The “siege” of Petersburg took place approximately twenty-three miles outside of Richmond in Petersburg, VA. Although there were many battles fought in the Civil War, Petersburg was by far one of the most significant. It was here that Lee was forced to flee to Appomattox, where he would surrender to Grant and bring an end to the Civil War. However, this victory did not come easily for the Union army. This battle involved over 100,000 soldiers and produced up to 60,000 casualties. Petersburg is often referred to as the longest “siege” in American history, but this is not technically correct. “A siege, accurately defined, entails the surrounding and blocking reinforcement or escape of an enemy force. Robert E. Lee was never trapped at Petersburg …show more content…
For the Confederate troops, supplies were already tight, and when Grant cut off what remained of their supplies, it only made conditions worse for them. Petersburg, at the time, was the main hub for transporting goods in and out of Richmond, which made it a prime target for Grant’s troops. Grant knew that without Petersburg, Richmond would never be able to survive, and if Richmond was not able to survive, then neither would the Confederate army (Stone Sentinels). When one combines this with the combat that went on for nine months, the men that fought on the Confederate side definitely felt as if they were involved in a siege. The only major assault Grant attempted during these months of battle was the Battle of the Crater. The majority of the battle was centered on getting around the Confederate troops to completely cut off their supply lines. These attempts lasted nine and a half months, from June 15, 1854, to April 2, 1865. Ultimately, Grant achieved his mission of getting around Lee’s troops at the Battle of Five Forks. Upon losing this battle, Lee’s troops were forced to flee to Appomattox, VA, where his troops surrendered just one week later (Stone
From July 1st to July 3rd, 1863, the most famous and most important Civil War Battle took place in the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Confederates under Robert E. Lee advanced on the Union in hopes of taking the major city of Philadelphia, Baltimore, or even Washington D.C. Union commander General George Meade was sent to make sure none of this would happen. General Robert E. Lee was determined to invade the North and win a victory important for southern morale, leads his army toward Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he hopes to destroy railroad bridges linking east with west. He is unaware that a large union force headed by General Meade is headed in the same direction.
...e Confederate forces. A Union attack on Petersburg on April 2, 1865 forced Lee to retreat from Richmond and go west. His forces were surrounded. Lee with overwhelming odds surrendered to Grant on April 9th 1865 at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. After Lee surrendered to Grant other Confederate armies followed and the war came to an end.
The town itself located along the Rappahannock River was a crucial battle for the Union’s push towards the Confederate Army’s capital in Richmond, Virginia. The battle endured over a five-day period ending on December 15, 1862. The events that led to and shaped the battle occurred throughout the year and culminated in November, deep into the harsh winter months. The Union forces defeated the Confederate army at the Battle of Antietam; they pushed General Lee’s forces south, but did not advance despite the continued requests of the President. “The hard fighting and rapid marching of the 1862 campaign had significantly reduced the army’s strength and the defeat at Antietam on 17 September had greatly affected its morale. Despite the opportunity offered the Federal Army, McClellan remained north of the Potomac regaining strength in his slow, methodical manner, all the while fending off President’s Lincoln’s repeated calls for action.” (Runals,
By 1863, the Confederate hold on the Mississippi River was limited to Vicksburg and Port Hudson– both strong bastions– difficult to overcome. In a daring move, U.S. Grant, commanding the Union forces, sent his troops past Vicksburg and landed to the south of the city. Grant's troops then defeated Confederate forces in five separate engagements. After a 6 week seige, Confederate forces surrendered.
The town of Manassas, Virginia was no stranger to local conflict. In the summer of 1861 the Confederate Army, commanded by Brigadier General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard, was in solid control of northern Virginia. This put Confederate forces within 50 miles of the capitol of Washington D.C. President Abraham Lincoln ordered Brigadier General Irvin McDowell to take his army south and displace the Confederate forces to a more southerly local...
