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| Add Photo — Add Link — Add Commentary — Correct this page — Print | | Pickadat Corner in Chesterfield County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic) |
Battle of Swift Creek
"Brave to Madness"
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By Craig Swain, November 22, 2008 | |
| | | 1. Battle of Swift Creek Marker | | |
Inscription. You are standing in the middle of the Union line that faced the Confederate route of attack up the Richmond Turnpike on May 9, 1864, during Union Gen. Benjamin F. Butler's Bermuda Hundred Campaign. Here, along Swift Creek, elements of Butler's Army of the James clashed with part of Confederate Gen. Bushrod R. Johnson's command. The Federals were attempting to disrupt supply lines - especially the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad - to Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, which was fighting north of Richmond.
Johnson's force was dug in from Brander's Bridge almost to Fort Clifton, behind you on the Appomattox River. The massive Federal "demonstration" met resistance here, where the Union troops encountered the 11th South Carolina Infantry, a part of Gen. Johnson Hagood's command that was forward of the main Confederate position. Union Gen. Charles A. Heckman's brigade had formed its line here when another South Carolina regiment, the 21st, charged across the Swift Creek bridge and up the turnpike to support the 11th. When the Confederates were but fifty yards away, Heckman's brigade began firing volleys that cut the South Carolinians down. A post-battle Confederate report termed them "brave to madness." The survivors withdrew across the creek.
Skirmishing and artillery fire continued through the night. The 8th Connecticut | | | | 
By Craig Swain, November 22, 2008 | |
| | | 2. Close up of the Map | | |
Infantry, a unit partially armed with Sharps "revolving rifles," repulsed a Confederate advance across the railroad bridge east of the turnpike. The 63rd Tennessee Infantry turned back some Union gunners who got a cannon down to the creek bank. In the morning, Butler ordered a withdrawal. The Confederates had the railroad repaired by the next day.
Erected by Virginia Civil War Trails.
Marker series. This marker is included in the Virginia Civil War Trails marker series.
Location. 37° 17.02′ N, 77° 24.722′ W. Marker is in Pickadat Corner, Virginia, in Chesterfield County. Marker is on Jefferson Davis Highway (U.S. 1 / 301), on the right when traveling north. Click for map. Located in the parking lot for the Swift Creek Mill. Marker is in this post office area: Colonial Heights VA 23834, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, as the crow flies. "Brave to Madness" (about 400 feet away, in a direct line); Union Army Checked (approx. 0.2 miles away); Swift Creek Battlefield: A Landscape of Change (approx. 0.2 miles away); Electric Railway (approx. 0.3 miles away); Redwater Creek Engagement (approx. 0.9 miles away); Union Army Railroad Raids (approx. 0.9 miles away); Advance on Petersburg (approx. one mile away); Ellerslie (approx. one mile away). Click for a list of all markers in Pickadat Corner.| | | | 
By Craig Swain, November 22, 2008 | |
| | | 3. Battle of Swift Creek Marker | | |
More about this marker. In the lower left of the marker is a map showing the tactical situation described in the text. In the upper center are portraits of Generals Benjamin F. Butler and Bushrod R. Johnson. In the lower right is a photograph showing railroad ties and rails stacked for demolition. Federals and Confederates alike disrupted the other side's rail communications by dismantling tracks and placing them across ties, which were then set afire to bend the tracks.
Also see . . .
1. Swift Creek Mill. (PDF) National Register documentation for the Swift Creek Mill. (Submitted on December 23, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
2. Swift Creek Mill Theatre. History of the mill from the theatre web site. (Submitted on December 23, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
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By Craig Swain, November 22, 2008 | |
| | | 4. Swift Creek Mill | | The mill was the center of the battle area. Today it is a theater and playhouse. | | |
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By Craig Swain, November 22, 2008 | |
| | | 5. Swift Creek Mill Pond | | Looking from the parking area to the south across Swift Creek. Hagood's Brigade initially occupied defensive positions on the south side of the creek. The area is now heavily developed. | | |
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Credits. This page originally submitted on December 23, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,926 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on December 23, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.
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