The Siege of Petersburg (June 15, 1864 – April 2, 1865) was a ten-month long siege of Petersburg, Virginia, during the American Civil War. It foreshadowed the trench warfare that would be common in World War I, earning it a prominent position in military history. Download high resolution version (1404x1095, 259 KB)115. ... The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... 1865 is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Petersburg is an independent city located in Virginia. ... The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America, the States, or (archaically) Columbia—is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ... The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America, the States, or (archaically) Columbia—is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ... National Motto Deo Vindice ( Latin: Under God our Vindicator) Official language English de facto nationwide Various European and Native American languages regionallyweeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861– May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861– April 9, 1865 Danville, Virginia April 3– April 10, 1865fo realllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Largest city New... Ulysses Simpson Grant ( April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was an American Civil War general and the 18th ( 1869– 1877) president of the United States. ... For the author of Inherit the Wind and other works, see Robert Edwin Lee. ... Battle of the Crater Conflict American Civil War Date July 30, 1864 Place Petersburg, Virginia Result Confederate victory The Battle of the Crater was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg. ... Battle of Fort Steadman Conflict American Civil War Date March 25, 1865 Place Petersburg Result Union victory The Battle of Fort Steadman occurred on March 25th, 1865, during the final days of the American Civil War. ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... 1865 is a common year starting on Sunday. ... A siege is a prolonged military blockade and assault of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition. ... Petersburg is an independent city located in Virginia. ... The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ... Trench warfare is a form of war in which both opposing armies have static lines of fortifications dug into the ground, facing each other. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...

Petersburg had been a supply center for Richmond given its strategic location just south of the capital. Not only was it oriented on the Appomattox River, but it was also a major crossroads and a junction for five railroads. The taking of Petersburg by Union forces would make the defense of Richmond much more of an issue for Lee. Richmond is the capital of Virginia, a state (officially the Commonwealth of Virginia) of the United States of America. ... The Appomattox River is a tributary of the United States. ... The Union Army refers to the United States Army during the American Civil War. ...

Early stages

Initial Union attacks

Main article: Battle of Petersburg II

The battle for the city began shortly after the Union defeat at Cold Harbor. Grant decided to take Richmond though Petersburg, and began positioning the Union army on June 15 by slipping away from Lee and crossing the James River. This represented a change of strategy from that of the preceding Overland Campaign; there, confronting and defeating Lee's army in the open was the primary goal. Now, Grant selected a geographic and political target and knew that his superior resources could besiege Lee there, pin him down, and either starve him into submission or lure him out for a decisive battle. Lee at first believed that Grant's main target was Richmond, and only devoted minimal troops under the command of General P.G.T. Beauregard to the defense of Petersburg. Battle of Cold Harbor Conflict American Civil War Date May 31 – June 12, 1864 Place Hanover County Result Confederate victory The Battle of Cold Harbor, the third and final battle of United States Lieut. ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... The James River is the name of several rivers in the United States. ... Ulysses S. Grant Robert E. Lee The Overland Campaign, or Grants Overland Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June, 1864, in the American Civil War. ... Pierre Gustave Toutant de Beauregard Pierre Gustave Toutant de Beauregard (BOH-rih-gahrd) (May 28, 1818 – February 20, 1893), best known as a general for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War, was also a writer, civil servant, and inventor. ...

Appomattox Manor served as Union army headquarters during the siege.

With his minimal troop strength of around 2200 men, Beauregard deployed his forces in a series of fortifications named the Dimmock Line along the south side of the city. On the 15th, Union troops of the XVIII Corps under the command of General William F. “Baldy” Smith attacked Beauregard's lines, and quickly opened up a hole in the defenses. Union commanders were apprehensive about continuing to attack, as Beauregard had engaged in a set of elaborate feints to fool the Union into believing he had more men and more guns than he actually did, including lighting many campfires and building fake cannons out of logs ("Quaker Guns"). Union forces failed to continue to press attacks on the Confederate lines, allowing Lee to reinforce Beauregard's forces in the next few days as the Confederate forces fell back to a new defensive line. With the Union's blunders during the first days of the battle, the stage was set for a drawn out siege. 1865 photo appomattox manor, grants headquarters, city point, virginia (now hopewell) during siege of petersburg This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... 1865 photo appomattox manor, grants headquarters, city point, virginia (now hopewell) during siege of petersburg This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... List of military corps — List of military corps by number A number of countries have an Eighteenth, or XVIII, Corps: US XVIII Airborne Corps This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... William Farrar Smith William Farrar Smith (February 17, 1824 - February 28, 1903), American general, was born at St Albans, Vermont, and graduated from West Point in 1845, being assigned to the engineer branch of the army. ...

