Overland Campaign

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Overland Campaign

The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia

Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
. Lt. Gen.

Lieutenant General

Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant , was an United States general and the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States ....
, general-in-chief of all Union

Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
armies, directed the actions of the Army of the Potomac

Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
, commanded by Maj. Gen.

Major General

Major General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of Sergeant Major General. A Major General is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of Lieutenant General and senior to the ranks of Brigadier and Brigadier General....
George G.

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Encyclopedia

The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia

Virginia

American Civil War

The American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several Naming the American Civil War, was a civil war in the United States....
. Lt. Gen.

Lieutenant General

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant , was an United States general and the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States ....
, general-in-chief of all Union

Union Army

The Union Army was the army that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S....
armies, directed the actions of the Army of the Potomac

Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
, commanded by Maj. Gen.

Major General

Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was a military organization whose primary mission was to provide the necessary forces and capabilities to support the National Security and defense of the Confederate States of America during its brief existence from 1861 to 1865....
Gen.

General

A General officer is an Officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is just called general....
Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee

Robert Edward Lee , was a career United States United States Army officer , an engineer, and among the most celebrated generals in American history....
's Army of Northern Virginia

Army of Northern Virginia

The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
. Although Grant suffered severe losses during the campaign, it was a strategic Union victory, maneuvering Lee into a siege at Petersburg, Virginia

Petersburg, Virginia

Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and 23 miles south of Richmond, Virginia. The population was 33,740 as of the United States Census 2000....
in just over eight weeks.

Background and opposing forces

In March 1864, Grant was summoned from the Western Theater

Western Theater of the American Civil War

This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War....
, promoted to lieutenant general, and given command of all Union armies. He chose to make his headquarters with the Army of the Potomac, although Meade remained the actual commander of that army. He left Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman

William Tecumseh Sherman

William Tecumseh Sherman was an United States soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched earth" policies that he implemente...
in command of most of the western armies. Grant devised a coordinated strategy that would strike at the heart of the Confederacy from multiple directions: Grant, Meade, and Benjamin Butler

Benjamin Franklin Butler (politician)

Benjamin Franklin Butler was an Law of the United States and Politics of the United States who represented Massachusetts in the United States House of Representatives and later served as governor of Massachusetts....
against Lee near Richmond, Virginia

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is the Capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county....
; Franz Sigel

Franz Sigel

Franz Sigel was a German military officer and immigrant to the United States who was a teacher, newspaperman, politician, and served as a Union Army Major general in the American Civil War....
in the Shenandoah Valley

Shenandoah Valley

The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bound to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River and to the south by the James River ....
; Sherman to invade Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a U.S. state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution....
, defeat Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph E. Johnston

Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career United States Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
, and capture Atlanta; George Crook

George Crook

George Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars....
and William W. Averell

William W. Averell

William Woods Averell was a career United States Army officer and a cavalry General officer in the American Civil War. After the war he was a diplomat and became wealthy by inventing American asphalt pavement....
to operate against railroad supply lines in West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia is a U.S. state in the Appalachian, Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia on the southeast, Kentucky on the southwest, Ohio on the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland on the northeast....
; Nathaniel Banks to capture Mobile, Alabama

Mobile, Alabama

Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern United States United States state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama....
. This was the first time the Union armies would have a coordinated offensive strategy across a number of theaters.

Although previous Union campaigns in Virginia had the Confederate

Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America formed as the government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven Southern United States U.S. state of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S....
capital of Richmond as their primary objective, this time the objective was the destruction of Lee's army. Grant ordered Meade, "Wherever Lee goes, there you will go also."

