February 21, 1865
An artillery duel occurs between Confederate batteries in the vicinity of Gracie’s Salient and their Union counterparts.
A salute is fired along the Union lines facing Petersburg and Richmond celebrating the captures of Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina.
General George W. Getty declines command of Gregg’s former Cavalry Division, prompting Meade to recommend Fifth Corps division commanders Samuel W. Crawford and Romeyn B. Ayres as possible choices.
The 7th New York Heavy Artillery is ordered to Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, to be exchanged for the 91st New York.
The 3rd United States Infantry is ordered from the Department of Washington to the Army of the Potomac at the Siege of Petersburg.
Brevet Major General Nelson A. Miles, commanding Second Corps temporarily, advances and straightens his picket line in front of his lines, causing some alarm in Heth’s Division opposite Second Corps along the Boydton Plank Road.
Confederate mortars on Cemetery Hill fire on Union Fort Sedgwick at 10 am, which returns fire.
Union Battery 9 fires at a “wood-work” and sees a reply from Confederate mortars at 1:30 pm.
Captain Robert T. Lincoln, President Lincoln’s eldest son, reports for duty at City Point and is assigned to the staff of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant.
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