In the midst of a relative lull in the Atlanta Campaign, Union armies under General William T. Sherman seek to obtain a better position from which to launch a new offensive. Meanwhile, Major General A. J. Smith leaves LaGrange, Tennessee today with more than 14,000 troops. Marching southward, Smith’s mission is to prevent Confederate Major…
Today the Confederates emerge victorious in a minor but significant battle that is part of the Overland Campaign. In the Battle of Petersburg, Rebel forces repel an attempt by a contingent of the Union Army under General Benjamin Butler to enter Petersburg from the South. The Union loss is due in part to timidity on…
The Battle of Cold Harbor is now fully engaged along a seven-mile front. At one juncture, Union forces fiercely attack Confederate defenders, nearly breaking their lines. Elsewhere along the battle front, two small offensive attempts by the Confederates to feel out the enemy fizzle. While the rebels hold their own overall, federal troops end the…