28789; Starr, pp. It was not until shortly after noon that the British column came in sight of the American line. The II Corps crossed by steamships the night of August 1314. They lost hundreds of men as prisoners in what was called "a wild skedaddle." In the meantime, the American regulars of Lafayette's army arrived at Richmond in time to prevent Phillips from taking the Capitol City. Ulysses S. Grant's assault on Robert E. Lee's armies at Petersburg failed to capture the Confederacy's vital supply center and resulted in the longest siege in American warfare.. How it ended. A.P. Eventbrite - City of Petersburg's Museums presents Revolutionary War comes to Petersburg - Saturday, May 13, 2023 at Blandford Church and Cemetery Visitor's Center, Petersburg, VA. Find event and ticket information. However, the final American act of determination was, under fire, to take up the planks of Pocahontas Bridge to prevent further British pursuit. 15457; Horn, pp. Second Battle of Petersburg - Wikipedia Grant decided on a wide-ranging cavalry raid (the WilsonKautz Raid)[39] against the South Side and Weldon railroads, but he also directed that a significant infantry force be sent against the Weldon closer to his current position. Early on the morning of June 22, 3,300 men,[45] and 12 guns organized into two batteries, departed Mount Sinai Church and began to destroy railroad track and cars of the Weldon Railroad at Reams Station,[46] 7 miles (11km) south of Petersburg. What Lee had feared most of allthat Grant would force him into a siege of Richmondwas poised to occur. Gen. Napoleon B. McLaughlen rode to Fort Haskell, just to the south of Battery XII, which he found to be ready to defend itself. Horn, p. 140, estimates 4,279 Union, about 2,300 Confederates. Some have termed the Virginia campaign of 1781 a "tobacco war." Despite the economic losses suffered during the war, the tobacco industry continued to grow in the city after hostilities ceased. Gen. John Gibbon, which had erected earthworks, was also surprised by an attack from the rear and many of the regiments ran for safety. 20307. . They were followed by three groups of 100 men assigned to storm the Union works and stream back into the Union rear area. By 10:30a.m., the Confederates withdrew. [82], Responding to the loss of Fort Harrison and the increasing Federal threat against Richmond, Gen. Robert E. Lee directed an offensive against the Union far right flank on October 7. Gen. Henry Davies Jr., to intercept the Confederates and their prize was unsuccessful and Hampton retraced his steps back to Petersburg, turning the cattle over to the Confederate commissary department. Smoke is still rising from the ruins of Richmond, Virginia after surrendering on April 3, 1865 following the Union victory at the siege of Petersburg. Petersburg was crucial to the supply of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's army and the Confederate capital of Richmond. P.O. Gen. John Pegram's Confederate division. Union casualties were approximately 2,900 men, some due to heat stroke. 58891; Salmon, pp. Gen. Lunsford L. Lomax and Williams C. Wickham maneuvered around the 2nd Ohio Cavalry and 5th New York Cavalry, turning the Federal left flank. 16061, 164, 170; Horn, pp. Robert E. Lee was concerned about actions that Grant might take against Early and sent the infantry division of Maj. Gen. Joseph B. Kershaw from Lt. Gen. Richard H. Anderson's corps and the cavalry division commanded by Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee to Culpeper, Virginia, where they could either provide aid to Early or be recalled to the Richmond-Petersburg front as needed. This allowed Hampton to flank Miles. 3334; Greene, pp. Kennedy, p. 373, and Salmon, p. 450, estimate 1,017 Union, 2,681 Confederate (including 1,949 prisoners). The third was 1,300 cavalrymen under Brig. The II and VI Corps seized much of the entrenched Confederate picket line southwest of Petersburg, but found the main line still well manned. Revolutionary War | Petersburg, VA - Official Website Hill. Sheridan did reach Reams Station by 7 p.m., only to find that the VI Corps infantry had in fact arrived but that Wilson and Kautz had departed. Wright's initial breakthrough was halted mid-day at Fort Gregg. [63], On the same day the Union failed at the Crater, Confederate Lt. Gen. Jubal A. The survivors dug in close to the enemy works. 