General Sheridan upon leaving Charlottesville decided to send his two divisions, commanded by Brevet Major General George Armstrong Custer (The 3rd Division- 1st Brigade- Colonel Alexander Pennington, 2nd Brigade- Colonel William Wells, 3rd Brigade- Colonel Henry Capehart) and Brigadier General Thomas C. Devin (The 1st Division- 1st Brigade- Colonel Peter Stagg, 2nd Brigade- Colonel Charles Fitzhugh, Reserve Brigade- Brigadier General Alfred Gibbs), along two different paths early on the morning of March 6th. Each division had one section of artillery (3-inch rifled guns). The wagon train was 75 wagons and included 12 ambulances, and 2 medical wagons. Sheridan would accompany Custer, along with the wagon trains as they moved southwest parallel to the railroad to Lynchburg through North Garden, Covesville and Arrington to the Buffalo River Bridge west of New Glasgow. We will cover the paths and actions of the two divisions separately, starting with Devin’s 1st Division. It is easier to track the First Division’s movements because Devin and all three of his brigade commanders filed detailed reports. In the 3rd Division, Custer filed a report but only one his brigade commanders, Alexander Pennington filed a report and he was at the rear of the column guarding the wagons for most of the route. Satellite maps highlighting the towns involved in this part of the expedition are shown below.
On March 6th Devin’s Division rode 20 miles to Scottsville on the James River Canal arriving there at 3:00 PM. Brevet Major General Wesley Merritt, Sheridan’s Chief of Cavalry, would accompany Devin to Scottsville. They destroyed three canal boats, one loaded with 9,000 shells, and two with Government commissary stores and tobacco, a large cloth mill, a five-story flouring mill, candle factory, machine-shop, and tobacco warehouse. The factory and the warehouse shown below in Scottsville were partially burned but survived the expedition and the war. The 6th PA Cavalry was sent east on the towpath to destroy the aqueduct over the Hardware River, and a detachment of 2nd MA Cavalry traveled west on the towpath to the aqueduct over Totier Creek, with the same instructions. The aqueducts were damaged but the tools they had available were inadequate to destroy the solid masonry of which they were constructed.
Before starting from Charlottesville, the 1st MI, of the First Brigade, Lieutenant Colonel George Maxwell commanding, was detached to the left moving down a road that parallels modern day Route 53 to strike the Rivanna River near Palmyra, with instructions to destroy all public property in that vicinity and then join the rest of the 1st Brigade in Scottsville. Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell destroyed the covered bridge over the Rivanna River, together with one cotton mill, one flouring mill (Palmyra Mill), and large amounts of wheat, flour, cotton, and wool, before reaching Scottsville the same night. At 5 PM the First (Stagg) and Second (Fitzhugh) Brigades were ordered to march to Howardsville, on the canal, twelve miles to the west. Brigadier General Gibbs, with the Reserve Brigade, was ordered to remain at Scottsville and complete the destruction of public works in that vicinity, and then upon the arrival of Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell move west and rejoin the rest of the division. Brigadier General Devin rode with the 2nd Brigade directly to Howardsville by the River Road, arriving at 10 PM. The First Brigade struck the towpath at Warren and marched to Howardsville by the same route. The 9th NY Cavalry, of the 2nd Brigade, marched by the towpath to Howardsville, destroying five locks, and two tobacco warehouses containing 200 hogsheads of tobacco. The 1st and 2nd Brigades camped at Howardsville.
On March 7th at 2 AM the 1st NY Dragoons, Major Smith in command, were ordered to proceed on the towpath twelve miles to Hardwicksville (Wingina) and seize and hold the bridge across the James River there. The modern-day bridge is shown below, 37.6361647, -78.7200887. Major Smith was unable to save the bridge, which was fired at the first detection of his approach.
At Hardwicksville he destroyed 336 sacks of salt, as well as a quantity of tobacco and cotton. During the morning detachments from 1st and 2nd Brigades damaged the aqueduct over the Rockfish River, breached the canal, and burned a canal boat heavily loaded with government commissary stores. About 10 AM the 1st Brigade was ordered to march up the towpath to New Market (Norwood) and destroy all the locks on the canal, seven locks in total were destroyed. The 2nd Brigade crossed the canal bridge over the Rockfish River and rode off to the right to New Market by the River Road, and destroyed a lock at Warminster. The Reserve Brigade, which had left Scottsville, trailed the 1st and 2nd Divisions. They headed west up the towpath destroying all public works left by the other commands, including a large mill at Warren, and in Howardsville a large warehouse filled with Government saddle trees, a plow factory, and a tobacco and commissary warehouse. The division camped at New Market on the night of the 7th, with the exception of the 6th PA Cavalry, which was ordered to proceed rapidly to the bridge across the James River at Diuguidsville and seize and hold that approach to the south bank of the river. The 17th PA Cavalry was sent in support of the 6th. However, the bridge was fired before the regiment had approached within a mile. Dr. William Andrew Horsley, living at Rock Cliff, the historic Cabell home, is thought to have played a role in the bridge’s burning.
The pictures below were taken from the boat ramp parking lot, 37.5350982, -78.8284214, and the James River Bridge. The video was taken from the bridge.
On the 8th the 1st and Reserve Brigades destroyed the dam and breached the canal at New Market. The 2nd Brigade (Fitzhugh) was detached to proceed east toward Columbia. They made a forced march of fifty-six miles in seventeen hours in a heavy rain storm on extremely muddy roads arriving on the 9th. As Fitzhugh headed east, the 1st and Reserve Brigades were ordered to ride west on the towpath to Diuguidsville (twelve miles away) and await further orders. On arriving opposite the town at 4:00 PM the brigades were ordered to return. The 1st Brigade and part of a battery headed to New Market on the towpath, with the Reserve Brigade to follow. As the First Brigade and battery were moving on the towpath Confederates on the opposite bank of the river opened fire on the column. The 5th U.S. Cavalry dismounted and covered the withdrawal. Devin ordered his guns to open fire on the town, quickly emptying it. The Reserve Brigade moved by the Mountain Road and reached New Market at 8 PM. On returning from Diuguidsville to New Market five locks together with two canal boats, one dredge, two bridges, and one flouring mill, were destroyed by the Colonel Stagg’s First Brigade.
