Battle of Blandford

American militia under Baron von Steuben attempted to defend Petersburg, Virginia, against superior British forces under General William Phillips in April 1781. Phillips, commanding a combined force of about 2,500 men including troops that had served under Benedict Arnold, advanced on Petersburg — an important depot on the Appomattox River.

Von Steuben positioned his militia on Blandford Hill and attempted to slow the British advance. The militia fought better than expected for a time, largely due to von Steuben's training and personal presence. But the British numbers and experience told, and the Americans were forced to retreat across the Appomattox River, destroying the bridge behind them.

The British briefly occupied Petersburg and destroyed its military stores. Phillips died of typhoid fever shortly after the engagement — one of the war's notable command-level losses that had no effect on the ultimate outcome. The British operations in Virginia that spring, culminating in Cornwallis's arrival and the subsequent Yorktown campaign, transformed the war's final phase.