On Wednesday, March 29, 1865 the combined Union Army of the Potomac and the Army of the James, totaling approximately 125,000 troops, moved against the Confederate defenders guarding Petersburg and Richmond. Lee, whose forces were less than half the Federal strength, had been collecting supplies and preparing to withdraw to the west to join forces with Joseph Johnston. With the Union move now threatening to cut off Lee’s westward retreat, he sent George Pickett and Fitzhugh Lee to Five Forks, where he correctly anticipated a Union flanking maneuver. Sharp fighting occurred near the junction of the Boydton and Quaker roads, making it clear that Grant wished both to turn Lee’s flank, forcing him away from Richmond and Petersburg, but also desired to effectively block any Confederate withdrawal.
00000174-b11b-ddc3-a1fc-bfdbb1a20000The Schreiner University Department of History is honoring the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War with a series of short vignettes focusing on events from 1861 through 1865. The Civil War was the most destructive conflict in American history, but it was also one of our most defining moments as a people and as a nation. Let us know what you think about "This Week in the Civil War." E-mail your comments to Dr. John Huddleston at jhuddles@schreiner.edu.Airs: Weekdays at 5:19 a.m., 8:19 a.m., 4:19 p.m. on KTXI and 4:49 a.m., 9:29 p.m. on KSTX.