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August 18-21, 1864: After the Second Battle of Deep Bottom outside Richmond drew Confederate reserves north of the James River Grant tried another flanking move against the Weldon Railroad. Before dawn on August 18 Warren took his Fifth Corps past the flank of the Union siege lines and made for the Weldon Railroad near Globe Tavern. The lead division reached the railroad around 9 a.m. The divisions of Ayers and Crawford turned north and formed a line of battle across the railroad while Griffin’s Division formed up behind them along the tracks and Cutler’s Division stayed in reserve.
The Confederates reacted quickly. Heth’s Division left their places in the defensive line around noon and made their way south. By 2 p.m. they attacked Ayers and Crawford, driving them back along the railroad until reinforcements from Cutler helped stall the attack. As darkness fell Heth fell back to the Petersburg defenses and Warren dug in.
On August 19 reinforcements headed toward both sides. Wilcox’s Division of the Union Ninth Corps joined Warren while Mahone’s Confederate Division moved to join Heth. Mahone, a local resident who knew the area intimately, took advantage of the terrain to take his division on a march around Warren’s flank and into his rear. He attacked at the same time Heth launched a frontal attack down the railroad.
Crawford’s Division crumpled, astonsihed to find a Confederate battle line suddenly advancing on them from their rear. A number of regiments surrendered without firing a shot. A counterattack by Wilcox’s Division forced Mahone to hold his attack short of the railroad, and when Wilcox was joined by another Ninth Corps division under Julius White Mahone’s men withdrew. The lost ground was regained, but 2,700 Union soldiers from Crawford’s Division had surrendered. Mahone’s men returned to the Petersburg defenses for the night while Heth remained on the field. The Federals consolidated their positions and dug in deeper. They knew the Confederates could not leave Warren’s men in posession of the railroad.
On August 20 the Confederates launched an attack at midmorning. Heth again attacked head on, with Mahone striking the left flank. But unlike previous attacks, Mahone’s men ran into well prepared defences. Hagood’s South Carolina Brigade, temporarily attached to Mahone, lost two thirds of its men. Mahone had no choice but to pull back. Warren dug in, and the Weldon Railroad was permanently cut.
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