Skirmish at Cedar Lane

Skirmish at Cedar Lane. “A brilliant little affair”. Near here, two ambush attempts failed within a week of each other. The first, on July 5, 1861 resulted in the death of Confederate Lt. Col. Charles D. Dreux, 1st Louisiana Battalion, who had set an ill-considered ambush without orders. The second occurred on July 12, when Confederate Maj. John Bell Hood's cavalry turned the tables on the 7th New York Volunteer Infantry., That morning, the German-born New Yorkers, known as the "Steuben Guard" advanced from their camp along the Great Warwick Road (Rt. 60) to gather wood. Without orders a detachment of 'Guards' pushed further west, nearer the Confederate camps. After learning of the Union position, Hood's troopers struck their flank and forced them from their wooded cover. The New Yorkers fled "in a very rapid and disorganized flight" toward the river and the house of Nelson Smith, an English sea captain who "professed neutrality." Sensing victory, Hood's men charged and they captured Lt. Oscar von Heringen, Lt. Frederick Mosebach, and ten privates. Hood lost only one horse, and his commander, Gen. John Magruder, reported the skirmish as "a brilliant little affair." In contrast, Union Gen. Benjamin Butler chastised the New Yorkers for their "disobedience" and "insubordination.", Despite this defeat, the Union army continued to press west beyond Newmarket Creek and Hampton. The Confederates, based at Young's Mill on Deep Creek continued to harass the Federals in the no man's land between the creeks until the following spring., "The men were not in uniform, but very poorly dressed,, in many cases with flip-flap shoes. The business-like air with which they marched rapidly through the deep mud of Third Avenue was the more remarkable.", Letter, New York Times, May 16, 1861, (sidebar) , Lt. Oscar von Heringen, who was captured at Cedar Lane, had only seen service for a few months, having enlisted on April 23, 1861, in New York City. He was imprisoned at Salisbury, North Carolina, until exchanged in September. Promoted to captain on October 8, 1862, he was wounded in action at the Battle of Fredericksburg two months later. He died of his wounds on January 30, 1863 in Georgetown, D.C. at the age of 37., (captions) , Newport News and Hampton vicinity, 1862, from Atlas to Accompany the Official Records (1891-1895), John Bell Hood Courtesy Library of Congress, 7th (Steuben) Regiment receiving its colors outside New York City Hall, May 24, 1861, Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper (June 1, 1861)