Before the Siege

Petersburg was was the junction of several vital railroads that supplied Richmond and the Army of Northern Virginia. It was surrounded by the fortifications of the Dimmock Line, but had far too few troops to defend it.

Butler’s Assault (Old Men & Boys)

Union Major General Benjamin Butler sent 4,500 men from his forces in Bermuda Hundred to cross the Appomattox River and capture Petersburg. The main attack by Union cavalry up the Jerusalem Plank Road was halted by Confederate militia consisting of teenagers and overage men with some recovering wounded soldiers from the hospital. They took heavy losses but held up the Union forces until Confederate reinforcements sent by Lieutenant General Pierre G.T. Beuregard arrived to turn back the attackers.

Grant’s First Assault on Petersburg

Grant began moving south from Cold Harbor by having Butler repeat the June 9 and 10 attack with much larger numbers. He sent Gustavus Smith’s 18th Corps and Kautz’s cavalry division which reached Petersburg late in the day and whose overwhelming numbers swept over about three and a half miles of the Confederate defenses. Beauregard pulled back and dug in along Harrison’s Creek while Smith consolidated his gains until morning. Winfield Hancock’s Second Corps arrived to reinforce Smith after a long and exhausting march, but Hancock didn’t have clear orders and deferred to Smith’s decision to wait to continue the attack.

During the night Beauregard stripped his defences at Bermuda Hundred and brought Robert Hoke and Bushrod Johnson’s divisions to reinforce the Petersburg defences. Grant had joined the Union forces with Ambrose Burside’s Ninth Corps, which gave him about 50,000 men against Beauregard’s 14,000. Despite the odds the attack on June 16 was only partially successful, grinding slowly forward but not breaking through the Confederate lines at any point.

On June 17 Union forces launched a series of uncoordinated division-sized attacks on the Confederate lines. Potter’s division of the Ninth Corps captured another mile of Confederate trenches before being stopped by a secondary line, but attacks by Ledlie’s and Hartranft’s divisions failed. Meade arrived on the field with Gouverneur Warren’s Fifth Corps, giving the Federals 67,000 men against 20,000 Confederates, who were reinforced during the night by Kershaw’s and Field’s divisions from the Amy of Northern Virginia. By the end of the day Confederate engineers finished a line of earthworks to replace the parts of the Dimmock line overrun by Union forces. During the night most of the Confederate defenders fell back into the new defences, leaving a thin line of skirmishers along the Harrison’s Creek line.

Meade angrily ordered a full assault against the Confederate lines. The Union attackers easily advanced through the lightly held Harrison’s Creek line before being stopped cold at the new defences. Two more assaults were made against the now well entrenched and fully manned Confederate lines and were thrown back with heavy casualties. It was here the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery lost 632 of its 900 men in a few minutes, the highest loss in a single battle of any regiment in the Civil War.

The Siege Begins

Having lost almost 11,400 men in four days against a Confederate loss of 4,000 and showing little gain for it, Grant called off the assaults and ordered the army to dig in. The SIege of Petersburg had begun.

Jerusalem Plank Road

The Union Second and Sixth Corps moved west across Jerusalem Plank Road to cut the Weldon Railroad, about three miles away. A.P. Hill’s Confederate Third Corps came out from behind their defences to block the advance. Union troops threw up eathworks as night fell.

On June 22 Mahone’s Confederate division struck the rear of Hancock’s Second Corps, causing Barlow’s and Gibbon’s divisions to collapse and flee, losing many prisoners. The Federals rallied around the earthworks they had constructed on June 21.

On June 23 part of the Union Sixth Corps advanced to the Weldon Railroad. About half a mile of track was destroyed before a Confederate attack drove them off. While the Confederates were able to retain the Weldon railroad Union enrenchments were extended close enough to be a constant threat.

Wilson-Kautz Raid

While the second day fighting was going on west of Jerusalem Plank Road, a little distance to the south around Mount Sinai Church half of James Wilson’s Cavalry Division from the Army of the Potomac and August Kautz’s Cavalry Division from the Army of the James began a raid to destroy the railroads south and west of Petersburg. They started out moving south, tearing up track along the Weldon Railroad, then headed west to Dinwiddie Court House, turned north through Five Forks, reached the Southside Railroad at Ford’s Station, and began tearing up the railroad as they moved west.