At the beginning of the campaign, Grant's Union forces totaled 118,700 men and 316 guns. They consisted of the Army of the Potomac, under Maj. Gen. George G. Meade, and the IX Corps

IX Corps (ACW)

IX Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War that distinguished itself in combat in multiple theaters: the Carolinas, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi....
(until May 24 formally part of the Army of the Ohio

Army of the Ohio

The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union Army armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863....
, reporting directly to Grant, not Meade). The five corps were:

II Corps
II Corps (ACW)

There were five corps in the Union Army designated as II Corps during the American Civil War.* Army of the Cumberland, II Corps commanded by Thomas L....
, under Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, including the divisions of Maj. Gen. David B. Birney
David B. Birney

David Bell Birney was a businessman, lawyer, and a Union army General officer in the American Civil War....
and Brig. Gens. Francis C. Barlow
Francis C. Barlow

Francis Channing Barlow was a lawyer, politician, and Union army General officer during the American Civil War....
, John Gibbon
John Gibbon

John Gibbon was a career United States Army officer who fought in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars....
, and Gershom Mott
Gershom Mott

Gershom Mott was a United States Army officer and a General officer in the Union Army, a commander in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War of the American Civil War....
.
V Corps
V Corps (ACW)

The V Corps was a unit of the Union Army Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War....
, under Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren
Gouverneur K. Warren

Gouverneur Kemble Warren was a civil engineer and prominent General officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He is best remembered for arranging the last-minute defense of Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg and is often referred to as the "Hero of Little Round Top." His subsequent service as a corps commander an...
, including the divisions of Brig. Gens. Charles Griffin, John C. Robinson
John C. Robinson

John Cleveland Robinson had a long and distinguished career in the United States Army, fighting in numerous wars and culminating his career as a Union Army Major general in the American Civil War....
, Samuel W. Crawford
Samuel W. Crawford

Samuel Wylie Crawford was a United States Army surgeon and a Union army general in the American Civil War....
, and James S. Wadsworth
James S. Wadsworth

James Samuel Wadsworth was a philanthropist, politician, and a Union Army General officer in the American Civil War. He was killed in battle during the Battle of the Wilderness of 1864....
.
VI Corps
VI Corps (ACW)

The VI Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War....
, under Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick
John Sedgwick

John Sedgwick was a teacher, a career military officer, and a Union Army general in the American Civil War. His death at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House is often considered a well known tale of irony....
, including the divisions of Brig. Gens. Horatio G. Wright, George W. Getty
George W. Getty

George Washington Getty was a career military officer in the United States Army, most noted for his role as a division commander in the Army of the Potomac during the final full year of the American Civil War....
, and James B. Ricketts
James B. Ricketts

James Brewerton Ricketts was a career officer in the United States Army, serving as a general in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War during the American Civil War....
.
IX Corps
IX Corps (ACW)

IX Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War that distinguished itself in combat in multiple theaters: the Carolinas, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi....
, under Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose Burnside

Ambrose Everett Burnside was an United States soldier, railroad executive, inventor, industrialist, and politician from Rhode Island, serving as governor and a U.S....
, including the divisions of Brig. Gens. Thomas G. Stevenson, Robert B. Potter, Orlando B. Willcox
Orlando B. Willcox

Orlando Bolivar Willcox was an United States soldier who served as a general in the Union army during the American Civil War....
, and Edward Ferrero
Edward Ferrero

Edward Ferrero was one of the leading dance instructors, choreographers, and ballroom operators in the United States. He also served as a Union Army general in the American Civil War, best remembered for his role in the Battle of the Crater in 1864....
.
Cavalry Corps, under Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, including the divisions of Brig. Gens. Alfred T.A. Torbert
Alfred Thomas Torbert

Alfred Thomas Archimedes Torbert was a career United States Army officer, a Union Army General officer commanding both infantry and cavalry forces in the American Civil War, and a U.S....
, David McM. Gregg, and James H. Wilson
James H. Wilson

James Harrison Wilson was a United States Army topography, a Union Army General officer in the American Civil War and later wars, a railroad executive, and author....
.

Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia comprised about 64,000 men and 274 guns and was organized into four Corps:

First Corps, under Lt. Gen. James Longstreet
James Longstreet

James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate States Army General officers of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E....
, including the divisions of Maj. Gen. Charles W. Field
Charles W. Field

Charles William Field was a career military officer, serving in the United States Army and then, during the American Civil War, in the Confederate States Army....
and Brig. Gen. Joseph B. Kershaw
Joseph B. Kershaw

Joseph Brevard Kershaw was a lawyer, judge, and a Confederate States Army general in the American Civil War.Kershaw was born at Camden, South Carolina, admitted to the Bar association in 1843, and was a member of the South Carolina Senate from 1852 to 1856....
.
Second Corps, under Lt. Gen. Richard S. Ewell
Richard S. Ewell

