Battle of Petersburg in the Civil War

The Battle of Petersburg was part of the American Civil War (1861-1865) and was fought between June 9, 1864 and April 2, 1865. In the wake of his defeat at the Battle of Cold Harbor in early June 1864, Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant continued pressing south towards the Confederate capital at Richmond. Departing Cold Harbor on June 12, his men stole a march on General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia and crossed the James River on a large pontoon bridge. This maneuver led Lee to become concerned that he might be forced into a siege at Richmond. This was not Grants intention, as the Union leader sought to capture the vital city of Petersburg. Located south of Richmond, Petersburg was a strategic crossroads and railroad hub which supplied the capital and Lees army. Its loss would make would Richmond indefensible (Map). Armies Commanders Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S. GrantMajor General George G. Meade67,000 increasing to 125,000 men Confederate General Robert E. Leeapprox. 52,000 men Smith and Butler Move Aware of Petersburgs importance, Major General Benjamin Butler, commanding Union forces at Bermuda Hundred, attempted an attack on the city on June 9. Crossing the Appomattox River, his men assault the citys outermost defenses known as the Dimmock Line. These attacks were halted by Confederate forces under General P.G.T. Beauregard and Butler withdrew. On June 14, with the Army of the Potomac nearing Petersburg, Grant instructed Butler to dispatch Major General William F. Baldy Smiths XVIII Corps to attack the city. Crossing the river, Smiths advance was delayed through the day on the 15th, though he finally moved to attack the Dimmock Line that evening. Possessing 16,500 men, Smith was able to overwhelm Brigadier General Henry Wises Confederates along the northeastern portion of the Dimmock Line. Falling back, Wises men occupied a weaker line along Harrisons Creek. With night setting in, Smith halted with intention of resuming his attack at dawn. First Assaults That evening, Beauregard, whose call for reinforcements had been ignored by Lee, stripped his defenses at Bermuda Hundred to reinforce Petersburg, increasing his forces there to around 14,000. Unaware of this, Butler remained idle rather than threatening Richmond. Despite this, Beauregard remained badly outnumbered as Grants columns began arriving on the field increasing Union strength to over 50,000. Attacking late in the day with the XVIII, II, and IX Corps, Grants men slowly pushed the Confederates back. Fighting continued on 17th with the Confederates defending tenaciously and preventing a Union breakthrough. As the fighting raged, Beauregards engineers began building a new line of fortifications closer the city and Lee began marching to the fighting. Attacks on June 18 gained some ground but were halted at the new line with heavy losses. Unable to advance, the commander of the Army of the Potomac, Major General George G. Meade, ordered his troops to dig in opposite the Confederates. In four days of fighting, Union losses totaled 1,688 killed, 8,513 wounded, 1,185 missing or captured, while the Confederates lost around 200 killed, 2,900 wounded, 900 missing or captured Moving Against the Railroads Having been stopped by the Confederate defenses, Grant began making plans for severing the three open railroads leading into Petersburg. While one ran north to Richmond, the other two, the Weldon Petersburg and Southside, were open to attack. The closest, the Weldon, ran south to North Carolina and provided a connection to the open port of Wilmington. As a first step, Grant planned a large cavalry raid to attack both railroads, while ordering the II and VI Corps to march on the Weldon. Advancing with their men, Major Generals David Birney and Horatio Wright encountered Confederate troops on June 21. The next two days saw them fight the Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road which resulted in over 2,900 Union casualties and around 572 Confederate. An inconclusive engagement, it saw the Confederates retain possession of the railroad, but Union forces extend their siege lines. As Lees army was significantly smaller, any need lengthen his lines correspondingly weakened the whole. Wilson-Kautz Raid As Union forces were failing in their efforts to seize the Weldon Railroad, a cavalry force led by Brigadier Generals James H. Wilson and August Kautz circled south of Petersburg to strike at the railroads. Burning stock and tearing up around 60 miles of track, the raiders fought battles at Staunton River Bridge, Sappony Church, and Reams Station. In the wake of this last fight, they found themselves unable to breakthrough to return to the Union lines. As a result, the Wilson-Kautz raiders were forced to burn their wagons and destroy their guns before fleeing north. Returning to the Union lines on July 1, the raiders lost 1,445 men (approx. 