On June 23 the Union cavalry continued west along the Southside Railroad to Burkeville, tearing up close to 30 miles of track. Rooney Lee’s Confederate cavalry attacked the rear of the column and would continue to follow and harrass the Union troopers. On June 24 Wilson moved southwest along the Richmond & Danville Railroad while Kautz held off Lee’s troopers around Burkeville.

On June 25 Wilson and Kautz moved south along the railroad to Roanoke Station, destroying track as they went. The Staunton River Bridge at Roanoke Station was defended by about 1,000 home guard who successfully held off the Union cavalry. Faced with growing numbers of Confederate cavalry moving in from the northeast, Wilson and Kautz abandoned the raid and started east to return to Union lines. Wilson had been told that Union forces would seize and hold the area around Reams Station on the Weldon Railroad, so he planned to to return to Union lines there.

While the Union cavalry made its way east on June 26-28, Hampton’s division of Confederate cavalry were ordered to join the pursuit. When Wilson and Kautz reached Stoney Creek Station on the Weldon Railroad they found Hampton’s troopers already there. As Hampton’s men closed around the union troopers Rooney Lee’s men moved in from the rear, threatening to surround the Union forces. But Kautz found an unobstructed back road that led north to Reams Station, and the Union cavalry slipped out of the trap.

First Battle of Reams Station

Instead of the Union infantry Wilson and Kautz hoped to shelter behind at Reams Station they found Mahone’s solidly-entrenched Confederate infantry division. An attempt by Kautz to break through Maone’s line was unsuccessful, and Confederate forces began to surround the outnumbered Union horsemen. After an urgent appeal to Meade for help Wright’s Sixth Corps was ordered to the rescue, but Sheridan refused to bring his faster cavalry as they were worn out from the just completed Trevillian expedition.

Unable to hold out until the infantry arrived, Wilson and Kautz spiked their artillery, burned their caissons and wagons, and escaped through Confederate lines in what was described as “a wild skedaddle.” Although they had destroyed sixty miles of railroad, it had come at a cost of almost 1,500 cavalrymen. Grant considered the raid a disaster.

City Point

Union construction teams rebuilt the wharves at the deepwater port at City Point and relaid twelve miles of track along the old City Point Railroad to Pitkin Station, allowing supplies and ammunition to be easily brought right up to the Union siege lines.

City Point & Army Railroad

Regular service started on the railroad, which was extended along the rear of the Union siege lines.

Deep Bottom

Hancock’s Second Corps moved north across the James River to attack the Richmond defences at Deep Bottom on the Richmond front. The attack forced Lee to transfer Confederate forces from the Petersburg lines.

Battle of the Crater

After digging a 511 foot long shaft under Confederate lines Union forces exploded a 170 foot wide crater in the Confederate defences. Ambrose Burnside’s Ninth Corps attacked through the gap, but mismanagement and an aggressive Confederate counterattack led by William Mahone’s Division turned it into a debacle, with Union losses of 3,800 men versus Confederate losses of around 1,500. Burnside was relieved of command, and Grant resolved to do no more direct assaults on Confederate earthworks.

Second Battle of Deep Bottom

The Second Corps attacked Fussell’s Mill on the Richmond front and were thrown back, but the Tenth Corps seized a section of Confederate trenches and four guns. On the 15th Lee ordered two brigades of Mahone’s Division and Hampton’s and W.H.F. Lee’s Cavalry Divisions to move from the south side of the Appomattox as reinforcements.

On the 16th Gregg’s Union cavalry attacked W.H.F. Lee’s Confederate cavalry along the Charles City Road. Terry’s Division of the Union Tenth Corps broke through the Confederate line, but he was not supported and the Confederates were able to restablish their defences. Finally, on the 18th, Lee launched a badly coordinated counterattack that accomplished little.

