Battery Dantzler - CHSV

Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia
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Battery Dantzler

Bermuda Hundred Campaign in Chesterfield County, VA

              Battery   Dantzler Park The Bermuda Hundred Campaign of 1864  Battery Dantzler Park, 1820 Battery   Dantzler Road, Chester, VA

Battery Dantzler Park provides an excellent view of the James River from a reconstructed viewing platform. The platform is handicap accessible. The park had new interpretive signs and a Civil War Trails sign installed in 2006. The site has been adopted by the Chester Station Sons of Confederate Veterans. This organization replaced the parking lot fence, reconstructed the viewing platform and has   helped keep the site mowed, and cleared of underbrush. There is a historical marker at the park.  A Virginia Civil War Trails interpretive sign is located here.

The site of Battery Dantzler in 1862 was considered the location for the main defensive river battery to block the Union navy's approach to Richmond. The site was declined in favor of Drewry's Bluff because of fears that Union forces would bypass the position by cutting a canal through at Dutch Gap. Construction of the fort here began on May 18, 1864 in response to Butler's landing at Bermuda Hundred. The fort was briefly occupied by Union infantry on June 16th when Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard pulled his men out of Bermuda Hundred to defend against Grant's first threats at Petersburg. The guns at Dantzler were dismounted and  buried where they remained hidden until the Confederates re-took the position the following day. The guns were quickly remounted and on June 21st the fort  exchanged fire with Union vessels in the James River.  The fort was later named Battery Dantzler in honor of Col. Olin Miller Dantzler (pictured above top left), 22d South Carolina Infantry, who was killed in action south of here.


Battery Dantler Continued
On June 2, 1864, near present day Howlett Line Park, Col. Dantzler led his regiment in an assault against Redoubt Dutton, which was manned by Company L, First Connecticut Heavy Artillery. During the attack, devastating canister shot killed Col. Dantzler along with 16 of his men. On June 13, 1864, Gen P.G.T. Beauregard issued General Orders No. 12 naming the fort at this site Battery Dantzler in the colonel's honor.) Battery Dantzler anchored the northern end of the "Howlett Line" of earthworks that bottled up Butler's forces on the Bermuda Hundred peninsula. The Battle of Trent's Reach, one of the last naval actions of the war, took place at the foot of Battery Dantzler in January of 1865.



Military History Committee
Military History Committee Chair:
Scott Williams

About  Us :  We meet at the Historic Trinity Church in Chesterfield, VA.  We  research military history and historical sites within Chesterfield  County and develop educational and tourist information on military  history pertaining to Chesterfield County. We also help to preserve and  maintain the military integrity of the Civil War sites in the county and  sponsor the annual Veterans Day programs at the historic 1917  Courthouse.  Our History Committee consists of two sub-committees.  If you are an avid military enthusiast, we encourage you to join the CHSV and the Military History Committee.   
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