Existing comment:
Deep Bottom Landing
A Vital Link
After the Battle of Cold Harbor in June 1864, Grant and Lee shifted their armies to Petersburg; but Grant did not wish to abandon the Richmond front entirely. He had Gen. Benjamin Butler position a small force from his Army of the James here at Deep Bottom Landing to protect the pontoon bridge which allowed Union forces to move back and forth across the James River.
As part of an overall strategy to defeat Lee's main army at Petersburg, Federal detachments launched attacks from here on July 25 and August 13, 1864. Stiff Confederate resistance foiled both efforts. On September 29, 1864, a third attempt, spearheaded by two brigades of United States Colored Troops (USCT), resulted in the capture of New Market Heights. The Army of the James continued to use the key river crossing at Deep Bottom until the end of the war. |