Battle of Robertson's Tavern
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Robertson's Tavern
With the opposing armies moving forward along the same roads at the start of the Mine Run Campaign contact was inevitable. The first meeting took place in the vicinity of Robertson's Tavern (Locust Grove) on the Orange Turnpike. Marching early in the morning of the 27th the Confederate vanguard (MG Robert Rodes) got the jump on Warren?s Union troops. They occupied a position about a mile east of Mine Run between 0800 and 0900. There Rodes was ordered "to feel the enemy with his skirmishers." The North Carolina Brigade of BG Junius Daniel deployed a force of skirmishers under the command of Captains Foster and Hines. At 1030 they met the oncoming Federals of Colonel Samuel Carroll's 1st Brigade of the 3rd Division, II Corps.
Anticipating the likelihood of enemy presence Carroll sent Captain Jones, 4th Ohio, forward with a detail of ten men from each regiment in the brigade to serve as sharpshooters. When these men exchanged shots with the Tar Heel skirmish line the 8th Ohio, with 2 companies deployed as skirmishers, was formed into a line of battle on the right side of the road while the 7th West Virginia, with one company forward, did the same on the left. The remaining two regiments, 14th Indiana and 4th Ohio, were held in reserve on the road at a safe distance to the rear. After advancing about 100 yards the line on the left of the road was strengthened by rushing a portion of the 4th Ohio forward. The new line proved strong enough to push the Confederate skirmish line back about onto their main position deployed along a fence and ditch. Approximately 500 yards separated the two lines and a "desultory sharpshooting" was maintained until 1300 when Carroll was ordered to "dislodge the rebel line."
The 7th West Virginia crossed an open field and suffered the bulk of their loss (2k,25w) moving the enemy from their position. Although the Confederates were pushed back the attack left a serious bend in the Union line. Colonel Carroll ordered a correction in the line to conform to BG Alexander Webb?s 2nd Division, who had moved up in support. In the course of the movement, "by some mischance", a gap developed in the Union line and the Confederates took advantage by moving troops there and "poured their fire in the rear of the 8th Ohio." The Buckeyes were forced to fall back until they were reinforced by two companies (D&E) of the 4th Ohio and regained the lost ground. The 8th Ohio and 7th West Virginia were then relieved by the 14th Indiana and 4th Ohio. The corrected Union line maintained its position at the order of Meade who was waiting for the link up with French's III Corps before making any further effort in this area. Rodes, meanwhile, was dissuaded from a proposed attack by Early, who was also waiting for the arrival of Johnson's Division before making any commitment to general engagement. Both sides settled down awaiting the consolidation of their forces. On the 28th the Federal forces pushed forward against weak resistance to the east bank of Mine Run. During the evening the Confederates were withdrawn to the west side of Mine Run were they began entrenching. The move was not without problems, however. The 44th North Carolina failed to relieve their pickets and five men were left behind in the darkness. Two of the five men captured as a result managed to escape and returned to their unit.
The actions at Robertson's Tavern resulted in relatively few casualties but were important in that they established the line that would be maintained for the rest of the campaign.
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