Weldon Railroad (Globe Tavern)

Having drawn some of Lee’s strength north of the Appomattox, Grant sent Warren’s Fifth Corps for another move against the Weldon Railroad. Warren arrived at the railroad at Globe Tavern around 9 a.m. and began to tear up the track, posting Ayers’ Division to the north to shield against a Confederate attack. When Confederate troops were met at around 1 p.m. Crawford’s Division was sent to support Ayers. Three Confederate brigades attacked Crawford and pushed him back almost to Globe Tavern, but a Union counterattack regained the ground.

Both sides were reinforced during the night. In the late afternoon of  August 19 Confederates under William Mahone attacked Crawford’s flank and rear. Crawford’s division collapsed, losing many prisoners. But a frontal attack by Heth on Ayers’ Division failed. The newly arrived Union Ninth Corps counterattacked and stabilized the Union position.

On August 20 Hancock’s Second Corps returned to the Petersburg lines from north of the Appomattox. Warren pulled back about three miles at dusk and entrenched, connecting to the existing Union lines.

On the morning of August 21 Heth’s and Mahone’s Divisions attacked. Surprised by the changes in the Union positions, the attacks failed with heavy casualties. By midmorning the Confederates called off the assaults and withdrew behind their defences.

At a cost of 4,300 Union casualties versus 1,600 Confederate Grant had broken the Weldon Railroad. While Grant was not fully satisfied, it was the first Union victory of the campaign.

Second Battle of Reams Station

While Warren’s Fifth Corps was working on extending the Union fortifications to around Globe Tavern on August 22, Grant ordered Hancock’s Second Corps to destroy 14 miles of the the Weldon Railroad to the south. Hancock’s men were exhausted from the fighting at Deep Bottom ten days before and their forced march back to the south side of the Appomattox, but Nelson Miles’ Division started south, screened by Gregg’s Cavalry Division, and tore up the railroad to just north of Reams Station.

On the 23rd Gibbon’s Division of the Second Corps occupied the earthworks at Reams Station that had been thrown up by Union cavalry in June. The next day Lee sent A.P. Hill with 10,000 men to attack Hancock and attempt to regain the vital railroad.

Onthe 25th Cadmus Wilcox’s Division attacked Hancock’s northern defences in the early afternoon but was driven back while Hampton’s Cavalry division advanced from the south. Heth’s and Mahone’s Divisions arrived and launched an attack in late aternoon that broke through Hancock’s line. Many Second Corps regiments refused to fight or fled in confusion. Hancock launched a counterattack with a few trusted veterans that bought time for the corps to make withdraw.

It was a humiliarting defeat for the hero of Gettysburg. Union casualties were over 2,700 – over 2,000 of whom were captured – while Confederate were just over 700. Nevertheless Lee had not been able to regain the vital railroad line, whose supplies would need to be unloaded 16 miles before reaching Petersburg and and hauled by wagon on a long detour.

The Beefsteak Raid

Confederate Major General Wade Hampton led 3,000 cavalrymen south to the Cook’s Bridge crossing over the Blackwater River. His men rebuilt the bridge and advanced toward the Ruffin Plantation on Coggin’s Point, where 3,000 head of cattle were guarded by only 120 Union soldiers. The next morning Hampton’s men attacked at dawn and brought off over 2,400 head of cattle. For two days they drove the cattle in a wide circuit back to Confederate lines, bringing in 2,468 head of cattle and 304 prisoners.

New Market Heights

The Army of the James crossed from Bermuda Hundred to the north side of the James River to attack the Richmond defences, seizing Fort Harrison. A Confederate counterattack was costly and unsuccessful, but the breakthrough was contained and new defensive lines were created behind the captured fortifications. Lee shifted forces from Petersburg to counter the threat.

Peebles Farm

Anticipating that Lee would weaken his Petersburg defences after the attack at New Market, Grant sent four infantry divisions of Warren’s Fifth Corps screened by a cavalry division to turn the Confederate western flank along Squirrel Level Road and Vaugn Road. Confederate Fort Archer was overrun and the Squirrel Level Road line it anchored outflanked. But Confederate forces responded by afternoon and slowed the Union attack.

