182-757: The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia , fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War . Although it is more popularly known as the siege of Petersburg , it was not a classic military siege , in which a city is encircled with fortifications blocking all routes of ingress and egress, nor was it strictly limited to actions against Petersburg. The campaign consisted of nine months of trench warfare in which Union forces commanded by Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant assaulted Petersburg unsuccessfully and then constructed trench lines that eventually extended over 30 miles (48 km) from
364-474: A weroance , King Coquonosum , and by his sister, Queen Oppussoquionuske . This Algonquian -speaking people later had a town at Rohoic Creek (formerly known as Rohowick or Indian Towne Run). Present-day Petersburg developed to the east. Petersburg was founded at a strategic point at the fall line of the Appomattox River and settled by English colonists. By 1635 they had patented land along
546-477: A "butcher". Although Grant suffered high losses during the campaign—approximately 50,000 casualties, or 41%—Lee lost even higher percentages of his men—approximately 32,000, or 46%—losses that could not be replaced. On the night of June 12, Grant again advanced by his left flank, marching to the James River . He planned to cross to the south bank of the river, bypassing Richmond, and isolate Richmond by seizing
728-710: A Democratic politician in the Jim Crow South, Arnold promised to "deal with all Virginians fairly", whatever their ethnicity. He was endorsed by Arthur Wergs Mitchell , the first black American to be elected to the United States Congress as a Democrat. Arnold ultimately lost the Democratic primary to John S. Battle , who won the gubernatorial election. Even after the Great Migration of many blacks to northern jobs and cities, Petersburg
910-606: A back road in the direction of Reams Station and was attacked by Lee's division late in the day. The Union cavalrymen were able to slip out of the trap under the cover of darkness and rode north on the Halifax Road for the supposed security of Reams Station. In the First Battle of Reams Station on June 29, Kautz approached Reams Station from the west expecting to find the friendly infantry promised by Humphreys but found Confederate infantry instead—Mahone's division blocking
1092-454: 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 . Lee's Confederate force consisted of his own Army of Northern Virginia , as well as a scattered, disorganized group of 10,000 men defending Richmond under Beauregard. Many of the men under Beauregard's command consisted of soldiers who were either too young or too old to fight in
1274-582: A court of inquiry, which was never convened, but Grant later reassigned him and the incident was dropped. Grant selected Butler's Army of the James, which had performed poorly in the Bermuda Hundred campaign, to lead the expedition toward Petersburg. On June 14 he directed Butler to augment the XVIII Corps , commanded by Smith, to a strength of 16,000 men, including Kautz's cavalry division, and use
1456-532: A kind of blueprint for the national civil rights movement. Beginning in the 1950s black Americans in Petersburg struggled to desegregate public schools and facilities. In 1958 the City Council closed Wilcox Lake, a popular swimming hole in Petersburg to prevent the lake's public recreational area from being racially integrated. It never re-opened to swimming. Through sit-ins in the bus terminal in 1960,
1638-644: A large, poorly trained, cavalry force would march north toward the middle river. Banks would allow cotton speculators to come along, and Porter was bringing barges to collect cotton as lucrative naval prizes. Senior staff officers of the Confederate States Army were confused as to whether the Red River region, Mobile Bay , or coastal Texas was the primary objective of the Union army spring 1864 campaign. General E. Kirby Smith, commanding general of
1820-615: A major Union offensive campaign in the Trans-Mississippi theater of the American Civil War , the campaign taking place from March 10 to May 22, 1864. It was launched through the densely forested gulf coastal plain region between the Red River Valley and central Arkansas towards the end of the war. The offensive was intended to stop Confederate use of the Louisiana port of Shreveport , open an outlet for
2002-691: A mostly agricultural state with few major cities. Starting in 1813, the city paved its streets, which helped attract business. In 1816 the Upper Appomattox Canal Company completed the Upper Appomattox Canal Navigation System to bypass the Appomattox Falls, which facilitated traffic up and down river to Farmville as well as powered cotton and flour mills. Petersburg responded to the silting-up of its Appomattox River port by building
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#17327977559742184-399: A new campus there. This is the site of the present-day Central State Hospital , which provides a variety of mental health services. In 1894 a fireworks factory exploded killing eleven people. The limitations of Petersburg's small geographic area and proximity to Richmond are structural problems that have hampered it in adapting to major economic changes in the 20th century. Other forces in
2366-411: A newly created regional department. The expedition was a Union failure, the outcome of which did not have a major impact on the war. Conversely, it may have extended the length of the war by several months, as it diverted Union efforts from the far more important objective of capturing Mobile, Alabama. That event did not occur until 1865, and could probably have been accomplished by June 1864 if not for
2548-652: A peninsula on the north shore of the Appomattox River ) became the area's free black residential area. With access to waterways and a population sympathetic to refugee slaves, this neighborhood was an important site on the Underground Railroad . During the Antebellum period Petersburg became the slave states' eleventh largest city, and 49th among all American cities in industrial development. Commission merchants (39 firms by 1860) bought agricultural products from nearby Dinwiddie County as well as points to
2730-725: A prehistoric Native American settlement dated to 6,500 BCE , the early third of the Archaic Period (8,000 to 1,000 BCE). Succeeding cultures of indigenous peoples lived in the area for thousands of years before European exploration and colonization. When the English arrived in Virginia in 1607, the region was occupied by the Appamatuck , a significant tribe of the Powhatan Confederacy . They were governed by
2912-558: A recruit unless with his own consent and with the approbation of his master by a written instrument conferring, as far as he may, the rights of a freedman ". During the war a total of nearly 187,000 African Americans served in the Union Army . Of those the greatest concentration of U.S. Colored Troops was at Petersburg. In the initial assault upon the city on June 15, a division of USCTs in the XVIII Corps helped capture and secure
3094-598: A ridge overlooking Chatman's Bayou. The Confederates pushed forward, but Emory's division repulsed attempts to take this location. However, the Union forces did not have control of the precious water in the bayou. During the night, Banks decided to withdraw back to Pleasant Hill because of lack of water and the desire to unite with A. J. Smith's men. The Battle of Mansfield was over. The Federals suffered approximately 2,400 casualties, almost half of which were from Landram's division – two of his eight regiments were captured in
3276-929: A section of the Dimmock line . The other division at Petersburg was with the IX Corps and it fought in the Battle of the Crater , July 30. In December, all the USCTs around Petersburg were incorporated into three divisions and became the XXV Corps of the Army of the James . It was the largest black force assembled during the war and varied between 9,000 and 16,000 men. Overall in the Petersburg Campaign USCTs would participate in 6 major engagements and earn 15 of
3458-484: A substantial business community, based on manufacture of tobacco products, cotton and flour and banking. At the time of the American Civil War , Petersburg was the second-largest city in Virginia after the capital, Richmond, and the seventh-largest city in the Confederacy. Petersburg's population had the highest percentage of free black Americans of any city in the Confederacy and the largest number of free blacks in
3640-437: A successful mission to capture much of Taylor's cavalry and his outpost upriver from Alexandria at the Battle of Henderson's Hill on March 21. Nearly 250 Confederates and a four-gun artillery battery were captured without a shot being fired. When he arrived at Alexandria, Banks found an important message waiting for him. Two weeks earlier, on March 12, 1864, Lieutenant-General Ulysses S. Grant had been named General-in-Chief of
3822-481: A transportation hub. Area highways include Interstate Highways 85 , 95 , and U.S. Route highways with 1 , 301 , and 460 . Both CSX and Norfolk Southern rail systems maintain transportation centers at Petersburg. Amtrak serves the city with daily Northeast Regional passenger trains to Norfolk, Virginia , and long-distance routes from states to the South. In the early 21st century, Petersburg civic leaders promote
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#17327977559744004-399: A week later. Constant cavalry and naval skirmishing had been going on since March 21. On April 2, Brigadier-General Albert L. Lee 's division of Union cavalry collided with 1,500 arriving Confederate Texas cavalrymen. These Confederates would continue to resist any Union advance. Union intelligence, meanwhile, had determined that there were additional forces besides Taylor and the cavalry up
4186-640: A wide-ranging cavalry raid (the Wilson–Kautz Raid ) 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. Meade selected the II Corps, still temporarily commanded by Birney, and Wright's VI Corps. On June 21, elements of the II Corps probed toward the railroad and skirmished with Confederate cavalry. By