Union General Ulysses S. Grant made his headquarters in a cabin on the lawn of Appomattox Manor, the home of Dr. Richard Eppes and the oldest home (built in 1763) in what was then City Point, but is now Hopewell, Virginia. Ulysses Simpson Grant ( April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was an American Civil War general and the 18th ( 1869– 1877) president of the United States. ... Events February 10 - French and Indian War: The 1763 Treaty of Paris ends the war and France cedes Great Britain. ... Waterfront at City Point, Virginia (now Hopewell) in 1865 Hopewell is an independent city in the state of Virginia. ...

The Crater

Main article: Battle of the Crater

In an attempt to break the siege, Union troops of the IX Corps under the command of General Ambrose Burnside mined a tunnel under the Confederate lines at Elliot's Salient. On July 30, 1864, they detonated the explosives, creating a crater some 135 feet in diameter that remains visible to this day. Some 280 to 350 Confederate soldiers were instantly killed in the blast. Despite the ingenuity of the Union's plan (which had been devised by Lieutenant Colonel Henry Pleasants, a former miner), the lengthy, bloody Battle of the Crater, as it came to be called, was a decisive Confederate victory. The battle was dramatized in the 2003 motion picture Cold Mountain. Battle of the Crater Conflict American Civil War Date July 30, 1864 Place Petersburg, Virginia Result Confederate victory The Battle of the Crater was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg. ... The Union Army refers to the United States Army during the American Civil War. ... IX Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... Portrait of Ambrose Burnside by Mathew Brady, ca. ... This article is in need of attention. ... July 30 is the 211th day (212th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 154 days remaining. ... 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The word crater may refer to A landform resembling a pit or depression in the topography that can be formed in several ways: speculation exists that a meteorite impact with another body can cause an impact crater, an electrical discharge on any scale tends to form circular craters, volcanic activity... Battle of the Crater Conflict American Civil War Date July 30, 1864 Place Petersburg, Virginia Result Confederate victory The Battle of the Crater was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January January 1 - Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as part of... See Han-Shan (aka Cold Mountain) for the Chinese poet. ...

Extending the flanks

Deep Bottom

Main article: Battle of Deep Bottom II

On August 13 Union II Corps and X Corps under the overall command of Winfield Scott Hancock crossed the James River at Deep Bottom to threaten Richmond. Initial assaults made by the X Corps were successful, but Confederate counterattacks under Charles Field retook the lost ground. The Federals withdrew to the south side of the river and were able to hold the bridgehead. August 13 is the 225th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (226th in leap years), with 140 days remaining. ... There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps (Second Corps) during the American Civil War. ... Portrait of Winfield S. Hancock during the Civil War Winfield Scott Hancock (February 14, 1824 - February 9, 1886) was born in Montgomery Square, Pennsylvania and named after the famous general Winfield Scott. ... The James River is the name of several rivers in the United States. ... Richmond is the capital of Virginia, a state (officially the Commonwealth of Virginia) of the United States of America. ...

Globe Tavern

Main article: Battle of Globe Tavern

While Confederates were tied up at Deep Bottom, Grant sent another force to the west against the Weldon Railroad under the command of Gouverneur K. Warren. On August 18 Warren drove off Confederate pickets and began destroying the track near Globe Tavern. A Confederate counterattack on the 19th under William Mahone turned Warren's flank, but the Federals were able to retake all the lost ground and the Union army was able to sever the vital Weldon Railroad link. Gouverneur K. Warren Gouverneur Kemble Warren (8 January 1830 - 8 August 1882) was a civil engineer and prominent officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... August 18 is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... William Mahone (December 1, 1826 – October 8, 1895), was a civil engineer, teacher, soldier, and a member of the Virginia General Assembly and U.S. Congress. ...

Reams' Station

Main article: Battle of Reams' Station

Several days later the II Corps continued to destroy track of the Weldon Railroad. On the 25th near Reams' Station, General Henry Heth routed the II Corps salient, taking many prisoners. Disheartened by the declining effectiveness of the once great II Corps, Winfield Hancock withdrew from the Weldon Railroad. There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps (Second Corps) during the American Civil War. ... Henry Heth Henry Heth (December 16, 1825 – September 27, 1899) was a career U.S. Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. ...

