dabney’s Mill, Gordon’s Confederates held up Maj. Gen Gouverneur K. Warren's Union force. During this fighting, Confederate Brig. Gen. John Pegram was killed. Late in the afternoon, Confederate reinforcements commanded by Brig. Gen. Joseph Finegan arrived and routed Warren’s Union soldiers.
The following morning (February 7), Warren sent some of his force back to the battlefield where they slowly pushed back the Confederate advanced pickets to their strengthened position at Dabney’s Mill. Late in the day, the Union soldiers charged the Rebel earthworks, which resulted in failure. When the Unionists withdrew overnight, the battle came to a close.
Although not an original aim, Grant’s offensive enabled the Union to extend its lines four miles further west. This was the last Union line extension around Petersburg before the war ended. The Battle of Hatcher’s Run was the only Civil War battle fought in Virginia during a February.
Background As 1865 dawned, Union commander-in-chief, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had reasons for optimism. Major General William T. Sherman’s army prepared to march northward through South Carolina. Federal troops had crushed Confederate armies in Tennessee and the Shenandoah Valley. Wilmington, the last remaining Confederate Atlantic port, was cut off and would soon fall.Long, Everette B. & Long, Barbara (1971). The Civil War Day by Day. New York: Da Capo Press Inc. 613-14, 620-21, 623-27. The Confederates’ main force, commanded by Gen. Robert E. Lee, remained confined around Richmond and Petersburg. Everything had remained relatively quiet there since Grant's seventh offensive in early December, which disrupted the Weldon Railroad to Bellfield, 40 miles south of Petersburg.
On February 3, a peace conference occurred on the steamship River Queen, moored in Hampton Roads. Although cordial, the negotiations quickly collapsed. As the Confederate delegates returned to Richmond and the winter weather temporarily abated, Grant was eager for further action around Petersburg. Intelligence reached Grant that Confederate supply trains reaching Belfield were unloaded into wagons and floated up the Meherrin River and onto Petersburg via Boydton Plank Road. With this in mind, Grant developed a plan targeting the Belfield Confederate stores. Around noon on Saturday, February 4, Grant explained his idea to the Army of the Potomac commander, Maj. Gen. George G. Meade. Grant proposed sending Maj. Gen. David McM. Gregg's cavalry division on a raid to Belfield to destroy or capture as much as possible of this supply route that was supporting the Rebel war effort about Petersburg. An infantry corps would travel towards Stony Creek to support the cavalry. Grant wanted the cavalry to move out at 3:00 a.m. the next day if possible. To maximize speed, they should take no wagons, artillery, few ambulances, and minimal forage and rations. Similarly, the infantry would travel lightly, with accompanying artillery kept to no more than one battery per division.The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, 128 vols. (Washington DC, 1880-1901), Series 1, vol. 46, Part 2, page 367. Hereafter cited as OR 46/2:367. All references are to Series 1 unless otherwise noted.
After reflection, at 4:30 p.m., Meade wrote to Grant proposing a substantive modification. Rather than sending Gregg's cavalry 40 miles south to Belfield, Meade suggested they move south for ten miles before heading west to Dinwiddie Court House on Boydton Plank Road. He reasoned they could intercept Confederate supply wagons there just as easily as at Belfield. The 5th Corps would march to the western end of Vaughan Road to support the cavalry. To cover Warren's rear, two 2nd Corps divisions (Maj. Gen. Andrew A. Humphreys commanding) would move a few miles southwest and take up positions on two Hatcher's Run crossings. Here, they would block Confederate forces in their works defending Boydton Plank Road from moving out and cutting off any Federal troops from the main Union lines.OR 46/2:367.
Meade's plan retained the same objective as Grant's initial idea but involved traveling shorter distances with the three Union forces remaining closer. This reduced the chances of the Rebels isolating and attacking one of them. Furthermore, a Confederate cavalry division known to be around Belfield would have a greater distance to cover to trouble the Union forces.
