Battle of Staunton River Bridge

Clockwise from upper left: Brigadier General August V. Kautz, Brigadier General James H. Wilson, Confederate artillery firing across the river

Date	June 25, 1864 (1864-06-25)
Location	Halifax County, Virginia Charlotte County, Virginia Coordinates: 36°53′09″N 78°42′16″W / 36.8857°N 78.7044°W / 36.8857; -78.7044
Result	Confederate victory

Belligerents

United States (Union)

CSA (Confederacy)

Commanders and leaders

James H. Wilson
August V. Kautz

William Henry Fitzhugh Lee
Benjamin L. Farinholt

Strength

5,000

4,100

Casualties and losses

116 total
42 killed
44 wounded
30 missing/captured

34 total
10 killed
24 wounded

The Battle of Staunton River Bridge was an engagement on June 25, 1864, between Union and Confederate forces during Wilson-Kautz Raid of the American Civil War. The battle took place around the Staunton River Bridge, over the Staunton River, in Halifax and Charlotte counties, Virginia.

During the month of June 1864, Confederate General Robert E. Lee was commanding the Army of Northern Virginia in the defense of Petersburg, Virginia, against the Union siege under the command of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. The Confederate forces were dependent on the flow of supplies from the south and west along the South Side and Richmond and Danville Railroad lines, and Grant realized that without these supplies the Confederates would be forced to abandon Petersburg.

Thus, Grant decided to dispatch Union cavalry to raid the rail lines and destroy them, thus cutting Lee off from his supplies. On June 22, 5,000 Union cavalry and 16 artillery pieces were pulled from the siege of Petersburg and sent, under the command of Brig. Gens. James H. Wilson and August V. Kautz, to destroy the lines of supply. During the next three days, despite pursuit and harassment from Confederate cavalry under the command of Maj. Gen. W.H.F. "Rooney" Lee, the Union cavalry succeeded in destroying 60 miles (97 km) of railway.

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