Battle of Aquia Creek

Battle of Aquia Creek
Part of the American Civil War

"The Attack on the Secession Batteries at Aquia Creek, Potomac River, by the U.S. Vessels Pawnee, Live Yankee, Freeborn, Anacostia and Lioness, June 1, 1861."
DateMay 29, 1861 (1861-05-29) – June 1, 1861 (1861-06-01)
Location
Stafford County, Virginia
Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
 United States  Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
United States Navy James H. Ward Confederate States of America Daniel Ruggles
Strength
1 sloop-of-war
3 gunboats		 13 artillery pieces
2 shore batteries
Casualties and losses
9 wounded
1 sloop damaged
1 gunboat damaged[note 1]		 1 wounded[note 1]

The Battle of Aquia Creek was an exchange of cannon fire between Union Navy gunboats and Confederate shore batteries on the Potomac River at its confluence with Aquia Creek in Stafford County, Virginia. The battle took place from May 29, 1861 to June 1, 1861 during the early days of the American Civil War. The Confederates set up several shore batteries to block Union military and commercial vessels from moving in the Chesapeake Bay and along the lower Potomac River as well as for defensive purposes. The battery at Aquia also was intended to protect the railroad terminal at that location. The Union forces sought to destroy or remove these batteries as part of the effort to blockade Confederate States coastal and Chesapeake Bay ports. The battle was tactically inconclusive. Each side inflicted little damage and no serious casualties on the other. The Union vessels were unable to dislodge the Confederates from their positions or to inflict serious casualties on their garrisons or serious damage to their batteries. The Confederates manning the batteries were unable to inflict serious casualties on the Union sailors or cause serious damage to the Union vessels. Soon after the battle, on Sunday, July 7, 1861, the Confederates first used naval mines, unsuccessfully, off the Aquia Landing batteries. The Confederates ultimately abandoned the batteries on March 9, 1862 as they moved forces to meet the threat created by the Union Army's Peninsula Campaign. The U. S. National Park Service includes this engagement in its list of 384 principal battles of the American Civil War.[2]

  1. ^ National Park Service battle description Archived May 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ National Park Service list of principal battles of the American Civil War.


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