Jan. 23, 1865 - The [Second] Battle of Trent's Reach

Jan. 23, 1865

The [Second] Battle of Trent's Reach

along the James River of Virginia

* one of the final major naval battles of the Civil War

* this must be the Second battle because there was First Battle of Trent’s Reach on June 21, 1864

* is it naval operations? an engagement? It is not small! But it is more ships-running-aground then armies-clashing.

* see the first link below, from the Navy, for cool pics/maps and way too many details

Grant: Commander William A. Parker, Fifth Division, U.S. Navy , Commodore William Radford, Fifth Division, U.S. Navy - 1st Connecticut Heavy Artillery Regiment, which mounted over thirty guns, and the Union James River Flotilla - consisting of the ironclad monitor USS Onondaga, the gunboats USS Massasoit and USS Hunchback, and the torpedo boat USS Spuyten Duyvil

vs.

Lee: Flag Officer John K. Mitchell, James River Squadron, Confederate States Navy -  the ironclads CSS Fredericksburg, CSS Richmond, and CSS Virginia II, were supported by eight other vessels, including three lashed to the sides of the ironclads, as well as the torpedo boat CSS Scorpion, which was towed downriver by the gunboat Drewry. The gunboats Nansemond, Hampton, Beaufort, and Torpedo were each armed with one or two guns, while the torpedo boats CSS Wasp and CSS Hornet were the last two ships in the fleet.

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=164327

The Battle of Trent’s Reach

On Jan. 23, 1865, the ironclads Virginia II, Richmond, and Fredericksburg, with five smaller vessels, descended the James River in an effort to attack the Union supply depot at City Point. A reliable report indicated that recent floods had washed away the Union obstructions at Trent’s Reach. Also, most of the Union vessels that had steamed up the river in May 1864 had been pulled to North Carolina to participate in the attack against Fort Fisher near Wilmington. With the obstructions washed out, only the monitor U.S.S. Onondaga and a handful of wooden vessels protected City Point. The Confederate ships were able to slip past Union guns upriver at Fort Brady. Firing from that fort, however, alerted Union batteries downriver to the movement. By 10:30 P.M. the Confederate flotilla had reached the obstructions at Trent’s Reach. The Fredericksburg and gunboat Hampton managed to pass through the southern side of the barrier. The Virginia II, however, ran aground in the treacherous channel. During the night the torpedo boat Scorpion and the armed tender Drewry also ran aground. The Fredericksburg and Hampton were recalled  upriver to protect the other ships. As the sun rose, Union cannon in Battery Parsons opened fire on the Drewry. The third shot caused the Drewry to explode with such force that it was heard by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at City Point, 18 miles downriver. The shock from the blast dislodged the Scorpion and sent her drifting downstream into Union hands. The Union shore batteries then began to pound the Richmond and Virginia II. By 10:45 A.M., the Virginia II floated free as the double-turreted U.S.S. Onondaga came upriver. From a half mile the ship’s 15-inch guns broke through the four inch armor of the Virginia II before the ironclad could get out of range. The Confederates sought shelter in a bend of the river just opposite Battery Dantzler. The next day, they retired upriver to Chaffin’s Bluff. The threat to Grant’s supply base was over.

This sign was sponsored by The Chester Station Camp Sons of Confederate Veterans and the Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia.

 

Erected by Sons of Confederate Veterans and Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia.

...and the river beyond there...

Sources/See Also:

https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/civil-war/cw-operations-and-engagements/1865-civil-war/trents-reach.html

https://emergingcivilwar.com/2024/07/26/the-first-battle-of-trents-reach-june-21-1864/

https://historica.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_of_Trent%27s_Reach