Chaffin's Farm and New Market Heights

Main articles: Battle of Chaffin's Farm

On September 28 General Benjamin Butler launched a successful series of assaults along the Confederate lines facing Richmond. General Edward Ord captured Fort Harrison on the 29th and David B. Birney seized the New Market Heights line. On the 30th General Lee launched an unsuccessful counterattack against Fort Harrison. September 28 is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years). ... Benjamin Franklin Butler Benjamin Franklin Butler (November 5, 1818–January 11, 1893) was an American lawyer, soldier and politician. ... Richmond is the capital of Virginia, a state (officially the Commonwealth of Virginia) of the United States of America. ... Edward Otho Cresap Ord (1818-1883) was the designer of Fort Sam Houston, and a United States army officer who saw action in the Seminole War, the Indian Wars, and the Civil War. ... David B. Birney David Bell Birney (May 29, 1825 – October 18, 1864) was a businessman, lawyer, and a Union general in the American Civil War. ... For the author of Inherit the Wind and other works, see Robert Edwin Lee. ...

Peeble's Farm

Main article: Battle of Peeble's Farm

With the Confederates massing reinforcements against Fort Harrison, Grant promptly sent Warren and John G. Parke against the Confederate right flank west of Petersburg. On September 30 the Federals marched west from Poplar Springs Church past the Weldon Railroad. By October 2 the Federals had taken two Confederate forts and broken and overrun one line of Confederate trenches. The Union lines were then extended from the Weldon Railroad to Peeble's Farm. Gouverneur K. Warren Gouverneur Kemble Warren (8 January 1830 - 8 August 1882) was a civil engineer and prominent officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... John Grubb Parke (Sept. ... Petersburg is an independent city located in Virginia. ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 92 days remaining, as the final day of September. ... October 2nd is the 275th day (276th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 90 days remaining. ...

Boydton Plank Road

Main article: Battle of Boydton Plank Road

A month later Winfield Scott Hancock marched with the II Corps west of Petersburg and assaulted the Boydton Plank Road. The initial attack took the Confederate line. A Confederate counterattack left the II Corps isolated. Hancock was able to fight off the Confederate assault, but his isolated position left him with little choice but to withdraw. The battle had somewhat restored the II Corps' reputation since Reams' Station, but it did mark the last battle for Hancock, who resigned from field command due to injuries sustained at Gettysburg. Portrait of Winfield S. Hancock during the Civil War Winfield Scott Hancock (February 14, 1824 - February 9, 1886) was born in Montgomery Square, Pennsylvania and named after the famous general Winfield Scott. ... Battle of Gettysburg Conflict American Civil War Date July 1–3, 1863 Place Adams County Result Union victory The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863), fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the largest battle ever conducted in North America...

1865 and the end of the siege

Hatcher's Run

Main article: Battle of Hatcher's Run

Taking advantage of good weather conditions in early February, Generals Ulysses S. Grant and George G. Meade launched an offensive against the Confederate flank in the vicinity of the previous year's Battle of Boydton Plank Road. Hancock's successor, Andrew A. Humphreys, and Gouverneur K. Warren began crossing Hatcher's Run while David McM. Gregg's cavalry raided Confederate supplies. Gregg's raid failed and the Federal advance was hit by a series of counterattacks, but Humphreys and Warren were able to repulse each of them and extend the Union siege lines west of Hatcher's Run. February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Ulysses Simpson Grant ( April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was an American Civil War general and the 18th ( 1869– 1877) president of the United States. ... George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 - November 6, 1872) was an American military officer during the American Civil War. ... Andrew A. Humphreys Andrew Atkinson Humphreys (November 2, 1810 – December 27, 1883), was a career U.S. Army officer, civil engineer, and a Union general in the American Civil War. ... Gouverneur K. Warren Gouverneur Kemble Warren (8 January 1830 - 8 August 1882) was a civil engineer and prominent officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... David McM. Gregg David McMurtrie Gregg (April 10, 1833 – August 7, 1916) was a farmer, diplomat, and a Union cavalry general in the American Civil War. ...

Fort Stedman

Main article: Battle of Fort Stedman

As the siege continued, Grant attempted to break or encircle the Confederate forces in multiple attacks moving from east to west, and both armies' lines were stretched out until they surrounded the city. By March 1865, the siege had taken an enormous toll on both armies, and Lee decided to pull out of Petersburg. General John B. Gordon of the Second Corps then devised a plan to have the army attack Fort Stedman on the eastern end of the Union Lines, forcing the Union forces to shorten their lines. Although initially a success, the outnumbered Second Corps was forced back. Battle of Fort Steadman Conflict American Civil War Date March 25, 1865 Place Petersburg Result Union victory The Battle of Fort Steadman occurred on March 25th, 1865, during the final days of the American Civil War. ... John Brown Gordon John Brown Gordon ( February 6, 1832 – January 9, 1904) served as one of Robert E. Lees most trusted generals during the Civil War. ...