25% of the command). A New Plan As Union forces operated against the railroads, efforts of a different sort were underway to break the deadlock in front of Petersburg. Among the units in the Union trenches was the 48th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry of Major General Ambrose Burnsides IX Corps. Composed largely of former coal miners, the men of the 48th devised a plan for breaking through the Confederate lines. Observing that the closest Confederate fortification, Elliotts Salient, was a mere 400 feet from their position, the men of the 48th believed that a mine could be run from their lines under the enemy earthworks. Once complete, this mine could be packed with enough explosives to open a hole in the Confederate lines. The Battle of the Crater This idea was seized upon by their commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Henry Pleasants. A mining engineer by trade, Pleasants approached Burnside with the plan arguing that the explosion would take the Confederates by surprise and would allow Union troops to rush in to take the city. Approved by Grant and Burnside, planning moved forward and construction of the mine began. Anticipating the attack to occur on July 30, Grant ordered Major General Winfield S. Hancocks II Corps and two divisions of Major General Philip Sheridans Cavalry Corps north across the James to the Union position at Deep Bottom. From this position, they were to advance against Richmond with the goal of drawing Confederate troops away from Petersburg. If this was not practicable, then Hancock was to pin the Confederates while Sheridan raided around the city. Attacking on July 27 and 28, Hancock and Sheridan fought an inconclusive action but one which succeeded in pulling Confederate troops from Petersburg. Having achieved his objective, Grant suspended operations on the evening of July 28. At 4:45 AM on July 30, the charge in the mine was detonated killing at least 278 Confederate soldiers and creating a crater 170 feet long, 60-80 feet wide, and 30 feet deep. Advancing, the Union attack soon bogged down as last-minute changes to the plan and a rapid Confederate response doomed it to failure. By 1:00 PM the fighting in the area ended and Union forces suffered 3,793 killed, wounded, and captured, while the Confederates incurred around 1,500. For his part in the attacks failure, Burnside was sacked by Grant and command of IX Corps passed to Major General John G. Parke. The Fighting Continues While the two sides were fighting in the vicinity of Petersburg, Confederate forces under Lieutenant General Jubal A. Early were successfully campaigning in the Shenandoah Valley. Advancing from the valley, he won the Battle of Monocacy on July 9 and menaced Washington on July 11-12. Retreating, he burned Chambersburg, PA on July 30. Earlys actions forced Grant to send VI Corps to Washington to bolster its defenses. Concerned that Grant might move to crush Early, Lee shifted two divisions to Culpeper, VA where they would be in position to support either front. Mistakenly believing that this movement had greatly weakened the Richmond defenses, Grant ordered II and X Corps to attack again at Deep Bottom on August 14. In six days of fighting, little was achieved other than forcing Lee to further strengthen the Richmond defenses. To end the threat posed by Early, Sheridan was dispatched to the valley to head up Union operations. Closing the Weldon Railroad While the fighting was raging at Deep Bottom, Grant ordered Major General Gouverneur K. Warrens V Corps to advance against the Weldon Railroad. Moving out on August 18, they reached the railroad at Globe Tavern around 9:00 AM. Attacked by Confederate forces, Warrens men fought a back and forth battle for three days. When it ended, Warren had succeeded in holding a position astride the railroad and had linked his fortifications with the main Union line near the Jerusalem Plank Road. The Union victory forced Lees men to offload supplies from the railroad at Stony Creek and bring them to Petersburg by wagon via the Boydton Plank Road. Wishing to permanently damage the Weldon Railroad, Grant ordered Hancocks tired II Corps to Reams Station to destroy the tracks. Arriving on August 22 and 23, they effectively destroyed the railroad to within two miles of Reams Station. Seeing the Union presence as a threat to his line of retreat, Lee ordered Major General A.P. Hill south to defeat Hancock. Attacking on August 25, Hills men succeeded in forcing Hancock to retreat after a protracted fight. Through a tactical reverse, Grant was pleased with the operation as the railroad had been put out of commission leaving the Southside as the only track running into Petersburg. (Map). Fighting in the Fall On September 16, while Grant was absent meeting with Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, Major General Wade Hampton led the Confederate cavalry on a successful raid against the Union rear. Dubbed the Beefsteak Raid, his men escaped with 2,486 head of cattle. Returning, Grant mounted another operation in later September intending to strike at both ends of Lees position. The first part saw Butlers Army of the James attack north of the James at Chaffins Farm on September 29-30. Though he had some initial success, he was soon contained by the Confederates. South of Petersburg, elements of V and IX Corps, supported by cavalry, successfully extended the Union line to the area of Peebles and Pegrams Farms by October 2. In an effort to relieve pressure north of the James, Lee attacked the Union positions there on October 