The Battle of Darbytown Road was fought on October 13, 1864, between Union and Confederate forces. The Confederates were attempting to retake ground they had lost to Federal forces during battles near Richmond, Virginia. Their efforts failed. On October 13, Union forces advanced to find and feel the new Confederate defensive line in front of Richmond. While mostly a battle of skirmishers, a Federal brigade assaulted fortifications north of Darbytown Road and was repulsed with heavy casualties. The Federals retired to their entrenched lines along New Market Road.
Background
Opposing forces Union The Union order of battle is compiled from the official tabulation of casualties and includes only units which sustained casualties.
Military rank abbreviations used MG = Major General BG = Brigadier General Col = Colonel Ltc = Lieutenant Colonel Maj = Major Cpt = Captain
Other abbreviations w = wounded mw = mortally wounded k = killed c = captured
Army of the James
X Corps
MG Alfred H. Terry
Division Brigade Regiments and othersFirst Division
BG Adelbert Ames 1st Brigade Col Francis B. Pond 39th Illinois 62nd Ohio 67th Ohio 85th Pennsylvania 2nd Brigade BG Joseph R. Hawley 7th Connecticut 3rd New Hampshire 16th New York Heavy Artillery, 7 Companies 3rd Brigade Col Harris M. Plaisted 10th Connecticut 11th Maine 24th MassachusettsSecond Division [not engaged]Third Division
BG William Birney 1st Brigade Col Alvin C. Voris 7th U.S. Colored Troops 9th U.S. Colored Troops 2nd Brigade Col Ulysses Doubleday 29th Connecticut 8th U.S. Colored Troops 45th U.S. Colored TroopsCavalry Division
BG August V. Kautz 1st Brigade Col Robert M. West 5th Pennsylvania 2nd Brigade Col Samuel P. Spear 11th Pennsylvania 3rd Brigade Col Andrew W. Evans 1st Maryland 1st New York Mounted Rifles
Battle
References
National Park Service battle description CWSAC Report Update and Resurvey:Individual Battlefield Profiles Newsome, Hampton. Richmond Must Fall: The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign, October 1864. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 2013. .
Notes