Richard Stoddert Ewell was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate States Army General officer during the American Civil War. He achieved fame as a senior commander under Stonewall Jackson and Robert E....
, including the divisions of Maj. Gens. Jubal A. Early, Edward "Allegheny" Johnson
Edward Johnson (general)

Edward Johnson , also known as Allegheny Johnson , was a United States Army officer and a Confederate States of America General officer in the American Civil War....
, and Robert E. Rodes
Robert E. Rodes

Robert Emmett Rodes was a railroad civil engineer and a promising young Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War, killed in battle in the Shenandoah Valley....
.
Third Corps, under Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill, including the divisions of Maj. Gens. Richard H. Anderson
Richard H. Anderson

Richard Heron Anderson was a career United States Army officer, fighting with distinction in the Mexican-American War. He also served as a Confederate States Army General officer during the American Civil War....
, Henry Heth
Henry Heth

Henry "Harry" Heth was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate States Army General officer in the American Civil War. He is best-remembered for precipitating the Battle of Gettysburg, accomplished inadvertently while sending some of his troops of the Army of Northern Virginia to the small Pennsylvania village, according to his...
, and Cadmus M. Wilcox
Cadmus M. Wilcox

Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox was a career United States Army officer who served in the Mexican?American War and also was a Confederate States Army General officer during the American Civil War....
.
Cavalry Corps, under Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart
J.E.B. Stuart

James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was an American soldier from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names....
, including the divisions of Maj. Gens. Wade Hampton
Wade Hampton III

Wade Hampton III was a Confederate States of America cavalry leader during the American Civil War and afterwards a politician from South Carolina, serving as its governor and as a U.S....
, Fitzhugh Lee
Fitzhugh Lee

Fitzhugh Lee , nephew of Robert E. Lee, was a Confederate States Army cavalry General officer in the American Civil War, Governor of Virginia, diplomat, and United States Army general in the Spanish-American War....
, and W.H.F. "Rooney" Lee
William Henry Fitzhugh Lee

William Henry Fitzhugh Lee , known as Rooney Lee or W.H.F. Lee, was the second son of Robert E. Lee and Mary Anna Custis Lee. He was a planter, a Confederate States Army cavalry General officer in the American Civil War, and later a member of the U.S....
.

Grant was prepared to fight a war of attrition

Attrition warfare

Attrition warfare is a military tactic in which a belligerent attempts to win a war by wearing down its Enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and mat?riel....
—battles in which the superior Union forces would bleed Lee's army. Both Union and Confederate casualties could be high, but the Union had greater resources to replace lost soldiers and equipment. Despite Grant's superior numbers, he had manpower challenges. Following their severe beating at the Battle of Gettysburg

Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg , fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's Turning point of the American Civil War....
the previous year, the I Corps

I Corps (ACW)

I Corps was the designation of three different corps-sized units in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The units served in the following armies:...
and the III Corps

III Corps (ACW)

There were four formations in the Union Army designated as III Corps during the American Civil War.Three were short-lived:*Army of Virginia:...
had been disbanded and their survivors reallocated to other corps, which damaged unit cohesion and morale. And by virtue of operating on the offensive in enemy territory, Grant had to defend his bases of supply and the lines extending from them to his army in the field. Furthermore, since many of his soldiers' three-year enlistments were about to expire, they were naturally reluctant to participate in dangerous assaults. To deal with these challenges, Grant supplemented his forces by reassigning soldiers manning the heavy artillery batteries around Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the Capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790....
, to infantry

Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
regiments.

The Overland Campaign began as Grant's forces crossed the Rapidan River

Rapidan River

The Rapidan River is the largest tributary of the Rappahannock River in North-central Virginia. The two rivers converge just west of the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia....
on May 4 1864. Grant's objective was to force an engagement with Lee, outside of his Mine Run fortifications, by either drawing his forces out or flanking

Flanking maneuver

In military tactics, a flanking Maneuver warfare, also called a wiktionary:flank attack, is an attack on the sides of an opposing force....
them. Lee, displaying the audacity that characterized his generalship, moved out as Grant desired, but more quickly than Grant anticipated; Union forces had insufficient time to clear the area known as the Wilderness. The Wilderness was a tangle of scrub brush and undergrowth in which part of the Battle of Chancellorsville

Battle of Chancellorsville

The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, fought near the village of Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, from April 30 to May 6, 1863....
had been fought the previous year. By forcing a fight here, Lee effectively neutralized the Union's advantage in artillery.