9798; Salmon, p. 423. [11] On the afternoon of 4 January, Arnold sailed up the James River and landed his force at Westover, Virginia. The Federals were able to destroy a short segment of the Weldon before being driven off, but more importantly, the siege lines were stretched further to the west. [28] The first line of militia put up stiffer resistance than the British anticipated. [23], The British set out around 10 that morning, marching along the River Road toward Petersburg. The Union artillery, aware that Confederates occupied the batteries and Fort Stedman, launched punishing fire against them. The Battle of Blandford (or Blanford), also called the Battle of Petersburg, took place near Petersburg, Virginia on 25 April 1781, late in the American War of Independence. Ships Captured: -. The first Union attack began at dawn, started by the II and XVIII Corps on the Union right. from June of 1864 to April of 1865, Federal forces besieged the city, the longest such siege in United States Army history. Gen. James H. Ledlie's division, both failed. Korn, p. 39, estimates 1,000 Union (half taken prisoner), 3,500 Confederate (1,900 prisoners). Gen. John R. Chambliss) and infantry blocked their path. But that afternoon, a counterattack near Burgess' Mill spearheaded by Henry Heth's division, and Wade Hampton's cavalry isolated the II Corps and forced a retreat. His three 100-man detachments were wandering around the rear area in confusion and many had stopped to satisfy their hunger with captured Federal rations, as the main Union defense force began to mobilize. [79], On September 5, a scout attached to the Jeff Davis Legion, Sgt. 17679, 182; Kennedy, p. 360; Salmon, pp. Share this! [92], Union casualties in the Battle of Fort Stedman were 1,044 (72 killed, 450 wounded, 522 missing or captured), Confederate casualties a considerably heavier 4,000 (600 killed, 2,400 wounded, 1,000 missing or captured). Bonekemper, p. 319. Von Steuben was well aware of a British expedition moving up James River and was convinced that Petersburg was to be one of Phillips' targets. At 6:30p.m., Meade ordered a final assault, which also failed with more horrendous losses. [23], When Petersburg became a major supply center for the newly formed Confederacy and its nearby capital in Richmond, both freedmen and slaves were employed in various war functions, one of which was working for the numerous railroad companies that operated in and out of the city. Much of its importance derived from its location, just below the falls of the Appomattox River, where planters transferred their goods to ships for . 19193. [20] The militia had not had any sort of victory since the British arrived in Virginia, and morale was quite low. This charge reclaimed the earthworks and drove the Union force back towards the east. [32][39], Petersburg was once again a center of military activity during the American Civil War, when it was besieged for nine months in 1864 and 1865. A Monument In Petersburg Honoring a British General - Virginia Places Follow us! The Revolutionary War in Petersburg Historical Marker With these limited successes, Meade suspended the offensive. Bonekemper, p. 313. Darkness ended the fighting. Neither am I willing. [38] With the arrival of George Washington and the Franco-American army from the north, Cornwallis was besieged, and surrendered his army on 17 October 1781. Hancock and Sheridan crossed the pontoon bridge starting at 3 a.m., July 27. Wise in the northeastern sector. By late March 1865, the battle lines surrounding Petersburg had extended west into Dinwiddie County. Longacre, pp. Assuming that he had sealed the only breach in the line, McLaughlen rode into Fort Stedman and began giving orders to the men. Roughly 2,300 British regulars under the command of Brigadier General William Phillips defeated about 1,000 militia under Major General Baron von . This was not yet a critical problem for the Confederates. Maj. Gen. John G. Parke of the IX Corps acted decisively, ordering the reserve division under Brig. Lafayette's force was still several days away, and another Continental Army force under General Anthony Wayne was even further off. Phillips' expedition consisted of two battalions. This halt in the advance into the city of Petersburg allowed Lee to pull his forces out of Petersburg and Richmond on the night of April 2, and head for the west in an attempt to meet up with forces under the command of General Joseph E. Johnston in North Carolina. Although the Confederates held off the Federals in the Battle of Petersburg, Grant implemented a siege of the city that lasted for 292 days and ultimately cost the South the war. Butler's Army of the James bogged down against inferior forces under Gen. P.G.T. He determined to try again with an advance toward the Confederate capital led by Hancock. Battle of Blandford (Petersburg) in Virginia - RevWarTalk 10 Facts: The Petersburg Campaign | American Battlefield Trust Despite Hancock's incapacitation, he chose to accompany the column. The Union defeat at Jerusalem Plank Road made those assurances inoperable. Gen. Francis C. Barlow led his division forward. Trudeau, p. 127 cites 3,798 Union, 1,491 Confederate (361 killed, 727 wounded, 403 missing or captured). 