Sheridan’s original plan was to capture Lynchburg, cross the James River there and join Sherman. In this area of central Virginia, there were only three bridges that crossed the James River. They were at Lynchburg, Diuguidsville (modern-day Bent Creek), and Hardwicksville (modern-day Wingina). Crossing at one of these three bridges was essential because Sheridan had only eight pontoons, which were not sufficient to construct a makeshift bridge across the James River swollen by recent rains. The Diuguidsville and Hardwicksville bridges were built by the Canal Company as the “Southside Connection” to allow access to the canal by farmers from the south side of the river (the canal was on the north side). With no way to cross the river Sheridan decided to change his plan. He now decided to carry out a more complete destruction of the James and Kanawha River Canal, as well as the Virginia Central Railroad and then join Grant in Petersburg. He would consolidate his force at New Market and head back toward Scottsville. Sending Fitzhugh’s Brigade on a forced march east to Columbia was the first step in that process.
On March 9th at 1:00 PM the First and Second Brigades marched at the rear of the train on the River Road through Warminster to a point near Howardsville. Here they crossed the canal and continued along the towpath to Scottsville. The wagons were impeded by the terrible condition of the roads resulting in frequent stops and starts. They finally reached Scottsville by daybreak on the 10th. After a 2-hour break the First Brigade was ordered to follow the wagon train on the towpath to Columbia. The Reserve Brigade along with division headquarters traveled via the River Road. They were encamped at Columbia by 10 PM. Along the route the First Brigade destroyed all the locks between Scottsville and Columbia, 8 in total, 13 canal bridges, 1 flouring mill, 5 warehouses, a lumberyard, tobacco, and cotton. Fitzhugh in Columbia on the 10th sent out scouting parties east toward Richmond and north along the Palmyra Road (covered in the next post). On March 11th at 3:00 PM the division crossed the Rivanna River and camped beyond Columbia on the road to Louisa Court House. That same day Colonel Charles Fitzhugh’s 2nd Brigade (6th, 9th and 19th NY Cavalry, 17th PA Cavalry, 1st NY Dragoons) left for Goochland at 6:00 AM. They arrived there at 1:00 PM after a 20-mile ride. There they encountered about 50 men from the 7th SC Cavalry, part of Gary’s brigade. A squadron of the 9th NY Cavalry commanded by Major Dinnin charged them capturing an officer and 13 enlisted men. They destroyed all the canal locks along the route, 10 in total, between Goochland and Columbia, 15 canal boats loaded with grain and commissary stores, 1,000 pounds of tobacco, a sawmill, grist mill, dredge, warehouse, and the Goochland jail. The jail since Union prisoners had been held there. They scouted to within 18 miles of Richmond without encountering any Confederates. Fitzhugh and his men left Goochland at 6:00 PM arriving back in Columbia by midnight.
Brevet Major General George Armstrong Custer’s Third Division-
Before leaving Charlottesville Custer’s men destroyed the Virginia Central Railroad bridge over the Rivanna River and about 20 miles of track. On the morning of the 6th Custer’s Division moved south along a road parallel to the railroad toward Lynchburg. They destroyed all the bridges and trestle work on the Lynchburg Road as far as the bridge over Buffalo Run. Moving further to the west of Devin’s Division they passed through Covesville and Lovingston where they destroyed documents in the Nelson County Courthouse. On the 7th they were only a few miles from Amherst. Along the way they had destroyed much of the railroad. When Sheridan abandoned his plan to cross the James River Custer was ordered to meet Devin in New Market, which he did on the 8th where they cut the canal. He would be in Scottsville on the 9th where he spent the night at Cliffside, where Sheridan also headquartered. That night Merritt would be at Old Hall in Scottsville, while Devin would stay east of town at the Driver’s Hill. Sheridan, riding with Custer reached Columbia on the 10th with the majority of his force, staying in James Galt’s home, Point of Forks. Here both divisions rested on the 11th waiting for Fitzhugh to return from Goochland and the wagon train to come up.
Appendix
The Army of the Shenandoah
Major General Philip Sheridan in command
Brevet Major General Wesley Merritt, commanding Cavalry
First Division- Brigadier General Thomas Devin
First Brigade- Colonel Peter Stagg commanding the 1st, 5th, 6th and 7th MI Cavalry, on March 3rd the 25th NY detached to return Waynesboro prisoners to Winchester
Second Brigade- Colonel Charles Fitzhugh commanding 6th, 9th and 19th NY Cavalry, 17th PA Cavalry, 1st NY Dragoons
Third Brigade- Brigadier General Alfred Gibbs commanding the 2nd MA, 6th PA and the 1st, 5th, and 6th US Cavalry, 1st RI detailed to conduct prisoners back to Winchester on March 3rd
Third Division- Brevet Major General George Custer commanding
First Brigade- Colonel Alexander Pennington commanding the 2nd NY, 2nd OH, 3rd NJ, 1st CT
Second Brigade- Colonel William Wells commanding the 8th IL, 3rd IL, 1st VT, 8th and 15th NY, 1st NH which was detailed to guard prisoners captured at Waynesboro back to Winchester
Third Brigade- Colonel Henry Capehart commanding the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd WV Cavalry and the 1st NY Cavalry