Varina in Henrico County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
One Last Advance
Battle of Darbytown (New Market) Road
— Siege of Petersburg & Richmond 1864-1965 —
The last advance by the Army of Northern Virginia north of the James River took place directly across New Market Road in October 1864, on orders of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Gen. Charles W. Field's division, with Gen. Robert F. Hoke's division in support, was to overwhelm Union Gen. August V. Kautz's cavalry division on Darbytown Road and then turn south to recapture Fort Harrison, which the Federals had occupied on September 29.
The battle began successfully at dawn on October 7 as the combined Confederate assault overpowered the Union cavalry stationed on Darbytown Road. Two hours elapsed before the attack could continue, however, giving Union Gen. Alfred H. Terry time to redeploy his division to face the Confederate attack in the fields just north of here. For unknown reasons, Hoke's division failed to support Field. Union infantry, armed with Spencer repeating rifles, inflicted heavy casualties on the Confederates. Wooded, difficult terrain caused disorganization among the Confederate brigades. At the height of the fighting, Confederate Gen. John Gregg was shot in the neck and killed while leading his Texas brigade. The attack soon fell apart, and the remnants of the Confederate force withdrew west to their original defensive lines. Lee's last advance north of the James River resulted in more than 1,000 Confederate casualties while the Federals suffered fewer than 500.
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The Union victory at the Battle of Darbytown Road can be attributed in part to advanced weapons technology. Most of Gen. Joseph C. Abbott's infantry regiments in Terry's division were equipped with Spencer rifles—a magazine-fed, lever-action weapon utilizing metal cartridges. The rifles had a firing rate of one shot every three seconds, far faster than the single-shot rifles that most Confederates carried. James Spencer designed the rifle in 1860, but the U.S. Army did not begin introducing them until 1863; carbines came later. Capt. Albert Maxfield, 11th Maine Infantry, wrote that it seemed as if the Spencer rifles fired “seven volleys in one. … The rebels stopped broke and fell back to cover, leaving the woods piled with their dead and dying.”
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Gen. Alfred H. Terry Courtesy Library of Congress
Gen. John Gregg Courtesy Library of Congress
Federals near New Market Road repulse Confederate infantry during the Battle of Darbytown Road Courtesy Library of Congress
Unidentified Union soldiers holding Spencer carbines Courtesy Library of Congress
Erected by Virginia Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is October 7, 1864.
Location. 37° 26.65′ N, 77° 21.1′ W. Marker is in Varina, Virginia, in Henrico County. Marker is at the intersection of New Market Road (Virginia Route 5) and Strath Road, on the right when traveling east on New Market Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2651 New Market Rd, Henrico VA 23231, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Henrico Parish Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Frayser Family (approx. 0.4 miles away); General John Gregg (approx. 0.6 miles away); Four Mile Creek Baptist Church (approx. 0.7 miles away); First Successful Colonial Tobacco Crop (approx. 1.2 miles away); Fort Harrison (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Varina.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker.
Also see . . . Battle of Darbytown and New Market Roads. Wikipedia (Submitted on January 2, 2019.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 16, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 549 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 16, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 2, 3. submitted on November 16, 2015. 4. submitted on November 16, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 5, 6. submitted on November 16, 2015.