Overland The Overland Campaign Driving Tour - Grant vs. Lee (1864)

(Wilderness, Spotsylvania, North Anna, Cold Harbor)

Buckeye Bill

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* The Battle of the Wilderness.

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The Overland Campaign (Grant's Overland Campaign/Wilderness Campaign) was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. General.Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Federal armies, directed the actions of the Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. General George G. Meade, and other forces against Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Although Grant suffered severe losses during the campaign, it was a strategic Federal victory. It inflicted proportionately higher losses on Lee's army and maneuvered it into a siege at Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia, in just over eight weeks.

Crossing the Rapidan River on May 4, 1864, Grant sought to defeat Lee's army by quickly placing his forces between Lee and Richmond and inviting an open battle. Lee surprised Grant by attacking the larger Federal army aggressively in the Battle of the Wilderness (May 5–7), resulting in heavy casualties on both sides. Unlike his predecessors in the Eastern Theater, however, Grant did not withdraw his army following this setback, but instead maneuvered to the southeast, resuming his attempt to interpose his forces between Lee and Richmond. Lee's army was able to get into position to block this movement. At the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (May 8–21), Grant repeatedly attacked segments of the Confederate defensive line, hoping for a breakthrough, but the only results were again heavy losses for both sides.

Grant maneuvered again, meeting Lee at the North Anna River (Battle of North Anna, May 23–26). Here, Lee held clever defensive positions that provided an opportunity to defeat portions of Grant's army, but illness prevented Lee from attacking in time to trap Grant. The final major battle of the campaign was waged at Cold Harbor (May 31 – June 12), in which Grant gambled that Lee's army was exhausted and ordered a massive assault against strong defensive positions, resulting in disproportionately heavy Union casualties. Resorting to maneuver a final time, Grant surprised Lee by stealthily crossing the James River, threatening to capture the city of Petersburg, the loss of which would doom the Confederate capital. The resulting Siege of Petersburg (June 1864 – March 1865) led to the eventual surrender of Lee's army in April 1865 and the effective end of the Civil War.

* The Overland Campaign Map.

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* Federal Lt. General Ulysses Simpson Grant vs. Confederate General Robert Edward Lee.

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* The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.

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* The Battle of Trevilian Station.

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* The Battle of North Anna River.

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* The Battle of Totopotomoy Creek.

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* The Battle of Yellow Tavern (Confederate Major General J.E.B. Stuart's Mortal Wounding Site Memorial).

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* The Battle of Haw's Shop (Enon Church).

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* The Battle of Cold Harbor.

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* Federal Lt. General Ulysses S. Grant's Headquarters at City Point.

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* The Siege of Petersburg.

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* Photos courtesy of William Bechmann (2016)
 
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* The Battle of North Anna River at Ox Ford occurred on this date in 1864. The Gray Trail is easy to moderate to hike and the Blue Trail is moderate to difficult to hike. Walking this terrain allows the individual to comprehend the mindset of the Federal troops attempting to penetrate the Confederate inverted V earthworks. Brutal.....

* Virginia State Historic Marker.

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* Gray Trail Marker (Tour Stop - 1).

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P.S. We did locate the Texas Monument at the Gaines' Mill Battlefield. Thanks for your assistance!!!

