Battle of Proctor's Creek facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Proctor's Creek
Part of the American Civil War
Date May 12, 1864 (1864-05-12) – May 16, 1864 (1864-05-16) Location Chesterfield County, Virginia Result Confederate victory
Belligerents
United States (Union)	CSA (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
Benjamin F. Butler	P. G. T. Beauregard
Strength
30,000	18,000
Casualties and losses
6,600

The Battle of Proctor's Creek was an important fight during the American Civil War. It is also known as the Battle of Drewry's Bluff or Fort Darling. This battle took place from May 12 to May 16, 1864, in Chesterfield County, Virginia. It was part of a larger plan called the Bermuda Hundred Campaign. The creek where the battle happened was named after Charles Proctor, who owned land and farmed there.

What Happened at Proctor's Creek?

Map of operations at Bermuda Hundred and Drewry's Bluff, VA, May, 1864, by Edward K. Sneden.

Map of Proctor's Creek Battlefield core and study areas by the American Battlefield Protection Program.

After some earlier fights, Union Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler pulled his troops back to a place called Bermuda Hundred. The Union army had about 30,000 soldiers.

The Confederate forces gathered about 18,000 soldiers. They were led by Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard. Their goal was to stop Butler's army.

On May 12, Butler's Union army moved north. They aimed for the Confederate defense line at Drewry's Bluff. However, Butler decided to wait. He wanted support from Union gunboats, but they did not arrive.

The next day, May 13, a Union group attacked the right side of the Confederate line. They managed to capture some defenses near the Wooldridge House. But General Butler was still very careful. This gave General Beauregard time to bring more of his soldiers together.

The Main Attack on May 16

The main attack happened on May 16, at dawn. Confederate Maj. Gen. Robert Ransom's division launched a surprise attack. They hit the right side of Butler's Union forces. Many Union units were forced to retreat.

The battle became confusing because of a thick fog. Even though the Confederate attacks lost some direction in the fog, the Union soldiers were very disorganized. They were also losing their spirit. After a lot of intense fighting, General Butler managed to get his army out of the battle. He led them back to their strong defense line at Bermuda Hundred.

What Was the Result of the Battle?

The Battle of Proctor's Creek was a victory for the Confederates. It stopped the Union army's plan to attack Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy.

About 6,600 soldiers were either killed, wounded, or went missing during this battle. Today, the battlefield is part of the Richmond National Battlefield Park. This park helps protect the history of these important Civil War sites.