Peebles Farm

(contined)A.P. Hill launched a Confederate countertattack but it failed. Federal forces were reinforced by a fifth infantry division under Gersham Mott, captured Confederate Fort MacRae, and extended the Union line to around Peebles’ Farm. Meade halted the offensive and fortified the newly extended line.

Darbytown Road and New Market Road

Lee launched an attack on the Union right flank outside Richmond, sending Field’s and Hoke’s divisions to attack along New Market Road. The attack failed and Union forces held their positions.

Darbytown Road

Union forces advanced to reconnoiter the new Confederate lines along Darbytown Road. An assault by a Fedral brigade was thrown back with heavy casualties.

Longstreet Returns to Command

Longstreet returned from convalescing from his Wilderness wound and resumed command of the Confederate First Corps around Richmond. Richard Anderson, who had commanded the corps in Longstreet’s absence, was given command of a new Fourth Corps built around Bushrod Johnson’s Division and local defense troops.

Fair Oaks and Darbytown Road

Butler’s 18th Corps attacked at Fair Oaks and was thrown back by Field’s division. Field counterattacked and took over 600 prisoners.

Boydton Plank Road

Hancock led a mixed force of infantry from three corps along with Gregg’s cavalry division in one last attempt to turn the Confederate flank west of Petersburg before winter set in. Hancock initially took the Boydton Plank Road but a counterattack by Heth’s division working with Hampton’s cavalry division took it back and forced the Union Second Corps to retreat. It was the last campaign for Hancock, who resigned from field command due to his Gettysburg wound.

City Point and Army Railroad extended

The City Point and Army Railroad was extended two and a half miles to behind the Union fortifications at Peebles House. This not only allowed supplies and ammunition to be easily brought to the men on the Union siege lines, but reinforcements could be quickly moved to any point on the line even in bad weather.

Union Corps reorganization

The Union 10th and 18th Corps were reorganized into the 24th Corps, witch was assigned all white personnel, and the 25th Corps, witch was assigned black enlisted men and white officers.

The Battle of Hatcher’s Run

J. Irvin Gregg’s Union cavalry division was sent to Dinwiddie Court House to intercept Confederate supplies on the Boydton Plank Road. Warren’s Fifth Courps was ordered to support Gregg and Humphreys’ Second Corps moved beyond the west end of the Union entrenchments to threaten the Confederate positions along Hatcher’s Run.

In response, Lee shifted west Heth’s and Evans’ divisions of John Gordon’s Second Corps. They attacked the Union Second Corps and were thrown back. Meade then ordered Wheaton’s Division from the Sixth Corps and Hartranft’s Division from the Ninth Corps to reinforce the Union position.

On February 6 Robert E. Lee was made general in chief of the Confederate Armed Forces. Lee would remain with and continue to command the Army of Northern Virginia, but his new responsibilities would mean he would have to depend even more on his subordinates.

The Battle of Hatcher’s Run continued. Crawford’s and Ayres’ Divisions of the Fifth Corps moved northwest along Hatcher’s Run, with Gregg’s cavalry screened the left flank. They were attacked by Pegram’s Division near Dabney’s Mill. After Pegram’s first attack failed he was reinforced by Finegan’s and Evans’ divisions. When Crawford’s Federals were forced to retreat, a counterattack by Griffin’s Division turned the Confederates back and mortally wounded John Pegram. But Union forces fell back until darkness ended the fighting.

On February 7 Union forces pushed the Confederates back to their entrenchments, wounding Moxley Sorrel, but the movement didn’t become a major attack.

Assault on Fort Stedman

Lee knew Grant would soon be reinforced by 50,000 men from the Shenandoah Valley and launched an attack that he hoped would disrupt Grant’s plans. The target was Union Fort Stedman, which was very close to both Confederate lines and to the Union’s supply railroad. John Gordon led a pre-dawn surprise attack that overran the fort. While one group of Confederates pressed deeper into the Union rear area others spread out to the trench systems on either side to roll up the neighboring batteries and redoubts.

