Siege of Petersburg

Official Portfolio of War and Nation 1864 General Ulysses S. Grant continued moving the Union Army south toward Richmond, Virginia through the entire month of May, 1864. Grants’ continued pressure forced Confederate General Robert E. Lee to remain on the defensive. After several bloody engagements, Grant decided to focus on cutting off the Confederate supply lines. To that end, Grant laid siege to Petersburg, Virginia, a large supplier of troops and goods to the Confederate army. While the Siege of Petersburg carried on for nearly 10 months, hard fighting continued in other areas. The siege ended on April 2, 1865 when Lee withdrew his forces from both Petersburg and Richmond. On April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered at the Appomattox Court House, effectively ending the Civil War.