The First Battle of Deep Bottom: July 27-29, 1864, 148 Years Ago Today

Many students of the Civil War know about the famous Battle of the Crater, which occurred on July 30, 1864.  Very few have heard of the First Battle of Deep Bottom, a prequel of sorts to the Crater.  Fought from July 27-29, 1864, the First Deep Bottom operation was designed to lure Confederate troops north of the James River so they wouldn’t be in position to resist the Union onslaught on Petersburg once Henry Pleasants’ mine was sprung on July 30.  Major General Winfield Scott Hancock led an expedition composed of his Union 2nd Corps of the Army of the Potomac as well as two divisions of cavalry from the Army of the Potomac’s Cavalry Corps.  On July 27, Union skirmishers advanced in force and captured four 20lb Parrott rifles from the Confederates along New Market Road.  Hancock hesitated and failed to press his advantage, the Confederates using the time to create a line of defense along Bailey’s Creek.  On July 28, Hancock tried to turn the Confederate left, but a strong Confederate counterattack against Torbert’s and Gregg’s cavalry divisions stopped the advance.  Although the operations did not result in a clear cut Union victory, they did succeed in removing many Confederate forces from the front around Petersburg.  Only three Confederate divisions were present to defend Petersburg and the lines surrounding the town by the time the mine was sprung on July 30.  Despite this success, the opportunity was squandered at the Battle of the Crater that day.  Hancock’s men and the cavalry had done their part, but it was all for nothing.

For more on the First Battle of Deep Bottom, including maps and first person accounts, see my battle summary page:

First Battle of Deep Bottom at The Siege of Petersburg Online

Here is a list of the current articles and posts I have made available at The Siege of Petersburg Online:

Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Battle:

• 150 Years Ago Today: The First Battle of Deep Bottom, Day 1: July 27, 1864
• 24th VA Cavalry: Account of July 27, 1864 Union Cavalry Demonstration Against Deep Bottom
• The Petersburg Campaign: The Battle of the Crater “the Horrid Pit” June 25-August 6, 1864 by Michael Arthur Cavanaugh
• CLARK NC: 1st North Carolina Cavalry at the Siege of Petersburg
• Deep Bottom: July 26, 1864 (36th WI Regt Hist)
• George S. Gove Letter: August 2, 1864
• NP: August 1, 1864 New York Tribune: The Operations of Wednesday
• NP: August 16, 1864 Batavia (NY) Republican Advocate: More on The First Deep Bottom Operation
• NP: August 16, 1864 Batavia (NY) Republican Advocate: The First Deep Bottom Operation
• NP: August 27, 1864 Quincy Patriot: 24th Massachusetts Itinerary
• NP: August 4, 1864 Baltimore Clipper: Sheridan’s Cavalry
• NP: August 8, 1864 Charleston (SC) Mercury: Casualties in South Carolina Units, June-August 1864
• NP: July 30, 1864 New York Daily Tribune: Bermuda Hundred
• NP: July 30, 1864 New York Herald: Mr. A. Davidson’s Dispatches
• NP: July 30, 1864 New York Herald: Mr. Finley Anderson’s Dispatch
• NP: July 30, 1864 New York Herald: Mr. S. Cadwallader’s Dispatch
• NP: July 30, 1864 New York Tribune: Butler’s Headquarters
• NP: July 30, 1864 New York World: Special Dispatch to the World
• NP: July 30, 1864 Philadelphia Inquirer: A Battle on the James
• NP: July 31, 1864 New York Times: In Bivouac
• NP: May 13, 1908 St. Johnsville NY News: John Reardon Diary (115th NY): July 18-August 17, 1864
• NP: October 13, 1869 Washington (PA) Reporter: 140th Pennsylvania at the Siege of Petersburg, Part 3
• NP: October 20, 1869 Washington (PA) Reporter: 140th Pennsylvania at the Siege of Petersburg, Part 4
• NT: October 18, 1883 National Tribune: Who Will Write Up the Deep Bottom Fights
• Number 43. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain Nelson Penfield, One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth New York Infantry
• Number 44. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain John B. Geddis, One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth New York Infantry
• Number 45. Petersburg Campaign Report of Lieutenant Colonel William Glenny, Sixty-Fourth New York Infantry, commanding Fourth Brigade
• Number 46. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain Horatio N. Hunt, Sixty-Fourth New York Infantry, of operations July 26-30
• Number 47. Petersburg Campaign Report of Lieutenant Colonel William Glenny, Sixty-Fourth New York Infantry
• Number 49. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain Albert Gosse, Sixty-Sixth New York Infantry, of operations July 26-30
• Number 50. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain Philip H. Schreyer, Fifty-Third Pennsylvania Infantry, of operations July 26-30
• Number 51. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain James Patton, Fifty-Third Pennsylvania Infantry
• Number 52. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain David W. Megraw, One Hundred and Sixteenth Pennsylvania Infantry, of operations July 26-30
• Number 53. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain Garrett Nowlan, One Hundred and Sixteenth Pennsylvania Infantry
• Number 54. Petersburg Campaign Reports of Captain James H. Hamlin, One Hundred and Forty-Fifth Pennsylvania Infantry
• Number 55. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain James F. Weaver, One Hundred and Forty-Eighth Pennsylvania Infantry
• Number 56. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain Alfred A. Rhinehart, One Hundred and Forty-Eighth Pennsylvania Infantry, of operations July 26-30
• Number 57. Petersburg Campaign Report of Major Edward A. Springsteed, Seventh New York Heavy Artillery
• Number 58. Petersburg Campaign Report of Lieutenant Colonel Joseph M. Murphy, Seventh New York Heavy Artillery, of operations July 26-30
• Number 59. Petersburg Campaign Reports of Major General John Gibbon, U. S. Army, commanding Second Division
• Number 61. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain Joseph W. Spaulding, Nineteenth Maine Infantry
• Number 62. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain James C. Farwell, First Minnesota Infantry
• Number 63. Petersburg Campaign Reports of Major Timothy O’Brien, One Hundred and Fifty-Second New York Infantry
• Number 66. Petersburg Campaign Report of Colonel Mathew Murphy, One Hundred and Eighty-Second New York Infantry (Sixty-Ninth New York National Guard Artillery), commanding Second Brigade, of operations July 14-30
• Number 67. Petersburg Campaign Report of Major John Byrne, One Hundred and Fifty-Fifth New York Infantry
• Number 68. Petersburg Campaign Report of Major John Beattie, One Hundred and Sixty-Fourth New York Infantry
• Number 69. Petersburg Campaign Report of Colonel James P. McIvor, One Hundred and Seventieth New York Infantry
• Number 70. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain John Coonan, One Hundred and Eighty-Second New York Infantry (Sixty-Ninth New York National Guard Artillery)