7. The resulting Battle of Darbytown and New Market Roads saw his men repulsed forcing him to fall back. Continuing his trend of striking both flanks simultaneously, Grant sent Butler forward again on October 27-28. Fighting the Battle of Fair Oaks and Darbytown Road, Butler faired no better than Lee earlier in the month. At the other end of the line, Hancock moved west with a mixed force in an attempt to cut the Boydton Plank Road. Though his men gained the road on October 27, subsequent Confederate counterattacks forced him to fall back. As a result, the road remained open for Lee throughout the winter (Map). The End Nears With the setback at Boydton Plank Road, fighting began to quiet as winter approached. The re-election of President Abraham Lincoln in November ensured that the war would be prosecuted to the end. On February 5, 1865, offensive operations resumed with Brigadier General David Greggs cavalry division moving out to strike Confederate supply trains on the Boydton Plank Road. To protect the raid, Warrens corps crossed Hatchers Run and established a blocking position on the Vaughan Road with elements of II Corps in support. Here they repulsed a Confederate attack late in the day. Following Greggs return the following day, Warren pushed up the road and was assaulted near Dabneys Mill. Though his advance was halted, Warren succeeded in further extending the Union line to Hatchers Run. Lees Last Gamble By early March 1865, over eight months in the trenches around Petersburg had begun to wreck Lees army. Plagued by disease, desertion, and a chronic lack of supplies, his force had dropped to around 50,000. Already outnumbered 2.5-to-1, he faced the daunting prospect of another 50,000 Union troops arriving as Sheridan concluded operations in the valley. Desperately needing to change the equation before Grant assaulted his lines, Lee asked Major General John B. Gordon to plan an attack on the Union lines with the goal of reaching Grants headquarters area at City Point. Gordon began preparations and at 4:15 AM on March 25, the lead elements began moving against Fort Stedman in the northern part of the Union line. Striking hard, they overwhelmed the defenders and soon had taken Fort Stedman as well as several nearby batteries opening a 1000-foot breach in the Union position. Responding to the crisis, Parke ordered Brigadier General John F. Hartranfts division to seal the gap. In tight fighting, Hartranfts men succeeded in isolating Gordons attack by 7:30 AM. Supported by a vast number of Union guns, they counterattacked and drove the Confederates back to their own lines. Suffering around 4,000 casualties, the failure of the Confederate effort at Fort Stedman effectively doomed Lees ability to hold the city. Five Forks Sensing Lee was weak, Grant ordered the newly returned Sheridan to attempt a move around the Confederate right flank to the west of Petersburg. To counter this move, Lee dispatched 9,200 men under Major General George Pickett to defend the vital crossroads of Five Forks and the Southside Railroad, with orders to hold them at all hazards. On March 31, Sheridans force encountered Picketts lines and moved to attack. After some initial confusion, Sheridans men routed the Confederates at the Battle of Five Forks, inflicting 2,950 casualties. Pickett, who was away at a shad bake when the fighting started, was relieved of his command by Lee. With the Southside Railroad cut, Lee lost his best line of retreat. The following morning, seeing no other options, Lee informed President Jefferson Davis that both Petersburg and Richmond must be evacuated (Map). The Fall of Petersburg This coincided with Grant ordering a massive offensive against the majority of the Confederate lines. Moving forward early on April 2, Parkes IX Corps struck Fort Mahone and the lines around the Jerusalem Plank Road. In bitter fighting, they overwhelmed the defenders and held on against strong counterattacks by Gordons men. To the south, Wrights VI Corps shattered the Boydton Line allowing Major General John Gibbons XXIV Corps to exploit the breach. Advancing, Gibbons men fought a protracted battle for Forts Gregg and Whitworth. Though they captured both, the delay allowed Lieutenant General James Longstreet to bring troops down from Richmond. To the west, Major General Andrew Humphreys, now commanding II Corps, broke through the Hatchers Run Line and pushed back Confederate forces under Major General Henry Heth. Though he was having success, he was ordered to advance on the city by Meade. Doing so, he left a division to deal with Heth. By late afternoon, Union forces had forced the Confederates into Petersburgs inner defenses but had worn themselves out in the process. That evening, as Grant planned a final assault for the following day, Lee began evacuating the city (Map). Aftermath Retreating west, Lee hoped to resupply and join with General Joseph Johnstons forces in North Carolina. As Confederate forces departed, Union troops entered both Petersburg and Richmond on April 3. Closely pursued by Grants forces, Lees army began to disintegrate. After a week of retreating, Lee finally met with Grant at Appomattox Court House and surrendered his army on April 9, 1865. Lees surrender effectively ended the Civil War in the East.