4368-547: Is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census , the population was 33,458 with a majority black American population. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines Petersburg (along with the city of Colonial Heights ) with Dinwiddie County for statistical purposes. The city is 21 miles (34 km) south of the commonwealth (state) capital city of Richmond . It
4550-655: Is located at the fall line (the head of navigation of rivers on the U.S. East Coast ) of the Appomattox River (a tributary of the longer larger James River which flows east to meet the southern mouth of the Chesapeake Bay at the Hampton Roads harbor and the Atlantic Ocean ). In 1645, the Virginia House of Burgesses ordered Fort Henry built, which attracted both traders and settlers to
4732-567: The 18th Corps , attacked the Dimmock Line , a series of defensive breastworks constructed to protect Petersburg. General Robert E. Lee arrived with his Army of Northern Virginia , and the 292-day Siege of Petersburg began. Due to botched Union leadership and arrival of Confederate General William Mahone , the Union forces suffered a disastrous defeat at the Battle of the Crater , suffering over 4,000 casualties. In early April 1865, Union troops finally managed to push their left flank to
4914-546: The 2nd Ohio Cavalry and 5th New York Cavalry, turning the Federal left flank. Wilson sent a messenger north who was able to slip through the Confederate lines and urgently requested help from Meade at City Point. Meade alerted Wright to prepare to move his entire VI Corps to Reams Station, but he realized that it would take too long on foot and requested help from Sheridan's cavalry as well. Sheridan demurred, complaining of
5096-651: The 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment , the only regiment from the Keystone State to fight in this campaign, on a route up the Bayou Teche (in Louisiana, the term bayou is used to refer to a slow moving river or stream ), where they would be met by 15,000 troops sent down from Major-General William T. Sherman 's forces in Vicksburg, Mississippi , and under the command of Brigadier-General Andrew J. Smith . Smith's forces were available to Banks only until
5278-656: The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), the final British drive to regain control of the colony led to the Battle of Blanford in April 1781, which started just east of Petersburg. As Virginia militia retreated north across the Appomattox River, they took up the planks of the wooden Pocahontas bridge to delay the enemy. Although the British captured Blanford and Petersburg, they did not regain
5460-484: The Appomattox River that provided navigable access to the James River, and its role as a major crossroads and junction for five railroads. Since Petersburg was the main supply base and rail depot for the entire region, including Richmond, the taking of Petersburg by Union forces would make it impossible for Lee to continue defending Richmond (the Confederate capital). This represented a change of strategy from that of
5642-475: The Battle of Jenkins' Ferry and Steele retreating to Little Rock. Smith left Taylor with one infantry division and the cavalry with which to continue to harass Banks. Learning that some of Taylor's 5,000 men had gotten south of him and that the fleet had left for Alexandria, Banks ordered a retreat from Grand Ecore. At the Battle of Monett's Ferry on April 23, some of Banks' forces crossed the Cane River on
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5824-505: The Battle of Pleasant Hill suffered roughly equal casualties of 1,600. It was a tactical victory for the Federals, but a strategic Confederate one because the Union army retreated following the battle. More than 2,000 Union soldiers were captured during the battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, many of whom were marched to Camp Ford near Tyler, Texas, where they were held until their release during subsequent prisoner exchanges between
6006-712: The Battle of Trevilian Station on June 11–12, to join the pursuit and attack Wilson and Kautz. Before leaving on his raid, Wilson had received assurances from Meade's chief of staff, Major General Andrew A. Humphreys , that the Army of the Potomac would be immediately taking control of the Weldon Railroad at least as far south as Reams Station, so Wilson decided that would be an appropriate place to return to Union lines. The Union defeat at Jerusalem Plank Road made those assurances inoperable. Wilson and Kautz were surprised on
6188-489: The Battle of the Crater and Chaffin's Farm . In March 1864, Ulysses S. Grant was promoted to lieutenant general and was given command of the Union Army. He devised a coordinated strategy to apply pressure on the Confederacy from many points, something President Abraham Lincoln had urged his generals to do from the beginning of the war. Grant put Major General William T. Sherman in immediate command of all forces in
6370-538: The Battle of the Crater and nine months of trench warfare devastated the city. Battlefield sites are partly preserved as Petersburg National Battlefield by the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior . Petersburg rebuilt its railroads, including a connecting terminal by 1866, although it never quite regained its economic position because much shipping traffic would continue to
6552-623: The Confederacy , while African Americans fought in the Union Army of the Potomac as soldiers of the United States Colored Troops . At the beginning of the American Civil War , Virginia had a black population of about 549,000. This meant that of the Confederacy 's total black population, one in six blacks lived in Virginia. Of those African Americans in Virginia 89% were slaves . In Petersburg about half
6734-536: The Howlett defensive line , which was bottling up Butler's army in Bermuda Hundred. This made the divisions under Hoke and Johnson available for the new Petersburg defensive line. 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. By the morning of June 16, Beauregard had concentrated about 14,000 men in his defensive line, but this paled in comparison to
6916-729: The Mid-Atlantic . This was part of a drive to improve public education that started with the Reconstruction legislature. In 1888, its first president, John Mercer Langston , was elected to the US Congress on the Republican ticket, the first black American to be elected to Congress from Virginia. In 1882, the state legislature also authorized moving the mental asylum facility to the Mayfield Farm and developing
7098-570: The Richmond and Petersburg Railroad in 1835, and three years later it opened between Petersburg's Pocahontas neighborhood and Richmond's Manchester neighborhood, proving a more convenient and cheaper link than the Manchester Turnpike. The legislature in 1846 chartered Southside Railroad to Farmville and Lynchburg to the west. It would run 124 miles westward and supersede the technologically outdated Upper Appomattox Canal and acquire
7280-562: The West and moved his own headquarters to be with the Army of the Potomac (still commanded by Major General George G. Meade ) in Virginia, where he intended to maneuver Lee's army to a decisive battle; his secondary objective was to capture Richmond (the capital of the Confederacy), but Grant knew that the latter would happen automatically once the former was accomplished. His coordinated strategy called for Grant and Meade to attack Lee from
7462-586: The garrison for that city after its capture. This plan was ready to be set in action in early March 1864, after somewhat belated communication initiated by Banks to inform Sherman and Porter of their roles in Halleck's strategy. Banks sent Sherman, Halleck, and Porter a report prepared by Major David Houston clearly showing the near impossibility of maintaining an occupation in Shreveport and east Texas without major resources. Most of Banks' men, accompanied by
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7644-483: The 1880s, a coalition of black Republicans and white Populists held power for several years in the state legislature. This resulted in two major public institutions in Petersburg, as the legislature invested for education and welfare. In 1882, the legislature founded Virginia State University in nearby Ettrick as Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute. It was one of the first public (fully state-supported) four-year historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) in
7826-639: The 1950s, Petersburg became the southern terminus of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike , predating the U.S. Interstate Highway System . Since that time, Petersburg has struggled in competition with nearby Richmond, as the capital has grown to dominate the region in a changing economy as industries restructured. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Virginia's Democratic Party –dominated legislature approved constitutional changes that effectively disenfranchised most blacks and many poor whites. Those disfranchised suffered major losses in
8008-541: The 1960s, many middle-class families moved to newer housing in the predominantly white suburbs. They also moved to the Richmond metro area, where the economy was expanding with jobs in new fields of financial and retail services. Some companies shifted industrial jobs to states further south, where wages were lower, or overseas. The declining economy increased the pressure of competition and racial tensions in Petersburg. These flared from 1968 until 1980, when black members of
8190-451: The 1st Brigade, First Division, V Corps , was severely wounded. At 6:30 p.m., Meade ordered a final assault, which also failed with more horrendous losses. One of the leading regiments was the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery Regiment , which lost 632 of 900 men in the assault, the heaviest single-battle loss of any regiment during the entire war. Having achieved almost no gains from four days of assaults, and with Lincoln facing re-election in
8372-724: The 25 total Medals of Honor that were awarded to African American soldiers in the Civil War. African Americans served in varying capacities at the Union supply base at City Point . They served as pickets, railroad workers, and laborers "discharging the ships, wheeling the dirt, sawing the timber and driving the piles." Many also worked at the Depot Field Hospital as cooks. While Lee and Grant faced each other after Cold Harbor, Benjamin Butler became aware that Confederate troops had been moving north to reinforce Lee, leaving