• Number 71. Petersburg Campaign Report of Major Erastus M. Spaulding, Eighth New York Heavy Artillery, of operations June 12-July 29
• Number 72. Petersburg Campaign Report of Colonel Thomas A. Smyth, First Delaware Infantry, commanding Third Brigade
• Number 74. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain John C. Broatch, Fourteenth Connecticut Infantry
• Number 77. Petersburg Campaign Reports of Brigadier General Gershom Mott, U. S. Army, commanding Third Division, of operations June 22 and July 26-30
• Number 78. Petersburg Campaign Reports of Brigadier General P. Regis de Trobriand, U. S. Army, commanding First Brigade
• Number 79. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain Madison M. Cannon, Fortieth New York Infantry
• Number 80. Petersburg Campaign Report of Lieutenant Colonel Michael W. Burns, Seventy-Third New York Infantry
• Number 82. Petersburg Campaign Report of Brigadier General Byron R. Pierce, U. S. Army, commanding Second Brigade, of operations July 26-30
• Number 83. Petersburg Campaign Report of Major Nathaniel Shatswell, First Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, of operations July 26-30
• Number 85. Petersburg Campaign Report of Colonel John Pulford, Fifth Michigan Infantry, of operations July 26-31
• Number 86. Petersburg Campaign Reports of Major Samuel McConihe, Ninety-Third New York Infantry
• Number 87. Petersburg Campaign Reports of Lieutenant Colonel William B. Neeper, Fifty-Seventh Pennsylvania Infantry
• Number 88. Petersburg Campaign Reports of Lieutenant Colonel George Zinn, Eighty-Fourth Pennsylvania Infantry
• Number 89. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain John C. Conser, One Hundred and Fifth Pennsylvania Infantry, of operations July 26-30
• Number 90. Petersburg Campaign Reports of Lieutenant Colonel Casper W. Tyler, One Hundred and Forty-First Pennsylvania Infantry
• Number 91. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain John Wilson, First U. S. Sharpshooters
• Number 92. Petersburg Campaign of Colonel Robert McAllister, Eleventh New Jersey Infantry, commanding Third Brigade, of operations July 26-29
• Number 93. Petersburg Campaign Report of Major Charles C. Rivers, Eleventh Massachusetts Infantry, of operations July 26-31
• Number 94. Petersburg Campaign Report of Captain Thomas C. Godfrey, Fifth New Jersey Infantry
• Number 95. Petersburg Campaign Reports of Captain Thomas C. Thompson, Seventh New Jersey Infantry
• Number 96. Petersburg Campaign Report of Major Virgil M. Healy, Eighth New Jersey Infantry
• OR XL P1 #1: Report of Lieutenant General U. S. Grant June 13-July 30, 1864
• OR XL P1 #23: Reports of Captain James Fleming, 28th MA, June 13-July 31, 1864
• OR XL P1 #24: Report of Major Nathan Church, 26th MI, June 12-July 31, 1864
• OR XL P1 #25: Report of Captain Lucius H. Ives, 26th MI, July 26- 30, 1864
• OR XL P1 #26: Report of Major James E. Larkin, 5th NH, June 12-July 30, 1864
• OR XL P1 #27: Report of Major George Hogg, 2nd NY HA, June 12-July 30, 1864
• OR XL P1 #28: Report of Captain Oscar F. Hulser, 2nd NY HA, July 26-31, 1864
• OR XL P1 #29: Report of Major George W. Scott, 61st NY, June 12-July 30, 1864
• OR XL P1 #30: Report of Lt. Colonel William Wilson, 81st PA, July 26-30, 1864
• OR XL P1 #32: Report of Captain Thomas Henry, 140th PA, June 12-July 31, 1864
• OR XL P1 #33: Reports of Lieutenant Colonel George T. Egbert, 183rd PA, June 12-July 30, 1864
• OR XL P1 #34: Report of Major Gustavus A. Seidel, 7th NY (Veteran), July 19-30, 1864
• OR XL P1 #35: Report of Captain David A. Allen, 39th NY, June 12-July 30, 1864
• OR XL P1 #36: Report of Captain George Degener, 52nd NY, June 13-July 26, 1864
• OR XL P1 #37: Report of Captain I. Hart Wilder (of 126th NY), 57th NY, June 16-July 30, 1864
• OR XL P1 #38: Report of Captain Alexander Watts, 63rd NY, June 11-July 30, 1864
• OR XL P1 #40: Report of Major Richard Moroney, 69th NY, June 13-July 30, 1864
• OR XL P1 #41: Report of Lieutenant Colonel Denis F. Burke, 88th NY, June 16-July 30, 1864
• OR XL P1 #42: Report of Captain Marcus W. Murdock, 111th NY, June 14-August 25, 1864
• OR XL P1 #5: Reports of Major General George G. Meade June 14-July 30, 1864
• Review: A History of the 3rd South Carolina Regiment: Lee’s Reliables
• Review: Into the Crater: The Mine Attack at Petersburg
• Review: The 13th South Carolina Volunteer Infantry C.S.A. by Mike Wadsworth
• Sketch of Defensive Works at Deep Bottom, Va. (OR Atlas 65:6)
• The First Battle of Deep Bottom CWPT Map
• The First Battle of Deep Bottom Wikipedia Map: July 27-29, 1864
• The First Battle of Deep Bottom: July 27-29 by Dan O’Connell
• The First Battle of Deep Bottom: July 27-29, 1864
• UPR: Report of Captain W. J. Callais, 33rd North Carolina, Lane’s Brigade, of operations July 28, 1864
• UPR: Report of LtCol William H. A. Speer, 28th North Carolina, Lane’s Brigade, of operations July 28, 1864
• UPR: Report of Major Jackson L. Bost, 37th North Carolina, Lane’s Brigade, of operations July 28, 1864
• Washington Times Newspaper Article on the First Battle of Deep Bottom