The Most Overlooked Fact Regarding Educational Goal Essay Samples Explained

The Most Overlooked Fact Regarding Educational Goal Essay Samples Explained At the close of the game you'll be a lot more knowledgeable concerning the locations and time periods depicted, without so much as realizing you were learning. Therefore, it helps one to acquire independence by realizing what he or she's good at. To some individuals, educational progress results in economic progress. When you concentrate on a procedure rather than a goal, you free yourself from the constant tension and craving for immediate benefits, the urge to attempt to control outcomes that don't depend on you, and the yo-yo effect, when somebody feels stressed after reaching a goal, since there isn't anything else to strive for. The Nuiances of Educational Goal Essay Samples It is not difficult to get consumed in each detail of the board meetings and company and to forget about our wonderful and hardworking staff. Teachers should concentrate on the learners to learn how their previous experiences and prior knowledge will affect the things that they have yet to learn and discover. So, education is a crucial way of eradicating the unemployment issue. It is an important medium of acquiring essential knowledge and skills. Schools throughout the world admit learners from various backgrounds, communities, races tribes and possibly even countries. Learning institutions all over the world are running on a particular routine. It helps we learners to know how to do simple calculations. It helps learners to look at things from all perspectives. Most Noticeable Educational Goal Essay Samples If you're clueless as to the best way to begin an essay or whether you need suggestions regarding topics, our sample essay education can be of some assistance to you. Don't forget to begin your essay strongit should be able to spark the interests of your readers. One's career ought to be suiting the purpose of a person's life and passion besides relying on one's very best skills. You don't need to possess the ideal writing skills so as to be creative and compose an effective essay. The scholarship committee would like to observe how investing in your education will aid your career. Our education is actually wo rth investment. Being part of a fantastic educational institution can be very costly. In the event the education system proceeds to emphasize traditional strategies, students aren't going to learn well and they won't be given a high-quality education. The ideal preparation for the approaching cyber landscape is a holistic technical education in a full range of fields. My whole future is dependent upon the choices I make in college. There's no such thing as a limit to an education. It is crucial for me to get a great education. Education plays an important role in your discipline. It plays a vital role in shaping successful people. Perhaps you wish to advance in your field, and the sole means to do this is to earn your degree. Most job fields demand a descent education. Goal number three is to make sure that everybody has a particular job. For that reason, it can't be reversed. The Problem with How You Set Goals There's a frequent mistake we frequently make when it has to do with setting goals. Goal setting is centered on your benefits. It is simple, yet 97% of the population never do it. Minimize or avoid distractions if possible so that you can get the job done better on your aims. Goals can be helpful in developing a wonderful deal of motivation in an individual. Setting goals doesn't mean that you always fail. Seeting up goals is the very first step towards success. Many governments believe economic progress is their most important objective. There are many advantages of goal setting. For instance, if your target is to collect an extra $1,000 by the conclusion of the calendar year, your system might include slightly boosting your monthly income (through regular freelancing, for instance). Let's return to the survey respondents for an instant.