8554-535: The 50,000 federals that now faced him. Grant had arrived with Burnside's IX Corps, addressed the confusion of Hancock's orders, and ordered a reconnaissance for weak points in the defensive line. Hancock, in temporary command of the Army of the Potomac until Meade arrived, prepared Smith's XVIII corps on the right, his own II Corps in the center, and Burnside's IX Corps on the left. Hancock's assault began around 5:30 p.m. as all three corps moved slowly forward. Beauregard's men fought fiercely, erecting new breastworks to
8736-538: The 8 mile long City Point Railroad , which linked the city to City Point on the James River, reachable by larger Chesapeake Bay and Norfolk -bound ships. During the same decade Petersburg became a railroad center. The Virginia and North Carolina legislatures authorized the 65-mile long Petersburg and Weldon Railroad , in 1830 (three years after the first American railway, the B.& O. ) and its "Southern depot" began handling (mostly freight) traffic to Weldon, North Carolina in 1833. The Virginia legislature authorized
8918-655: The Appomattox Railroad in 1854. Petersburg business interests for years managed to block a charter for the last major line, the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad , which was completed in 1858. It connected Petersburg to the Atlantic Ocean port of Norfolk and would foster more growth in that city than Petersburg itself. In 1851 the city introduced gaslights and by 1857 installed a new municipal water system. All these civic improvements helped attract and hold
9100-526: The Appomattox shortly after dawn on June 15. Kautz's cavalry, leading the advance, encountered an unexpected stronghold at Baylor's farm northeast of Petersburg. Hinks's men launched two attacks on the Confederates and captured a cannon, but the overall advance was delayed until early afternoon. Smith started his attack after delaying until about 7 p.m., deploying a strong skirmish line that swept over
9282-461: The Armies of the United States, replacing Halleck. In Grant's message, he told Banks it was "important that Shreveport be taken as soon as possible," because A. J. Smith's command must be returned to Sherman by the middle of April, "even if it leads to the abandonment of the main object of your expedition." Kirby Smith had nearly 80,000 men to call upon, but was undecided where to move them to counter
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#17327977559749464-439: The Army of Northern Virginia, or men who had been discharged from Lee's army due to wounds that rendered them unfit for service. The Army of Northern Virginia was initially organized into four corps: Beauregard's Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia had four depleted divisions commanded by major generals Robert Ransom Jr. , Robert F. Hoke William H. C. Whiting , and Brigadier General Alfred H. Colquitt . (Later in
9646-500: The Arnold Pen Company, at the time one of the largest manufacturers of fountain pens , launched a campaign for Governor of Virginia. As a Petersburg city councilman, Arnold had pushed through a budgetary increase earmarked for equality and fair access for public housing and recreational facilities for everyone, including people of color, and increased budgetary considerations for the black schools in Petersburg. Unusually for
9828-560: The Cavalry Corps too small to conduct the operation alone, particularly since Meade required Wilson to leave 1,400 men behind for picket duty, so he directed Butler to contribute Kautz's small division (2,000 troopers) to the effort. Early on the morning of June 22, 3,300 men, 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, 7 miles (11 km) south of Petersburg. Kautz's men moved to
10010-472: The City Council accused the white Mayor of racism over a re-districting plan which they and the ACLU alleged was designed to allow whites to maintain white supremacy in the city. For decades, the city government was run by a small group of white businessmen and bankers. Most were wealthy enough to own homes in the exclusive Walnut Hill neighborhood and their interrelated families had been established there for generations. In 1980 one black councilwoman described
10192-471: The Confederacy could. This theory was tested at the Battle of Cold Harbor (May 31 – June 12) when Grant's army once again came into contact with Lee's near Mechanicsville . He chose to engage Lee's army directly, by ordering a frontal assault on the Confederate fortified positions on June 3. This attack was repulsed with heavy losses. Cold Harbor was a battle that Grant regretted more than any other and Northern newspapers thereafter frequently referred to him as
10374-458: The Confederate 20,000. More typical of the full campaign was in mid-July, when 70,000 Union troops faced 36,000 Confederates around Petersburg, and 40,000 men under Butler faced 21,000 around Richmond. The Union Army, despite suffering horrific losses during the Overland Campaign, was able to replenish its soldiers and equipment, taking advantage of garrison troops from Washington, D.C. , and the increasing availability of African-American soldiers. By
10556-452: The Confederate Congress urging them to pass pending legislation to arm and enlist black slaves in exchange for their freedom. On March 13, the Confederate Congress passed legislation to raise and enlist companies of black soldiers. The legislation was then promulgated into military policy by Davis in General Order No. 14 on March 23. The emancipation offered, however, was still reliant upon one's master agreement; "no slave will be accepted as
10738-710: The Confederate flank and forced a division of Confederate cavalry under Brigadier-General Hamilton P. Bee to flee. The rest of the march to Alexandria was unremarkable, but Porter ran into a delaying ambush at the mouth of Cane River after he tarried to blow up the stuck USS Eastport . At Alexandria, relations between Banks and many of the others deteriorated further. Each side sent exaggerated accounts to friendly newspapers and supporters. Major-General John A. McClernand arrived with reinforcements from Texas, and he had also previously had poor relations with A. J. Smith and Porter. Smith obeyed only those orders he wanted to obey. Porter could not get many of his ironclads over
10920-425: The Confederate line and launched a surprise attack at dawn. Initially successful, it captured nearly a mile of the Confederate fortifications and about 600 prisoners, but the effort eventually failed when Potter's men moved forward to find another line of entrenchments. IX Corps assaults at 2 p.m., led by the brigade of Brigadier General John F. Hartranft , and in the evening, by Ledlie's division, both failed. During
11102-421: The Confederates several weeks to repair, but it came at the cost of 1,445 Union casualties, or about a quarter of their force. Wilson lost 33 killed, 108 wounded, and 674 captured or missing. Kautz lost 48 killed, 153 wounded, and 429 captured or missing. Although Wilson counted the raid as a strategic success, Grant reluctantly described the expedition as a "disaster." In preparation for the forthcoming Battle of
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#173279775597411284-527: The Crater , Grant wanted Lee to dilute his forces in the Petersburg trenches by attracting them elsewhere. He ordered Hancock's II Corps and two divisions of Sheridan's Cavalry Corps to cross the James River to Deep Bottom by pontoon bridge and advance against the Confederate capital. His plan called for Hancock to pin down the Confederates at Chaffin's Bluff and prevent reinforcements from opposing Sheridan's cavalry, which would attack Richmond if practicable. If not—a circumstance Grant considered more likely—Sheridan
11466-495: The Dimmock line where it crossed the Jerusalem Plank Road (present-day U.S. Route 301 , Crater Road). The Confederates' Battery 27, also known as Rives's Salient, was manned by 150 militiamen commanded by Major Fletcher H. Archer. Kautz first launched a probing attack, then paused. His main attack was by the 11th Pennsylvania Cavalry against the home guard, a group consisting primarily of teenagers, elderly men, and some wounded soldiers from city hospitals. The home guards retreated to
11648-506: The II and XVIII Corps on the Union right. The II Corps was surprised to make rapid progress against the Confederate line, not realizing that Beauregard had moved it back the night before. When they encountered the second line, the attack immediately ground to a halt and the corps suffered under heavy Confederate fire for hours. By noon, another attack plan had been devised to break through the Confederate defenses. However, by this time, elements of Lee's army had reinforced Beauregard's troops. By
11830-504: The James River, which opened in 1838 (and was acquired by the city and renamed the Appomattox Railroad in 1847). As discussed below, that became one of four railroads built (some with government subsidies) constructed (with separated terminals to the advantage of local freight haulers) before the American Civil War . In 1860, the city's industries and transportation combined to make it the state's second largest city (after Richmond). It connected commerce as far inland as Farmville, Virginia at
12012-415: The Lynch and Callender mills at Ettick and Matoaca and Battersea across the Appomattox river, and the Merchant's Manufacturing Company had another mill at Campbell Bridge near Ettrick. Together those cotton mills constituted approximately a third of that industry in the state. The town also had three water-powered flour mills by 1860, and five iron foundries. The city became an important industrial center in
12194-432: The Mid-Atlantic region. When the Civil War began in 1861, Petersburg was strategic in supporting the Confederate effort. The city provided several infantry companies and artillery units to the Confederate Army, along with three troops of cavalry. In April 1861 more than 300 free black Americans of Petersburg volunteered to work on the fortifications of Norfolk, Virginia under their own leader. Slaveholders also contributed
