Historic Photos of the Siege of Petersburg

By Emily J. Salmon, John Salmon and John S Salmon

The Battle of Petersburg began as an unsuccessful Union assault against the city of Petersburg, Virginia, June 9, 1864, during the American Civil War. Due to the rag-tag group of defenders involved, it is sometimes known as the Battle of Old Men and Young Boys. A series of battles continued around Petersburg from June 15, 1864, to March 15, 1865, when General Lee finally yielded to the overwhelming pressure from General Grant's troops and the cutting off of his supply lines, leading to his retreat and surrender in the Appomattox Campaign.

With approximately 200 photographs, many of which have never been published, this beautiful coffee table book shows dramatic shots of this historical battle in stunning black and white photography and is a must-have for any Civil War buff!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
• Release date: Aug 1, 2007
• ISBN: 9781618586919

Book preview

HISTORIC PHOTOS OF

THE SIEGE OF

PETERSBURG

TEXT AND CAPTIONS BY EMILY J. AND JOHN S. SALMON

The paddlewheel medical supply boat Planter lies at anchor at the General Hospital wharf on the Appomattox near City Point, probably early in 1865. The wharf was created from a section of pontoon bridge. A sturdier peer is seen behind the soldiers in the foreground, built on pilings driven into the oozy bed of the river.

HISTORIC PHOTOS OF

THE SIEGE OF

PETERSBURG

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Historic Photos of the Siege of Petersburg

Copyright © 2007 Turner Publishing Company

All rights reserved.

This book or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2007929599

ISBN-13: 978-1-59652-392-0

Printed in the United States of America

07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15—0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

PREFACE

BESIEGING PETERSBURG

BEHIND UNION LINES

IN THE TRENCHES

FROM SIEGE LINES TO PARK

NOTES ON THE PHOTOGRAPHS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Opposite the Pennsylvania monument, on the other side of the Crater, stands the memorial to Confederate Brigadier General William Mahone, who rushed his brigade into the breach caused by the explosion and stopped the Federal assault through the Crater. His quick and effective action prompted Lee to promote him to major general. Mahone, an engineer, after the war became a railroad company president, mayor of Petersburg, and U.S. senator. The Petersburg Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy erected this monument to Mahone and dedicated it on July 30, 1927.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This volume, Historic Photos of the Siege of Petersburg, is the result of the cooperation and efforts of many individuals and organizations. It is with great thanks that we acknowledge the valuable contribution of the following for their generous support:

Library of Congress

Library of Virginia

We would also like to thank Christopher M. Calkins, Chief of Interpretation, Petersburg National Battlefield, Dale Neighbors, at the Library of Virginia, and Paige Buchbinder, at the Library of Virginia, for valuable contributions and assistance in making this work possible.

PREFACE

The siege of Petersburg from mid June 1864 to April 2-3, 1865, was the product of a bloody series of battles known to historians as the Overland Campaign. Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant gradually maneuvered General Robert E. Lee, charged with protecting the Confederate capital at Richmond as well as defeating Union armies in the field, into fortified positions near Richmond and Petersburg. The battles began early in May as Grant moved south from winter camps in Culpeper County: Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Yellow Tavern, North Anna River, Totopotomoy Creek, and Cold Harbor. They produced a vast bloodletting, with both sides suffering about 45 percent casualties. Lee could not rebuild his army; Grant, castigated as a butcher in the North, could and did. After Cold Harbor, when Grant slipped away south to the James River, an exasperated Lee said that if Grant reached and crossed the river, It will become a siege, and then it will be a mere question of time. Grant did cross over, and the siege of Richmond and Petersburg soon began.

Lee had to hold Petersburg at all costs. There, rail lines linked the city with western Virginia and eastern North Carolina to form a Confederate supply lifeline. Once the siege began, Grant’s strategy was to extend his own lines south and west of Petersburg, to cut the supply lines, and to force Lee to extend his defensive lines to the breaking point. Grant also launched periodic assaults against the Confederate fortifications north and south of the James River to compel Lee to shift his troops to meet the attacks. Fortunately for Lee, the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad lay entirely within the Confederate lines, enabling him to transport men swiftly from one point to another. Although Grant never succeeded in starving out the Confederates, the war of attrition ground down the morale of Lee’s men, and desertions increased as the siege continued. At the end of March 1865, Grant’s strategy prevailed: Lee’s lines were broken, his avenues of supply were cut, and he evacuated the two cities and fled west with Grant in pursuit. The flight ended a week later at Appomattox Court House.

During the siege of Petersburg, both sides constructed elaborate earthen fortifications that became objects of study when America entered World War I. Union soldiers and engineers, having plenty of time on their hands during the long siege, also built camps and buildings that were almost luxurious by the standards of the day. Photographers recorded countless scenes of camp life as well as the structures and earthworks, and many of those images are presented in this volume. Here you will also find pictures of the shell-shocked city made after the evacuation, and images that illustrate the development of Petersburg National Battlefield, one of the crown jewels of the national park system. Turner Publishing is proud to issue this volume, and we encourage you to visit Petersburg and Petersburg National Battlefield to see the remaining fortifications and other important sites for yourself.

Todd Bottorff, Publisher

Photographed just after the war by Alexander Gardner, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant made an unprepossessing figure in this image. He was about five feet eight inches tall and weighed one hundred and thirty-five pounds. Grant’s combat style could be summed up as relentless. His famous message to President Abraham Lincoln, I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer, captured his style succinctly. Another officer once observed that his intense but calm demeanor bore an expression as if he had determined to drive his head through a brick wall, and was about to do it.

BESIEGING PETERSBURG

In March 1864, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Lieutenant