An ill-fated plan to detonate gunpowder under the Confederate trenches at Petersburg, Virginia, results in Federal disaster.
Tag: Petersburg Campaign
Petersburg: Federals Poised to Attack
The Federal tunneling operation is completed, and Ambrose Burnside looks to use his U.S. Colored Troops to lead the impending assault. But Burnside is met with unexpected orders to change his plans.
Petersburg: The Tunneling Expedition Continues
As Ulysses S. Grant seeks to break the Confederate defenses east of Petersburg, Virginia, Federal troops continue digging a tunnel beneath the enemy lines in an effort to detonate explosives and create a hole large enough for the troops to surge through.
Petersburg: Reviving Withered Hopes
Federal forces continue building fortifications outside Petersburg, Virginia, and set up a massive supply base at City Point. George G. Meade faces internal conflicts within the Federal Army of the Potomac, and Abraham Lincoln calls for more volunteers as war weariness afflicts the North.
The Battle of Ream’s Station
Ulysses S. Grant sends two Federal cavalry divisions to destroy Confederate supply lines outside Petersburg, Virginia. The raid does not go as planned.
Petersburg: The Tunneling Expedition Begins
A Federal colonel proposes opening a gap in the Confederate siege lines by digging a tunnel under them and detonating explosives.