Battles

The battles fought during the Overland Campaign were:

Battle of the Wilderness

Battle of the Wilderness

The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lieutenant general Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E....
(May 5 May 7 1864)

Fighting erupted on the morning of May 5, as Ewell's Confederate corps, moving rapidly down the Orange Turnpike, collided violently with Warren's V Corps. As the day progressed, fighting broke out further south along the Orange Plank Road where A.P. Hill's Confederates met up with Hancock's II Corps. On May 6, Longstreet's Confederate corps arrived on the field. It first halted a Federal advance, and then in a flank attack, the corps sent the Federals into retreat until they established a defensive position near the Brock Road. Amidst all the confusion, Longstreet was wounded by friendly fire

Friendly fire

Friendly fire or non-hostile fire, a term originally adopted by the United States Armed Forces, refers to Shooting from one's own side or allied forces, as opposed to fire coming from enemy forces....
and replaced in corps command by Richard Anderson. On May 7, rather than following his predecessors' habit of retreating back north following a battle against Lee, Grant sent his men south and east to the crossroads town of Spotsylvania Court House

Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia

Spotsylvania Courthouse is an unincorporated community and the county seat of Spotsylvania County, Virginia, located ten miles southwest of Fredericksburg, Virginia....
.

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania, was the second major battle in Lieutenant general Ulysses S....
(May 8 May 21)

Lee beat Grant to his objective and dug in. In a series of attacks over two weeks, Grant hammered away at the Confederate lines, mostly centered on a salient known as the "Mule Shoe". A massive assault by Hancock's II Corps on the "Bloody Angle" portion of this line, May 12, would foreshadow the breakthrough tactics employed against trenches late in World War I

World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
. Grant once again disengaged and slipped to the southeast.

Battle of Yellow Tavern

The Battle of Yellow Tavern was fought on May 11, 1864, as part of the Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. A clash between Union Army and Confederate States Army cavalry forces, it is best known for the mortal wounding of legendary Confederate cavalry commander Major General J.E.B....
(May 11)

Sheridan's Cavalry Corps in Meade's army had been utilized purely as a screening and reconnaissance force. Sheridan went over Meade's head and received permission from Grant to operate as a separate force that would pursue and battle Stuart's cavalry corps. The two cavalry forces clashed at Yellow Tavern, just north of Richmond, and Stuart was mortally wounded.

Battle of Meadow Bridge

The Battle of Meadow Bridge was an engagement on May 12, 1864, in Henrico County, Virginia, during the Overland Campaign of the American Civil War....
(May 12)

Sheridan's cavalry forced a crossing of a railroad bridge over the rain-swollen Chickahominy River

Chickahominy River

Chickahominy also known as "the Chick" is a river in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Virginia. The river rises about northwest of Richmond, Virginia and flows southeast and south to the James River ....
and enabled pioneers and engineers to rebuild a nearby road bridge, enabling the troopers to escape to safety.

Battle of Wilson's Wharf

The Battle of Wilson's Wharf was a battle in Union army General Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate States Army Gen. Robert E....
(May 24)

Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry division attacked the Union supply depot at Wilson's Wharf and was repulsed by two black regiments under Brig. Gen. Edward Wild.

Battle of North Anna

The Battle of North Anna was fought from May 23 to May 26, 1864, as part of Union Army Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate States Army Gen....
(May 23 May 26)

Intercepting Grant's movement, Lee positioned his forces behind the North Anna River

North Anna River

The North Anna River is a principal tributary of the Pamunkey River, about 70 mi long, in central Virginia in the United States. Via the Pamunkey and York River Rivers, it is part of the drainage basin of Chesapeake Bay....
in a salient that would force Grant to divide his army to attack it. On May 23, one of A.P. Hill’s divisions assaulted the V Corps, which had crossed the river, resulting in bloody but inconclusive fighting. On the May 24, Union infantry was repulsed at Ox Ford but advanced on the Confederate right. Lee had the opportunity to defeat Grant in detail but failed to attack in the manner necessary to spring the trap he had set, possibly because of an illness. Grant continued moving southeast, in the direction of Old Cold Harbor.

