Battle of Petersburg III

Dates: April 2, 1865

Other Names: None

Location: Petersburg III, Virginia

Key Individuals Involved in the Battle of Petersburg III: Union: Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant
Confederate: General Robert E. Lee

Outcome: Union Victory. 7,750 casualties of which 4,250 were Confederate soldiers.

Overview of the Battle : With Confederate defeat at Five Forks on April 1, Grant and Meade ordered a general assault against the Petersburg lines by II, IX, VI and XXIV Corps on April 2. A heroic defense of Fort Gregg by a handful of Confederates prevented the Federals from entering the city that night. Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill was killed trying to reach his troops in the confusion. After dark, Lee ordered the evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond. Grant had achieved one of the major military objectives of the war: the capture of Petersburg, which led to the fall of Richmond, the Capitol of the Confederacy.
Source: CWSAC Battle Summaries