The term “offensives” will often be used at Beyond the Crater. Benjamin Butler was responsible for the first offensive against the city of Petersburg which ended with The Battle of Old Men and Young Boys on June 9, 1864. Ulysses S. Grant then launched nine offensives through the course of the Siege of Petersburg, as follows1:
| Siege Number | Grant’s Number | Battles | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Ninth of June | June 9, 1864 | |
|
2
|
I
|
First Petersburg | June 15-18, 1864 |
| Howlett’s House | June 16-17, 1864 | ||
|
3
|
II
|
First Weldon Railroad | June 22, 1864 |
| Wilson-Kautz Raid | June 22-July 1, 1864 | ||
| St. Mary’s Church | June 24, 1864 | ||
| Hare’s Hill | June 24, 1864 | ||
| Staunton Bridge | June 25, 1864 | ||
| Sappony Church | June 28-29, 1864 | ||
| First Reams’ Station | June 29, 1864 | ||
|
4
|
III
|
First Deep Bottom | July 27-29, 1864 |
| Crater | July 30, 1864 | ||
| Lee’s Mill Pond | July 30, 1864 | ||
|
A
|
Confederate Mine | August 5, 1864 | |
|
B
|
Dutch Gap | August 13, 1864 | |
|
5
|
IV
|
Second Deep Bottom | August 14-19, 1864 |
| Globe Tavern | August 18-21, 1864 | ||
| First Gravelly Run | August 23, 1864 | ||
| Second Reams’ Station | August 25, 1864 | ||
| Fourth Bermuda Hundred | August 25, 1864 | ||
|
C
|
Gregory’s Chimneys | September 10, 1864 | |
|
D
|
Cattle Raid | September 14-17, 1864 | |
|
E
|
Poplar Spring Road | September 15, 1864 | |
|
6
|
V
|
Chaffin’s Bluff | Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 1864 |
| Poplar Spring Church | Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 1864 | ||
| Dr. Boisseau’s House | October 4, 1864 | ||
| First Darbytown Road | October 7, 1864 | ||
| Second Squirrel Level Road | October 8, 1864 | ||
| Second Darbytown Road | October 13, 1864 | ||
|
F
|
First Fort Brady | October 22, 1864 | |
|
7
|
VI
|
Second Fair Oaks | October 27-29, 1864 |
| First Hatcher’s Run | October 27-28, 1864 | ||
| Fourth Jerusalem Plank Road | October 30, 1864 | ||
| Forts Haskell and Morton | November 5, 1864 | ||
|
G
|
First Stony Creek Depot | December 1, 1864 | |
|
8
|
VII
|
Expedition to Hicksford and Bellefield | December 7-12, 1864 |
| Fourth New Market Heights | December 10, 1864 | ||
|
H
|
Second Fort Brady | January 23-24, 1865 | |
|
9
|
VIII
|
Second Hatcher’s Run | February 5-7, 1865 |
|
I
|
Fort Stedman | March 25, 1865 | |
|
10
|
IX
|
Fourth Petersburg (Lewis’ Farm, Third Boydton Plank Road, White Oak Road, Dinwiddie Court House, Five Forks, Third Jones’ Farm, Sutherland’s Station, Breakthrough, and Ninth Corps Attacks) | March 28-April 2, 1865 |
| Occupation of Petersburg and Richmond | April 3, 1865 |
The numbered offensives are those initiated by Union movements. Items marked with a letter are not part of the ten offensives and are typically the result of Confederate counterattacks. Beyond the Crater will eventually have battle summaries under the Resources section of the site grouped by offensives.
- Sommers, Richard J. “GRANT’S FIFTH OFFENSIVE AT PETERSBURG: A STUDY IN STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND GENERALSHIP. THE BATTLE OF CHAFFIN’S BLUFF, THE BATTLE OF POPLAR SPRING CHURCH, THE FIRST BATTLE OF THE DARBYTOWN ROAD, THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE SQUIRREL LEVEL ROAD, THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE DARBYTOWN ROAD”. 1970 Ph.D. thesis. Appendix J: List of the Federal Offensives at Petersburg, Page 1399-1400 ↩