War of the Rebellion: Serial 087 Introduction

Intro
Richmond-Fort Fisher Intro

Vol. 42 Introduction - Serial 87

After the bitter fighting of the Wilderness, Grant calmly reported he intended to keep going "if it takes all summer". It took more than that, but he continued on his course to take the Confederate capital - and break the army that defended it. Lee could do little more than play for time, maximize the tactical advantages his troops would have in defense, and hope that victory would come somewhere else.

The Siege of Petersburg settled into a routine for both sides, but that routine included attempts to break the stalemate. Grant held the initiative, and used his superior numbers to try and outflank Lee with some troops, while pinning him with the rest. These resulted in some fighting, including the Battle of Yellow Tavern and the death of JEB Stuart, but Grant could never get all the way around Lee. He also probed the Confederate lines several times, but never mounted an all-out assault that might have succeeded - or might have meant thousands of futile casualties.
This volume has the main reports, including Grant's, those of Hancock, Barlow, Miles, Warren, Willcox, Ord, Lee, Longstreet, and A.P. Hill.
There is also the report of the Confederate Secret Service chief, John Maxwell, about the sabotage caused at City Point.

Intro
Richmond-Fort Fisher Intro