7588; Trudeau, pp. [24] He also positioned a small reserve force at the southern end of the Pocahontas Bridge, and Muhlenberg sent a company of Slaughter's men down the north bank to provide advance warning as the British approached. The other division at Petersburg was with the IX Corps and it fought in the Battle of the Crater, July 30. The Confederate artillery from Colquitt's Salient began bombarding Fort Haskell and the Federal field artillery returned fire, along with the massive siege guns in the rear. He suddenly realized that they were Confederates and they realized he was a Union general, capturing him. Salmon, p. 406, considers the Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road to be the initial action of the WilsonKautz raid of June 2230, but this is not a convention widely accepted by other historians. The Civil War remains the bloodiest conflict in American history. 72122; Welsh, p. 122. Despite launching two attacks, Wilcox was driven back by Miles's division, which was manning the northern part of the earthworks. He also faced the prospect of having to traverse a wide piece of marshy low ground to close with his enemy. 40506; Trudeau, pp. He planned to cross to the south bank of the river, bypassing Richmond, and isolate Richmond by seizing the railroad junction of Petersburg to the south. Davis, pp. [77], Union casualties at Reams Station were 2,747 (the II Corps lost 117 killed, 439 wounded, 2,046 missing/captured; the cavalry lost 145), Confederate 814 (Hampton's cavalry lost 16 killed, 75 wounded, 3 missing; Hill's infantry 720 total). The American Revolutionary War - Historic Petersburg 41820; Welsh, p. 122. By 7:45a.m., 4,000 Union troops under Hartranft were positioned in a semicircle of a mile and a half, and counterattacked, causing heavy casualties to the now-retreating Confederates. The infantrymen of the X Corps had a better start to the day, as Brig. Petersburg was involved in key battles during the Revolutionary War and Civil War. Lee finally gave into the pressure and abandoned both cities in April 1865, leading to his retreat and surrender at Appomattox Court House. Gen. James Dearing on the right against Cocke's Mill, and the brigade of Brig. 4650; Salmon, pp. Trudeau, pp. The 25th, marched at ten o'clock for Petersburg, where we arrived about five o'clock P. M. We were opposed about one mile from town by a body of militia, under the orders of Brigadier-general Muhlenburg, supposed to be about one thousand men, who were soon obliged to retire over the bridge with the loss of near one hundred men killed and wounded, as we have since been informed; our loss only one man killed, and ten wounded. Part of the American Civil War. Their objective was to get behind Muhlenberg's' Corps, into the city of Petersburg and hopefully trap the Americans or thwart any attempt by them to retreat north across the Appomattox. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Dundas was to lead the 78th and 80th Foot to attempt a flanking maneuver against the American right, and Phillips held the second light infantry battalion and the Loyalist units of Simcoe and Arnold in reserve. Sheridan's cavalry captured the high ground on the right, overlooking the millpond, but they were counterattacked and driven back. Three brigades attacked Sheridan's right flank, but they were unexpectedly hit by heavy fire from the Union repeating carbines. Butler might have used this opportunity to move his army between Petersburg and Richmond, which would have doomed the Confederate capital, but he once again failed to act. The boats encountered the first Americans about 2-3 miles from the town. The Union generals were surprised at the Confederate strength. Colored Troops from Brig. He therefore called for a general withdrawal of his army to the north of the Appomattox. P. G. T. Beauregard and George Pickett worked feverously to prepare the city of Petersburg for an assault by Maj. Gen. Ben Butler 's Union Army of the James. Marching from Cold Harbor, Virginia, Gen. George G.Meades Army of the Potomac crossed the James River on transports and a 2,200-foot long pontoon bridge at Windmill Point. 14 on March 23. 