Battle of Mathias Point 1861
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 27 June 1861 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1861 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
| Era | 19th century (1800–1913) | derived from year |
| Location | United States | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | North America | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | American Civil War | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 38.4003, -77.0419 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Mathias Point, Virginia (June 27, 1861) was an early naval action of the American Civil War in connection with the Union blockade and the corresponding effort by the Confederates to deny use of the Potomac to the enemy.
Two Union gunboats tried to prevent the Confederates from installing a battery on the Potomac at Mathias Point in King George County, Virginia. A landing party prepared to install their own battery, but were beaten back before they could unload their guns from the USS Thomas Freeborn. Cannon fire from this vessel kept the Confederates temporarily at bay, and Commander James H. Ward ordered another landing. This was also repulsed, and Ward was killed, becoming the first Union Navy officer to be killed in the war. The Confederates held this position until March 1862.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Mathias Point (revision 1377382371), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Battle of Aquia Creek 1861 · 24 km
- Raid on Alexandria (Virginia) 1814 · 34 km
- Battle of Franklin's Crossing 1863 · 37 km
- Second Battle of Fredericksburg 1863 · 39 km
- Battle of Fredericksburg 1862 · 39 km
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Other battles of the American Civil War
- Battle of Aquia Creek 1861
- Battle of Arlington Mills 1861
- Battle of Athens (1861) 1861
- Battle of Ball's Bluff 1861
- Battle of Barbourville 1861
- Battle of Big Bethel 1861
- Battle of Blackburn's Ford 1861
- Battle of Bolivar Heights 1861
- Battle of Boonville 1861
- Battle of Camp Allegheny 1861
All 498 battles of the American Civil War →
Browse more: battles in United States · North America · 19th century battles