Bacteria and Acidic End Products Free Essays

Title of the Experiment: Enterobacteriaceae Identification: The Enterotube II System Learning Objectives: After completing this exercise we were able to inoculate an unknown bacterium that belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae by using technology effectively with a Enterotube II. An Enterotube II is a miniaturized multi-test system for rapid identification of enterbacteriaceae. We then evaluated the test results and generated a five-digit code for the unknown bacterium. We will write a custom essay sample on Bacteria and Acidic End Products or any similar topic only for you Order Now Thinking creatively and critically we had to fgure out the code by looking at the Enterotube and comparing he reactants to the original to see what the result was. We then had to use the five- digit code to correctly identify the unknown bacterium from the interpretation guide. Procedure: Step 1 : Remove organisms from a well-isolated colony. Avoid touching the agar with the wire. Step 2: Inoculate each compartment by first twisting the wire and then withdrawing it all the way out through the 12 compartments using a turning movement. Step 3: Reinsert the wire (without sterilizing), using a turning motion through all the 12 compartments until the notch on the wire is aligned with the opening of the tube. Step 4: Break the wire at the notch by bending. The portion of the wire remaining in the tube maintains anaerobic conditions essential for true fermentation. Step 5: Punch holes with broken-off part wire through the thin plastic covering over depressions on sides of the last eight compartments. Replace caps and incubate at 35 degrees C for 18-24 hours. Step 6: After encircling the numbers of the positive tests on the laboratory report, total up the numbers of each bracketed series to determine the five-digit code number. Refer to the Enterotube II Interpretation Guide for identification of the unknown by using the code number Results: Before inoculation of the Enterotube II showing the original colors of each test which was also used to compare with the inoculated enterotube. After the inoculation of the Enterotube, many of the colors have changed which means they have reacted with the antibiotic. The reactants then helped me find out what the unkown bacterium is. Each color changed or reacted gives a certain digit Summary Conclusions: Enterotube II identifies Enterobacteriaceae. The Enterotube II is a multiple test system designed to identify enteric bacteria based on Glucose, Adonitol, Lactose, Arabinose, Sorbitol, Dulcitol fermentation, lysine and Decarboxylation, Sulfur reduction, Indole, Acetoin production of glucose fermentation, Phenylalanine deamination, Urea hydrolysis, and Citrate utilization. Adonitol Bacterial fermentation of adonitol, which results in the formation of acidic end products, is indicated by a change in color of the indicator present in the medium from red (alkaline) to yellow (acidic). Any sign of yellow should be inter preted as a positive reaction, orange should be considered negative. Lactose Bacterial fermentation of lactose, which results in the formation of acidic end roducts, is indicated by a change in color of the Indicator present in the medium from red (alkaline) to yellow (acidic). Any sign of yellow should be interpreted as a positive reaction; orange should be considered negative. Arabinose Bacterial fermentation of arabinose, which results in the formation of acidic end products, is indicated by a change in color from red (alkaline) to yellow (acidic). Any sign of yellow should be interpreted as a positive reaction; orange should be considered negative. Sorbitol Bacterial fermentation of sorbitol, which results in the formation of acidic nd products, is indicated by a change in color from red (alkaline) to yellow (acidic). Any sign of yellow should be interpreted as a positive reaction; orange should be considered negative. Voges-Proskauer Acetylmethylcarbinol (acetoin) is an inter mediate in the production of butylene glycol from glucose fer mentation. The presence of acetoin is indicated by the develop ment of a red color within 20 minutes. Most positive reactions are evident within 10 minutes. Phenylalanine Deaminase This test detects the formation of pyruvic acid from the deamination of phenylalanine. The pyruvic acid formed reacts with a ferric salt in the medium to roduce a characteristic black to smoky gray color. Urea The production of urease by some bacteria hydrolyzes urea in this medium to produce ammonia, which causes a shift in pH from yellow (acidic) to reddish-purple (alkaline). This test is strongly positive for Proteus in 6 hours and weakly positive for Klebsiella and some Enterobaeter species in 24 hours. Citrate Organisms that are able to utilize the citrate in this medium as their sole source of carbon produce alkaline metabo lites that change the color of the indicator from green (acidic) to deep blue (alkaline). Any degree of blue should be considered positive. After looking at the results of the Enterotube I came to conclusion that my unkown bacteria gave me the five-digit code 34363 which translated to Klebsiella pneumonia bacterium that can form a capsule. It is found in the normal flora of GI tracts in humans. K. pneumoniae can become pathogenic in patients whose immune systems are compromised. K. pneumoniae can cause nosocomial urinary tract infections and pneumonia. In immunocompromised patients, death is possible. For a personto get the K. pneumoniae bacteria, they have to have direct contact with another person. K. pneumoniae is not able to be contacted through the air. Healthcare workers can help to decrease the spread of K. pneumoniae by washing their hands before and after taking care of a patient. It was established that the Enterotube system provides a simple, reliable, and rapid method for the probable identification of Enterobacteriaceae. The major advantage of the Enterotube is that all tests are done simultaneously by inoculation from a single isolated colony. It is also easier to inoculate, single inoculation, self- contained, numerous tests, little media preparation, rapid results, reliability, uniformity, simple interpretation. How to cite Bacteria and Acidic End Products, Papers