Acutely aware of public backlash to failed military operations, Meade asked Grant, if the objectives of the raid were commensurate with any disappointment the public would express if the mission didn't achieve some striking result?” At 6:45 p.m., Grant replied to Meade, agreeing to all the changes, and assured him that the mission's objectives were important and that the subsequent operational reports would satisfy the public.OR 46/2:368.
An hour later, Meade messaged Grant, stating that the orders had all been issued; the cavalry would move at 3:00 a.m. and the infantry at 7:00 a.m. The Union’s eighth Petersburg offensive was about to commence.
Commentators have claimed that the offensive aimed to threaten the Confederate right flank and seize the Southside Railroad, which, if accomplished, would have doomed both Petersburg and Richmond. Grant’s sixth Petersburg offensive (October 27, 1864) had this aim, but the February offensive was not a rerun of that offensive. The goal was a cavalry raid supported by infantry to disrupt an enemy supply route.
Opposing forces Order of Battle: Hatcher’s Run February 5–7, 1865
Confederate data derive from Lambert’s “Rebel Units and their Commanders at the Battle of Hatcher’s Run,” parts 1–5, The Siege of Petersburg Online (beyondthecrater.com). Confederate units from the divisions of Maj. Gen. Bryan Grimes (Second Corps) and Maj. Gen. Cadmus Wilcox (Third Corps), who may have been in support, is not listed.
Formal unit names are used. For example, John Pegram commanded “Jubal Early’s Division.” Jubal Early was not present at the battle.
It is doubtful whether any of Barringer's or Dearing's cavalry reached the battle.
Federal data derive from the “Organization of the Army of the Potomac, End of January 1865” OR 46/2:324-333. and the official Union casualties for Hatcher's Run.OR 46/1:64-70. Union ranks are complicated by the “brevet system.” The ranks cited are those used in the Official Records.
Officers on both sides typically took some leave during the relatively quieter winter months. Consequently, many established unit commanders were absent from the battle.
Abbreviations Used: Bvt, Brevet; w, wounded; mw, mortally wounded, k, killed; Batt, Battery; Battn, Battalion.
CSA Forces
Army of Northern Virginia – Gen. Robert E. Lee
SECOND CORPS – Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon
Early's Division – Brig. Gen. John Pegram (k 6th), Brig. Gen. William G. Lewis
Pegram's Brigade – Col. John S. Hoffman (w 6th), Lt. Col. John G. Kasey
13th VA, 31st VA, 49th VA, 52nd VA, 58th VA.
Lewis’ Brigade – Brig. Gen. William G. Lewis
6th NC, 21st NC, 54th NC, 57th NC
Johnston's Brigade – Col. John W. Lea
5th NC, 12th NC, 20th NC, 23rd NC, 1st NC Batt Sharpshooters.
Gordon's Division – Brig. Gen. Clement A. Evans
Evans’ Brigade – Col. John Baker (w 6th)
13th GA, 26th GA, 31st GA, 38th GA, 60th and 61st GA, 12th GA Battn.
Terry's Brigade – Brig. Gen. William R. Terry
2nd VA, 4th VA, 5th VA, 10th VA, 21st VA,
23rd VA, 25th VA, 27th VA, 33rd VA,
37th VA, 42nd VA, 44th VA, 48th VA.
York's Brigade – Col. William R. Peck
1st LA, 2nd LA, 5th LA, 6th LA, 7th LA, 8th LA,
9th LA, 10th LA, 14th LA, 15th LA.
Reserve Artillery: Brig. Gen. Armistead L. Long
6 Battalions: Lt. Col. Carter Baxter; Maj. Wilfred Cutshaw; Lt. Col. Robert Hardaway; Lt. Col. Marmaduke Johnson; Lt. Col. Alexander Stark and the “Lightfoot Battn.”
THIRD CORPS – Lt. Gen. A. P. Hill
Heth's Division – Maj. Gen. Henry Heth
Davis’ Brigade – Brig. Gen. Joseph R. Davis
2nd MS, 11th MS, 26th MS, 42nd MS, 1st Confed Battn.
