Battle of Blandford - Aftermath

Aftermath

Phillips' and Arnold's pursuit of the retreating American militia continued to Manchester, just across the river from Richmond, which they reached on 29 April. However, they were unable to enter Richmond, as Lafayette had marched rapidly and occupied the city first. After destroying tobacco warehouses throughout Chesterfield County, the British sailed back down the James to Westover, while Lafayette advanced as far as Pocahontas. At Westover on 7 May, Phillips received orders to return to Petersburg and await Lord Cornwallis, who was moving north from Wilmington, North Carolina. Upon reaching Petersburg on 9 May, Phillips was greeted by a bombardment from Lafayette's artillery positioned north of the river in what is now Colonial Heights. General Phillips contracted typhoid fever and died on 13 May, leaving Arnold temporarily in command of the British force.

Cornwallis reached Petersburg on 20 May, bringing the British force up to 5,300 men. Shortly after, additional British reinforcements arrived from New York, raising his force to over 7,000 men. Cornwallis ordered Arnold back to New York, and then fruitlessly chased Lafayette for a time through central Virginia before making his way back to Williamsburg. Cornwallis was eventually ordered to fortify Yorktown, where Lafayette, joined early in September by a French force from the West Indies, blockaded the land routes while the French fleet prevented the arrival of British relief fleets. With the arrival of George Washington and the Franco-American army from the north, Cornwallis was besieged, and surrendered his army on 17 October 1781.

Petersburg was once again a center of military activity during the American Civil War, when it was besieged for nine months in 1864 and 1865. The role of Petersburg in this later conflict dominates commemorations of its military history. However, since 1992, the city of Petersburg has sponsored an annual reenactment of this battle.