Key Facts
- Dates
- June 15–18, 1864
- Duration
- 4 days
- Consequence
- Led to ten-month Siege of Petersburg
- Campaign
- Richmond–Petersburg Campaign
Strategic Narrative Overview
From June 15–18, Union forces launched repeated assaults against Petersburg's outer defenses, held by General P. G. T. Beauregard with a substantially smaller Confederate force. On June 15, Major General William F. Smith failed to press an early advantage, squandering the best opportunity for a quick capture. Poor coordination among Union commanders allowed Beauregard to hold until Lee's reinforcements arrived, frustrating each successive Federal assault over four days.
01 / The Origins
By mid-1864, Union General Ulysses S. Grant sought to sever Confederate supply lines by capturing Petersburg, Virginia, a critical rail hub south of Richmond. Cutting this link would isolate the Confederate capital and force General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia into open battle or abandonment of Richmond, potentially ending the war. Grant moved the Army of the Potomac south across the James River in a bold strategic maneuver.
03 / The Outcome
By June 18, significant Confederate reinforcements from Lee's army reached Petersburg, rendering further Union assaults impractical. Grant called off the offensive and the armies settled into siege lines. This failure initiated the Siege of Petersburg, a grueling ten-month campaign of trench warfare that lasted until April 1865, when Lee's army finally evacuated and Richmond fell, effectively ending the Civil War.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Ulysses S. Grant, George G. Meade, William F. 'Baldy' Smith.
Side B
1 belligerent
P. G. T. Beauregard, Robert E. Lee.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.