Key Facts
- Dates
- August 18–21, 1864
- Also known as
- Second Battle of the Weldon Railroad
- Confederate supply detour
- 30 miles (48 km) by wagon
- Significance in campaign
- First Union victory in Richmond–Petersburg Campaign
- Duration
- 4 days
Strategic Narrative Overview
On August 18, Major General Gouverneur K. Warren led Union forces south of Petersburg to seize the Weldon Railroad, destroying miles of track. Confederate commanders P.G.T. Beauregard and A.P. Hill launched strong counterattacks over several days to dislodge the Union troops. Warren's forces withstood the Confederate assaults, holding their captured positions and extending the Union siege lines further south and west to consolidate control of the railroad corridor.
01 / The Origins
During the 1864 siege of Petersburg, Virginia, the Union Army sought to cut Confederate supply lines into the city. The Weldon Railroad was a critical artery feeding Confederate forces defending Richmond and Petersburg. Control of this line had already been contested once, making Globe Tavern the second attempt by Union forces to sever it and further strangle Confederate logistics during Ulysses S. Grant's grinding campaign against Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.
03 / The Outcome
The battle ended as a Union victory, marking the first such success in the Richmond–Petersburg Campaign. Union lines were permanently extended to include the captured railroad segment. The Confederates, unable to retake the position, were forced to offload supplies well south of Petersburg and transport them 30 miles by wagon, significantly straining their already-taxed logistics and accelerating the slow strangulation of the Confederate defenses around the city.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
P.G.T. Beauregard, A.P. Hill.
Side B
1 belligerent
Gouverneur K. Warren.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.