Chapter VIII VS LEE

A. Grant Comes East - Lincoln sends for Grant and gives him total command of all US forces (General-in-chief) and the rank of Lieutenant General (the first person to hold that rank since George Washington). - Grant names Gen. William T. Sherman commander of the western armies and retains Gen. as the commander of the Army of the Potomac. - Grant changes the military strategy; take on the Confederate Armies until they cease to exist. “Lee’s army will be your objective point, wherever Lee goes, there you will go also.”

B. The Battle of the Wilderness May 5 & 6, 1864

USA Lt. Gen. U.S. Grant 101,895 men The Army of the Potomac CSA Gen. Robert E. Lee 61,025 men The Army of Northern

Day 1 – Grant attempts to cross into the wilderness just as Hooker did the previous year. Grant finds the wilderness very difficult to move an army through and Lee takes advantage of Grant’s position to attack him. Lee attacks with 2 Corps but the wilderness makes it too difficult to carry out a coordinated attack.

Day 2 – - Both armies attack the opponent’s other flank but as the day wears on Hancock’s Corps breaks the Confederate line. - Just as Hancock is about to take advantage of the break, Longstreet’s Corps arrives. - Lee grabs a flag and begins to personally lead the counter-attack. - The troops refuse to attack until Lee moves out of harm’s way. - Longstreet convinces him, followed immediately by Longstreet’s attack which plugs the break. - Longstreet’s attack begins to falter due to the wounding of Longstreet by friendly fire. (Jackson was also wounded by friendly fire on the same day, one year earlier and only a few miles away).

CASUALTIES: Federal 18,400 CSA 11,400 After the battle: - Much to the surprise of his troops, Grant begins to move around Lee’s right flank instead of retreating as all other generals had done before him. - Lee needs to race Grant to Spotsylvania Courthouse.

C. The Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse May 8 – 19, 1864

USA Lt. Gen. U.S. Grant 100,000 men The Army of the Potomac CSA Gen. Robert E. Lee 52,000 men The Army of Northern Virginia

- Lee’s troops arrive first and build breastworks in a strong defensive position. (an inverted V – referred to as the “Mule Shoe” position. - Grant launches many attacks including an attack with 20,000 men on the 12th which gains a foothold in the Confederate line. As in the Wilderness, Lee personally rallied his men and helped seal off the Union penetration. - Grant attempted to renew the attack in the rain and the mud over the next few days but was unable to make any progress against Lee’s stubborn defense.

CASUALTIES: Federal* 18,000 = 36,400 in 2 battles CSA 12,000 = 23,400 in 2 battles

*Gen. Sedgwick: “I’m ashamed of you dodging that way. They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance.” (Moments later he fell forward on his horse with a bullet hole below his left eye) After the battle: - Grant goes against the norm again and moves around Lee’s right flank. - Lee receives the news that cavalry General Jeb Stuart was killed in a battle near Richmond. - Lee establishes a strong defensive position along the North Anna River trying to draw Grant into a trap. (Inverted V with the tip touching the river.) - Grant notices this at the last moment and withdraws his men back across the river and proceeds to move around Lee’s right flank again. A. Battle of Cold Harbor June 3, 1864

USA Lt. Gen. U.S. Grant 108,000 men The Army of the Potomac CSA Gen. Robert E. Lee 62,000 men The Army of Northern Virginia - Lee arrives at Cold Harbor and places his troops again in a defensive position across Grant’s path. - Grant’s impatience gets the best of him and he launches an attack on Lee’s line. (VVVVV) cross fire - Grant attacks with 60,000 men in an attack which lasts only 30 minutes with losses of 7,000 men. - 233.3 dead per minute / 3.9 dead per second - story: diary pulled from a dead union infantry man: “June 3, Cold Harbor. I was killed.”

CASUALTIES: Federal* 13,000 = 49,400 in 3+ battles CSA 3,200 = 26,600 in 3+ battles

E. The June 1864 – April 1865

- Grant plans to cross the James River and attack Richmond from the south. - The Confederates are able to take advantage of the trenches around Richmond from the to protect the capitol. - Lee places the rest of his army in trenches south of Petersburg to protect the railroads which travel from the south, through Petersburg and into Richmond.

- Just as at Vicksburg, Grant settles into a siege to slowly starve out his enemy.

Chapter IX ROAD TO APPOMATTOX

A. July 30, 1864 - Grant attempts to break the siege: - miners from western Pennsylvania construct a 500 ft. tunnel beneath the Confederate lines & fill it with explosives. - after the explosion, which killed 278 men and 2 cannons were obliterated. - Union troops poured into the break but were trapped in side of the crater due to the soft soil on the sides. - brigade after brigade crammed into the crater with no way of escape. - union forces lost 4,400 casualties. - Burnside, was in charge of the attack, resigned. B. Battle of Fort Stedman March 25, 1865

USA Lt. Gen. U.S. Grant 125,000 men The Army of the Potomac CSA Gen. Robert E. Lee 55,000 men The Army of Northern Virginia

- Lee attempts to break the siege: - Lee uses troops under the guise of deserters and captures Ft. Stedman. - this allows Lee the opportunity to break-out of the siege and move south to link up with Confederate troops in the south. - Union troops quickly counter attack and retake the fort. - Lee looses 5,000 men and gains nothing.

C. Battle of Five Forks April 1, 1865 - Lee’s right flank crumbles - Grant attacks Gen. Pickett’s troops who are protecting the end of Lee’s position. - Pickett is away from his command at a fish fry while his troops are routed and Lee’s right flank crumbles. - the following day Grant launches another attack and completely breaks through Lee’s defenses. - Lee abandons Richmond and Petersburg and heads west.

D. Appomattox Courthouse April 9, 1865 - Lee is cut off (13,000 men) and surrounded near Appomattox Courthouse, VA. - Lee sends a message to Grant asking for surrender terms. - Lee arrives in full dress uniform at the house of Wilmer McLean (a man who moved from Manassas VA to escape the war) @ 1:00 PM. - Grant is late and dirty, arriving at 1:30 PM. - Grant’s terms are not harsh; 1. the Confederates are to surrender all arms except for personal side arms and horses (which were to be used for spring planting). 2. the men are paroled and allowed to return to their homes with the promise to not fight against the Union troops any more. - the surrender ceremony was very formal, with the Union troops standing at attention while the Confederates surrendered their battle flags. - following the ceremony, the southern men took to the roads and began the long trek home - General Meade went to visit General Lee and both men commented on the addition of grey to their hair. General Meade commented that his grey hair was not on account of age, it was on account of having to deal with General Lee!

April 14, 1865 The Final Surrender: CSS Shenandoah

Attacking Pacific whaling fleet June 27, 1865 – learned of Lee’s surrender At sea for 12 months

Liverpool, England November 6, 1865