3745, 51; Davis, pp. Hill was shot and killed by two Union soldiers. Grant made his headquarters in a cabin on the lawn of Appomattox Manor, the home of Richard Eppes and the oldest home (built in 1763) in what was then City Point, but is now Hopewell, Virginia. Now faced with considerable flanking fire, they also went down into the crater, and for the next few hours, Mahone's soldiers, along with those of Maj. Gen. Bushrod Johnson and artillery, slaughtered the men of the IX Corps as they attempted to escape from the crater. Von Steuben could discern that, though the British might attack Richmond as before, they definitely considered Petersburg a prime objective, since it served as a military depot for both state and Continental forces. Welsh, p. 121; Davis, pp. Ayres encountered Confederate troops at about 1 p.m. and Warren ordered the division under Brig. Davis, p. 101; Trudeau, pp. After dark, the XVIII Corps was relieved by the UnionII Corps. Petersburg, Virginia (population 33,740), was the site of battles during the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. 102, 118; Davis, pp. [2] As morning dawned the next day, four regiments of Muhlenberg's Virginia militia infantry formed two lines of defense and awaited the British force. Grant replied, "Never, if our armies continue to supply him with beef cattle. 4849. 179, 18186; Salmon, p. 428; Davis, p. x; Horn, p. 141. National Park Civil War Series: The Siege of Petersburg Check out information about the war in 1781. Known as the "Cockade City," Petersburg was a vital rail and supply center situated 23 miles south of the Richmond. 33336. "Rooney" Lee. Gregg's division departed on August 22 and, after driving off Confederate pickets, they and the II Corps infantry division commanded by Brig. 41516; Starr, pp. 36062; Trudeau, pp. Once the two six-pound and two three-pound guns were brought into action, Muhlenberg ordered his first line to fall back through Blandford onto his main line in Petersburg. Under Major General von Steuben, there was only a small army of slightly more than one thousand militia, to confront Phillips' two thousand five hundred veteran troops. President William Howard Taft visited the city on May 19, 1909. [7] Charles Cornwallis, leading the British troops in the south, wanted to deal with him and gain control over the state. The II Corps took up positions on the east bank of Bailey's Creek, from New Market Road to near Fussell's Mill. Eicher, p. 725, cites Union casualties of 2,372 (with "many" prisoners), Confederate 720. Confederate reinforcements from Heth's and Mahone's divisions arrived while the Confederate artillery softened up the Union position. "[80], During the night of September 2829, Butler's Army of the James crossed the James River to assault the Richmond defenses north of the river. General Benjamin F Butler's leading elements (the XVIII Corps and Gen . Cornwallis chose Yorktown Virginia, where the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War was fought. 12931; Kennedy, pp. The attack would be launched with almost half of Lee's infantry from Colquitt's Salient against Fort Stedman, and Gordon had hopes that he could drive into the Union rear area as far as City Point. 96, 101; Eicher, pp. Grant spent the remainder of May maneuvering and fighting minor battles with the Confederate army as he attempted to turn Lee's flank and lure him into the open. Petersburg, Va. Petersburg | Opening Assaults | June 16, 1864 (December 2020) American Battlefield Trust. Phillips' command consisted of the 78th and 80th Regiments of Foot, John Graves Simcoe's corps of Loyalist Queen's Rangers, Arnold's American Legion, a force of Hessian jgers, and two battalions of light infantry. By the end of the siege, Grant had 125,000 men to begin the Appomattox Campaign. In 1862 Captain Charles Dimmock used freedmen and slave labor to construct a ten-mile long defensive line of trenches and batteries around the city. The only opposition to British invasion was the Virginia State Militia commanded by von Steuben. 10708. As Grant anticipated, Lee shifted troops to meet the threat against Richmond, weakening his lines at Petersburg. American Battlefield Trust's map of the Battle of Second Petersburg, Virginia on June 18, 1864. Confederate casualties were 1,500.[69]. [33], Phillips' and Arnold's pursuit of the retreating American militia continued to Manchester, just across the river from Richmond, which they reached on 29 April. [27] The lines then closed, and the action became general. The initial Union advance on October 27 gained the Boydton Plank Road, a major campaign objective. Revolutionary War | Petersburg, VA - Official Website Gen. Henry A. Of those the greatest concentration of U.S. 2. Many of these losses were suffered by Ferrero's division of the USCT. The Revolutionary War Battle of Petersburg - Historic Petersburg The Battle of Blandford (or Blanford), also called the Battle of Petersburg, took place near Petersburg, Virginia on 25 April 1781, late in the American War of Independence. Petersburg, VA 23803 Phone: 804 732-3531 x200 If you . Online Payments Easily pay your bills online. [44], In parallel to Birney's and