12376-442: The Mississippi, an engagement at Mansura on May 16 was fought with almost no casualties. Yellow Bayou , the final conflict of the campaign, took place on May 18 with significant casualties in a burning forest. Transport ships were lashed together to allow Union forces to cross the wide Atchafalaya River . General Banks, on arrival near the Mississippi, was met by Brigadier-General Edward Canby , who had been named Bankss superior in
12558-403: The Norfolk seaport. After the consolidations of smaller railroads, both the CSX and Norfolk Southern railway networks serve Petersburg. Petersburg has the oldest free black settlements in the state at Pocahontas Island. Two Baptist churches in the city, whose congregations were founded in the late 18th century, are among the oldest black congregations and churches in the United States . In
12740-500: The PIA gained agreement by the president of the Bus Terminal Restaurants to desegregate lunch counters in Petersburg and several other cities. Virginia officials strongly opposed school integration following the 1954 US Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that segregated public schools were unconstitutional. They initiated the program of Massive Resistance . For instance, rather than allow schools to be integrated, then Governor of Virginia , J. Lindsay Almond ordered
12922-452: The Petersburg City Schools, which had become predominantly black due to whites sending their children to private schools or moving to suburbs. Projected industrial development of large tracts of farmland in the annexed areas failed to take place. In 1985 Petersburg again sought to annex more land from Prince George County. This time the nearby City of Hopewell , a city that already had huge amounts of taxable industry within its borders, joined
13104-682: The Petersburg Volunteers—who distinguished themselves in action at the Siege of Fort Meigs on the Great Lakes frontier on May 5, 1813. Fourth President James Madison called Petersburg "Cockade of the Union" (which later was applied to the town as a nickname "Cockade City"), in honor of the cockades which Volunteers wore on their caps. Petersburg Blacks established the First Baptist (1774) and Gillfield Baptist Church (1797),
13286-530: The Petersburg city government as "our own little version of the Byrd Machine ", comparing it to the political organization led by segregationist Democrat , Harry Flood Byrd , that controlled Virginia politics for decades. In 1968, following the April assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. , Petersburg was the first city to designate his birthday as a holiday; in 1983 it would be memorialized as
13468-548: The Red River campaign. The failure of the expedition effectively ended the military career of Banks, and controversy surrounding his retreat, the presence of cotton speculators and the use of military boats to remove cotton dogged his early postbellum congressional campaigns. Admiral Porter realized a substantial sum of money during the expedition from the sale of cotton as prizes of war. The Confederates lost two key commanders, Mouton and Green, and suffered casualties they could not afford. Perhaps more importantly, relations between
13650-489: The Red River on March 14, capturing 317 Confederate prisoners and the only heavy guns available to the Confederates. This signaled the beginning of the expedition. Admiral Porter was then able to remove a giant raft blocking the river without much difficulty. Taylor was forced to retreat, abandoning Alexandria , and ceding south and central Louisiana to the Union forces. A. J. Smith's force arrived at Alexandria on March 20, 1864, intending to rendezvous with Banks' forces, under
13832-881: The South Side Railroad, destroying about 30 miles (50 km) of track as they went. On June 24, while Kautz remained to skirmish around Burkeville, Wilson crossed over to Meherrin Station on the Richmond and Danville and began destroying track. On June 25, Wilson and Kautz continued tearing up track south to the Staunton River Bridge at Roanoke Station (modern-day Randolph ), where they encountered approximately 1,000 "old men and boys" (the Home Guard), commanded by Captain Benjamin L. Farinholt, dug in with earthworks and prepared artillery positions at
14014-736: The Trans-Mississippi Department, nevertheless started moving many of his troops to the Shreveport area. The Union order of battle at the start of the campaign was as follows: The Confederate order of battle at the start of the campaign was as follows: Major-General William B. Franklin , commanding the advance divisions of Banks' Army of the Gulf , began his march from southern Louisiana on March 10. Meanwhile, A. J. Smith and his two corps detachments traveled via boat from Vicksburg down to Simmesport . After an all-night march, Smith's men surprised and captured Fort DeRussy on
14196-406: The Union and Confederate armies, or until their deaths there from disease or malnutrition. On the river, the Confederates had diverted water into a tributary, causing the already low Red River level to fall further. When Admiral Porter, slowly heading upriver, learned that Banks was retreating, he followed suit. There was a brief engagement near Blair's Landing on April 12, in which General Green
14378-400: The Union army was in disarray and would not attack. Around 4 p.m., Taylor ordered the attack to begin. Mouton led his infantry across an 800-yard wide field and attacked the Union right, formed behind a rail fence. While Mouton's assault was repulsed by Landram's infantry, Taylor advanced the rest of his entire line, including Walker's division, against the Union left. Walker's men brushed aside
14560-420: The Union cavalry obstructed the road, resulting in the loss of artillery which could not be extracted in the retreat. However, Confederate soldiers halted to loot some of the Union wagons, giving Banks' troops needed time to fall back. As Confederate command and control was reestablished for the pursuit, the men ran into a third Union force, under Brigadier-General William H. Emory , about 5,800 men sitting atop
14742-400: The Union flank, but it was actually the center. Confederate cavalry also miscalculated positions and suffered heavily from flank fire. Churchill's men did succeed in collapsing this Union center position, but this also brought his men into the middle of a U-shaped position, with A. J. Smith's unused divisions forming the base of the "U". Though part of the advanced Union right had also collapsed,
14924-499: The Weldon Railroad. 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. In parallel to Birney's and Wright's infantry action at the Jerusalem Plank Road, Wilson was ordered by Meade to conduct a raid destroying as much track as possible south and southwest of Petersburg. Grant considered Wilson's 3rd Division of
15106-476: The ability to exercise their rights as citizens. The legislature also instituted Jim Crow laws, including imposing racial segregation . With many black Americans having served the nation and cause of freedom in WWII, in the postwar years they pressed for social justice, an end to segregation, and restoration of voting power. In 1949 Petersburg businessman and politician, Remmie Arnold , the president and owner of
15288-473: The afternoon of June 28 when they reached Stony Creek Station, 10 miles (16 km) south of Reams, as hundreds of Hampton's cavalrymen (under Brigadier General John R. Chambliss ) and infantry blocked their path. In the Battle of Sappony Church , Wilson's men tried to break through but had to fall back when Confederate brigadier generals Matthew C. Butler and Thomas L. Rosser threatened to envelop Wilson's left flank. Kautz's division, following Wilson's, took
15470-474: The aggressive Taylor and cautious Smith were permanently damaged by their disagreement over Smith's decision to remove half of Taylor's troops following the Battle of Pleasant Hill. The lost opportunity to capture the entire Union fleet as it lay helpless above the falls at Alexandria haunted Taylor to his dying day; he was certain that Smith had robbed him a chance to cripple the Union forces. The arguments between
15652-450: The annexation suit to try to annex commercial areas of Prince George County, including Fort Lee and suburban neighborhoods near the base where many military families live. Many residents of Prince George had relocated to stay within the county after the previous annexation by Petersburg. They were strongly opposed to another attempt by the cities to annex their neighborhoods. The U.S. Department of Defense also expressed strong opposition to
15834-602: The approaches to the Halifax Road and the railroad behind well-constructed earthworks. Kautz's attack by the 11th Pennsylvania and the 1st District of Columbia Cavalry along the Depot Road was unsuccessful and Mahone counterattacked against the flank of the Pennsylvanians. On the Stage Road to the north of the station, the brigades of brigadier generals Lunsford L. Lomax and Williams C. Wickham maneuvered around
16016-500: The area. The Town of Petersburg, chartered by the Virginia legislature in 1748, incorporated three early settlements, and in 1850 the legislature elevated it to city status. Petersburg grew as a transportation hub and also developed industry. It was the final destination on the Upper Appomattox Canal Navigation System , which opened in 1816, to a city mostly rebuilt after a devastating 1815 fire. When its Appomattox River port silted up, investors built an 8-mile railroad to City Point on
16198-691: The assignment of generals to Grant for political rather than military reasons . Butler's Army of the James bogged down against inferior forces under General P.G.T. Beauregard before Richmond in the Bermuda Hundred Campaign . Sigel was soundly defeated at the Battle of New Market in May and soon afterward he was replaced by Major General David Hunter . Banks was distracted by the Red River Campaign and failed to move on to Mobile, Alabama. However, Crook and Averell were able to cut
16380-433: The battle, and both of his brigade commanders were wounded and captured. The Confederates suffered about 1,000 casualties, including Mouton, who was killed leading his men in the opening charge. Taylor did not learn of Banks' retreat until dawn the next day; he then ordered an immediate pursuit with Brigadier-General Thomas Green 's cavalry. When they came upon Banks' line of battle near the town of Pleasant Hill, Taylor had
