“Better soldiers never shouldered a musket.”
Years later, that is how Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler, of the Union Army, remembered the men of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) who fought in the Battle of New Market Heights on Sept. 29, 1864.
On the battle’s 162nd anniversary, Henrico County officials gathered with partners and friends to commemorate the history and announce plans to preserve the land with the New Market Heights Trail.
“Today, we are announcing the next chapter in how Henrico helps preserve and share these stories,” Varina District Supervisor Tyrone E. Nelson said at a ceremony Tuesday. “Imagine looking across the wetlands and walking beneath the trees knowing you’re part of a large story. Imagine standing on the very riverbank where soldiers came ashore before dawn, moving toward a battle that would become an important chapter in the history of the United States.”
The 3.2-mile, shared-use trail will begin in Deep Bottom Park and take users to Four Mile Creek Park at New Market Road. Areas of natural and historical significance will be identified along the length of the trail.
On Sept. 29, 1864, units of the USCT under Butler entered the area now known as Deep Bottom Park in Henrico from the James River and successfully attacked the Confederate defenses along New Market Road. General Ulysses S. Grant ordered the attack to pressure Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and force his troops away from the defenses around Petersburg, according to Dr. Joe Rizzo, a history manager with the Department of Recreation and Parks.
The choice to use the more than 3,000 Black soldiers was deliberate: Butler believed this to be their opportunity to demonstrate their strength on the battlefield.
The USCT units moved north from the Deep Bottom area and worked their way through obstructions that the Confederates had spent weeks building to strengthen their defensive position. And yet, even while suffering tremendous losses under fire, the USCT managed to push forward and up the slopes of New Market Heights, forcing the Confederate troops to withdraw.
Months later, 16 Medals of Honor were awarded to soldiers for their valor in the Battle of New Market Heights. Fourteen of those went to Black soldiers.
Dr. Rizzo made it clear that the soldiers of this battle carried more than just their muskets and gear. They carried the burden of answering an enormous question of the era: could Black soldiers stand and fight? On a battleground in Henrico County, they answered a divided country with a resounding “yes.”
Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas noted Tuesday that a trail through conserved land and a Civil War battlefield is no easy feat, and requires collaboration between many entities. Henrico has partnered with the National Park Service, the American Battlefield Trust, the Battle of New Market Heights Memorial and Educational Association, the Capital Region Land Conservancy and the Richmond Battlefields Association to make the project possible.
To ensure the trail captures the historical and environmental significance of the area, partner agencies recently completed the trail concept plan. The extensive plan details how the trail will memorialize the history and conserve the land while making it accessible to the community.
The project was recently awarded a $2.5 million grant from the Commonwealth Transportation Board to support design development.
The New Market Heights Trail is expected to begin construction in 2027.
“For those of us who live in Varina, we understand that our community is defined in large part by its connection to the land. We value open spaces. We value conservation. We value the character of our rural landscape and the places that remind us where we came from,” Nelson said. “I am proud of this team, proud of our partners, and proud that together we are making something truly incredible happen here in Henrico County.”