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According to the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields, "With the armies stalemated along the Totopotomoy Creek line, the Federal cavalry began probing east and south. On May 30, Torbert’s Division attacked and defeated Butler's Brigade near Old Church. Butler's troopers were driven steadily back on the road to Old Cold Harbor, opening the door for Sheridan’s capture of the important crossroads the next day."<ref>National Park Service, Heritage Preservation Services, American Battlefield Protection Program, Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields, Battle Summary, retrieved April 21, 2011[http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/va059.htm]</ref><ref>National Park Service, Heritage Preservation Services, American Battlefield Protection Program, Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report on the Nation’s Civil War Battlefields, Civil War Battle Summaries by State, retrieved April 21, 2011[http://www.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/bystate.htm#va] ''"The battle summaries were researched and written by Dale E. Floyd and David W. Lowe, staff members of the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission and historians with the National Park Service. Edwin C. Bearss, Commission member and retired Chief Historian of the National Park Service, served as technical advisor. Editing and publication oversight was provided by Rebecca Shrimpton, Historic Preservation Planner, and Tanya M. Gossett, Historic Preservation Planner, both with the American Battlefield Protection Program (through a cooperative agreement with the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers)."''</ref>.

The '''Battle of Old Church''' was a cavalry battle fought on May 30, 1864 several miles east of Mechanicsville, Virginia near the banks of Matadequin Creek.  With Lieutenant General [[Ulysses S. Grant]]'s [[Overland Campaign]] stalled along the Totopotomoy Creek line, Federal cavalry began probing east and south looking for weakness along the flanks. On May 30, a division under Brigadier General Alfred Torbert attacked and defeated a Confederate brigade near Old Church, driving Brigadier General Matthew Butler's troopers south towards Cold Harbor.  The Battle of Old Church, though relatively minor, lead the way to the bloody [[Battle of Cold Harbor]] the following day.

 

Grant began his campaign against Confederate General [[Robert E. Lee]] earlier in the month at [[Battle of the Wilderness|the Wilderness]], and for the next several weeks both the [[Army of the Potomac]] and Lee's [[Army of Northern Virginia]] slowly made their way south, Grant continually using flanking maneuvers to try to get around Lee. Late in May the infantry of both armies were stalemated during the [[Battle of Totopotomoy Creek]] just east of Richmond.  On the left flank near the old Haw's Shop battlefield stood the commander of V Corps, Major General [[Gouverneur K. Warren]], who was concerned that an unprotected road network through which supplies and reinforcements would pass could fall into the hands of the rebels. Messages sent to cavalry commander Major General [[Philip H. Sheridan]] requesting assistance and support were originally ignored, in part due to heated personal issues between the two men.  As the situation became more urgent, Sheridan agreed to send Torbert's cavalry division to screen the roads near Old Church Tavern.

 

Responsibility for the roads was delegated to a brigade under the command of Colonel Thomas C. Devin.  Unfortunately, the orders he received were, he assumed, to patrol the Bottoms Bridge Road south towards Old Cold Harbor, rather than to screen the Old Church Road towards the west. Reaching Matadequin Creek, Devin set his brigade in a defensive position, while he sent a unit from the 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry across the creek towards the Barker Farm.  

 

Lee was also concerned about the roads on his right flank, for different reasons. If Grant could outmaneuver him, Lee would be faced with the fall of Richmond; he subsequently ordered Brigadier General Matthew Butler to screen the Cold Harbor roads and see whether or not there was a threat to his flank.  Butler's brigade departed Mechanicsville on the morning of May 30th, reaching the Barker Farm early that afternoon.

 

Elements of both sides soon collided; the Confederates deployed in a skirmish line, quickly forcing the Union troopers back towards the creek. This small victory was momentary; Col. Devin quickly sent in more men from the 17th Pennsylvania, pushing back at the Confederates until they once more controlled the Barker Farm. As with the Confederates, this Union victory did not last long, for at 3 PM Butler sent in his main body of troopers, which rolled over the Union pickets and threatened to cross Matadequin Creek against the remainder of Devin's brigade; a well-coordinated delaying action by the Pennsylvanians prevented Butler from doing so.

 

 

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