The Bermuda Hundred Campaign Begins

The Bermuda Hundred Campaign Begins. The Bermuda Hundred Campaign. On May 4, 1864, Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler began to load 38,000 men of the Army of the James on transport ships at Newport News and Yorktown, Virginia. Their goal was a neck of land in Chesterfield County known as Bermuda Hundred. Butler was to land there, secure a base of operations and sever the rail link between Richmond and Petersburg. If practicable, he would advance on either Richmond or Petersburg. At the same time Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant would move the Army of the Potomac across the Rapidan River and attempt to crush Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia., On May 5th, Butler’s troops seized Bermuda Hundred and City Point. After establishing a beachhead, Butler’s troops advanced to this point and began to dig a line of defensive earthworks on May 6th. The 18th Corps established a line of works here with its left anchored on the Appomattox River and its right in the vicinity of Ware Bottom Church approximately two miles north of where you are standing. Remnants of these earthworks can be seen just inside the woodline in front of you. The 10th Corps then picked up the line at Ware Bottom Church and extended it north another mile to the James River., Butler had successfully landed his men to the complete surprise of the Confederates and had established a defensive front. Meanwhile, Confederate commanders were trying to gather their scattered forces to counter this new threat. For a brief period of time the doors to Richmond and Petersburg were wide open., (captions) , Army of the James landing at Bermuda Hundred May 6, 1864 , Harpers Weekly engraving of the Army of the James landing at City Point (Williams Collection) , This sign was sponsored by Dr. Charles T. Smallwood Jr., South Easton, MA,