North Newport News , Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Battle of Lee’s Mill (Dam Number 1)

April 16, 1862

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 11, 2008

1. Battle of Lee’s Mill (Dam Number 1) Marker

Inscription. A stalwart defense of the Warwick River by units of the 15th North Carolina, 7th Georgia and 2nd Louisiana Infantry, C.S.A., commanded by General J.B. Magruder is commemorated here. The defensive line extending across the Virginia Peninsula was held under Federal fire during April 1862 by the numerically superior Army of the Potomac under General G.B. McClellan. At the Battle of Lee’s Mill (also called Battle of Dam No. 1) companies of the 3rd, 4th and 6th Vermont Infantry twice succeeded in crossing the river to breach the line at this point, but were repulsed, suffering new casualties. The line held until May 4th, 1862 when Confederate positions were evacuated in a general withdrawal towards Williamsburg. This resolute stand at Lee’s Mill slowed the Union advance by a full month, contributing to the ultimate failure of the Federal Peninsula Campaign to take Richmond. Twenty Confederates, including Colonel William McKinney Commander of the 15th North Carolina, gave their lives.

Bottom Plaque:
The Dam Number One
Battlefield Site
has been placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior

Erected 1967 by Daughters of the Confederacy, Bethel Chapter.

Topics and series. This historical marker is

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listed in these topic lists: Notable Events • Notable Places • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the United Daughters of the Confederacy series list. A significant historical date for this entry is April 8, 1862.

Location. 37° 10.969′ N, 76° 32.196′ W. Marker is in Newport News, Virginia. It is in North Newport News. It is on Constitution Way, on the left when traveling east. Marker is located in Newport News Park, near the Discovery Center. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Newport News VA 23603, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Peninsula,

in Hampton Roads,

in Coastal Virginia,

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Tidewater.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Battle of Dam No. 1 (here, next to this marker); Third Regiment Vermont Volunteer Infantry (a few steps from this marker); Peninsula Campaign Warwick River (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Ten Pound Parrott Rifle and Limber (about 400 feet away); Mott’s Battery (about 700 feet away); The "Great Flood" of '99 (about 700 feet away); Berdan’s Sharpshooters (about 700 feet away); Custer’s Covered Way (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Newport News.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Markers

Marker in Newport News Park image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 11, 2008

2. Marker in Newport News Park

on the Two Forts Walking Trail in Newport News Park.

Also see . . . Battle of Yorktown (1862). Entry on Wikipedia describing the Battle of Dam Number One. (Submitted on August 16, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)

Site of Dam Number 1 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 11, 2008

3. Site of Dam Number 1

This location, now the Lee Hall Reservoir, was where the Vermont Infantry crossed the river on April 16, 1862 to attack the 15th North Carolina. This battle was the only major attempt to break through the Confederate defenses during the Peninsula Campaign.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 16, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 4,253 times since then and 67 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 16, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.