First Battle of Petersburg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids First Battle of Petersburg |
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| Part of the American Civil War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States (Union) |
 CSA (Confederacy) |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Quincy A. Gillmore Edward W. Hinks August Kautz |
P.G.T. Beauregard Henry A. Wise |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 4,500 | 2,500 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 40 | 80 | ||||||
The First Battle of Petersburg was a fight during the American Civil War on June 9, 1864. It happened when the Union tried to attack the city of Petersburg, Virginia. They wanted to capture Petersburg because it was a very important city for supplying the Confederate army.
The Union attack failed because the city was protected by strong dirt walls called the Dimmock Line. This battle is sometimes called the Battle of Old Men and Young Boys. This is because many of the people defending Petersburg were older men and young teenagers.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
In early June 1864, two famous generals, Ulysses S. Grant (for the Union) and Robert E. Lee (for the Confederates), were fighting near Richmond, Virginia. This was part of a big series of battles called the Overland Campaign. Both armies were tired after a very bloody battle called Battle of Cold Harbor.
Meanwhile, Union General Benjamin Butler was stuck near a place called Bermuda Hundred. He was trying to attack Richmond to help Grant. Butler realized that Richmond got most of its supplies by train. These train lines all met in Petersburg, a city south of Richmond. If he could capture Petersburg, it would cut off supplies to Lee's army.
Butler also knew that many Confederate soldiers had left Petersburg to help Lee fight in other places. This meant Petersburg's defenses might be weak. Butler really wanted to succeed after some earlier failures. He felt that taking Petersburg was very important.
Petersburg's Defenses
Petersburg was protected by a long line of dirt forts and trenches called the Dimmock Line. This defense line was about 10 miles (16 km) long and had 55 places for cannons. It stretched from the Appomattox River to the east of the city.
About 2,500 Confederate soldiers were spread out along this long defense line. They were led by General Henry A. Wise, a former governor of Virginia. The main Confederate general in charge of defending both Richmond and Petersburg was General P. G. T. Beauregard.
Union's Plan to Attack
General Butler made his plan on June 8. He decided to send 4,500 Union soldiers in three groups to attack Petersburg.
- Two groups of infantry (foot soldiers) would attack the Dimmock Line from the east. These soldiers were from different Union army units, including United States Colored Troops. They were led by General Quincy Adams Gillmore and General Edward Winslow Hincks.
- The third group was 1,300 cavalry (soldiers on horseback) led by General August Kautz. They would ride around Petersburg and attack it from the southeast.
The idea was that if any of these groups broke through, they could help the others. Butler first wanted Hinks to lead the whole operation. But Gillmore was a higher-ranking officer, so Butler let him take command. Butler later said he was "fool enough" to agree to this.
The Battle Begins
The Union troops started moving on the night of June 8. But things did not go well from the start. Gillmore's infantry group got lost in the dark. Hinks's group arrived on time, but they had to wait for Gillmore.
Finally, all the infantry crossed the river by 3:40 AM on June 9. They were told to attack the enemy's front lines at daylight. By 7 AM, both Gillmore and Hinks had found the Confederates. But they stopped. Gillmore, who was an engineer and not used to leading soldiers in battle, was worried by the strong dirt defenses. Hinks also thought the defenses were too strong. He felt he couldn't attack unless Gillmore attacked with him. Gillmore told Hinks he would attack, but they should both wait for the cavalry to attack from the south.
Kautz's Cavalry Attack
General Kautz's cavalry didn't arrive until noon. They were slowed down by many small groups of Confederate soldiers along the way. Kautz's men attacked the Dimmock Line at a place called Battery 27. This spot was defended by only 150 militiamen, led by Lieutenant Colonel Fletcher Harris Archer.
Kautz sent some of his cavalry to test the defenses. Then he had his men get off their horses. A Confederate general, Raleigh E. Colston, happened to be in the city. He brought a cannon to fire at the Union cavalry. But he found he didn't have the right kind of cannonballs to hurt soldiers. Colston had to retreat as Union cavalry began to surround him.
Kautz then launched his main attack. His soldiers charged against the "Home Guard." This group was mostly made up of teenagers, old men, and some wounded soldiers from city hospitals. The Home Guard fought bravely but had to retreat into the city.
By this time, General Beauregard had brought more Confederate soldiers from Richmond. These reinforcements helped push back the Union attack. Kautz heard no fighting from Gillmore's side. He thought he was fighting alone and decided to pull his troops back.
What Happened Next
The battle ended with about 80 Confederate soldiers hurt or killed, and 40 Union soldiers hurt or killed. General Butler was very angry with Gillmore for being too slow and not attacking. He even arrested Gillmore. Gillmore asked for an investigation, but it never happened. Grant later moved Gillmore to a different job.
A few days later, from June 14 to 17, General Grant and his main army secretly moved away from Lee. They crossed the James River and started moving toward Petersburg. They wanted to help Butler and try to attack Petersburg again. This led to the Second Battle of Petersburg and then a long Siege of Petersburg, where the Union army surrounded the city for many months.
Images for kids
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Lieut. Col. Fletcher Harris Archer, of the 3rd Virginia Reserves Battalion Infantry
See also
In Spanish: Primera batalla de Petersburg para niños
