Saturday, April 02, 2011
This Day in American History
On this day in 1865, having defeated the Rebels decisively at the Battle of Five Forks, Union soldiers under Grant low crawl during the dark early hours across the 'no man's land' between the Union and Confederate trenches around Petersburg, VA, 25 miles southeast of Richmond, survive raking cannon and rifle fire and rise at first light to storm the trenchlines. As a result of the multiple breaches, the Rebels abandon both Petersburg and Richmond and start a week long race to Danville, which race the Rebels, under Lee, lose at Appomattox. General A.P. Hill was killed trying to rally the Confederate troops
Labels: American Civil War; Last Days
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 8:08 AM 
