Fort Stevens

Built in 1862 as part of Richmond’s defenses, Fort Stevens went unchallenged for two years. Its first action came on May 14, 1864, when Union Gen. Benjamin Butler marched the Army of the James within a few hundred yards of here. Inside the fort, cannoneers of the Surry Light Artillery under Capt. James Hankins, supported by infantrymen of Gen. Johnson Hagood’s brigade, exchanged fire with Butler’s batteries. After twelve hours of dueling neither side had gained any advantage. After a day of limited activity, Confederate Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard seized the initiative by ordering a counterattack on the morning of May 16. Hankins’ battery and Hagood’s brigade joined in the pursuit, which succeeded in driving Butler’s army back several miles into entrenched positions at Bermuda Hundred. With the defeat of Butler, Fort Stevens remained securely within Southern lines until April 1865.

Bellwood, Virginia · United States