Benjamin F. Butler’s Federals advance on the nearly defenseless town of Petersburg, south of Richmond, Virginia. This marks a prime opportunity for the Federals to hasten the end of the war.
Tag: Quincy A. Gillmore
The Second Battle of Drewry’s Bluff
P.G.T. Beauregard launches a Confederate attack on Benjamin F. Butler’s Federals as they timidly approach Richmond from the south.
The James River Campaign Begins
Another front opens in Virginia, as Benjamin F. Butler’s Federal Army of the James boards transports at Yorktown to move up the James River and cut the Richmond & Petersburg Railroad.
Federals Begin Operations in Florida
Federal forces are assigned to invade Florida to try restoring the state to the Union. The Federals soon find that there is not as much Union sentiment in Florida as expected. As they move westward from the Atlantic coast, Confederates scramble to put up a defense near the hamlet of Olustee.
The Bombardment of Fort Sumter Resumes
In a five-day span, Federal batteries fire 2,961 rounds into Fort Sumter, but the Confederate defenders still refuse to surrender.
The Fall of Morris Island
Confederate forces finally abandon Morris Island in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, after enduring relentless pressure for nearly two months. The Federals then look to capture Fort Sumter.