Of the two posts, Vicksburg was by far the strongest and most important. Setting high over looking a bend in the river, protected by artillery and dangerous swamps. So far the city had defied Union efforts to force it into submission.
At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Grant was appointed colonel, and soon afterward brigadier general, of the Illinois Volunteers, and in September 1861 he seized Paducah, Kentucky. After an indecisive raid on Belmont, Missouri, he gained fame when in February 1862, in conjunction with the navy; he succeeded in reducing Forts Henry and Donelson, Tennessee, forcing General Simon B. Buckner to accept unconditional surrender. The Confederates surprised Grant at Shiloh, but he held his ground and then moved on to Corinth. In 1863 he established his reputation as a strategist in the brilliant campaign against Vicksburg, Mississippi, which took place on July 4. After being appointed commander in the West, he defeated Braxton Bragg at Chattanooga. Grant's victories made him so prominent that he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and in February 1864 was given command of all Union armies.
... or ending the war, because it was the only rail junction connecting Richmond to the rest of the Confederacy. Faced with the need to defend a line running continuously from north of Richmond to Petersburg, the Confederates were stretched thinner and thinner. Eventually their line broke. Within a little over a week it was over. The final year of the Civil War was something new in the history of warfare - never before had two large armies remained locked in continuous combat for such a long period of time. In the past the armies would fight, retreat, regroup, and usually meet at some later date and place but in 1864-65 even though they moved around some it was almost one continuous fight to the end.
The ending of this battle is tragic and enlightening as well, the great idea of sneak attacks at dawn by the Confederates and the righteous timings of reinforcement by the Union, brought this story to my attention. Gathering this information brought me believe that this is a movie, a novel, but this was actual real life. Losing lives in a battle like this one bring only one thing to mind, that each side was fierce on fighting for what they believe in. No other battles before this have had this much bloodshed in less than a day, the planning done by Grant and Johnston was phenomenal. The steady mind of Johnston and the brave hearts that were under Grant is what brought this battle to what is today’s history. Working on this essay has been excellent in my learning process and I hope to be doing another one soon.
...cock, had the stonewall (Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage). If someone knows anything about the Civil War, the Confederates had the stonewall at Fredericksburg battle. Failure after failure plagued Robert E. Lee all three days at Gettysburg. The Army of Northern Virginia would end up retreating a few days later.
The siege, fall and ensuing massacre of nearly two hundred Alamo defenders at the hands of Mexican General, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna y Perez de Lebron’s army of over five thousand was a defining moment in both Texan, and American history. For 13 days against insurmountable odds, a small, but very determined Texan garrison force fended off an equally determined Mexican Army ordered to capture it. I’ll discuss the events and political climate leading up to the siege, key historic figures involved on both sides, the siege itself, along with events immediately following the battle. The iconic phrase, “Remember the Alamo!” would later go on to become a rallying cry at the Battle of San Jacinto.
Alastar Packer "Siege of Charleston in the Revolutionary War - Alastar Packer." 2012. 31 Mar.
Lee is very quick; he organized scattered confederate troops into the famed Army of Northern Virginia in just three weeks. Lee’s wisdom urged him to keep the Union as far away as possible from the armament producing center of Richmond and far away from the northern part of the state where farmers were harvesting crops. Lee knows that defeats of such decisive sports will weaken our will to continue the war, and he prevented this at all costs.
It was a turning point in the war and it killed 618,000 people. The North forces were led by Henry Keith. The fight took place just South of Geetysburg. The main base for the South was at Seminary Ridge. The ridge was mostly grassy with some forest areas within. The federal government had forces that were set up all along the edges. The area that the North rested on was uphill. This gave the North a severe advantage. General Stuart was sent by Robert Lee with tons of horses to spy on the Union. This tactic was used to try and get information on them and find ways to penetrate their defense. General John Buford had all his men resting uphill. When the forces clashed, his army had the advantage. They were looking down on the South and eventually crushed