New Market Heights

New Market Heights. The Battle of New Market Heights. , "After half an hour of terrible suspense, by starting the yell among a few, we succeeded in getting them in motion. The entire brigade took up the shout and went over the rebel works." , Colonel Alonzo Draper, Second Brigade, Paine's Division, US Army, With the ground covered in a heavy fog, General Paine's USCT moved out from the Kingsland Road. Paine planned to rapidly traverse the terrain between the road and his objective. To ensure speed and limit casualties, the USCT entered the fight with their muskets loaded but without the percussion caps necessary to fire their weapons. Waiting for the USCT behind their entrenchments were battle hardened veterans from Lee's army, the famed Texas Brigade led by Colonel Frederick Bass and under the overall command of General John Gregg., The USCT came under Confederate artillery fire as they reached Four Mile Creek, directly in front of you. Navigating the steep banks, the officers reformed the ranks in preparation for the final push. As Colonel Samuel Duncan's brigade approached, the Confederates poured volley after withering volley into their ranks, quickly breaking up the attack. Duncan himself received a wound in the right ankle that removed him from the fight., Undeterred, Paine committed Colonel Alonzo Draper's brigade to the battle. Draper's regiments met the same fate as Duncan and got pinned down in front of the Confederate defenses. Rather than retreat under fire, Draper resolved to launch a second assault. The USCT stormed forward. At the same time, Colonel John Holman's USCT brigade advanced on Draper's left. Farther to the right, white regiments from Birney's command also participated in the assault. Gregg, meanwhile, received word of Ord's movement to the west, abandoned his position and withdrew. Paine's men charged over the earthworks only to encounter Gregg's rear guard who were quickly dispersed. After three hours of harrowing combat, Union troops firmly controlled New Market Heights., (captions) , The line at New Market Heights extended east from Richmond's exterior defenses. In front of their earthworks, the Confederates placed two enemy-facing lines of sharpened branches. Although Gregg had only 1,800 men available on the morning of September 29, the position, supported by artillery, presented a significant obstacle to Butler's troops. Paine's USCT bore the brunt of the attack and sustained about 750 men killed, wounded, and missing during the battle., John Gregg served in the Confederate Congress at the beginning of the war prior to assuming a field command. Gregg fought in the Vicksburg Campaign and was wounded at Chickamauga. He transferred to Virginia in the spring of 1864. Gregg had mere days to live after New Market Heights. He was killed in battle on October 7, 1864, outside Richmond. Courtesy of the Library of Congress