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American Civil WarSoldiers
20th North Carolina Infantry Regiment
HANOVER COURTHOUSE, VA
May 27, 1862
(Also known as Slash Chruch and Kinney's farm)
Fifth Provisional Army Corps
At 4 a.m. of this date, the
expedition, under command of Brig.Gen. Fitz John Porter, left
New bridge to attack the Confederate position at Hanover Court
House. At the same time a brigade under Col. Warren left Old
Church, its object being to take the enemy in flank and rear
while Emory's and Morell's brigades attacked his front. At
Peake's station, 2 miles from Hanover Court House, Emory's
advance of two regiments of cavalry and a battery of light
artillery, met the enemy and immediately engaged him. The
25th N. Y. and Berdan's sharpshooters were deployed as
skirmishers under the protection of a section of Benson's
battery. A squadron of cavalry and a battery of light
artillery were sent to the left on the Ashland road to guard
the flank and destroy the railroad and soon encountered a
detachment of the enemy attempting to outflank the column
Martindale's brigade was sent to reinforce the squadron and
Butterfield's brigade was put in position to strengthen the
front, advancing rapidly and driving the enemy before it.
Learning of the location of the enemy's camp Porter sent
Martindale up the railroad to get in its rear. In the
meantime Warren's command joined the main body which was put
in motion for Hanover Court House, a portion of Warren's
cavalry being sent to destroy the bridges over the Pamunkey
river, east of the railroad. The head of the main column had
no sooner reached Hanover Court House than it was faced about
and hurried back to the former battlefield, Porter haying
received word that the Confederates were attacking his rear.
He found Martindale contending against greatly superior
numbers, but upon the attack on his rear and flank by the
brigade under Butterfield, the enemy broke and fled, the
Federal cavalry pursuing until darkness put a stop to
operations. The Union losses were 62 killed, 213 wounded, and
70 missing. The Federal forces buried over 200 of the enemy's
dead and captured some 700 prisoners.
[Source: The Union Army, vol. 5]
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