History and Tour Guide of Five Forks, Hatcher’s Run and Namozine Church (Including the Battles of Lewis’ Farm, White Oak Road, and Dinwiddie Court House)
by Chris Calkins
BTC’s Take: This little book is packed with action from March 29-April 3, 1865, skipping only the final fighting at Petersburg on April 2. Essentially, this is a history of the left hook Grant threw at Lee using the Fifth Corps, Second Corps, and Sheridan’s cavalry from March 29-April 1, 1865 with the April 3 cavalry battle at Namozine Church and the February 5-7, 1865 Battle of Hatcher’s Run thrown in for good measure. All of these battles occurred southwest and west of Hatcher’s Run in the same general vicinity in a triangle from five Forks to Dinwiddie Court Hpouse to Burgess Mill. These were the westernmost fights at the Siege of Petersburg. Calkins was Chief Historian at Petersburg National Battlefield at the time this history and tour guide was written. He has since moved on to Appomattox Court House. This book continues the quality one comes to expect from Blue and Gray Magazien Editor Dave Roth, and he gives Calkins an assist with the maps. Literally the only complaint I have about this book is that the maps are black and white rather than the usual glorious full color of the magazine. In all other respects, however, they will be very familiar to those of you who read Blue and Gray Magazine. And there are a lot of them, 17 in all in a book that runs just 181 pages. Calkins manages to provide an excellent introduction to six battles in this short space. This wouldn’t be my go to book for Five Forks. You’re better off getting the H. E. Howard book on Five Forks co-authored by Calkins and Ed Bearss. However, this is as good of an introduction to the other five battles as you’ll currently find. And that’s where this one’s value is at. Buy this one for a great look at the forgotten battles of Grant’s Eighth and Ninth Offensives.
Book Summary/Review:
BTC Siege of Petersburg Book Notes:
BTC Siege of Petersburg Book Sources:
Blue & Gray Magazine’s History and Tour Guide of Five Forks, Hatcher’s Run and Namozine Church
by Chris Calkins
Includes the Battles of Lewis’ Farm, White Oak Road, and Dinwiddie Court House
181 pp., Soft Cover 17 maps, photos, index
Paperback Edition
ISBN: 978-1-891515-07-1
Publisher: Blue & Gray Magazine
Release Date: 2003
Pages: 181 pages
The Siege of Petersburg Online Pages Which Mention This Book: