February 11, 1865
Federal expedition from Bermuda Hundred to Fearnsville and to Smithfield, VA, finds no Confederate resistance of any kind in this area. 2/11-15/1865.
Affair at Williamsburg, VA, as the Rebel Cavalry forces, dressed in Union garb, attack the Union picket-post and charge upon the reserves, inflicting casualties, receiving some in return.
In General Orders No. 2, Robert E. Lee offers a general amnesty to all deserters from the Army of Northern Virginia if they will only return to their commands and bolster his failing strength as desertions begin to take a toll.
Union Sixth Corps commander Major General Horatio G. Wright returns from a leave of absence occasioned by an injury earlier in 1865.
At the very last moment, the 6th Wisconsin and 7th Wisconsin are kept at the siege while the rest of Bragg’s First Brigade, Third Division, Fifth Corps, Army of the Potomac leave for Baltimore.
Confederate Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin writes to General Robert E. Lee on the subject of arming slaves, sharing that in order to “disarm opposition …and to produce prompt action,” he proposed at a public meeting to only arm those slaves willing to fight for their freedom.
Note: All “Today In The Petersburg Campaign” blog entries are used with permission from Ronald A. Mosocco’s Chronological Tracking of the American Civil War per the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion. Order the book HERE.
Copyright © 1993, 1994 by Ronald A. Mosocco
Mentions of This Date at The Siege of Petersburg Online:
- BEARSS MAP: Battle of Hatcher’s Run, February 5-11, 1865 TOPO
- BEARSS MAP: Battle of Hatcher’s Run, February 7-11, 1865 Map 6
- LT: February 11, 1865 Samuel K. Miller
- NP: February 24, 1865 The Roman Citizen (Rome, NY): 15th NY Eng Letter, February 13, 1865
- OR LI P1: Report of Lieutenant J. Webb Adams, 10th MA Btty, February 5-11, 1865
- OR LI P1: Report of Colonel Charles W. Tilden, 16th ME, February 5-11, 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #4: Itineraries of the Army of the Potomac, Sheridan’s Cavalry Command, and the Army of the James, January-April 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #6: Reports of Bvt. Col. James C. Duane, Engineers/AotP, Jan 14-Feb 25, 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #29: Report of Maj. Gen. Andrew A. Humphreys, commanding II/AotP, February 5-11, 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #51: Report of Brigadier General Thomas A. Smyth, commanding 2/II/AotP, February 5-11, 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #54: Report of Lieutenant Colonel Joseph W. Spaulding, 19th ME, February 5-11, 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #58: Report of Captain Frank Houston, First Minnesota Infantry, of operations February 5-11, 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #60: Report of Captain Charles H. Dygert, 152nd NY, February 5-11, 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #61: Report of Colonel John H. Stover, 184th PA, February 5-11, 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #65: Report of Lieutenant Colonel Francis E. Pierce, 108th NY, commanding 3/2/II/AotP, February 5-7, 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #66: Report of Lieutenant Colonel Samuel A. Moore, 14th CT, February 5-11, 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #88: Reports of Bvt. Lieutenant Colonel John G. Hazard, 1st RI Lt Arty, commanding Arty/II/AotP, Feb 5-7 and Mar 25, 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #89: Report of Bvt. Captain John W. Roder, Btty K 4th US Arty, February 5-11, 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #90: Report of Lieutenant Edward S. Smith, 15th NY Btty, commanding section Btty K 4th US Arty, Feb 6-11, 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #115: Report of Bvt. Lieutenant Colonel Robert H. Fitzhugh, 1st NY Lt Arty, commanding Arty/V/AotP, February 5-7, 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #176: Reports of Bvt. Major Peter S. Michie, Chief Engineer, Army of the James, Feb 4-Mar 18, 1865