One of the earliest land battles of the Civil War, notable for Union mismanagement and the first regular army officer killed in the conflict.
Key Facts
- Date
- June 10, 1861
- Union casualties
- 76 total, 18 killed
- Confederate casualties
- 8 total, 1 killed
- First regular army officer killed
- Lt. John T. Greble
- Location
- Virginia Peninsula, near Newport News
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
After Virginia ratified secession on May 23, 1861, Confederate colonel John B. Magruder established camps at Big Bethel and Little Bethel to provoke a premature Union advance. Union General Benjamin Butler, garrisoned at Fort Monroe, devised a night-march plan to strike the Confederate positions, taking the bait Magruder had set.
On June 10, 1861, Union forces under field commander General Ebenezer Peirce attempted a coordinated night march and dawn assault on Confederate positions near Big Bethel, Virginia. Poor coordination, untrained troops, omitted passwords, and a friendly fire incident exposed the Union column before it could attack, resulting in a disorganized assault that the Confederates repulsed with minimal losses.
The Union suffered 76 casualties against Confederate losses of only 8. Though Magruder withdrew to Yorktown afterward, the engagement was a propaganda victory for the Confederacy. Union forces in the area made no significant further advance until the Peninsula Campaign of 1862, and the battle drew outsized attention due to widespread belief the war would be brief.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Benjamin Butler, Ebenezer Peirce.
Side B
1 belligerent
John B. Magruder.