XIV. News from the Eastern Theatre (June 20 - July 24)
Beginning of the Siege of Petersburg
After Ulysses S. Grant had crossed the James River on June 18, 1864, the Overland Campaign had effectively ended and Lee's and Grant's forces were now engaged in the Siege of Petersburg as the city was the last obstacle between the Union army and the Confederate capital, Richmond. As a result of the Federal failure to take Petersburg by assault, the Union supreme commander focussed on securing the three remaining open rail lines connecting Petersburg and Richmond.
Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road
On June 22, Birney's II and Wright's VI Corps advanced against the Weldon Railroad and encountered Confederate divisions under Cadmus Wilcox and William Mahone. While the main Rebel forces were holding both Union corps in place, Mahone sneaked an assault column to the rear of the II Corps via a ravine. The following suprise attack routed two of Birney's divisions that fell back to their own earthworks. A counter attack on the next day proved inneffectual because Mahone's men had already vacated the captured positions. To the south, a heavy skirmish foirce from the VI Corps was driven back by Wilcox' division. The alltogether inconclusive fight cost the Federals nearly 3,000 casualties while the Confederates lost fewer than 600 and remained in possession of the vital rail line.
Battle of Saint Mary's Church
On June 24 Philip Sheridan's Union cavalry returned from their failed effort to cut the Virginia Central Railroad and gathered supplies near White House in the vicinity of the James River. At St. Mary's Church Wade Hampton attacked two brigades of cavalry under David McMurtrie Gregg with five of his own brigades. The Rebels outnumbered the Federals by almost two to one and were able to envelop their positions and subsequently drove Gregg and his force from their breastworks. The resulting delaying action however enabled the wagon train to move towards the James River without being bothered. Gregg's losses were about 350 while Hampton took 250 casualties.
First Battle of Ream's Station
On June 29, Federal cavalry divisions under James H. Wilson and August Kautz advanced against the Wilmongton and Weldoin Railroad in southern Virginia. At Ream's Station they encountered Mahones Confederate infantry and cavalry from Rooney Lee's division. Around noon, Mahone struck the Union forces from the front while Rooney Lee outflanked the left end of their line. The attack succeeded in splitting the Federal forces and Wilson as well as Kautz were forced to cut their way back to the Union lines around Petersburg via cross-country races. Union losses were around 400 while the Rebels took about 200 casualties.
Early's Washington Raid
Much less static warfare was going on in the Shenandoah Valley however. After Jubal Early had defeated David Hunter's Union army at Lynchburg, the Confederate Army of the Valley struck in the direction of Maryland and Pennsylvania. Early had been informed, that an invasion was going on in Missouri and he therefore would not be obliged to set everything on one card and risk his force. For this reason he calculated how to inflict the maximum terror and confusion on the Federals while conserving his men in the most efficient way.
Battle of Monocacy River
On July 9, Early attacked an outnumbered Federal force under Lew Wallace at Frederick, Maryland along the Monocacy River. Wallace's Maryland Home brigade had, with support from Rickett's division of the VI Corps, intercepted Early and was determined to slow him down as long as possible. While Rodes' and Ramseur's divisions kept Wallace's forces in place, Gordon's and Breckinridge's divisions with McCausland's cavalry brigade in the van crossed the Monocacy via a ford in the south. It took both divisions the better part of the afternoon to fully deploy, but the Confederates were able to reap the fruits of their endeavor when they finally converged on the Federal left flank held by Rickett's division. The VI Corps men collapsed and nearly 1,200 out of 3,500 were taken prisoner. All along the line, 500 more Federals were killed or wounded while Early took around 500 combined casualties. He decided not to pursue Wallace's remnants in the direction of Baltimore, rested his men and put them on the march towards Washington DC the next morning.
Battle of Fort Stevens
In the morning of July 12, Early reached the outskirts of the Union capital near Fort Stevens. Scouts had informed him that two corps from the Army of the Potomac had joined the capital's defences. Those news did not unhinge the Confederate commander, because he had never expected to take Washington in the first place. He was even eager to have drawn so much attention away from the Petersburg lines and decided, to make a show of his appearance. For several hours he bombarded Fort Stevens and feigned several assaults without ever really committing any formation larger than a brigade. After he had lobbed a series of shells over the walls into the city, Early retreated late in the afternoon. He was sure to have scared the good people of Washington enough for the time being.
Battle of Cool Spring
As expected, the Union VI and XIX Corps under Horatio Wright immdiately pursued Early, who was falling back to Virginia. When Thoburn's Federal division followed Early's men over the Shenandoah River on July 17, Wharton's, Rodes' and Gordon's divisions turned around and suddenly charged the Union men. Driven with the back to the river, Thoburn fended off several savage attacks especially from Rodes' division until darkness put an end to the fighting. During the night the Federals retreated to the northern bank of the river and counted their dead while Early chose to continue heading to the south. 600 Federals and 400 Confederates became casualties that day.
Second Battle of Kernstown
Union commander Horatio Wright had mistaken Early's continued withdrawal for a sign of his army's dissolution and decided to return the majority of his forces to Petersburg, where Grant was not making any headway. As soon as he had departed the Valley however, Early changed his demeanor and went on the offensive again. Only George Crook's Army of West Virginia had been left to deal with the Confederates in the Valley and those nearly 10,000 men were no match for Early. On July 24 his 14,000 strong Army of the Valley assaulted Crook near Kernstown, where Stonewall Jackson had been defeated two years before. A flank attack of Wharton's division rolled up the Union line and sent Crooks men into flight. At the cost of not more than 600 men, Early had inflicted almost 2,000 casualties on the federals, two thirds of them prisoners taken by his pursuing cavalry. As soon as the news reached Grant, he decided to commit a decent force to put an end to Early's presence in the Valley once and for all. The man to lead this operation was to be Philip Sheridan.