Name: The Battle of Petersburg
Other Names: The Second Battle of Petersburg, Assault on Petersburg
Location: City of Petersburg
Campaign: Richmond-Petersburg Campaign (June 1864-March 1865)
Date(s): June 15-18, 1864
Principal Commanders: Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade [US]; Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard [CS]
Forces Engaged: 104,000 total (US 62,000; CS 42,000)
Estimated Casualties: 11,386 total (US 8,150; CS 3,236)
Description: Marching from Cold Harbor, Meade’s Army of the Potomac crossed the James River on transports and a 2,200-foot long pontoon bridge at Windmill Point. Butler’s leading elements (XVIII Corps and Kautz’s cavalry) crossed the Appomattox River at Broadway Landing and attacked the Petersburg defenses on June 15. The 5,400 defenders of Petersburg under command of Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard were driven from their first line of entrenchments back to Harrison Creek. After dark the XVIII Corps was relieved by the II Corps. On June 16, the II Corps captured another section of the Confederate line; on the 17th, the IX Corps gained more ground. Beauregard stripped the Howlett Line (Bermuda Hundred) to defend the city, and Lee rushed reinforcements to Petersburg from the Army of Northern Virginia. The II, XI, and V Corps from right to left attacked on June 18 but was repulsed with heavy casualties. By now the Confederate works were heavily manned and the greatest opportunity to capture Petersburg without a siege was lost. The siege of Petersburg began. Union Gen. James St. Clair Morton, chief engineer of the IX Corps, was killed on June 17.
Result(s): Confederate victory
Note: I will be writing full summaries of each battle in time. For now, please see the sites listed below for more information.
Bibliography:
First Person Accounts:
- "A Gloom Over the Entire Command": The 117th New York at the Second Battle of Petersburg, June 15-17, 1864
- The 36th Wisconsin at the Second Battle of Petersburg: Major H.M. Brown's Account
Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Battle:
- "A Gloom Over the Entire Command": The 117th New York at the Second Battle of Petersburg, June 15-17, 1864
- Alex Patten Diary: June 16, 1864
- Alex Patten Diary: June 18, 1864
- August 13, 1864 Detroit Free Press: From the Twentieth Infantry
- August 27, 1864 Quincy Patriot: Camp of 56th [Mass] Reg.
- Civil War Book Preview: Ed Bearss' The Petersburg Campaign, Vol. 1: The Eastern Front Battles, June - August 1864
- E. No. 1. Sketch of the Main Line of the Enemy's Works in Front of Petersburg, VA., upon the Advance of the United States Forces June 1864. (OR Atlas 105:7)
- Four Days of Battle at Petersburg by P.G.T. Beauregard
- George S. Gove Letter: June 20, 1864
- Grant's and Meade's Learning Curves: A Look at the First Four Siege of Petersburg Offensives
- Headquarters Army of the Potomac, Engineer Dept…June 18, 1864. This Map Exhibits the Lines of the Enemy in Our possession up to date. (OR Atlas 105:2)
- July 4, 1864: William B. Phillips to Annie Richards
- July 5, 1864 Batavia (NY) Republican Advocate: From the 8th N.Y. Artillery
- June 18, 1864 Albany Evening Journal: Latest From Grant
- June 18, 1864 Cincinnati Enquirer: Latest to Associated Press
- June 18-19, 1864 T. Jasper Dean (Letter)
- June 23, 1864 New York Daily News: Army of the Potomac
- June 23, 1864 New York Daily News: Army of the Potomac (June 19)
- June 24, 1864 Binghamton (NY) Daily Democrat: 109th NY List of Wounded on June 16 and 17
- June 24, 1864 Binghamton (NY) Daily Democrat: The 109th [NY] Regiment
- June 27, 1864 Binghamton (NY) Daily Democrat: The 109th [NY] List of Killed and Wounded
- June 29, 1864 Broome (NY) Weekly Republican: From the 109th N.Y.V. In the Field Near Petersburg, June 19
- MHSM Papers: Crossing of the James and Advance on Petersburg, June 13-16, 1864 by Colonel Theodore Lyman
- MHSM Papers: Crossing of the James and First Assault Upon Petersburg, June 12-15,1864 by Frank E. Peabody
- MHSM Papers: Letter of General Beauregard to General C. M. Wilcox
- MHSM Papers: Operations of the Army of the Potomac, June 5-15, 1864 by Colonel Theodore Lyman
- MHSM Papers: Some Observations Concerning the Opposing Forces at Petersburg on June 15, 1864 by Frank E. Peabody
- MHSM Papers: The Failure to Take Petersburg June 15, 1864 by Colonel Thomas L. Livermore
- MHSM Papers: The Failure to Take Petersburg on June 16-18, 1864 by John C. Ropes
- MHSM Papers: The Movement Against Petersburg June, 1864 by Major-General William F. Smith
- MOLLUS ME: With the Seventh Maine Battery by Brevet Major William B. Lapham
- No. 2 Sketch of Road From Pontoon Bridge at Point of Rocks to Petersburg Showing Line of Works Captured by 18th Army Corps (OR Atlas 65:9)
- Operations South of the James River: I. First Attempts to Capture Petersburg by August V. Kautz
- Philetus Shaw Diary: June 17, 1864
- Sketch No. 8 of Road Between Bermuda Hundred and Enemy's First Line of Intrenchments on the North and Petersburg on the South June 15, 1864 (OR Atlas 65:1)
- The 36th Wisconsin at the Second Battle of Petersburg: Major H.M. Brown's Account
- The Battle of Petersburg: June 15-18, 1864 National Park Service Map
- The Battle of Petersburg: June 15-18, 1864 Wikipedia Map
- The Petersburg Campaign: Wasted Valor June 15-18, 1864 by Thomas Howe
- The Second Battle of Petersburg: June 15-17,1864 (Newspaper Map)
- The Second Battle of Petersburg: June 15-18, 1864
- Ulysses S. Grant's Utter Failure at the Battle of Petersburg: June 15-18, 1864 by Bryce Suderow
- Unpublished Siege of Petersburg Report of Major General Bushrod R. Johnson, C. S. Army, commanding Johnson’s division, of operations June 16-18, 1864
Source: CWSAC Battle Summary