- Second Battle of Petersburg
Warbox
conflict= Battle of Petersburg
colour_scheme=background:#ffcccc
caption=
partof=American Civil War
date=June 15 –June 18 ,1864
place=Petersburg, Virginia
result=Confederate victory
combatant1= flagicon|USA|1863United States (Union)
combatant2= flagicon|CSA|1863 CSA (Confederacy)
commander1=Ulysses S. Grant George G. Meade
commander2=Robert E. Lee P.G.T. Beauregard
strength1=Army of the Potomac: 62,000
strength2=Army of Northern Virginia: 42,000
casualties1=8,150
casualties2=3,236The Second Battle of Petersburg, also known as the Assault on Petersburg, was the major attempt by the
Union Army to takePetersburg, Virginia , before the mainConfederate Army could reinforce the city. The failure of the Union to defeat the Confederates in these actions resulted in the start of the ten-monthSiege of Petersburg .After the
Battle of Cold Harbor inUlysses S. Grant 's 1864Overland Campaign , the Union Army slipped away fromRobert E. Lee and began crossing the James River. The advance unit was the XVIII Corps under William F. "Baldy" Smith, who had just finished the unsuccessfulBermuda Hundred Campaign under Benjamin Butler. The city was lightly defended by roughly 4,500 soldiers underP.G.T. Beauregard , but Smith waited too long before launching his assault. By the time he did, reinforcements from Lee were marching into the city. When Smith finally did attack he drove the Confederates from their first line of trenches. OnJune 16 ,Winfield Scott Hancock with the II Corps reinforced Smith and captured another line of trenches. Reinforced by the IX Corps, the Union Army captured a third line of trenches as Beauregard pulled troops from Bermuda Hundred. The Federals failed to press their advantage and more of Lee's reinforcements were rushing to the defense. Despite being reinforced by the V Corps, the Union attacks onJune 18 were repulsed with severe losses.Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain , commanding a brigade in the V Corps, participated in theJune 18 assault and was wounded so severely his name appeared in newspaper obituaries. Chamberlain survived the wound and returned to command his brigade as abrigadier general , promoted in the field personally by Grant for his bravery.The Union assaults continued on through
June 17 andJune 18 , but to no avail. Grant arrived and suspended the assaults. The chance to take Petersburg was lost, but the Confederate army was unable to prevent the Union army from laying siege to the city. The siege would last until April 1865.References
* [http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/va063.htm National Park Service battle description]
External links
* [http://members.aol.com/siege1864/assaults.html Siege of Petersburg website]
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