Battle of Peebles' Farm

Battle of Peebles's Farm

5th Corps attacking a Confederate fort, September 30th

Date	September 30, 1864 (1864-09-30) – October 2, 1864 (1864-10-02)
Location	Dinwiddie County, near Petersburg, Virginia
Result	Union victory

Belligerents

United States (Union)

CSA (Confederacy)

Commanders and leaders

Gouverneur K. Warren

A. P. Hill

Units involved

V Corps

Third Corps

Strength

29,800

10,000

Casualties and losses

2,889

1,239

The Battle of Peebles's Farm (or Poplar Springs Church) was the western part of a simultaneous Union offensive against the Confederate works guarding Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia, during the Siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War.

In September 1864, Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant planned simultaneous attacks against both flanks of Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederate army. The eastern attack would be carried out by the Army of the James under Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler against the Confederate works at Chaffin's Farm. The western attack was to be carried out by the Union V Corps under Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren and a cavalry division under Brig. Gen. David McM. Gregg with units from the IX Corps and II Corps in support.

Grant had two intentions for Warren. First was to attack the opposite end of Lee's line to relieve pressure on Fort Harrison, which Butler's forces had captured and were holding against counterattacks. The second was to take advantage of the units Lee had removed from his right to retake Fort Harrison. Warren's attack was aimed at the fortifications guarding the Boydton Plank Road, which was being used to carry supplies into Petersburg from the Confederate railhead at Stony Creek to the south. This line was being extended to reach the vicinity of the Union flank at Globe Tavern. While the lines were being constructed a temporary line was held along the Squirrel Level Road. On September 30, the same day Lee was attempting to retake Fort Harrison, Warren and Gregg began marching along the Poplar Springs Road toward the Squirrel Level line in the area of Peebles's Farm and Poplar Springs Church.

...
Wikipedia