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On April 2, 1865, the Battle of Petersburg ended as the Army of Northern Virginia was forced to retreat under heavy fire. From the article:
"Battle of Petersburg Breakthrough Facts & Summary
With the Confederate defeat at Five Forks on April 1st, Lieut. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George Meade ordered a general assault against the Petersburg lines by the Second, Ninth, Sixth and Twenty-Fourth Corps to take place April 2nd. In the pre-dawn darkness, the Union infantry gained a successful breakthrough where Maj. Gen. Horatio G. Wright's advancing Sixth Corps met the Confederate lines held by Maj. Gen. A. P. Hill near the Boydton Plank Road. Hill was killed trying to reach his troops in the confusion. A heroic defense of Fort Gregg by about 600 Confederates against nearly 5,000 Federals prevented Union forces from entering the city that evening. Wright's breakthrough and the subsequent follow-up troops surged north and severed the South Side Railroad near Petersburg. The Union Army now had access to the Appomattox River and were free to cross the next day to threaten Lee’s communications on the north side of the river. After dark, Lee informed President Jefferson Davis that he could "hold his position no longer," and that Petersburg and Richmond must be evacuated. Grant had finally achieved one of the major military objectives of the war: the capture of Petersburg, which led directly to the loss of the Confederate capital at Richmond, which finally fell on April 3rd."
"Battle of Petersburg Breakthrough Facts & Summary
With the Confederate defeat at Five Forks on April 1st, Lieut. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George Meade ordered a general assault against the Petersburg lines by the Second, Ninth, Sixth and Twenty-Fourth Corps to take place April 2nd. In the pre-dawn darkness, the Union infantry gained a successful breakthrough where Maj. Gen. Horatio G. Wright's advancing Sixth Corps met the Confederate lines held by Maj. Gen. A. P. Hill near the Boydton Plank Road. Hill was killed trying to reach his troops in the confusion. A heroic defense of Fort Gregg by about 600 Confederates against nearly 5,000 Federals prevented Union forces from entering the city that evening. Wright's breakthrough and the subsequent follow-up troops surged north and severed the South Side Railroad near Petersburg. The Union Army now had access to the Appomattox River and were free to cross the next day to threaten Lee’s communications on the north side of the river. After dark, Lee informed President Jefferson Davis that he could "hold his position no longer," and that Petersburg and Richmond must be evacuated. Grant had finally achieved one of the major military objectives of the war: the capture of Petersburg, which led directly to the loss of the Confederate capital at Richmond, which finally fell on April 3rd."
Battle of Petersburg Breakthrough Facts & Summary
Posted from battlefields.org
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 4
Posted >1 y ago
One of my distant relatives was living in Petersburg at the time. One of his sons was in one of the Union units (12th New Jersey Infantry) attacking the city. Another son was in the 13th Virginia Cavalry. Older son was the adjutant for the 9th Texas Cavalry.
Interesting times for families.
Interesting times for families.
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SGT (Join to see)
>1 y
My great, great grandfather was a native of Virginia, and was an early pioneer of Taney County in the Ozarks (near present day Branson). He fought for the Union and was captain of scouts for General Sweeney while his brother was a Colonel in the Confederate Army. As you said, brother against brother literally. LTC John Griscom
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LTC John Griscom
>1 y
The relatives I mentioned were Quakers and had moved from Philadelphia.
Lots of history to be found in genealogy research.
Lots of history to be found in genealogy research.
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Posted >1 y ago
Been to that battle field, you can still see bullet holes in some of the trees etc.
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