The Bermuda Hundred Campaign

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.

Chesterfield Historical Society's Animated Battle Maps   Please Note:  For the animated maps, once on the map page, you can click on the icon at the bottom right of the page to make the presentation larger.

The Chesterfield County Department of Parks and Recreation administers an abundance of historical landmarks, including the Civil War sites listed below.

1820 Battery Dantzler Road
(804) 751-4664

Bermuda Hundred
About 30,000 men under the command of Gen. Benjamin Butler landed at Bermuda Hundred on May 5, 1864, and spent 10 days trying to capture Petersburg and Richmond.
Rt. 10 to Allied Road, turn right to James River.

Dodd Park at Point of Rocks
Point of Rocks was home to the Appamattuck tribe of the Powhatan Confederacy. During the Civil War, Union Gen. Benjamin Butler and his army of the James had their headquarters here. Open 8 a.m. to sunset. Free
201 Enon Church Road
(804) 748-1623

Drewry's Bluff
Built in May 1862, this was the first defensive position constructed on the James River during the Civil War to defend against the Union Navy. It later became the Annapolis of the South, training Confederate Navy midshipmen. The Confederate Marine Corps trained here as well. Open from sunrise to sunset. Free
7600 Fort Darling Road
(804) 226-1981

Dutch Gap Canal
Dug under the direction of Union Gen. Benjamin Butler, this canal was meant to bypass Confederate defenses along the James River. In the 1870s, Butler, then a senator, saw to the completion of this canal, the main river access to Richmond today. Open 8 a.m. to sunset. Free
301 Henricus Park Road
(804) 748-1623

Fort Stevens
This fort was central in the May 16, 1864, Confederate Army's counter attack at Drewry's Bluff. Open sunrise to sunset. Free
8900 Pams Avenue
(804) 751-4664

Fort Wead
Constructed in June 1864 at the rear of the Union lines during the Civil War, this fort was intended to prevent Confederate forces from advancing in the event the lines were captured. It never actually was used for this purpose. Open sunrise to sunset. Free
1107 Greyledge Boulevard
(804) 751-4664

Howlett Line Park
These Confederate earthworks were a major impediment for Union forces at the end of the Bermuda Hundred Campaign. Open sunrise to sunset. Free
14100 Howlett Line Drive
(804) 751-4664

Huguenot Park
Named for the French Huguenots who established Manakintown in 1701, this area was once home to the Monacan Indians. Open 8 a.m. to sunset. Free
10901 Robious Road
(804) 748-1623

Parker's Battery
This battery defended Confederate rail lines from Richmond to Petersburg. Open sunrise to sunset. Free
1801 Ware Bottom Spring Road
(804) 226-1981
National Park Service

Warebottom Church
This area was the site of the May 1864 battle during the Bermuda Hundred Campaign.
1600 Old Bermuda Hundred Road
(804) 751-4664

Lee's Retreat
This site includes the route across the Ettrick Cotton Factory Bridge along River Road in Chesterfield County that General Robert E. Lee took when he was cut off by General Grant and the Army of the Potomac. Lee was served lunch by Cloverhill Plantation owner Judge James H. Cox as recorded by Kate Cox Logan in her book "My Confederate Childhood." This is a private residence not open to the public.