Beverly- The battle of Milford Station Station was fought on May 21, a few days after the battle of Drewry's Bluff on May 16, 1864. Kemper's(now Terry's) Brigade had hurried back from North Carolina to reinforce Gen Beauregard in Petersburg. After Drewry's Bluff and their triumphant parade through Richmond, each regiment carrying a captured Union flag,they were put on a train north, as they had to join General Lee who was battling Grant and slowly sidestepping towards Richmond. Their wasn't room for the whole brigade, so the 1st, part of the 7th, and the 11th Va regiments headed north on the train and were dropped at Milford station that evening. A small patrol of Confederate cavalrymen told them the Union cavalry was in Bowling Green in force a short distance away. The next morning as they were eating their breakfast what they thought was a Union cavalry patrol was spotted heading their way.Three companies of the 7th Va were posted in reserve at the bridge and the remainder went out with the 11th Va as skirmishers in front of the town. The 1st Va were posted in the buildings in the town. Unfortunately the "patrol" turned out to be General Torbert's brigade of cavalry, the advance guard of the Union II Corps, who were in the process of trying to outmarch General Lee and get between him and Richmond.

The outnumbered Confederate infantry put up a stiff fight for awhile, but more and more Union troops were coming up. Finally the order to retreat was given , but the skirmishers out in front didn't get the word in time, and 65 of them were captured.I assume your relative was one of these men. The rest of the men retreated across the bridge, tearing up the bridge planks as they went, and formed line of battle on a high ridge a couple of miles from the river. The Union army didn't follow, however, because they spotted Gen Corse's brigade on a high bluff a mile down from Milford Station, and thought they were facing the right flank of General Lee's army. So they stopped for a couple of days and built a long series of fortifications, which can still be seen. Kemper's men were credited by Lee for slowing the Union advance enough to allow him to reach Spotylvania Court House and entrench before the Union army arrived.

Milford Station and the bridge are still there, along with a lot of the Union fortifications on the high ground above the river. Hope this helps-Barrett