But the Union response was swift. John Parke, commanding the Union Ninth Corps, launched Hartranft’s reserve division in an immediate counterattack which stopped the Confederates before they reached the rail line. The Confederates moving south from Fort Stedman were turned back by neighboring Fort Haskell. Gordon’s attackers were pushed back to Fort Stedman, which they knew they could not hold. The attack had failed, but retreat to Confederate lines meant recrossing open ground that was now swept by killing artillery fire. Many were killed and wounded attempting it, but hundreds surrendered rather than make the try.

Grant realized that Lee had to have dangerously thinned his lines to collect the men needed for the attack and ordered an immediate advance. The Union Second and Sixth Corps were able to take the advanced picket trenches on the Confederate lines southwest of Petersburg, although the main trench lines still held.

Grant’s Eighth Offensive

Grant ordered Edward Ord to move part of his Army of the James from the Richmond trenches to south of the Appomattox into the Petersburg trenches to free up troops for an offensive against the Confederate flank. Two divisions of Gibbon’s 24th Corps, a division of Weitzel’s 25th Corps and Mackenzie’s cavalry division moved south during the night without being detected.

Lewis’ Farm
(also known as Quaker Road or Gravelly Run)

Warren’s Fifth Corps moved west from the Union defensive lines, followed by Humphreys’ Second Corps. To the south Sheridan and his Cavalry Corps, recently arrived from the Shenandoah Valley, swung south to Dinwiddie Court House before turning north to Five Forks. The ultimate goal was the Southside Railroad, the last Confederate supply route into Petersburg.

Warren’s lead division under Charles Griffin ran into the Confederate brigades of Henry Wise, William Wallace and Young Moody from Bushrod Johnson’s Division. The lead Union brigade commander, Joshua Chamberlain, was wounded and almost captured, but was reinforced with the brigades of Edgar Gregory and Alfred Pearson and pushed forward. Union forces extended their fortifications to the the Quaker Road intersection with Boydton Plank Road while the Confederates were returned to their trenches on the line of White Oak Road.

White Oak Road
(also known as Hatcher’s Run, Gravelly Run, Boydton Plank Road and White Oak Ridge)

Warren’s Fifth Corps advanced toward White Oak Road only to be thrown back by a counterattack by Anderson’s Division. Reinforced with Miles’ Division of the Second Corps, Warren pushed forward to White Oak Road, north of Dinwiddie Court House. Pickett’s infantry and Rooney Lee’s Cavalry met Sheridan’s advancing cavalry and forced them back to the court house. But Warren’s Union infantry on White Oak Road threatened to cut Pickett off.

Battle of Five Forks

Pickett pulled back to the Five Forks intersection at daybreak and was ordered by Lee to hold it “at all costs.” Sheridan advanced and pinned the main Confederate line with his cavalry while sending the three infantry divisions of Warren’s Fifth Corps against their eastern flank. Pickett’s line collapsed and many of his men were captured. Pickett had missed most of the battle attending a shad bake behind the lines but rejoined the survivors before they withdrew to the northwest, cut off from Lee’s army. See the Battle of Five Forks.

Grants Final Assault and Breakthrough

Lee learned of the disaster at Five Forks and advised the Confederate government that it would be necessary to abandon Richmond and Petersburg. His plans were to concentrate his divided army at Amelia Court House and resupply there from trains sent from Richmond, then continue on to Danville.

Grant ordered an assault along the entire line. In the east Parke’s Ninth Corps overran parts of the trench system but faced bloody fighting at Fort Mahoney and the layered Confederate defences.

Southwest of Petersburg Wright’s Sixth Corps broke through Confederate lines along Boydton Plank Road. A.P. Hill was killed while trying to rally his men. Wright’s Sixth Corps drove deep into the Confederate lines and curved east toward Petersburg, only to be stopped at Fort Gregg on the inner Confederate defensive line.

On the far western flank Sheridan’s men moved north from the Five Forks battlefield to cut the Southside Railroad while Nelson Miles cut the railroad after a fight at Sutherland Station.

Gibbon’s 24th Corps assaulted Fort Gregg. In a violent and costly hand to hand battle every man in the garrison was killed or captured. But the heavy losses bought time for the Lee’s men to pull out of the defences, move through Petersburg and cross the Appomattox River. The Appomattox Campaign had begun.