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 Battery Danzler
photos: Library of Congress
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New publication tells little-known story of the Bermuda Hundred Campaign
The renewed committee decided that its first focus would be to update and expand upon an earlier Civil War brochure that Fickett had written in the 90’s. For two years period, they conducted additional research, and wrote and edited a very affordable 58-page driving-tour guide that has just been printed. The principal author was retired Army Maj. Robert Forman, who was assisted by Willliams, David Malgee, Eric Chandler, George Cranford, Courtney Rogers, Ben Uzel and George Reynolds. The research relied heavily on two definitive books about this particular campaign, William Glen Robertson’s, “Back Door to Richmond”, and Herbert M. Schiller’s, “The Bermuda Hundred Campaign.” Forman’s daughter, Sarah Shannon, also volunteered her expertise as a graphic designer in producing the publication’s attractive format.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a Civil War expert, a visitor to the area or a resident who just wants to know more about where you live, this is a great resource and overview,” Williams said. Another unique aspect about the tour guide is the maps that Williams developed. New Geographic Information Services, or GIS, technology enabled him to geo-reference historic maps with modern ones, and to use other battle maps as a guide in creating new maps using descriptions of the roads in the official records as reference points. The result is a book filled with two-dimensional shaded-relief maps that show the typography of the land. Williams was assisted by GIS employee Nathan Hawkes who created the shaded-relief base layer of the maps. These maps give life to the battlefields because they make the decisions made by the military commanders more understandable since landscapes often define where battles are fought. How the armies moved, and why they chose to defend or secure certain lines that resulted in engagements, are easily seen in these maps. IIn writing the new guide, Maj. Forman also gathered information from Colonial Heights and Hopewell historians, adding those stories to the larger picture of the Bermuda Hundred campaign so that a total of 26 sites are represented in chronological order. Also included are the stories of the Army of the James’ XVIII Corps African-American soldiers who dug the Dutch Gap canal, were part of the U.S. Colored Cavalry at Drewry’s Bluff, and also that of Siah Carter, a run-away slave from Shirley Plantation who served on the ironclad Monitor. Richmond National Battlefield Park Historian Robert E.L. Krick assisted in the final reviews and edits of the guide. "The tour guide booklet for the Bermuda Hundred Campaign sites is an important achievement,” Krick said. “It accurately and succinctly summarizes the many Civil War battles in the county with an emphasis on getting people on to the ground to recognize what's there today. These places are local treasures, but also of national significance.” The guide comes at an appropriate time since the Civil War’s 150th anniversary will be commemorated from 2011 to 2015. The Virginia General Assembly created the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission in 2006 to prepare for and commemorate the sesquicentennial of Virginia's participation in the nation’s bloodiest conflict, where as many as 1 million soldiers died. Three out of every five Civil War battles were fought in Virginia and some of the Confederacy’s top leaders were Virginians. Virginia also had the most military hospitals and prisoner-of-war camps. The war affected everyone who lived in Virginia, and the commission plans to bring attention to the many diverse stories of the soldiers and civilians whose lives were greatly impacted during the four-year struggle. The commission’s motto, “Understanding Our Past, Embracing Our Future,” demonstrates the importance of learning about the past. Since all parts of Virginia were affected by the war, the commission has asked localities to establish sesquicentennial committees to focus on telling their unique stories. Chesterfield County developed its committee last year, and it currently is in the process of planning legacy projects and special events that will be held during the four-year commemoration. One of the people revitalized by the sesquicentennial plans is George Fickett. Fickett, according to Williams, has been running “a one-man army” on behalf of historic preservation in the county since the early 1980s, singlehandedly bringing attention to battlefield sites that needed to be saved before they were lost to urbanization. The county now has seven Civil War sites, mainly due to Fickett’s dedication and tireless efforts, which compose the chain of major battle sites from the Bermuda Hundred Campaign. “I’m so glad that I was able to save these sites,” Fickett said. “Now they are preserved and interpreted for the people of Chesterfield and the nation to come see and appreciate.” The Bermuda Hundred Campaign Tour Guide currently is available for %12 at the Chesterfield Historical Society’s Museum Shop, located inside Magnolia Grange plantation home at 10200 Iron Bridge Road. For more information, call 804-796-1479. In May of 1864, Major General Benjamin F. Butler embarked 38,000 men of the Army of the James on transport ships at Yorktown. Their destination was a neck of land in Chesterfield County known as Bermuda Hundred. Butler was to land there, secure a base of operations, sever the rail link between Richmond and Petersburg, and then move on to Richmond. At the same time, Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant moved the Army of the Potomac across the Rapidan River west of Fredericksburg in an attempt to crush Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. During the first days of May, Butler made tentative advances toward both Richmond and Petersburg, but was stopped each time by Confederates and forced to fall back each time to his defensive positions at Bermuda Hundred. Confederate commanders Gen. George E. Pickett and Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard scrambled to find enough spare troops to place in Butler’s path. The open door to Richmond quickly closed as more Confederate troops rushed to Chesterfield County from other parts of Virginia, North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. The Battle of Drewry’s Bluff on May 16 halted Butler’s attempt to make a direct approach on Richmond. The May 20 Battle of Ware Bottom Church forced him back again into his defensive positions in Bermuda Hundred, and this became known as “the cork in the bottle.” The construction of Confederate fortifications and trenches known as the Howlett Line held Butler in place until Lee evacuated the position on April 2, 1865. Despite being overshadowed by other battles in Grant’s 1864 Overland Campaign, the fighting at Bermuda Hundred played a very important role during the last year of the Civil War. When Butler landed at Bermuda Hundred, there were scarcely 6,000 Confederates guarding Richmond and Petersburg. If Butler had moved more aggressively, it is possible that he could have captured those cities and hastened the end of the war. Military historians still debate whether his campaign was a failure, or whether he was successful in carrying out his orders to set up a base of operations and Grant’s arrival. The Chesterfield County Department of Parks and Recreation administers an abundance of historical landmarks, including the Civil War sites listed below. Battery Dantzler Built in May 1864, this Confederate battery was constructed to stop Union naval forces from advancing up the James River. Open sunrise to sunset daily. Free 1820 Battery Dantzler Road  (804) 751-4664
Bermuda Hundred
Dodd Park at Point of Rocks
Drewry's Bluff
Dutch Gap Canal
Fort Stevens
Fort Wead
Howlett Line Park
Huguenot Park
Parker's Battery
Warebottom Church
Lee's Retreat
This site is sponsored by Chesterfield Heritage Alliance. |
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Scott Williams is an avid history buff, particularly about Chesterfield County’s Civil War history. That interest led Williams, who works for the county’s Department of Environmental Engineering, to become a member of the Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia. He also was recruited by fellow Civil War preservationist and co-worker George Fickett who works for in Information Systems Technology. Together, they helped to revitalize the historical society’s Military History Committee several years ago with new members and a renewed focus to bring awareness about the county’s little-known Civil War history, particularly the Bermuda Hundred Campaign. The importance of this campaign often has been overshadowed by bigger battles, with more causalities, that were fought at the same time in Virginia. 
The Bermuda Hundred Tour Guide is an excellent way for residents to learn more about the history in their own backyards. It includes an extensive collection of spectacular Library of Congress images of the sites and people associated with the Bermuda Hundred Campaign.