16562-461: The battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill . The Union had four goals at the start of the campaign: Union strategists in Washington thought that the occupation of east Texas and control of the Red River would separate Texas from the rest of the Confederacy . Texas was the source of much needed guns, food, and supplies for Confederate troops. Other historians have claimed that the campaign
16744-480: The battles; he repeatedly moved his army leftward to the southeast in a campaign that kept Lee on the defensive and moved ever closer to Richmond. 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. Grant knew that his larger army and base of manpower in the North could sustain a war of attrition better than Lee and
16926-544: The bridge. The Battle of Staunton River Bridge was a minor affair in which Kautz attempted multiple frontal assaults against the Home Guard, but his men never came closer than 80 yards (73 m). Lee's cavalry division closed on the Federals from the northeast and skirmished with Wilson's rear guard. Casualties on the Union side amounted to 42 killed, 44 wounded, and 30 missing or captured. Confederate losses were 10 killed and 24 wounded. Kautz's men gave up and retreated to
17108-407: The campaign, Beauregard's department was expanded and reorganized to consist of the divisions of major generals Hoke and Bushrod Johnson ). Grant's armies were significantly larger than Lee's during the campaign, although the strengths varied. During the initial assaults on the city, 15,000 Federal troops faced about 5,400 men under Beauregard. By June 18, the Federal strength exceeded 67,000 against
17290-419: The cavalry retreat a mile and wait for the infantry to arrive, which started arriving shortly after noon. Since the infantry had marched forty five miles in thirty-six hours, Taylor let them rest for two hours before ordering an attack. At 4 p.m. the next day, Confederate Brigadier-General Thomas J. Churchill 's arriving infantry started the attack on the Union forces. Churchill thought he was sending them into
17472-411: The citizens of Petersburg, black and white alike, since the mid-1960s, as a necessary measure to allow the city of expand its tax base and its potential for growth and development. The city argued to the counties that it was better prepared to provide municipal-type services than the predominantly rural counties and that the city needed more land for expected new development. The annexation was opposed by
17654-407: The city with heavy losses, but by this time Beauregard had been able to bring reinforcements from Richmond to bear, which were able to repulse the Union assault. Kautz, hearing no activity on Gillmore's front, presumed that he was left on his own and withdrew. Confederate casualties were about 80, Union 40. Butler was furious with Gillmore's timidity and incompetence and arrested him. Gillmore requested
17836-509: The city's historical attractions for heritage tourism, as well as industrial sites reachable by the transportation infrastructure. The federal government is also a major employer, with nearby Fort Gregg-Adams , as home of the United States Army 's Sustainment Center of Excellence , and the Army's Logistics Branch, Ordnance, Quartermaster, and Transportation Corps. Archaeological excavations at Pocahontas Island found evidence of
18018-468: The city's largest manufacturer, closed a cigarette factory in town. De-industrialization, restructuring of railroads, and related national structural economic changes cost many jobs in the city, as happened in numerous older industrial cities across the North and Midwest. The post-World War II national construction of highways encouraged development outside cities and suburbanization added to problems. In addition, reacting to racial integration of schools in
18200-462: The city, but Grant's force had been augmented by the arrival of Warren's V Corps and 67,000 Federals were present. On the morning of June 18, Meade went into a rage directed at his corps commanders because of his army's failure to take the initiative and break through the thinly defended Confederate positions and seize the city. He ordered the entire Army of the Potomac to attack the Confederate defenses. The first Union attack began at dawn, started by
18382-478: The city. Butler's plan was formulated on the afternoon of June 8, calling for three columns to cross the Appomattox and advance with 4,500 men. The first and second consisted of infantry from Gillmore's X Corps and USCTs from Hinks's 3rd Division of XVIII Corps , which was to attack the Dimmock line east of the city. The third was 1,300 cavalrymen under Kautz, who were to sweep around Petersburg and strike it from
18564-413: The city. The 2,500 Confederates stretched thin along this defensive line were commanded by a former Virginia governor, Brigadier General Henry A. Wise . Despite the number of fortifications, because of a series of hills and valleys around the outskirts of Petersburg there were several places along the outer defenses where cavalry could easily ride through undetected until they reached the inner defenses of
18746-487: The compact core: these include indie restaurants, bars and coffee shops. The long-abandoned Walnut Mall, which closed in the early 1990s, has been demolished. The Army has expanded activities at nearby Fort Gregg-Adams, home of the United States Army 's Sustainment Center of Excellence . The Army's Logistics Branch, Ordnance, Quartermaster, and the Transportation Corps moved there from Fort Eustis following
18928-405: The cotton, many speculators at Alexandria were disappointed. Taylor attempted to fool the Union command into believing many more men were present, but he did not try to stop the dam construction. He did shut down the lower river by attacking boats. Yet though General Taylor had promised to prevent the escape of the Federals, he could not do so. He blamed Kirby Smith for lack of support. En route to
19110-522: The county and city governments that have had negative impact on regional cooperation. Prince George County is predominantly white while the city of Petersburg is roughly four-fifths black. These strained relationships have slowed regional progress and eroded business confidence, hampering economic development in the region to the present day. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, numerous remaining retail merchants, including Thalhimers , JC Penney , and Sears Roebuck , left older shopping areas in Petersburg for
19292-435: The county governments, who lost most of their commercial tax base, as well as the residents of the annexed suburban areas. Following the annexation, blacks realized that the annexations had added 8,000 new white residents. City council members were then elected at-large, requiring majority approval for each seat. Black civil rights organizations challenged the annexations in court, saying these were motivated to illegally dilute
19474-533: The day, Beauregard's engineers had laid out new defensive positions a mile to the west of the Dimmock line, which the Confederates occupied late that night. Lee had systematically ignored all of Beauregard's pleas for reinforcements until now, but dispatched two divisions of his men, exhausted from the Overland campaign, to Petersburg, beginning at 3 a.m. on June 18. With the arrival of Lee's two divisions, under Kershaw and Field, Beauregard had over 20,000 men to defend
19656-454: The defense of Petersburg. At the beginning of the campaign, Grant's Union forces consisted of the Army of the Potomac , under Meade, and the Army of the James , under Butler. The Army of the Potomac included: The Army of the James included: On December 3, 1864, the racially integrated X Corps and XVIII Corps were reorganized to become the all-white XXIV Corps and the all-black (officers excepted) XXV Corps. Grant made his headquarters in
19838-501: The defenses of Petersburg in a vulnerable state. Sensitive to his failure in the Bermuda Hundred campaign , Butler sought to achieve a success to vindicate his generalship. He wrote, "the capture of Petersburg lay near my heart." Petersburg was protected by multiple lines of fortifications, the outermost of which was known as the Dimmock line, a line of earthworks and trenches 10 miles (16 km) long, with 55 redoubts, east of
20020-836: The early 1950s when they were both in divinity school in New York state. In 1957 they co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), an important force for leadership of the movement in the South. Walker also founded the Petersburg Improvement Association (PIA), modeled on the Montgomery Improvement Association in Alabama . According to Walker and other close associates of King, Petersburg had played an important role,
20202-498: The earthworks on a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) front, causing the Confederates to retreat to a weaker defensive line on Harrison's Creek. Despite this initial success and the prospect of a virtually undefended city immediately to his front, Smith decided to wait until dawn to resume his attack. By this time Hancock, the II Corps commander, had arrived at Smith's headquarters. The normally decisive and pugnacious Hancock, who outranked Smith,
20384-498: The eastern outskirts of Richmond, Virginia , to around the eastern and southern outskirts of Petersburg. Petersburg was crucial to the supply of Confederate General Robert E. Lee 's army and the Confederate capital of Richmond. Numerous raids were conducted and battles fought in attempts to cut off the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad . Many of these battles caused the lengthening of the trench lines. Lee finally gave in to
20566-464: The effect on his "worn-out horses and exhausted men." After the war, arguments persisted between Sheridan and Wilson about whether the former had adequately protected the raiders from the Confederate cavalry of Hampton and Fitzhugh Lee. 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. Caught in a trap without
20748-582: The end of April, when they would be sent back east where they were needed for other Union military actions. Banks would command this combined force of 35,000, which would be supported in its march up the Red River towards Shreveport by Rear-Admiral David Dixon Porter 's fleet of gunboats . At the same time, 7,000 Union troops from the Department of Arkansas under the command of Major-General Frederick Steele would be sent south from Arkansas to rendezvous with Banks in his attack on Shreveport, and to serve as