Battle of Haw's Shop

The Battle of Haw's Shop was fought on May 28 1864, in Hanover County, Virginia, as part of Union Army Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate States Army Gen....
(May 28)

Gregg's Union cavalry division, supported by Torbert's division, advanced to cover the Army of the Potomac's crossing of the Pamunkey River

Pamunkey River

The Pamunkey River is a tributary of the York River , about 90 mi long, in eastern Virginia in the United States. Via the York River it is part of the drainage basin of Chesapeake Bay....
and movement toward Totopotomoy Creek. Wade Hampton's cavalry division met the Federals at Enon Church, a mile west of Haw's Shop. After seven hours of mostly dismounted cavalry fighting, the Federal advance was stopped, and Lee received valuable intelligence about the movement of Grant's infantry.

Battle of Totopotomoy Creek

}|-||}The Battle of Totopotomoy Creek was a battle in Union Army Lieutenant General Ulysses Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate States Army Gen....
(May 28 May 30)

Lee's forces had entrenched behind the Totopotomoy Creek, covering all of the direct approaches to Richmond. The II Corps forced a crossing of the creek in two places, capturing the first line of Confederate trenches, but the advance was stopped at the main line. In the meantime, the V Corps, moving near Bethesda Church on the far left flank of the Union army, was attacked by Early's corps. The Federals were driven back to Shady Grove Road after heavy fighting.

Battle of Old Church

The Battle of Old Church, also known as Matadequin Creek, was fought on May 30, 1864, as part of Union army Lieutenant General Ulysses S....
(May 30)

With the armies stalemated along the Totopotomoy Creek line, the Federal cavalry began probing east and south. Torbert's Union cavalry division attacked and defeated Matthew C. Butler's Brigade near Old Church. Butler's troopers were driven steadily back on the road to Old Cold Harbor, opening the door for Sheridan's capture of the important crossroads the next day.

Battle of Cold Harbor

The Battle of Cold Harbor, the final battle of Union Army Lieutenant general Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, is remembered as one of History of the United States bloodiest, most lopsided battles....
(May 31 June 12)

On May 31, Sheridan's cavalry seized the vital crossroads of Old Cold Harbor, and on June 1, they repulsed an attack by Confederate infantry. Confederate reinforcements arrived from Richmond and from the Totopotomoy Creek lines. Late on June 1, the Union VI

VI Corps (ACW)

The VI Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War....
and XVIII Corps

XVIII Corps (ACW)

XVIII Corps was a corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War....
reached Cold Harbor and assaulted the Confederate works with some success. By June 2, both armies were on the field, forming on a seven-mile (11-km) front that extended from Bethesda Church to the Chickahominy River

Chickahominy River

Chickahominy also known as "the Chick" is a river in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Virginia. The river rises about northwest of Richmond, Virginia and flows southeast and south to the James River ....
. At dawn on June 3, the II and XVIII Corps, followed later by the IX Corps, assaulted along the Bethesda Church-Cold Harbor line and were slaughtered at all points. The armies confronted each other on these lines until the night of June 12, when Grant advanced by his left flank, marching to the James River

James River (Virginia)

The James River in the U.S. state of Virginia is a long river, including its Jackson River source. It drains a Drainage basin comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million people ....
.

Battle of Trevilian Station

}|-||}The Battle of Trevilian Station was fought on June 11 and June 12, 1864, in Union Army Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate States of America Gen....
(June 11 June 12)

To draw off the Confederate cavalry and to clear the way for a general movement to the James River, Sheridan mounted a large-scale cavalry raid into Louisa County, threatening to cut the Virginia Central Railroad

