Reference Entry
GRANT OPENS THE FINAL PETERSBURG OFFENSIVE
Four days after Fort Stedman, the initiative swung decisively to the Union side. On March 29th, 1865, General Ulysses S. Grant launched a wide-ranging offensive west of Petersburg, sending Union corps toward key roads and crossroads along the Confederate right flank. Battles at places like Lewis’s Farm, White Oak Road, and Dinwiddie Court House unfolded over the next days as Union troops pressed around the end of Lee’s line.
Dated Historical Context
A RECORDED MOMENT IN HISTORY
Grant opens the final Petersburg offensive
Four days after Fort Stedman, the initiative swung decisively to the Union side. On March 29th, 1865, General Ulysses S. Grant launched a wide-ranging offensive west of Petersburg, sending Union corps toward key roads and crossroads along the Confederate right flank. Battles at places like Lewis’s Farm, White Oak Road, and Dinwiddie Court House unfolded over the next days as Union troops pressed around the end of Lee’s line. This push culminated in the decisive victory at Five Forks and the collapse of Confederate defenses around Petersburg and Richmond. The offensive was an example of relentless pressure, using superior numbers, logistics, and rail connections to keep Lee’s army off balance and in motion. Within less than two weeks, the Army of Northern Virginia would be retreating west, caught at Appomattox Court House, and forced to surrender, effectively ending major Confederate military resistance in Virginia.
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