20930-632: The end of the siege, Grant had 125,000 men to begin the Appomattox campaign . The Confederate army, in contrast, had difficulty replacing men lost through battle, disease, and desertion. As a result of this severe lack of manpower facing the Confederates, when Beauregard's men occupied the trenches around the city, there were gaps in the line of up to 5 feet (1.5 m) between men. At the siege of Petersburg in June 1864, enslaved African Americans worked on digging trenches and other manual labor on behalf of
21112-403: The falls at Alexandria, which was covered with mines because the river had failed to achieve its seasonal rise in water level. Porter had also spent time gathering cotton in the interior, and Banks had conducted an election in the interim. Taylor now stationed himself 25 miles northwest at Pleasant Hill, still with fewer than 20,000 men. Once Banks had assembled more supplies, he continued advancing
21294-414: The falls at Alexandria. Colonel Joseph Bailey designed Bailey's Dam , to which Banks soon gave night-and-day attention. Several boats got through before a partial dam collapse. An extra upriver dam provided additional water depth, allowing the march to resume. When the Federals left Alexandria, the town went up in flames, the origins of which are disputed. Because the Confederates had already burned most of
21476-402: The federal Martin Luther King Jr. Day , becoming a true national holiday when South Carolina became the last state to sign the observance into law. In an attempt to stem its economic decline, in 1971 the city completed steps begun in 1966 to annex 14 square miles of land from adjacent and predominantly white counties of Prince George and Dinwiddie. The annexation had been generally supported by
21658-562: The first and second oldest black congregations in the city and two of the oldest in the nation. These black churches were the first Baptist churches established in Petersburg. The Gillfield Baptist Church obtained title to its land in 1818 and in 1859 completed a $ 7000 brick structure; the Petersburg African Baptist Church also owned its own sanctuary and the community also organized burial and other benevolent societies. Many free blacks in Virginia migrated to
21840-618: The foothills of the Blue Ridge and the Appalachian Mountains chain, to shipping further east into the Chesapeake Bay and North Atlantic Ocean . During the American Civil War (1861–1865), because of this railroad network, Petersburg became critical to Union plans to capture the Confederate States national capital established early in the war at Richmond. The 1864–65 Siege of Petersburg , which included
22022-415: The forces of Smith and Mower next launched a counterattack and, joined by neighboring regiments, they routed Taylor's men from the vicinity of Pleasant Hill. Some cannon were recaptured. Short of water and feed for the horses, not knowing where his supply boats were, and receiving divided opinions from his senior officers, Banks ordered a rapid retreat downriver to Natchitoches and Grand Ecore. Both sides at
22204-536: The growing urban community, despite increasing legislative restrictions. Until 1860 Petersburg was a majority black American city, although the enslaved population had few legal rights. Between 1850 and 1860, Petersburg's free black community increased 24%, although industrial growth fueled an even greater increase in the white population. Of the 18,366 people counted in Petersburg by federal census takers in 1860, 9,342 were white, 5,680 were slaves, and 3,244 free blacks. Thus in 1860, nearly 26% of all free persons were black,
22386-550: The highest proportion in any Southern city. Free Black men worked as tobacco twisters, in iron foundries, and as draymen, boatmen and cabdrivers, or in the skilled trades of mason, wheelwright, coopers and blacksmiths. Free Black women worked in tobacco factories as stemmers, or as washerwomen or seamstresses or laborers. Plantation owners also brought slaves for hire into the city. As in many other upper South cities, many white households had slaves, but more than 40% were enslaving just one servant. Pocahontas Island (actually usually
22568-499: The immediate command of Franklin. However, Franklin did not arrive at Alexandria until March 25, 1864, and Banks himself, travelling separately from his troops, did not arrive at Alexandria until March 26, 1864. Banks' failure to arrive in a timely manner for his rendezvous with Smith was the first of many logistical miscues that caused much acrimony between Banks and his subordinates during the expedition. While he waited for Banks to arrive, Smith sent Brigadier-General Joseph A. Mower on
22750-572: The labor of numerous black slaves. In 1864, Petersburg became a target during the Overland Campaign of Union General Ulysses S. Grant . Its numerous railroads made the city a lifeline for Richmond, the Confederate capital. After his defeat at the Battle of Cold Harbor , Grant remained east of Richmond, crossed the James River and moved south to Petersburg. Grant intended to cut the rail lines into Petersburg, stopping Richmond's supplies. On June 9, troops led by William F. "Baldy" Smith of
22932-556: The lack of monitoring of the position of the rear elements. Taylor kept moving back toward Shreveport. Heavy cavalry fighting, often dismounted, had continued on April 7 at Wilson's Farm and Tenmile Bayou. On April 8, Lee boldly charged a small force of Confederate cavalry at the Moss Plantation, three miles south of Mansfield, Louisiana , and pushed the Confederate horsemen off Honeycutt Hill. Taylor had stationed one infantry division (led by Brigadier-General Alfred Mouton ) in
23114-663: The last railway linking Virginia and Tennessee, and Sherman's Atlanta Campaign was a success, although it dragged on through the fall. On May 4, Grant and Meade's Army of the Potomac crossed the Rapidan River and entered the area known as the Wilderness of Spotsylvania , beginning the six-week Overland Campaign . At the bloody but tactically inconclusive Battle of the Wilderness (May 5–7) and Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (May 8–21), Grant failed to destroy Lee's army but, unlike his predecessors, did not retreat after
23296-440: The lone cavalry brigade, sweeping in behind the rest of the Union forces. Banks had called for additional reinforcements, but they were too late. The Union line collapsed and a significant number of men from Landram's division were captured. A few hundred yards down the road, the reinforcements – Cameron's division – set up a second line, but this line also broke when faced with Taylor's superior numbers. The wagon train of
23478-410: The mayor of Colonial Heights, James McNeer, met with Harris and members of his board to discuss job opportunities for blacks in the mall area. McNeer later became President of Richard Bland College . In the late 20th century, Petersburg worked to restore historic buildings and attract different kinds of stores and businesses to its historic center. During the 1993 Virginia tornado outbreak , Petersburg
23660-585: The mid-20th century, such as industrial and railroad restructuring, reduced the number of jobs in the city. In addition, suburban development attracted people to newer housing outside the city. World wars led to major federal institutions being constructed near Petersburg, which created local jobs. Soon after World War I started, the US Army established Camp Lee just outside of Petersburg in Prince George County for training draftees. The facility
23842-535: The morning of July 28, Grant reinforced Hancock with a brigade of the XIX Corps . Sheridan's men attempted to turn the Confederate left, but their movement was disrupted by a Confederate attack. Three brigades attacked Sheridan's right flank, but they were unexpectedly hit by heavy fire from the Union repeating carbines. Mounted Federals in Sheridan's reserve pursued and captured nearly 200 prisoners. Satisfied that
24024-439: The morning of June 22, a gap opened up between the two corps. While the II Corps moved forward, the VI Corps encountered Confederate troops from Wilcox's division of Hill's corps and they began to entrench rather than advance. Mahone observed that the gap between the two Union corps was widening, creating a prime target. Mahone had been a railroad engineer before the war and had personally surveyed this area south of Petersburg, so he
24206-568: The new Southpark Mall that opened in 1989 in adjacent, and predominantly white, Colonial Heights . A Miller & Rhoads store in Petersburg closed when the department store chain went out of business in 1990. The Ku Klux Klan had held marches in Colonial Heights. After the new shopping mall opened, blacks led by civil rights activist Curtis W. Harris and the SCLC boycotted Southpark Mall for about five years. The boycott ended after
24388-458: The new United States. After the war, in 1784 Petersburg annexed the adjacent towns of Blandford (also called Blanford), Pocahontas and the outlying town of Ravenscroft, which became neighborhoods of the larger city. An area known as Gillfield was annexed in 1798. Residents' devotion to the cause of America two decades later during the War of 1812 (1812–1815) led to the formation of the militia unit of
24570-445: The night of June 21 and stabilized their lines. Darkness ended the fighting. On June 23, the II Corps advanced to retake its lost ground, but the Confederates had pulled back, abandoning the earthworks they had captured. Under orders from Meade, the VI Corps sent out a heavy skirmish line after 10 a.m. in a second attempt to reach the Weldon Railroad. Men from Brigadier General Lewis A. Grant 's 1st Vermont Brigade had begun tearing up
24752-444: The north, south and west and sold supplies. Petersburg's industrialists processed cotton , tobacco and metal, then shipped the resulting products out of the region. Richmond and Petersburg became the two largest tobacco towns in the world, with Richmond selling 61% of the state's tobacco in 1861, and Petersburg 23%. Petersburg's cotton industry relied on waterpower since its inception in the 1830s, and by 1860 towns had developed around