Cookes’ Brigade – Brig. Gen. John R. Cooke
15th NC, 27th NC, 46th NC, 48th NC, 55th NC.
MacRae's Brigade – Col. John Lane or Lt. Col. James Adams
11th NC, 26th NC, 44th NC, 47th NC, 52nd NC.
McComb's Brigade – Brig. Gen. William McComb
1st TN, 7th TN, 14th TN, 17th and 23rd TN, 25th and 44th TN, 63rd TN, 2nd MD Battn.
Mahone's Division– Brig. Gen. Joseph Finegan
Weisiger Brigade – Brig. Gen. David Weisiger or Col. Virginius Groner
6th VA, 12th VA, 16th VA, 41st VA, 61st VA.
Harris Brigade – Brig. Gen. Nathaniel H. Harris
12th MS, 16th MS, 19th MS, 48th MS.
Sorrel's Brigade – Brig. Gen. G. Moxley Sorrel (w 7th)
3rd GA, 22nd GA, 48th GA, 64th GA, 2nd GA Battn., 10th GA Battn.
Finegan's Brigade – Col. David Lang
2nd FL, 5th FL, 8th FL, 9th FL, 10th FL, 11th FL.
Sanders’ Brigade – Col. William H. Forney
8th AL, 9th AL, 10th AL, 11th AL, 13th AL, 14th AL.
Artillery: Col. Reuben Walker
7 Battalions: Lt. Col. John Garnett; Maj. J. Haskell; Maj. David MacIntosh; Maj. Miller Owen; Maj. William Pegram; Maj. William Poague and Lt. Col. A. Cutts.
W.H.F. “Rooney” Lee's Cavalry Division – Maj. Gen. William H. F. “Rooney” Lee
Beale's Brigade – Brig. Gen. Richard L. Beale
9th VA, 10th VA, 13th VA.
Barringer's Brigade – Brig. Gen. Rufus C. Barringer
1st NC, 2nd NC, 3rd NC, 5th NC.
Dearing's Brigade – Brig. Gen. James Dearing
8th GA, 4th NC, 16th NC Battn., Petersburg (VA) Horse Artillery (Graham's VA Batt.).
Artillery: Maj. Roger Chew
2nd Stuart (VA) Horse Artillery, Washington (SC) Artillery.
USA Forces
Army of the Potomac – Maj. Gen. George G. Meade
II CORPS – Maj. Gen. Andrew Humphreys
First Division – Bvt. Maj. Gen. Nelson A. Miles
Fourth Brigade – Bvt. Brig. Gen. John Ramsey
4th NY Heavy Art., 64th NY, 66th NY15, 53rd, PA, 116th PA, 145th PA, 148th PA.
Second Division – Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Smyth
First Brigade – Col. William A. Olmstead
19th ME, 10th MA, 19th MA, 20th MA, 7th MI, 1st MN (2 Cos), 59th NY, 152nd NY, 184th PA, 36th WI.
Second Brigade – Col. Mathew Murphy (mw 5th), Col. James P. McIvor
8th NY Heavy Art., 155th NY, 164th NY, 170th NY, 182nd NY.
Third Brigade – Lt. Col. Francis E. Pierce
14th CT, 1st DE, 12th NJ, 10th NY Battn. 108th NY, 4th OH (4 Cos), 69th PA, 106th PA (3 Cos), 7th WV (4 Cos).
Third Division – Bvt. Maj. Gen. Gershom Mott
First Brigade – Brig. Gen. P. Regis de Trobriand
20th IN, 1st ME Heavy Art., 17th ME, 40th NY, 73rd NY, 86th NY, 124th NY, 99th PA,
110th PA, 2nd US Sharpshooters.
Second Brigade – Bvt. Brig. Gen. George West
1st MA Heavy Art., 5th MI, 93rd NY, 57th PA, 105th PA, 141st PA.
Third Brigade – Bvt. Brig. Gen. Robert J. McAllister