Battle of Meadow Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Meadow Bridge |
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| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States (Union) |
 CSA (Confederacy) |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Philip Sheridan | Fitzhugh Lee James B. Gordon † |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 170 | not reported | ||||||
The Battle of Meadow Bridge was a fight that happened on May 12, 1864. It took place in Henrico County, Virginia, during the American Civil War. This battle was part of a bigger plan called the Overland Campaign, led by Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant.
After winning a battle at Battle of Yellow Tavern the day before, Union cavalry soldiers, led by Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan, moved towards Richmond. Richmond was the capital city for the Confederacy. The Union soldiers got stuck between Richmond's defenses and the Chickahominy River, which was overflowing from rain. Confederate cannons, led by Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, fired at them.
Soldiers from Michigan, led by Brig. Gen. George Armstrong Custer, bravely crossed a damaged railroad bridge. Engineers quickly fixed the bridge. This allowed the Union soldiers to escape safely and continue their mission.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
On May 11, 1864, General Sheridan and his Union cavalry were on a daring mission. They were trying to attack Richmond, the Confederate capital. On the second day of their mission, they won a battle at Battle of Yellow Tavern. They defeated Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, a famous Confederate cavalry leader, who was badly wounded.
Sheridan then led his troops south towards Richmond. They moved carefully through old defenses. As night came, a big thunderstorm soaked everyone. Sheridan kept moving, not knowing he was heading into a trap. Confederates had placed hidden explosives (like land mines) on the road. Many exploded, hurting horses but not stopping the soldiers.
When morning came and the storm stopped, Sheridan was only two and a half miles from Richmond. But he saw that the defenses in front of him were full of enemy soldiers. The swollen Chickahominy River was on his left, and Confederate cavalry was behind him. They hoped to capture his entire force.
The Battle Begins
Sheridan decided they had to cross the river at Meadow Bridge. This was where the Virginia Central Railroad crossed the river. Confederates had removed the wooden planks from the road part of the bridge. This made it useless for a while, but the rest of the bridge was still there.
Sheridan ordered Brig. Gen. George A. Custer's Michigan soldiers to take the bridge. They also had to capture the high ground on the other side. The rest of Sheridan's troops had to keep the Confederates busy. This would give Custer time to complete his task.
Other Union brigades, led by Colonels Thomas C. Devin and Alfred Gibbs, guarded the center. They protected against Confederate attacks from Richmond. On the western side, Brig. Gen. David McM. Gregg's soldiers had to stop Brig. Gen. James B. Gordon's Confederate brigade. On the eastern side, Brig. Gen. James H. Wilson's men faced any Confederate attacks along Meadow Bridge road.
Fighting at the Rear
As soon as it was light, a Confederate infantry brigade attacked Gregg's soldiers from three sides. Soon, more Confederates joined the fight. Even citizens from Richmond, quickly made into soldiers, helped. They tried to break through the Union lines.
A soldier from the 1st Pennsylvania Cavalry wrote about the intense fighting. He said the enemy tried very hard to push them into the river. But each time, the Union soldiers pushed them back. The fighting went on for hours. The Confederates kept charging, but they were always forced back. By about 11 AM, they finally gave up.
Wilson's men were pushed back at first. But Gregg had hidden soldiers with powerful rifles in a ravine. These men fired a lot, stopping the Confederate attacks. Some of Wilson's men also helped by attacking the side of the Confederate column. Union cannons made sure the Confederate infantry was no longer a threat. Three cavalry regiments fought with enemy cavalry, turning them away and protecting the rear. Sadly, Brig. Gen. Gordon was badly wounded and died a few days later.
Crossing the Bridge
Meanwhile, Custer's 5th Michigan Cavalry used snipers to stop Confederate rifle fire. Some brave soldiers crossed the damaged railroad bridge. They jumped from one railroad tie to another, even while enemy cannons fired at them. The 6th Michigan followed them.
By early afternoon, they had cleared the north bank of the Chickahominy River. They gained a strong position on the Confederate side. Custer's men kept the remaining enemy units pinned down and captured two cannons. Engineers quickly put planks on the bridge. This made it safe for many soldiers and horses to cross.
By mid-afternoon, all of Merritt's soldiers had crossed. They fought the Confederates at Richmond Heights, pushing them back. By 4 PM, the rest of Sheridan's cavalry had crossed the river.
Sheridan then destroyed the Virginia Central Bridge behind them. This stopped any further Confederate chase. For the rest of the day, Sheridan's men gathered their wounded and buried their dead. They let their horses eat grass in the fields. They also eagerly read Richmond newspapers. Two clever young boys had brought these papers across the lines and sold them to the Union soldiers.
What Happened Next
After his men rested, Sheridan easily pushed aside any remaining Confederate soldiers. He then marched his column to Mechanicsville, getting them out of danger. They camped that night at Gaines's Mill. The next morning, some soldiers accidentally burned Gaines's Mill. Sheridan ordered a line of soldiers to pass buckets of water to put out the fire.
When they reached Bottom's Bridge over the Chickahominy, they found it was also damaged. They rested there for the night while it was fixed. By this time, Sheridan's men were very hungry. It was important for them to reach Union lines soon. On May 14, he led his men to Haxall's Landing on the James River. This ended his long mission.
Sheridan reported that 170 Union soldiers were hurt or killed during the fights at Meadow Bridges, Mechanicsville, and other places on May 12, 1864. The number of Confederate losses was not recorded.
Sheridan's mission was a success. He killed Jeb Stuart at Yellow Tavern and defeated Fitzhugh Lee at Meadow Bridge. He did all this with few losses for his side. About 625 Union soldiers were lost during the entire mission, compared to 800 Confederates.
However, some people wondered if Sheridan should have attacked Richmond. Sheridan believed it was too risky and would cause too many casualties. He also knew they couldn't hold the city for long. Any benefits would mostly be from hurting Confederate morale.
