Skirmish at Cedar Lane

That same morning, 40+ men from Company E of the 7th New York left Camp Butler to forage for firewood. As the company searched the woods around Young's Mill for firewood, a detachment led by Lt. Von Heringen patrolled farther North without orders, closer to the Confederate lines. The men were spotted by Hood's cavalry scouts near Cedar Lane and Nelson Smith's farm just before noon. A second detachment under Lt. Mosebach remained with the rest of the company in the forest.^[1]

Hood mistook Von Heringen's patrol for a Union ambush and sent a detachment of 30 men, mostly from the Mecklenburg Dragoons, who were armed with Sharps breech-loading carbines, through the thick woods to confront the Federals. Flanking Von Heringen's group, Hood's men surprised Lt. Mosebach's detachment, and a sharp skirmish broke out in the woods. Mosebach ordered his men to regroup on the open ground near Nelson Smith's house.^[1]

In a later account, Hood recalled:

“The enemy having been driven from cover in a very rapid and disorderly flight in the direction of Captain Smith’s house, on the banks of James River, I then ordered a charge, and the detachments dashed gallantly down upon them, taking the flying enemy prisoners.”

With Mosebach's men surrounded by the Confederates, Von Heringen's patrol became cut off, and most of his men subsequently surrendered.

Having escaped the skirmish, the remainder of Company E of the 7th New York retreated to Camp Butler to gather reinforcements. Lt-Col. Edward Kapff of the 7th New York gathered 200+ men of the regiment and returned to the scene of the skirmish but the Confederates and captured members of Company E had already departed.^[1]

4 Union soldiers were killed, 1 mortally wounded, and several slightly wounded. Lt. Von Heringen and Lt. Mosebach, with 10 enlisted men, were captured and taken prisoner by Maj. Hood and his men.^[1]

Despite this defeat, the Union army continued to press west beyond Newmarket Creek and Hampton. The Confederates, based at Young's Mill on Deep Creek continued to harass the Federals in the no man's land between the creeks until the following spring campaign.

The small victory brought Hood to the attention of many Confederate leaders, and added to his prestige.

37°2.448′N 76°29.165′W / 37.040800°N 76.486083°W / 37.040800; -76.486083