Reference Entry
BATTLE OF FORT STEDMAN
By the spring of 1865, Confederate forces defending Petersburg and Richmond were stretched thin, facing a larger Union army and dwindling supplies. In a last attempt to break the siege, General Robert E. Lee approved a daring pre-dawn attack against Fort Stedman, a strong point in the Union lines east of Petersburg. On March 25th, Confederate troops under General John B. Gordon initially surged through the fog, capturing guns and trenches and creating a dangerous gap.
Dated Historical Context
A RECORDED MOMENT IN HISTORY
Battle of Fort Stedman near Petersburg
By the spring of 1865, Confederate forces defending Petersburg and Richmond were stretched thin, facing a larger Union army and dwindling supplies. In a last attempt to break the siege, General Robert E. Lee approved a daring pre-dawn attack against Fort Stedman, a strong point in the Union lines east of Petersburg. On March 25th, Confederate troops under General John B. Gordon initially surged through the fog, capturing guns and trenches and creating a dangerous gap. Union units quickly reacted, sealing off the penetration and counterattacking to retake the lost works. The fighting left heavy casualties on both sides, but the Confederates could ill afford the men they lost in this gamble. Instead of relieving pressure, the failed assault at Fort Stedman shortened Lee’s lines and left his army even less able to respond to the broader offensives that Grant was preparing just days away.
Read the complete weekly DispatchTrackpads Source Register
