Battle of North Anna Facts

Date

• May 23-26, 1864

Location

• East-central Virginia, in Caroline and Hanover Counties

Campaign

• Overland Campaign

Principal Union Commanders

• Major General George Meade

Principal Confederate Commanders

• General Robert E. Lee

Union Forces Engaged

• Army of the Potomac

Confederate Forces Engaged

• Army of Northern Virginia

Number of Union Soldiers Engaged

• Roughly 108,000

Number of Confederate Soldiers Engaged

• Roughly 62,000

Estimated Union Casualties

• 1,973 casualties (killed, wounded, and missing/captured)

Estimated Confederate Casualties

• 2,017 casualties (killed, wounded, and missing/captured)

Result

• Inconclusive

Significance

• Although Major General George Meade commanded the Army of the Potomac at the Battle of North Anna, Meade’s superior, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, accompanied the Union army during the battle and throughout the Overland Campaign.
• 223 Union soldiers were killed at the Battle of North Anna.
• 304 Confederate soldiers were killed at the Battle of North Anna.
• The Battle of North Anna also was the only major engagement in Grant’s Overland Campaign where the Southerners suffered greater casualties than the Northerners.

Timeline of the Overland Campaign

These are the main battles and events of the Overland Campaign in order.

• May 5–7, 1864 — Battle of The Wilderness
• May 8–21 — Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
• May 11 — Battle of Yellow Tavern
• May 23–26 — Battle of North Anna
• May 24 — Battle of Wilson’s Wharf
• May 28 — Battle of Haw’s Shop
• May 28–30 — Battle of Totopotomoy Creek
• May 30 — Battle of Old Church
• May 31–June 12 — Battle of Cold Harbor
• June 11-12 — Battle of Trevilian Station
• June 24 — Battle of Saint Mary’s Church