Hanover Court House VA013
1862-05-27 to 1862-05-27 · VA · Peninsula Campaign [March-July 1862] · frozen result: Union · NPS summary (as listed)
On May 27, 1862, elements of Brig. Gen. Fitz John Porter's V Corps extended north to protect the right flank of McClellan's Union army that now straddled the Chickahominy River. Porter's objective was to cut the railroad and to open the Telegraph Road for Union reinforcements under Maj. Gen. Irvin McDowell that were marching south from Fredericksburg. Confederate forces, attempting to prevent this maneuver, were defeated just south of Hanover Courthouse after a stiff fight. The Union victory was moot, however, for McDowell's reinforcements were recalled to Fredericksburg upon word of Banks's rout at First Winchester.
Command responsibility (ledger v2)
US: Fitz John Porter
Grade A under rule 2; echelon corps_or_wing.
A cited passage states the command.
Brigadier Generalarnold-cwsac-commanders, battle VA013, belligerent US, fullname Fitz John Porter; column rank · snapshot
6c587c298717…elements of Brig. Gen. Fitz John Porter's V Corps extended northarnold-cwsac-battles, battle VA013; column description · snapshot
952b5d08402a…Confederate: Lawrence O'Bryan Branch
Grade A under rule 2; echelon brigade.
A cited passage states the command.
Brigadier Generalarnold-cwsac-commanders, battle VA013, belligerent Confederate, fullname Lawrence O'B. Branch; column rank · snapshot
6c587c298717…came in direct col- lision with a portion of Branch's commandwebb-peninsula-selections-v1 · snapshot
3be92161e849…Side strength (ledger v3)
US: grade A, 12,000 (5,700–12,600)
compiled_dependencederivation_unknownwhole_engagement_leakage
| Input | Class | Printed | Basis | Bound | Codes | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| us-cws2 | A | 12,000 | reported_engaged | derivation_unknown | ||
| us-clodfelter | B | 6,000 | unknown | derivation_unknown | 6000arnold-clodfelter-forces, battle_id Hanover Court House, belligerent US; column strength · snapshot 96430f3626d3… |
Confederate: grade A, 4,000 (2,850–4,200)
compiled_dependencederivation_unknownwhole_engagement_leakage
| Input | Class | Printed | Basis | Bound | Codes | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cs-cws2 | A | 4,000 | reported_engaged | derivation_unknown | 4000arnold-cws2-forces, battle VA013, belligerent Confederate; column strength · snapshot 523147288617… | |
| cs-clodfelter | B | 3,000 | unknown | derivation_unknown | 3000arnold-clodfelter-forces, battle_id Hanover Court House, belligerent Confederate; column strength · snapshot 96430f3626d3… |
Dossier claims
Draft dossier, revision . Claims are extraction records with their quoted passages, not historical adjudication. JSON
information
unknownunresolved
No original reconnaissance, order or message chain was inspected to establish the commanders’ contemporary knowledge. Retrospective explanations of beliefs, surprise or missed opportunities are not independently verified information states.
logistics
supportedunresolved Webb describes the Second Maine and Forty-fourth New York as almost out of ammunition when relieved.
A local in-action condition, not the opening supply of Porter’s entire force. No numerical readiness inference.
This regiment relieved the Second Maine and Forty-fourth New Yorkwebb-peninsula-selections-v1, p.96 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
3be92161e849…who were also almost out of ammunition.webb-peninsula-selections-v1, p.96 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
3be92161e849…objectives
supportedunresolved NPS gives Porter’s objectives as cutting the railroad and opening the Telegraph Road for McDowell’s expected reinforcements.
Retain assigned operational purpose separately from the later recall of reinforcements; do not recode the battle result as a campaign failure or success.
Porter's objective was to cut the railroad and to open the Telegraph Road for Union reinforcementsnps-va013-v1, Description · snapshot
09068d79b9cb…outcome
supportedpost_outcome The frozen result remains Union victory.
Retain the frozen outcome and engagement interval. A tactical result, later retreat, success at a local sector and campaign contribution are different measures. No causal effect, half-win or extra independent victory is inferred.
disputedpost_outcome The frozen casualty text reads 1,327 total (US 397; CS 930). The live NPS table reads 1101 total (US 355; CS 746;).
Preserve source versions and population boundaries. No original return was inspected to reconcile totals, categories, missing side breakdowns or reporting cutoffs. A zero display is not no losses; casualties and captured hospital populations are not opening strength. Do not add overlapping battle/component totals.
1,327 total (US 397; CS 930)arnold-cwsac-battles, battle VA013; column casualties_text · snapshot
952b5d08402a…responsibility
supportedunresolved Webb describes Porter pursuing toward the Court House before learning of Martindale’s situation and ordering his command to turn back.
Attributed command sequence; no independently synchronized message clock or causal fault finding.
When informed of the critical situation of Martindale's brigade, General Porter ordered the entire command to face about and toward Martindalewebb-peninsula-selections-v1, p.95 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
3be92161e849…strength
unknownunresolved
No inspected return establishes matched personnel at a common opening boundary. The frozen side-specific numerical bounds are blank; zero displays, vessel lists, combined army totals and later casualties cannot fill them.
disputedunresolved The frozen force field reads Divisions; the live NPS table reads 0 total (US 0; CS 0;).
These are source fields, not matched opening returns. Preserve vessel versus personnel units, unspecified formations and combined versus side totals. Shared NPS/CWSAC provenance supplies no independent confirmation; displayed zeros are not measured absence.
terrain
supportedunresolved Webb describes contact near the Ashland/Hanover road junction and Confederate troops extending into woods east of the Court House road.
Attributed encounter geography; no map or numeric terrain modifier.
the junction of the Ashland road and the Hanover Court House roadwebb-peninsula-selections-v1, pp.94–95 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
3be92161e849…extended into the woods on the right and east of the Court House road.webb-peninsula-selections-v1, p.94 (OCR page markers; not checked against print) · snapshot
3be92161e849…Open questions
- Original orders, personnel and casualty returns, contemporary message chains, disputed totals and precise command clocks remain deferred after the bounded follow-up. No OCR-to-print or map verification is claimed.
- Keep opening, reinforced, engaged, hospital, captured and vessel populations distinct. Source fields and retrospective judgments do not establish causal contributions.
- Preserve frozen outcomes and campaign membership, including combined/component rows; no automatic commander credit or battle/campaign double counting.