Battle of Totopotomoy Creek Summary

May 28–30, 1864

Fought on May 28, 1864 – May 30, 1864, the Battle of Totopotomoy Creek, also known as the Battle of Bethesda Church, was a Confederate victory during the Overland Campaign.

General George Meade, Portrait

Although Major General George Meade (pictured here)commanded the Army of the Potomac at Battle of Totopotomoy Creek, Meade’s superior, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, accompanied the Union army during the battle and throughout the Overland Campaign. [Wikimedia Commons]

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Prelude to the Battle

Grant in Charge

On March 10, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant as General-in-Chief of the Armies of the United States. Grant brought with him, from his successes in the western theater of the war, a reputation for the doggedness Lincoln was seeking. Unlike other Union generals, Grant was tenacious.

The Overland Campaign — Grant Pursues Lee

Upon his arrival in Washington, Grant drafted a plan to get the various Union armies in the field to act in concert. He also devised his Overland Campaign to invade east-central Virginia. Unlike previous campaigns into that area, Grant’s offensive focused on defeating Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia instead of capturing or occupying geographic locations. Grant instructed General George Meade, who commanded the Army of the Potomac, “Wherever Lee goes, there you will go also.” Grant realized that with the superior resources he had at his disposal, Lee would lose a war of attrition, as long as Union forces persistently engaged the Rebel army.

Overland Campaign

On May 4, 1864, Grant launched the Overland Campaign, when the Army of the Potomac crossed the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers. Although Meade nominally commanded the Army of the Potomac, Grant accompanied the army in the field so he could supervise overall campaign operations.

Throughout the month of May, the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia slugged it out in a series of battles including the Battle of the Wilderness (May 5–7), Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (May 8–21), and the Battle of North Anna (May 23–26). Although the Rebels inflicted high casualties on the Federals during those battles, Grant continued his strategy of moving south and east (to Lee’s right) and then re-engaging. Grant’s moves forced Lee to reposition his lines continually to defend Richmond.

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Meade Moves South

Following the Confederate victory at the Battle of North Anna (May 23–26), Grant did not retreat. Rather, on May 27, he ordered Meade to move his army deeper into Confederate territory, southeast towards Totopotomoy Creek. On May 27, Confederate forces intercepted Union cavalrymen as they attempted to cross the Pamunkey River at Dabney’s Ferry and at Crump’s Creek. The following day, infantrymen from both the North and the South began to arrive.

May 28–30, 1864 — Clash Along Totopotomoy Creek

Beginning on May 28, Confederate soldiers fortified the south bank of Totopotomoy Creek, and on May 29, Union forces launched several probes to establish the location of the Confederates’ position. On May 30, the Union’s 2nd Corps drove a portion of the Confederate soldiers from their entrenchments, gaining a foothold on the south side of Totopotomoy Creek. As the 2nd Corps advanced, Confederate soldiers, under the command of Jubal Early, attacked the Union left, driving the Northerners back. The engagement ended that evening, bringing the Battle of Totopotomoy Creek to a conclusion.

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Aftermath of the Battle

The Battle of Totopotomoy Creek was a technical victory for the Confederates. Southerners remained in possession of the battlefield at the engagement’s end. Confederates suffered 1,100 men killed, wounded, captured, or missing. The Northerners sustained a similar number of casualties. Despite their accomplishments, the Confederates did not stop Grant from continuing his advance into the heart of the Confederacy.

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Citation Information

The following information is provided for citations.

  • Article Title Battle of Totopotomoy Creek Summary
  • Date May 28–30, 1864
  • Author
  • Keywords battle of totopotomoy creek, battle of bethesda church, crumps creek, matadequin creek, shady grove road, and hanovertown, ulysses s. grant, overland campaign, american civil war, robert e. lee
  • Website Name American History Central
  • Access Date June 1, 2023
  • Publisher R.Squared Communications, LLC
  • Original Published Date
  • Date of Last Update May 6, 2022

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