24934-608: The north, while Major General Benjamin Butler drove toward Richmond from the southeast; Major General Franz Sigel to control the Shenandoah Valley; Sherman to invade Georgia , defeat General Joseph E. Johnston , and capture Atlanta ; Brig. Gens. George Crook and William W. Averell to operate against railroad supply lines in West Virginia ; and Major General Nathaniel P. Banks to capture Mobile, Alabama . Most of these initiatives failed, often because of
25116-556: The offshore naval Battle of the Capes at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay , forcing the British resupply and evacuation fleet to withdraw. In October 1781, Lord Cornwallis surrendered to the superior allied Continental Army 's General George Washington and French General comte de Rochambeau . After two further years of infrequent conflict and many treaty parlies, the Revolutionary War ended with Britain formally recognizing
25298-524: The operation had distracted sufficient Confederate forces from the defense of Petersburg the Federal attacks ended in the afternoon of July 28. Grant then proceed with a renewed assault against Petersburg on July 30. Union casualties at the First Battle of Deep Bottom were 488 (62 killed, 340 wounded, and 86 missing or captured). Confederate casualties were 679 (80 killed, 391 wounded, 208 missing or captured). Petersburg, Virginia Petersburg
25480-406: The pontoon bridge starting at 3 a.m., July 27. II Corps took up positions on the east bank of Bailey's Creek, from New Market Road to near Fussell's Mill. Sheridan's cavalry captured the high ground on the right, overlooking the millpond, but they were counterattacked and driven back. The Confederate works on the west bank of Bailey's Creek were formidable and Hancock chose not to attack them, spending
25662-479: The population was black of which nearly 35% were free. Petersburg was considered to have the largest number of free blacks of any Southern city at that time. Many of the freedmen prospered there as barbers , blacksmiths , boatmen, draymen , livery stable keepers, and caterers. 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
25844-672: The post-bellum period, a historically black college which later developed as the Virginia State University was established nearby in Ettrick in Chesterfield County . In the 20th century, these and other black churches were leaders in the national Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s-1960s. Richard Bland College , now a junior college , was originally established here as a branch of Williamsburg's famed College of William and Mary . Petersburg remains
26026-431: The preceding Overland Campaign, in which confronting and defeating Lee's army in the open was the primary goal. Now, Grant selected a geographic and political target and knew that his superior resources could besiege Lee there, pin him down, and either starve him into submission or lure him out for a decisive battle. Lee at first believed that Grant's main target was Richmond and devoted only minimal troops under Beauregard to
26208-473: The pressure and abandoned both cities in April 1865, leading to his retreat and surrender at Appomattox Court House . The siege of Petersburg foreshadowed the trench warfare that would be seen fifty years later in World War I , earning it a prominent position in military history. It also featured the war's largest concentration of African-American troops , who suffered heavy casualties at such engagements as
26390-539: The promise of immediate aid, the Wilson–Kautz raiders burned their wagons and destroyed their artillery pieces and fled to the north before the reinforcements arrived. They lost hundreds of men as prisoners in what was called "a wild skedaddle." At least 300 escaped slaves who had joined the Union cavalrymen during the raid were abandoned during the retreat. The raiders reentered Federal lines around 2 p.m. on July 1. They had destroyed 60 miles (97 km) of track, which took
26572-526: The proposed annexation. After five years of litigation, with attorney Richard Cranwell representing Prince George County, the Virginia courts, including the Virginia Supreme Court , unanimously ruled that the cities had not shown that annexation would benefit their cities, nor was it necessary to provide governmental services to Prince George residents. The prolonged annexation fight contributed to decades of racially tinged hostility between
26754-596: The railroad companies repaired the damaged railroads to the city. Saint John's Episcopal Church was founded in Petersburg in 1868. In 1870 the General Assembly incorporated the Central Lunatic Asylum as an organized state institution, as part of an effort by the bi-racial Reconstruction -era legislature to increase public institutions for general welfare. The legislature also founded the state's first system of free public education. During
26936-536: The railroad depot at 9 p.m. Despite these relatively minor losses, the two Union cavalry generals decided to abandon their mission, leaving the Staunton River bridge intact and having inflicted only minor damage on the railroads. As Wilson and Kautz turned back to the east after their defeat at Staunton River Bridge, Lee's cavalry pursued and threatened their rear. Meanwhile, Robert E. Lee ordered Hampton's cavalry, which had been engaged with Sheridan's cavalry at
27118-457: The railroad junction of Petersburg to the south. While Lee remained unaware of Grant's intentions, the Union army constructed a pontoon bridge 2,100 feet (640 m) long and crossed the James River on June 14–18. What Lee had feared most of all—that Grant would force him into a siege of Richmond—was poised to occur. Petersburg, a prosperous city of 18,000, was a supply center for Richmond, given its strategic location just south of Richmond, its site on
27300-534: The railroad to Weldon, North Carolina and the Southside Railroad . With the loss of Petersburg's crucial railroad lines, the Confederate forces had to retreat, ending the siege in a victory for the Union Army. The fall of Petersburg meant that Richmond could no longer be defended. Lee attempted to lead his men south to join up with Confederate forces in North Carolina. Hopelessly outnumbered, he
27482-448: The rear as breakthroughs occurred. Upon the arrival of Meade, a second attack was ordered and led his division forward. Although Barlow's men managed to capture their objectives, a counterattack drove them back, taking numerous Union prisoners. The survivors dug in close to the enemy works. June 17 was a day of uncoordinated Union attacks, starting on the left flank where two brigades of Burnside's IX Corps under Potter stealthily approached
27664-583: The rest of the day performing reconnaissance. While Hancock was checked at Bailey's Creek, Lee began bringing up more reinforcements from Petersburg, reacting as Grant had hoped. He assigned Anderson to take command of the Deep Bottom sector and sent in Heth's infantry division "Rooney" Lee's cavalry division. Troops were also hurriedly detailed from the Department of Richmond to help man the trenches. On
27846-429: The road from them. All of the senior Union officers expressed doubts that there would be any serious Confederate opposition, except for the naval flotilla. Banks' army followed Taylor and the cavalry into a dense pine forest area away from the river, probably to keep them in their front. Approaching Pleasant Hill , the Union army was excessively strung out due both to the existence of only a few camping areas with water and
28028-403: The road in the middle of the day. The arrival of Walker's division gave Taylor a numerical edge – he had about 9,000 men; Banks had about 5,000 men. More significantly, the Union deployment was aligned to its right, facing Mouton, with only a cavalry brigade holding the left wing. Taylor had hoped to provoke Banks into attacking him, but following an artillery duel, he became convinced that
28210-458: The round of Base Realignment and Closure actions in 2005. In 2016, Petersburg faced the prospect of large-scale cuts to public services after a state audit found a $ 12 million (~$ 14.9 million in 2023) budget shortfall and the prospect of insolvency by the end of the year. Red River Campaign Arkansas The Red River campaign , also known as the Red River expedition , was
28392-419: The same route employed in the unsuccessful attacks of June 9. Since Beauregard had insufficient men available to defend the entire Dimmock defensive line, he concentrated 2,200 troops under Wise in the northeastern sector. Even with this concentration, infantrymen were spaced an unacceptable 10 feet (3.0 m) apart. His remaining 3,200 men were facing Butler's army at Bermuda Hundred. Smith and his men crossed
28574-404: The same time) conceived plans for a city at Peter's Point, to be renamed Petersburgh . The Virginia General Assembly formally incorporated both Petersburg and adjacent Blandford on December 17, 1748. Wittontown, north of the river, was settled in 1749, and became incorporated as Pocahontas in 1752. Petersburg was enlarged slightly in 1762, adding 28 acres (110,000 m ) to "Old Town". During
28756-518: The schools in several localities including Warren County , Charlottesville and Norfolk , to be closed. The school board of Prince Edward County closed the public schools for five years, starting in 1959. In Petersburg, the Bollingbook School opened in 1958 as a segregation academy for white students. Retail and industry prospered until about the late 1980s. Petersburg was hit hard in 1985 when tobacco giant Brown & Williamson ,
28938-531: The south bank of the Appomattox River as far west as present-day Sycamore Street, and about 1 mile (1.6 km) inland. In 1646, the Virginia Colony established Fort Henry a short distance from the Appamatuck town, near the falls. It provided waterpower for mills and later industrialization. Col. Abraham Wood sent several famous expeditions out from here in the following years to explore points to
29120-487: The southeast. The troops moved out on the night of June 8, but made poor progress. Eventually the infantry crossed by 3:40 a.m. on June 9 and by 7 a.m., both Gillmore and Hinks had encountered the enemy, but stopped at their fronts. Gillmore told Hinks that he would attack but that both of the infantry columns should await the cavalry assault from the south. Kautz's men did not arrive until noon, however, having been delayed en route by numerous enemy pickets. They assaulted
