Union forces entrenched around Petersburg have for weeks been planning a surprise, and unusual, offensive against the Rebel enemy. Today they spring their surprise — or more appropriately, they blow their surprise, as in setting off a mine near the Confederate lines. In what becomes known as the Battle of the Crater, the Union-detonated mine…
Minor skirmishes mark this day in the Atlanta Campaign. Union forces circle the city on three sides. Under siege for days now, Atlanta residents nervously wonder when the next major battle will take place. Confederate defenders, unable to halt the progress of the enemy, are all the more weakened by the three month long Atlanta…
The Siege of Petersburg drags on, having turned into a daily, dirt-filled slog in the trenches. Union General Ulysses S. Grant, having time on his hands, tries to dream up new ways to wreck havoc upon the Confederate rail infrastructure that Richmond depends upon. In the days ahead, attempts will be made to do just…