Dam No. One Battlefield Site - Newport News, VA
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stinger503
N 37° 11.101 W 076° 32.232
18S E 363553 N 4116503
Site of historic Civil War battle
Waymark Code: WMWCJ5
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 08/13/2017
Views: 2
This U.S. National Register of Historic Place is located at the west-end of the Dam #1 Bridge in Newport News Park in Newport News, Virginia. This area was the site of a large battle which was part of the Peninsula Campaign in 1862.
John Bankhead Magruder made three dams along the Warwick River here as defensive barriers. On April 16, 1862 the Union army finally attacked after an 11 day siege. Artillery rained down on the Confederate positions and by 3 p.m. the 3rd Vermont captured the first line of rifle pits. A stiff counter-attack by the Confederate Georgia Legion caused a withdrawal to the east side of the river with heavy losses to the Vermont troops, ending the engagement here. At 5p.m. the 6th Vermont engaged downstream but was repulsed as well.
After the battle the Union settled in waiting for their siege artillery to arrive. On May 4th, before the Union's planned attack, the Union found the Confederates had already begun a retreat towards Williamsburg.
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