Virginia Central Railroad

Virginia Central Railroad was chartered as the Louisa Railroad in 1836 by the Virginia Board of Public Works and had its name changed to Virginia Central Railroad in 1850....
. On June 11, Sheridan with the Gregg's and Torbert's divisions attacked Hampton's and Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry divisions at Trevilian Station. Sheridan drove a wedge between the Confederate divisions, throwing them into confusion. On June 12, fortunes were reversed. Hampton and Lee dismounted their troopers and drew a defensive line across the railroad and the road to Gordonsville. From this advantageous position, they beat back several determined dismounted assaults. Sheridan withdrew after destroying about six miles (10 km) of the Virginia Central Railroad. The Confederate victory at Trevilian prevented Sheridan from reaching Charlottesville

Charlottesville, Virginia

Charlottesville is an independent city located within the confines of Albemarle County, Virginia in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of George III of the United Kingdom of the United Kingdom....
and cooperating with Maj. Gen. David Hunter

David Hunter

David Hunter was a Union Army general in the American Civil War. He achieved fame by his unauthorized 1862 order emancipating slaves in three Southern states and as the president of the military commission trying the conspirators involved with the assassination of President of the United States Abraham Lincoln....
's army in the Valley.

Battle of Saint Mary's Church

The Battle of Saint Mary's Church was a cavalry battle fought on June 24, 1864, as part of Union Army Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate States Army Gen....
(June 24)

Hampton's cavalry attempted to cut off Sheridan's cavalry returning from their raid to Trevilian Station. Sheridan fought a delaying action to protect a long supply train under his protection, then rejoined the Union army at Bermuda Hundred

Bermuda Hundred Campaign

The Bermuda Hundred Campaign was a series of battles fought at the town of Bermuda Hundred , outside Richmond, Virginia, during May 1864 in the American Civil War....
.

Aftermath

The Overland Campaign was a thrust necessary for the Union to win the war, and despite losing several battles (most notably Cold Harbor), the campaign was a great Union strategic victory. By engaging Lee's forces and not permitting them to escape, Grant forced Lee into an untenable position. The campaign was the bloodiest in American history: approximately 55,000 casualties on the Union side (of which 7,600 were killed), 32,600 (4,200 killed) on the Confederate.

Estimates vary as to the casualties for the entire campaign. The following table summarizes estimates from a variety of popular sources:

Grant received a reputation as a "butcher" at the time. The knowledge that Grant could more easily afford to replace his losses of men and equipment than Lee may have shaped Grant’s strategy. However, historians do not agree that Grant deliberately engaged in numerous attacks merely to defeat Lee solely through attrition, without regard for the losses to his army, needlessly throwing lives away in fruitless frontal assaults to bludgeon Lee. The overall strategy of the Overland Campaign depended on using Grant's numerical superiority to allow progressive shifts to the left by "spare" Union corps while Confederate forces were relatively pinned in their positions by the remaining Union forces. Such a strategy could not succeed without the continuing threat of defeat by direct assault in each of the positions assumed by Lee's army. The strategy failed in that Lee, possessing shorter lines of march (being nearer to Richmond, which was also his base), was able to prevent Grant's forces getting between Lee and Richmond, but was effective in allowing Grant to draw progressively closer to Richmond up to the battle at Cold Harbor. There, with the barrier of the James River and estuary to his left, Grant did not have the room necessary to successfully continue this strategy. He had to pick one among three possibilities: attack, shift to the right and thus back towards Washington, or cross the James to get at Lee's supply lines. He attempted the first, then did the third, as the second was unacceptable.

It should be noted that Lee's losses, although lower in absolute numbers, were higher in percentage. Grant accomplished more with his 55,000 casualties than all his predecessor Union generals had against Lee, despite their cumulatively higher casualties over three years.

The Overland Campaign concluded with Grant's crossing of the James River and the beginning of the Siege of Petersburg

Siege of Petersburg

The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War....
, also known as the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign. This represented a change in strategy for Grant. He realized that he could not successfully maneuver Lee into a final battle in the open and decided to shift his focus to geographic and political objectives: the cities of Richmond and Petersburg. If the railroad lines feeding those cities from the south could be captured, Lee would be forced into the open. He also knew that the multiple, coordinated offensives he had devised had failed; except for Sherman, who was advancing on Atlanta, all of the other generals were stalled or defeated.

External links

, Combat Studies Institute Press, United States Army.

Overland Campaign

Background and opposing forces

Battles

Aftermath

See also

External links