29302-575: The strategic advantage. Lord Cornwallis' forces coming up from the Carolinas into Virginia occupied Yorktown on the York River , waiting to meet a Royal Navy fleet. But a larger combined American-French army soon surrounded and besieged them. Cornwallis and his troops found themselves trapped and isolated when the French Navy's West Indies fleet under Admiral de Grasse sailed north and won
29484-652: The sugar and cotton of northern Louisiana , and to split the Confederate lines, allowing the Union to encircle and destroy the Confederate military forces in Louisiana and southern Arkansas . It marked the last major offensive attempted by the Union in the Trans-Mississippi Theater. The expedition was a Union military operation , fought between approximately 30,000 federal troops under the command of Major-General Nathaniel P. Banks , and Confederate forces under General E. Kirby Smith , whose strength varied from 6,000 to 15,000. The Battle of Mansfield
29666-401: The three Union forces now known to be moving toward Shreveport. Taylor would never fight with more than 18,500 men throughout the entire campaign. By March 31, Banks' men had reached Natchitoches , only 65 miles south of Shreveport. Franklin's men had been delayed most of a week by rain, but it had not mattered because Admiral Porter had a similar delay trying to get his heaviest gunboats over
29848-410: The time the Union attack was renewed, Lee himself had taken command of the defenses. Willcox's division of the IX Corps led the renewed attack but it suffered significant losses in the marsh and open fields crossed by the watercourse, Taylor's Branch. Warren's V Corps was halted by murderous fire from the position known as Rives' salient, an attack in which Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain , commanding
30030-433: The track when they were attacked by a larger force of Confederate infantry. Numerous Vermonters were taken prisoner and only about half a mile of track had been destroyed when they were chased away. Meade was unable to urge Wright forward and called off the operation. Union casualties were 2,962 and Confederate 572. The battle was inconclusive, with advantages gained on both sides. The Confederates were able to retain control of
30212-438: 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. During the four days of fighting, Union casualties were 11,386 (1,688 killed, 8,513 wounded, 1,185 missing or captured), while Confederate casualties were 4,000 (200 killed, 2,900 wounded, 900 missing or captured). After failing to capture Petersburg by assault, Grant's first objective
30394-491: The voting power of blacks. A federal judge, citing provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, agreed and ordered the city to be divided into single-member districts , or wards, to enable blacks the opportunity to elect representatives of their choice. White flight from the annexed suburban neighborhoods began almost immediately. As residents of the city of Petersburg, their children would be required to attend
30576-482: The west to Ford's Station and began destroying track, locomotives, and cars on the South Side Railroad. On June 23, Wilson proceeded to the junction of the Richmond and Danville Railroad at Burkeville , where he encountered elements of Rooney Lee's cavalry between Nottoway Court House and Black's and White's (modern-day Blackstone ). The Confederates struck the rear of his column, forcing Colonel George A. Chapman's brigade to fend them off. Wilson followed Kautz along
30758-457: The west, as far as the Appalachian Mountains . Around 1675, Wood's son-in-law, Peter Jones, who then commanded the fort and traded with the Indians, opened a trading post nearby, known as Peter's Point . The Kennon and Bolling families, prominent tobacco planters and traders, also lived in the area and engaged in local politics. In 1733, Col. William Byrd II (who founded Richmond at
30940-406: The woods along the edge of the clearing just north of Honeycutt Hill and east of the road. Seeing this increase in enemy strength, Lee requested infantry support. Landram's 2,400-man division of the 13th Corps was sent to Lee's aid and deployed to face Mouton. Banks went to the front to see for himself. Meanwhile, Taylor brought up a second infantry division (Walker's) to the woods on the other side of
31122-543: Was 40 percent black in 1960. Under state segregation and Jim Crow laws, those citizens were barred from free use of public spaces and facilities. Major black churches, such as First Baptist and Gillfield Baptist, formed the moral center of the Civil Rights Movement in Petersburg, which gained strength in mid-century and was a center of action. Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker , the pastor of Gillfield Baptist Church, had become friends with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in
31304-672: Was a major part of the Union offensive campaign, which ended in defeat for General Banks. The expedition was primarily the plan of Major General Henry W. Halleck , former General-in-Chief of the Armies of the United States. A diversion from Lieutenant-General Ulysses S. Grant 's plan to surround the main Confederate armies by using Banks' Army of the Gulf to capture Mobile , it was characterized by poor planning and mismanagement, and led to bitter enmity between Major-General Richard Taylor and his immediate superior, Kirby Smith, after Smith ordered Taylor to send half of his army to north to Arkansas , rather than south in pursuit of Banks, following
31486-875: Was also motivated by concern regarding the 25,000 French troops in Mexico sent by Napoleon III and under the command of Emperor Maximilian . At the time, the Confederates offered to recognize the government of Maximillian in return for French recognition of the Confederacy; the Confederates also hoped to gain access to valuable war goods through this recognition. However, Banks' campaign on the Texas coast during November and December 1863 had satisfied U.S. President Abraham Lincoln , who wrote to Banks, "My thanks for your successful and valuable operations in Texas." Halleck's plan, finalized in January 1864, called for Banks to take 20,000 troops up from New Orleans to Alexandria , including
31668-827: Was decapitated by a naval shell. At Grand Ecore near Natchitoches, Banks received confidential orders from Grant to move the army to New Orleans. The river also continued to fall, and all the supply boats had to return downriver. Sensing that they were involved in a perceived defeat, Banks' relations deteriorated with the cantankerous A. J. Smith and the Navy and with most of the other generals as well. General Kirby Smith decided to take three infantry divisions from Major-General Richard Taylor and lead them north into Arkansas to crush Steele's army, despite Taylor's strong protests they should be used against Banks. General Steele would never make it to Shreveport, due to supply difficulties and fights with Confederates. The Camden Expedition ended with
31850-447: Was familiar with a ravine that could be used to hide the approach of a Confederate attack column. At 3 p.m., Mahone's men emerged in the rear Barlow's division (II Corps), catching them by surprise, and the division quickly collapsed. Gibbon's division, which had erected earthworks, was also surprised by an attack from the rear and many of the regiments ran for safety. The II Corps troops rallied around earthworks that they had constructed on
32032-600: Was ordered to ride around the city to the north and west and cut the Virginia Central Railroad , which was supplying Richmond from the Shenandoah Valley . When Lee found out about Hancock's pending movement, he ordered that the Richmond lines be reinforced to 16,500 men. Kershaw's division and brigades from Wilcox's division moved east on New Market Road and took up positions on the eastern face of New Market Heights. Hancock and Sheridan crossed
32214-416: Was struck by an F4 tornado that swept through the downtown area, seriously damaging a number of restored historic buildings and businesses. The same tornado also touched down in Colonial Heights destroying a Walmart store. As of 2007, Petersburg has continued to evolve as a small city, and its commercial activities have changed. Downtown Petersburg, known as Old Towne, has had new businesses established in
32396-489: Was surrounded and forced to surrender at Appomattox Court House , Virginia, on April 9, 1865. In the years after the Civil War, many freedmen migrated to Petersburg, founding numerous churches, businesses and institutions. The Freedmen's Bureau established new facilities for freedmen , including a mental health hospital in December 1869, at Howard's Grove Hospital, a former Confederate unit. The U.S. Federal Government and
32578-539: Was to secure the three remaining open rail lines that served Petersburg and Richmond: the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad ; the South Side Railroad , which reached to Lynchburg in the west; and the Weldon Railroad , also called the Petersburg and Weldon Railroad, which led to Weldon, North Carolina , and the Confederacy's only remaining major port, Wilmington, North Carolina . Grant decided on
32760-440: Was uncertain of his orders and the disposition of forces, and uncharacteristically deferred to Smith's judgment to wait. Beauregard wrote later that Petersburg "at that hour was clearly at the mercy of the Federal commander, who had all but captured it." But he used the time he had been granted to good advantage. Receiving no guidance from Richmond in response to his urgent requests, he unilaterally decided to strip his defenses from
32942-530: Was used again during World War II . In 1950 the camp was designated as Fort Lee , and additional buildings were constructed to house the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps Center and School. During WWII Camp Pickett was established west of Petersburg near the small rural town of Blackstone , and the Defense Supply Center, Richmond opened in neighboring Chesterfield . In the postwar period, some of these installations have been reduced in size. In
33124-509: Was working for the numerous railroad companies that operated in and out of the city. 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. Once the siege began in June, African Americans continued working for the Confederacy. In September, Lee asked for an additional 2,000 blacks to be added to his labor force. On January 11, 1865, Lee wrote
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