The Siege of Petersburg

Siege of Petersburg

By: Spencer goering

The siege of petersburg was a series of battles around the the Richmond-petersburg area in virginia between june 1864 and may 1865. The battles didn’t constite of the usual siege warfare where one side would surround the other and cut off supplies. It also featured the war's largest concentration of African American troops

The first battle in the siege of petersburg took place on june 9 1864, while a majority of the union and confederate army was engaged at cold harbor a small group of about 4,500 union troops attacked about 2,500 confederate soldiers defending the flank of petersburg, the result of the battle was inconclusive as the confederates held the position but they also sustained higher losses.

The second battle of petersburg took place a week later between June 15-18th 1864. After the defeat at cold harbor, General Grant continued to try to capture petersburg and its surrounding area. After skirmishes between federal and rebel troops on the 15th, Grant then moved 50,000 of his men up to prepare the attack on 16th and on the 17th the Union attacked. Initially the surprise attack was successful, but after the Rebels turned their cannons on the Yankees, for obvious reasons they fell back. On the third day Grant again tried the take the city, But after taking heavy losses they again fell back and dug trenches outside the city that would remain for the next eight months.

After failing to capture petersburg Grant order that his men choke the city out by severing the three rail lines that connected the city to rest of the Confederacy. The Weldon Railroad was destroyed by the Union soldiers, but close to 3,000 casualties were sustained compared to the 600 Rebel casualties. The next railroad was easily destroyed by the yankees with minimal losses. The Finally Reams railroad was finally destroyed by the union but again after taken heavy losses. The battles were consisted draw as the union had been successfully destroyed parts of all the railroads but couldn't hold the ground they had taken.

In preparation for the upcoming Battle of the Crater, Grant wanted Lee to dilute his forces in the Petersburg trenches by attracting them elsewhere. He ordered a two division commanded by Gen. Hancock to attack the left flank of the Rebel lines. General lee took the bait and sent 16,000 troops to reinforce the trenches. For the first day the Federal did reconnsies hoping that the Rebels would send up more troop. When he decided that he had disturbed enough rebels he attack. The attack had been a success and the union and had gained small amount of ground but more importantly pinned down a large enough amount of confederate troops that Grant green lighted the crater.

For the past month the Yankees had dug a 511 foot tunnel under the confederate front line and had placed over 8,000 pounds of gunpowder in it . At approximately 4:44 am on July 30 1864 the gunpowder was ignited and blew a hole 170 feet long, 100 to 120 feet wide, and at least 30 feet deep killing 300 rebels instantly.

The Union Army was originally going to use colored troops that had been trained to move the around the crater the attack the Rebels but Gen. Burnside thought that there would be terrible political repercussions if the the battle was lost and the Black troops were slaughtered. So instead He sent unprepared white troops to attack. The ensuing attack was a disaster, the Union advance didn’t occur until 10 minutes after the explosion and the troops charged into the 30 foot deep crater with nowhere out and were massacred by the surviving rebels.

The following battles were relatively small and mostly designed to help the Union strangle the City of petersburg that is until the confederate breakout attempt. The Union Army fortification in the siege lines around Petersburg, Virginia, was attacked on March 25, 1865 by a pre-dawn Confederate assault by troops. The attack was the last serious attempt by Confederate troops to break the Siege of Petersburg. After an initial success, Gordon's men were driven back by Union troops of the IX Corps commanded by Maj. Gen. John G. Parke. A little more after the failure the city surrendered.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm2EAcGH33E

Bibliography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Petersburg

http://www.historycentral.com/CivilWar/Petersburg.html

www.petersburgsiege.org

After the failure at the crater the siege became a war of attrition as the Union resumed its strategy to destroy the supply and rail lines leading into the City, and after 8 more months and 70,000 casualties on both sides the confederate surrendered .

The ensuing attack was a disaster, The Union soldiers charged into the 30 ft deep crater and with no way out and were slaughtered by the Surviving Rebels.

The Siege of Petersburg was a series of battles around the the Richmond-Petersburg area in Virginia between June 1864 and April 1865.

At approximately 4:44 am on July 30 1864 the gunpowder was ignited and blew a hole 170 feet long, 100 to 120 feet wide, and at least 30 feet deep. The explosion killed 300 rebels instantly and wounded hundreds more.

The Siege of Petersburg

After a month long stalemate Grant decided to use his secret plan. For the past month the Yankees had dug a 511 foot tunnel under the confederate front line and had placed over 8,000 pounds of gunpowder in it.

After the defeat at cold harbor General Grant continued to try to capture Richmond-Petersburg area. On the 17th of June Grant attack Petersburg with 50,000 men and After two days of some of the bloodiest fighting during the war, the Yankees were again pushed back after taking 11,000 casualties and dug trenches outside the city that would remain for the next nine months.

The first battle in the Siege of Petersburg took place on June 9, 1864. While a majority of the union and confederate armies were engaged at Cold Harbor a small group of Union troops attacked the Petersburg defenses, but were pushed back.

After a mouth long stalemate Grant decided to use his secret plan, for the past month the Yankees had dug a 511 foot tunnel under the confederate front line and had placed over 8,000 pounds of gunpowder in it.