The Battle of Petersburg, June 15-18, 1864

The Battle of Petersburg was the culmination of the Virginia Overland campaign, which pitted the Army of the Potomac, led by Ulysses S. Grant and George Gordon Meade, against Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. In spite of having outmaneuvered Lee, after three days of battle in which the Confederates at Petersburg were severely outnumbered, Union forces failed to take the city, and their final, futile attack on the fourth day only added to already staggering casualties. By holding Petersburg against great odds, the Confederacy arguably won its last great strategic victory of the Civil War. In __The Battle of Petersburg, June 15–18, 1864__, Sean Michael Chick takes an in-depth look at an important battle often overlooked by historians and offers a new perspective on why the Army of the Potomac’s leadership, from Grant down to his corps commanders, could not win a battle in which they held colossal advantages. He also discusses the battle’s wider context, including politics, memory, and battlefield preservation. Highlights include the role played by African American soldiers on the first day and a detailed retelling of the famed attack of the First Maine Heavy Artillery, which lost more men than any other Civil War regiment in a single battle. In addition, the book has a fresh and nuanced interpretation of the generalships of Grant, Meade, Lee, P. G. T. Beauregard, and William Farrar Smith during this critical battle. Even one hundred and fifty years later, we are haunted by the Civil War--by its division, its bloodshed, and its origins. Today, many believe that the war was fought over slavery. This answer satisfies our contemporary sense of justice, but as Gary Gallagher shows in this revisionist history, it is an anachronistic judgment. In a searing analysis of the Civil War North as revealed in contemporary letters, diaries, and documents, Gallagher demonstrates that what motivated the North to go to war and persist in an increasingly bloody effort was primarily preservation of the Union. Devotion to the Union bonded nineteenth-century Americans in the North and West against a slaveholding aristocracy in the South and a Europe that seemed destined for oligarchy. Northerners believed they were fighting to save the republic, and with it the world's best hope for democracy. Once we understand the centrality of union, we can in turn appreciate the force that made northern victory possible: the citizen-soldier. Gallagher reveals how the massive volunteer army of the North fought to confirm American exceptionalism by salvaging the Union. Contemporary concerns have distorted the reality of nineteenth-century Americans, who embraced emancipation primarily to punish secessionists and remove slavery as a future threat to union-goals that emerged in the process of war. As Gallagher recovers why and how the Civil War was fought, we gain a more honest understanding of why and how it was won--From book jacket The Battle Of Petersburg Was The Culmination Of The Virginia Overland Campaign, Which Pitted The Army Of The Potomac, Led By Ulysses S. Grant And George Gordon Meade, Against Robert E. Lee's Army Of Northern Virginia. In Spite Of Having Outrmanoeuvred Lee, After Three Days Of Battle In Which The Confederates At Petersburg Were Severely Outnumbered, Union Forces Failed To Take The City, And Their Final, Futile Attack On The Fourth Day Only Added To Already Staggering Casualties. By Holding Petersburg Against Great Odds, The Confederacy Arguably Won Its Last Great Strategic Victory Of The Civil War.--book Jacket. From The Rapidan To The Chickahominy: March 10-june 3, 1864 -- From The Chickahominy To The James: June 4-14, 1864 -- Day One: Wednesday, June 15, 1864 -- Day Two: Thursday, June 16, 1864 -- Day Three: Friday, June 17, 1864 -- Day Four: Saturday, June 18, 1864 -- Ten Months At Petersburg: June 19, 1864-april 26, 1865 -- Civil War Memory And The Battle Of Petersburg. Sean Michael Chick. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover 1 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Contents 8 List of Illustrations 10 List of Maps 12 Preface 14 Introduction 20 1. From the Rapidan to the Chickahominy: March 10– June 3, 1864 28 2. From the Chickahominy to the James: June 4– 14, 1864 71 3. Day One: Wednesday, June 15, 1864 117 4. Day Two: Thursday, June 16, 1864 171 5. Day Three: Friday, June 17, 1864 210 6. Day Four: Saturday, June 18, 1864 262 7. Ten Months at Petersburg: June 19, 1864– April 26, 1865 310 8. Civil War Memory and the Battle of Petersburg 357 Appendix: Order of Battle 390 Notes 406 Bibliography 426 Index 456