Perpetual easement now protects Henrico land linked to 5 Civil War battles

The Virginia Department of Historic Resources recently executed and recorded a perpetual historic preservation easement over property in Henrico County that is associated with five different battles of the American Civil War.

The Aug. 29 easement protects just more than 49 acres of historic open-space land near the intersection of Interstate 295 and Route 5 in Varina from subdivision and commercial development. The Capital Region Land Conservancy, a Richmond-based nonprofit that conserves and stewards natural and historic land and water resources in Central Virginia, owns and manages the property.  Known as the Haskins Tract, the property contains significant landscape where the Civil War battles of Glendale, Deep Bottom I and II, Chaffin’s Farm/New Market Heights, and Darbytown and New Market Roads took place.

The Haskins Tract falls entirely within the historic core of the site of the 1864 Chaffin’s Farm/New Market Heights Battle, and includes a well-preserved 650-foot segment of the Confederate New Market Line earthen fortifications.

The New Market Heights battle, which resulted in a stalemate with approximately 5,300 casualties, forced Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee to withdraw his troops away from Petersburg in order to strengthen Richmond’s defenses — a move that ultimately led to the fall of Richmond in April 1865 and the end of war.

Three of the battles fought on the property — Chaffin’s Farm/New Market Heights, First Deep Bottom, and Second Deep Bottom — are associated with African American military heritage and the contributions made by the United States Colored Troop (USCT) during the Civil War.  The Battle of Chaffin’s Farm/New Market Heights in particular stands out because of its association with 14 African American soldiers who received the Medal of Honor for their actions on the battlefield.