(Fort Stedman marked the end of what military historians call the "Richmond-Petersburg Campaign" of 1864–1865. The remaining actions in the Siege of Petersburg are classified under the Appomattox Campaign.) 1864 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1865 is a common year starting on Sunday. ...

Five Forks

Main article: Battle of Five Forks

March also marked the arrival of Union cavalry under the command of General Philip Sheridan to the Petersburg battlefield. Sheridan was tasked with flanking the Confederate army, which forced Lee to send forces under General George Pickett to defend the flank. Grant then deployed the V Corps to cut off Pickett's forces. Although the attack was initially was pushed back, it was saved by forces under General Joshua Chamberlain, and Pickett was forced to withdraw to Five Forks on March 31. In the following days, the V Corps continued to press the attack, flanking Pickett's forces, and destroying the Confederate left. Confederate cavalry under the command of General W.H.F. "Rooney" Lee put up a stand against their Union counterparts under the command of Union General George Custer, allowing Pickett's forces to escape. Battle of Five Forks Conflict American Civil War Date April 1, 1865 Place Dinwiddie County Result Union victory The Battle of Five Forks, April 1, 1865, was the final Union offensive in the American Civil War. ... Philip Sheridan Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888), a military man and one of the great generals in the American Civil War. ... Categories: People stubs | 1825 births | 1876 deaths | Confederate Army generals | U.S. Army officers ... The V Corps (Fifth Corps) was a unit of the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. ... Maj. ... Five Forks may refer to: The Battle of Five Forks in Virginia Five Forks, South Carolina This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years). ... George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 - June 25, 1876) was an American cavalry commander in the Civil War and the Indian Wars who is best remembered for his defeat and death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn against a coalition of Native American tribes, led by...

Fall of Petersburg

Main article: Battle of Petersburg III

After the victory at Five Forks, Ulysses S. Grant ordered an assault along the entire Confederate line. Horatio G. Wright's VI Corps, spearheaded by the Vermont Brigade, made a decisive breakthrough along the Boydton Plank Road line. John Gibbon's XXIV Corps overran Fort Gregg after a heroic Confederate defense. John G. Parke's IX Corps overran the eastern trenches but met with stiff resistance under John B. Gordon. General A.P. Hill was killed while trying to restore the broken Confederate line along the Boydton Plank Road. Hill had earlier vowed that he would never leave the Petersburg defenses. In the following days, Lee pulled his forces out from Petersburg and Richmond, and headed for the west in an attempt to meet up with forces under the command of General Joseph E. Johnston in North Carolina. Ulysses Simpson Grant ( April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was an American Civil War general and the 18th ( 1869– 1877) president of the United States. ... For other meanings of confederate and confederacy, see confederacy (disambiguation) National Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God our Vindicator) Official language English de facto nationwide Various European and Native American languages regionally Capital Montgomery, Alabama February 4, 1861–May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia May 29, 1861–April 9, 1865 Largest... Horatio G. Wright Horatio Gouverneur Wright ( March 6, 1820 – July 2, 1899) was an engineer and officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... The VI Corps (Sixth Corps) was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... John Grubb Parke (Sept. ... IX Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War. ... John Brown Gordon John Brown Gordon ( February 6, 1832 – January 9, 1904) served as one of Robert E. Lees most trusted generals during the Civil War. ... Ambrose Powell Hill (November 9, 1825 _ April 2, 1865), was a Confederate States of America general in the American Civil War. ... Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 - March 21, 1891) was a military officer in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, whose effectiveness was undercut by tensions with President Jefferson Davis. ... State nickname: Tar Heel State Other U.S. States Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Governor Michael Easley Official languages English Area 139,509 km² (28th)  - Land 126,256 km²  - Water 13,227 km² (9. ...

See also

• African Americans at Siege of Petersburg
• Overland Campaign
• Bermuda Hundred Campaign
• Appomattox Campaign

Ulysses S. Grant Robert E. Lee The Overland Campaign, or Grants Overland Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June, 1864, in the American Civil War. ... Federal earthworks at Bermuda Hundred The Bermuda Hundred Campaign was a series of battles fought outside Richmond, Virginia, during May, 1864, in the American Civil War. ...

External Links

• National Park Service: Petersburg National Battlefield (http://www.nps.gov/pete/)
• National Park Service list of campaigns (http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/bycampgn.htm)
• West Point Atlas of American Wars (http://www.military.com/Resources/HistorySubmittedFileView?file=history_civilwar_maps.htm)