Battle of Ware Bottom Church

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Battle of Ware Bottom Church
Part of the American Civil War
DateMay 20, 1864 (1864-05-20)
Location 37°20′40″N77°23′29″W / 37.34444°N 77.39139°W / 37.34444; -77.39139
Result CSA (Confederate) victory
Belligerents
Flag of the United States (1863-1865).svg United States (Union) Flag of the Confederate States of America (1863-1865).svg CSA (Confederacy)
Commanders and leaders
Benjamin Butler P. G. T. Beauregard
Strength
12,000 15,500
Casualties and losses
702 700
USA Virginia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within Virginia

The Battle of Ware Bottom Church was fought on May 20, 1864, between Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. The Union troops were led by Benjamin Butler, while the Confederates were led by P.G.T. Beauregard. The Confederates were victorious, and Butler's forces remained in their Bermuda Hundred defenses. [1] Following the battle, the Confederates began digging a critical set of defensive earthworks that became known as the Howlett Line. [2]

Contents

Ware Bottom Church

The church, one of the oldest in Virginia, was destroyed during the fighting. The church stood until June 18, 1864, when it became a source of annoyance for Parker's Virginia Battery, only a few hundred yards west of the church. Federal sharpshooters had been using the church to harass the gunners. In 2009, 2 acres of this historic site was donated to the Richmond Battlefields Association by a local company. [3]

Battlefield preservation

In addition to the acquisition of the two-acre historic site of Ware Bottom Church by the Richmond Battlefields Association, the Civil War Trust (a division of the American Battlefield Trust) and its partners have acquired and preserved 22 acres (0.089 km2) of the battlefield. [4]

References

  1. U.S. National Park Service summary
  2. "HMDB marker". Archived from the original on 2012-11-05. Retrieved 2012-10-01.
  3. "Ware Bottom Church". Richmond Battlefields Association. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  4. American Battlefield Trust "Saved Land" webpage. Accessed May 29, 2018.