Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Battle of Legareville-- Part 4: A Confederate Withdrawal

After the attack on the USS Marblehead, other Confederate cannons opened fire on Union forces in Legareville.  The Confederates had an advantage at this time, their commander refused to advance his troops until the Marblehead was disabled.

Instead, he tried to get the small force to surrender.  But, by this time, the other two Union ships in the area, the USS Pawnee and USS C.P. Williams, were moving into action.  By 6:35, the C.P. Williams was enfilading the Confederate positions.  And when the Pawnee joined the fray, the Confederates  stopped firing as the tide had shifted.

Colonel Powhatan Robertson Page soon ordered the withdrawal of Confederate forces.  Two eight-inch howitzers were left on the scene of the battle.  A planned attempt to retake the guns failed under fire from the C.P. Williams.

--Old B-Runner


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