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Battle of Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road facts for kids

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Not to be confused with the First Battle of Deep Bottom, also known as the Battle of Darbytown, on July 27–29, 1864 or the Battle of Darbytown and New Market Roads on October 7, 1864, or the Battle of Darbytown Road on October 13, 1864.
Battle of Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road
Part of the American Civil War
Battle of Darbytown Road.jpg
A drawing of the action on the 27th, by Alfred Waud.
Date October 27, 1864 (1864-10-27) – October 28, 1864 (1864-10-28)
Location
Henrico County, Virginia
Result Confederate victory
Belligerents
United States United States (Union) Confederate States of America 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

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.

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. The Medal of Honor was awarded to First Lieutenant William Rufus Shafter for his actions. Union casualties were 1,603, Confederates fewer than 100.

Background

Further information: Richmond-Petersburg Campaign

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.

Army of the James

Main article: Army of the James

MG Benjamin F. Butler

X Corps

Main article: X Corps (Union Army)

BG Alfred H. Terry

Division Brigade Regiments and Others

First Division
    BG Adelbert Ames

 First Brigade

  Col Alvin C. Voris
  • 39th Illinois
  • 62nd Ohio
  • 67th Ohio
  • 85th Pennsylvania (detachment)
Second Brigade

  Col Joseph C. Abbott
  • 6th Connecticut
  • 7th Connecticut
  • 3rd New Hampshire
  • 7th New Hampshire
  • 16th New York Heavy Artillery (7 companies)
Third Brigade

  Col Harris M. Plaisted
  • 10th Connecticut
  • 11th Maine
  • 24th Massachusetts
  • 100th New York

Second Division
    BG Robert S. Foster

 First Brigade

  Col Newton Martin Curtis
  • 3rd New York
  • 112th New York
  • 117th New York
  • 142nd New York
Second Brigade

  Col Galusha Pennypacker
  • 47th New York
  • 76th Pennsylvania
  • 97th Pennsylvania
  • 203rd Pennsylvania
Third Brigade

  Col Louis Bell
  • 13th Indiana (3 companies)
  • 9th Maine
  • 115th New York

Third Division
    BG Joseph R. Hawley

 First Brigade

  Col James Shaw, Jr.
  • 7th U.S. Colored Troops
  • 9th U.S. Colored Troops
  • 41st U.S. Colored Troops (Company A)
Second Brigade

  Col Ulysses Doubleday
  • 29th Connecticut
  • 8th U.S. Colored Troops
  • 45th U.S. Colored Troops (6 companies)
Artillery Brigade

  Ltc Richard Jackson
  • 1st U.S., Batteries C & D

XVIII Corps

Main article: XVIII Corps (Union Army)

MG Godfrey Weitzel

Division Brigade Regiments and Others

First Division
    BG Gilman Marston

 First Brigade

  Ltc John B. Raulston
  • 13th New Hampshire
  • 81st New York
  • 98th New York
  • 139th New York
Second Brigade

  Col Edgar M. Cullen
  • 5th Maryland
  • 10th New Hampshire
  • 92nd New York (detachment)
  • 96th New York
  • 118th New York
Third Brigade

  Ltc Joab N. Patterson
  • 21st Connecticut
  • 40th Massachusetts
  • 2nd New Hampshire
  • 58th Pennsylvania
  • 188th Pennsylvania
Unattached
  • Sharpshooters
  • Pioneers
  • 8th Connecticut: Col John E. Ward

Second Division
    BG Charles A. Heckman

 First Brigade [not engaged]
Second Brigade

  Col Edward H. Ripley
  • 8th Maine
  • 9th Vermont
Third Brigade

  Col Harrison S. Fairchild
  • 89th New York
  • 148th New York
  • 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, Company G
  • 19th Wisconsin

Third Division

 First Brigade

  Col John H. Holman
  Ltc Abial G. Chamberlain
  • 1st U.S. Colored Troops
  • 22nd U.S. Colored Troops
  • 37th U.S. Colored Troops
Second Brigade

  Col Alonzo G. Draper
  • 5th U.S. Colored Troops
  • 36th U.S. Colored Troops
  • 38th U.S. Colored Troops
Unattached
  • 2nd U.S. Colored Cavalry (dismounted)

Artillery Division
  • New York Light Artillery, 16th Battery
  • 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, Battery A

Cavalry Division
    Col Robert M. West

 First Brigade

  Col George W. Lewis
  • 3rd New York
  • 5th Pennsylvania
Second Brigade

  Col Samuel P. Spear
  • 1st District of Columbia (Battalion)
  • 11th Pennsylvania
Third Brigade

  Col Andrew W. Evans
  • 1st Maryland
  • 1st New York Mounted Rifles
Artillery Brigade
  • Wisconsin Light, 4th Battery
  • 1st U.S., Battery B

Confederate

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

Army of Northern Virginia

First Corps

LTG James Longstreet

Division Brigade Regiments and Others

Field's Division
     MG Charles W. Field

 Anderson's Brigade


   BG George T. Anderson
  • 7th Georgia
  • 8th Georgia
  • 9th Georgia
  • 11th Georgia
  • 59th Georgia
Law's Brigade


   Col William F. Perry
  • 4th Alabama
  • 15th Alabama
  • 44th Alabama
  • 47th Alabama
  • 48th Alabama
Gregg's Brigade


   Col Frederick S. Bass
  • 3rd Arkansas
  • 1st Texas
  • 4th Texas
  • 5th Texas
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
  • 9th Virginia Cavalry
  • 10th Virginia Cavalry
  • 13th Virginia Cavalry
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
  • 4th South Carolina Cavalry
  • 5th South Carolina Cavalry
  • 6th South Carolina Cavalry
Young's Brigade


   Col J.F. Waring
  • 10th Georgia Cavalry
  • Cobb's (Georgia) Legion
  • Phillip's (Georgia) Legion
  • Jeff. Davis (Mississippi) Legion
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

Further information: Richmond-Petersburg Campaign