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In the spring of 1781 the British conducted a major campaign to disrupt the American force's main line of communication through Virginia.

Continental forces were under the command of Major General Baron de Steuben. Lafayette was several days away with Wayne also on the way.

On 24 April, a force of 2,500 British soldiers under the command of Major General William Phillips disembarked at the James River landing in City Point 12 miles east of Petersburg, Virginia. As the afternoon progressed about 1,000 American men marched into Petersburg. They were Virginia militia regiments under Brigadier General Peter Muhlenberg's Corps and other gathering militia units.

the overall command of the Continental forces, Major General Baron de Steuben

That evening de Steuben ordered Muhlenburg's Corps to the north side of the Appomattox River, on the penisula, known as Pocahontas Island and onto the elevated ground overlooking the river.

First Line of Defense

As morning dawned on 25 April 1781 de Steuben and Muhlenburg deployed their forces south of the river, on the eastern edges of Blandford and Petersburg. Two infantry regiments formed a line of Viginia militiamen to face the British about a quarter mile east of Petersburg in Blanford. The 500 men extended along present day East Street from the Appomattox River to present day Washington Street

Meanwhile, Colonel Robert Goode's militia regiment of Chesterfield County and Captain Robert Bolling's company of Cavalry remained in Pocahontas to guard the Corps' rear and provide cover fire to the south for the operation across the river.

The Battle

Also that morning, the British regulars marched along the River Road toward Petersburg. Major General William Phillips' army consisted of the 76th Regiment of Foot, the 80th Regiment of Foot, and one light infantry batalion. It was almost noon when General Phillips and General Arnold formed their line. The British atack began at one o'clock. The Americans held their position along what is now Madison Street against several assaults by Phillips' regulars. and the deployment of four British cannon, the militia withdrew westward, through Blandford across Lieutenant Run, and on to Madison Stret in eastern Petersburg.

At three o'clock in the afternoon after two hours of intensive fighting de Steuben ordered a retreat from Petersburg into Chesterfield County.

American Brigadier General Peter Muhlenberg formed the first line of 500 Viginia here to meet the British. The line extended along East Street from the Appomattox River to present-day Washington Street and consisted of two infantry regiments. Major General William Phillips' 2,500 man army, including one Light Infantry battalion and the 76th and 80th Regiments of Foot, struck the Americans here. The initial British attack began at 1:00 o'clock. Around 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon, following intense fighting against overwhelming odds, von Steuben ordered a general withdrawal of the militia from Petersburg into Chesterfield County. After several assaults However, with ammunition running low and British artillery battering the militia lines, von Steuben determined that his force had accomplished as much as they could to defend the town.

Artillery Position

Major General Friedrich von Steuben's 1,000 Virginia miltiamen, driven from the eastern edge of Blandford, established a strong defensive line along the western summit (now Mdison Street) above Lieutenant Run valley. Major General William Phillips's British force occupied this ridge from here to the Appomattox River. After several unsuccessful infantry attacks, Phillps placed four artillery pieces here and fired on the American line. Facing this threat, and with American ammunition running low, von Steuben decided that any further defense of Petersberg would be futile and ordered a general retreat toward the Pocahontas Bridge to the north.

Second Line of Defense

American Brigadier General Peter Muhlenberg's Virginia militia fell back west from Blandford, under heavy British fire,to a prepared line of defense here aling the crest of this hill. The second line of Virginia militia, consisting of four regiments of infantry, extended from the Appomattox River on the north and present-day Washington Street to the south of here. The Virginins repelled several British assaults but soon their ammunition, and after Major General Phillips unleashed his artillery, Major General Freidrich von Steuben, the overall American commander, ordered a retreat west toward the Pocahontas Bridge. With British forces in close pursuit, the militia fought a vicious hand-to-hand delaying action along this waterfront while individual units crossed the narrow Pocahontas Bridge to safety. The last units across took up the bridge planks to delay the enemy's following.

East Hill

To the west stood East Hill (Bollingbrook), home of the widow Mary Marshall Tabb Bolling. After the 25 April 1781 Battle of Petersburg, British Major General William Phillps and Brigadier General Benedict Arnold located their headquarters at the house. The Brithish reoccupied it on May 9, after returning from Richmond. The following day, Major General Lafayette shelled Petersberg, from the heights on the north bank of the Appomattox River. After becoming gravely ill,Phillips died there on 13 May. Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis marched into town on 20 May, uniting his force with Arnold's and kept his Headquarters at East Hill until he departed on 24 May. File:Lafayette at Petersburg.jpgThough it had withdrawn from Petersburg, the brave Virginia militia had impeded the British invasion and remained intact to fight another day. In the afternoon of 24 April 1981 , Virginia militia regiments of Brigadier General Peter Muhlenberg's Corps of about 1,000 men marched into Petersburg in order to counter an expected attack by the invading 2,500 man British army of Major General William Philips the following day. On 24 April 1781, Major General William Phillips's force of 2,500 British regulars landed at City Point, 12 miles to the east on the James River, as part of That evening, Major General Frederick von Steuben, the overall American commander in Virginia, ordered Muhlenberg's Corps and other gathering militia to the north side of the Appomattox River in the community of Pocahontas and onto the heights overlooking the river (now Colonial Heights) for the night.

On the morning of the 25th, von Steuben and Muhlenberg began deploying their force to defensive positions on the eastern edges of Blandford and Petersburg. Concurrently, von Steuben left Colonel Robert Goode's militia regiment of Chesterfield County and Captain Robert Bolling's company of Cavalry in Pocahontas to secure the militia's rear and provide covering fire for operations on the south of the river.

Shortly before noon, he and Brigadier General Benedict Arnold formed the line of battle in this vicinity and launched their attack on two infantry regiments of Virginia first line of Viginia miltiamen positioned to defend Petersburg one-quarterr of a mile west(east?) in Blandford.