Wright's infantry action at the Jerusalem Plank Road, Brig. Robert Hoke and Bushrod Johnson available for the new Petersburg defensive line. [37], Having achieved almost no gains from four days of assaults, and with Lincoln facing re-election in the upcoming months in the face of a loud public outcry against the casualty figures, Meade ordered his army to dig in, starting the ten-month siege. Union cavalry mounts with carbines visible are hitched in the foreground. Kennedy, p. 353, cites 9,96410,600 for the Union, 2,9744,700 for the Confederates; Salmon, p. 406, cites 8,150 Federal and 3,236 Confederate casualties; Welsh, p. 122, provides the breakdown of the 4,000 Confederate casualties. During the initial assaults on the city, 15,000 Federal troops faced about 5,400 men under Beauregard. 29293; Salmon, pp. Union Army 9th Corps attacking Fort Mahone aka "Fort Damanation" sketch by Alfred Waud. About Petersburg Revolutionary War Revolutionary War Battersea 1781 Check out information about the war in 1781. This represented a change of strategy from that of the preceding Overland Campaign, in which confronting and defeating Lee's army in the open was the primary goal. Trudeau, p. 170, estimates 2,901 Union, 1,000 Confederate. [36] Cornwallis ordered Arnold back to New York, and then fruitlessly chased Lafayette for a time through central Virginia before making his way back to Williamsburg. General Benjamin FButlers leading elements (the XVIII Corps and Gen. August Kautzs cavalry) crossed the Appomattox River at Broadway Landing and attacked the Petersburg defenses on June 15. The remainder of the war in Virginia is classified as "Grant's Pursuit of Lee to Appomattox Court House (39 April 1865)". George D. Shadburne, gave a report to Wade Hampton on his reconnaissance behind the Union lines. June 27, 2023, 12:02 a.m. After nearly ten months of siege, the loss at Fort Stedman was a devastating blow for Lee's army, setting up the Confederate defeat at Five Forks on April 1, the Union breakthrough at Petersburg on April 2, the surrender of the city of Petersburg at dawn on April 3, and Richmond that same evening. Arbuthnot sailed with eight ships of the line that very day, and, in naval action on 16 March, successfully prevented Destouches from entering Chesapeake Bay. The Civil War Siege of Petersburg from June 1864 to April 1865 is the historical event that has made the city internationally known, but relatively few Virginians know about the Revolutionary War Battle of Petersburg. Warren's V Corps was halted by murderous fire from Rives's Salient, an attack in which Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, commanding the 1st Brigade, First Division, V Corps, was severely wounded. [30], Baldy Smith and his men crossed the Appomattox shortly after dawn on June 15. [29], Grant selected Butler's Army of the James, which had performed poorly in the Bermuda Hundred Campaign, to lead the expedition toward Petersburg. He had no illusions about winning the coming battle with a total force of slightly over one thousand men. 1781, The Revolutionary War Battle of Petersburg | HPF Petersburg, a prosperous city of 18,000, was a supply center for Richmond, given its strategic location just south of Richmond, its site on the Appomattox River that provided navigable access to the James River, and its role as a major crossroads and junction for five railroads. Unfortunately for the Americans, there was no regular army force in the state to defend against the British invasion. Gillmore requested a court of inquiry, which was never convened, but Grant later reassigned him and the incident was dropped. As British lines pressed on the American retreat, units of both cavalry and infantry stationed north of the bridge laid down covering fire. The 292-day siege of Petersburg had begun and with it, the penultimate chapter of the Civil War in Virginia. and marched on the City of Petersburg. The First American President: Setting the Precedent, African Americans During the Revolutionary War, Help Save 125 Battlefield Acres in Virginia, Help Restore History at Gettysburg, Cold Harbor & More, Help Us Save Hallowed Ground in Tennessee and Kentucky, Help Save 820 Acres at Five Virginia Battlefields, Save 343 Acres at FIVE Battlefields in FOUR Western Theater States, Save 42 Historic Acres at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Support the American Battlefield Protection Program Enhancement Act, Stop the Largest Rezoning in Orange County History, American Battlefield Trust's Map Reprint Permission Policy, Petersburg | Peebles' Farm & The Breakthrough, The Breakthrough at Petersburg - April 2, 1865, Petersburg - Battle of the Crater - July 30, 1864, Petersburg: The Wearing down of Lee's Army.