Battle of Sappony Church
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The Battle of Sappony Church was an engagement of the American Civil War, between the Confederate States of America and the Union, which took place on June 28, 1864 during the Richmond–Petersburg Campaign.
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[edit] Background
Petersburg, Virginia was the supply centre for the Confederate capital of Richmond, and was under siege by Union forces under the command of General Ulysses S. Grant. Petersburg was supplied by rail along two rail lines, the South Side and the Richmond & Danville. On June 22, Grant dispatched a 5000 strong cavalry unit under the command of Brigadier General James H. Wilson and Brigadier General August V. Kautz to cut the rail lines. This led to a series of raids which led to the destruction of 60 miles of rail track and culminated with the Battle of Staunton River Bridge on 25 June, where the raiders were defeated and began a retreat back to Union positions.
Since the outset of the raid, the Union force had been pursued by Confederate General William Henry Fitzhugh Lee. Lee's forces had finally been able to catch up to the Union cavalry at Staunton Bridge, and had attacked them in the rear and then continued to pursue them as they retired to Union lines.
[edit] The Battle
On June 28, the Union cavalry crossed the Nottoway River and reached the Stony Creek Depot on the Weldon Railroad. Here, they were attack by Confederate Major General Wade Hampton and his cavalry division. During the resulting battle, Lee arrived on the field with his own forces and attacked the Union raiders. By nightfall, Kautz and Wilson ordered their forces to fall back in an attempt to reach Reams Railway Station to the north. During the retreat, a large number of slaves who had been accompanying the Union forces were left behind.
