Editor’s Note: This article was transcribed by Jackie Martin.
THE WAR NEWS.
________
The decisive battle of the war in Virginia, as far as concerns the fate of Richmond, is believed to have been fought on yesterday [April 2, 1865]. On Friday [March 31, 1865] and Saturday [April 1, 1865] there had been preliminary skirmishing of a determined character on the Petersburg lines, but not until daylight yesterday morning did the storm of battle burst with all its fury. At that hour General Grant made a general attack upon General Lee. The front of battle was many miles in extent, stretching from the Appomattox east of Petersburg, south of that city, and thence westward to the Southside railroad. General Lee’s lines were penetrated in several places, and all attempts to recover the lost ground were unsuccessful.1
This is believed to decide the fate of Richmond. It is not for us to write any particulars as to the future.2
Source:
- SOPO editor’s Note: This article is referring to the Third Battle of Petersburg, and all of its separate actions, fought on April 2, 1865. This fighting did indeed result in the fall of Richmond and Petersburg, as the Richmond Examiner speculated. ↩
- “The War News.” Richmond Examiner. April 3, 1865, p. 2 col. 1 ↩