Bill
 
The Battle of Totopotomoy Creek (Rural Plains), Virginia commenced on this day in 1864 and ended on May, 31, 1864. Following the Battle of North Anna, Lt. General Ulysses S. Grant's Federal forces continued its advance southward. Leading the way, Federal cavalry skirmished with Confederates nears the Pamunkey River, crossing at Dabney’s Ferry (Hanovertown) and at Crump’s Creek on May 27. During a cavalry fight at Haw’s Shop the next day, Federal and Confederate infantry arrived in the vicinity. The Confederates entrenched behind Totopotomoy Creek. On the 29th, the Union Second, Ninth, and Fifth Corps probed Lee’s position along the creek, while the Sixth Corps felt its way toward Hanover Court House. Early on the 30th, the Sixth Corps turned south to come in on the far right flank of the Federal line (Hancock's Second Corps) but bogged down in swampy Crump’s Creek without getting into position. Hancock's men forced a crossing of Totopotomoy Creek in two places, capturing the first line of Confederate trenches, but the advance was stopped at the main line. The Federal Ninth Corps maneuvered into position on Hancock's left, driving back Confederate pickets on the Shady Grove Road. In the meantime, Brigadier General Gouverneur K. Warren's Fifth Corps, on the Federals' far left flank, was attacked by Early’s corps near Bethesda Church. The Federals were driven back to Shady Grove Road after heavy fighting. Confederate Brigadier General George Doles was killed by a sharpshooter near Bethesda Church on June 2, 1864. This battle was part of Grant's Overland Campaign.

* The Shelton House on the Totopotomoy Creek (Rural Plains) Battlefield. Patrick Henry's wedding took place in this mansion.

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Yes your pictures bring back memories. It's been a long time since I was at the Wilderness battlefield, and Appomattox. Through the years reading about the campaign made Grant my favorite General. Thanks for the pics I have to get down there again.
 
Yes your pictures bring back memories. It's been a long time since I was at the Wilderness battlefield, and Appomattox. Through the years reading about the campaign made Grant my favorite General. Thanks for the pics I have to get down there again.

Very welcome!

Bill
 
The Overland Campaign (Grant's Overland Campaign/Wilderness Campaign) was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, in the American Civil War. Lt. General.Ulysses S. Grant, general-in-chief of all Federal armies, directed the actions of the Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. General George G. Meade, and other forces against Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Although Grant suffered severe losses during the campaign, it was a strategic Federal victory. It inflicted proportionately higher losses on Lee's army and maneuvered it into a siege at Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia, in just over eight weeks.

Crossing the Rapidan River on May 4, 1864, Grant sought to defeat Lee's army by quickly placing his forces between Lee and Richmond and inviting an open battle. Lee surprised Grant by attacking the larger Federal army aggressively in the Battle of the Wilderness (May 5–7), resulting in heavy casualties on both sides. Unlike his predecessors in the Eastern Theater, however, Grant did not withdraw his army following this setback, but instead maneuvered to the southeast, resuming his attempt to interpose his forces between Lee and Richmond. Lee's army was able to get into position to block this movement. At the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House (May 8–21), Grant repeatedly attacked segments of the Confederate defensive line, hoping for a breakthrough, but the only results were again heavy losses for both sides.

Grant maneuvered again, meeting Lee at the North Anna River (Battle of North Anna, May 23–26). Here, Lee held clever defensive positions that provided an opportunity to defeat portions of Grant's army, but illness prevented Lee from attacking in time to trap Grant. The final major battle of the campaign was waged at Cold Harbor (May 31 – June 12), in which Grant gambled that Lee's army was exhausted and ordered a massive assault against strong defensive positions, resulting in disproportionately heavy Union casualties. Resorting to maneuver a final time, Grant surprised Lee by stealthily crossing the James River, threatening to capture the city of Petersburg, the loss of which would doom the Confederate capital. The resulting Siege of Petersburg (June 1864 – March 1865) led to the eventual surrender of Lee's army in April 1865 and the effective end of the Civil War.

* The Overland Campaign Map.

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* Federal Lt. General Ulysses Simpson Grant vs. Confederate General Robert Edward Lee.

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* The Battle of the Wilderness.

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* The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House.

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* The Battle of Trevilian Station.

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* The Battle of North Anna River.

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* The Battle of Totopotomoy Creek.

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* The Battle of Yellow Tavern (Confederate Major General J.E.B. Stuart's Mortal Wounding Site Memorial).

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* The Battle of Haw's Shop (Enon Church).

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* The Battle of Cold Harbor.

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* Federal Lt. General Ulysses S. Grant's Headquarters at City Point.

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* The Siege of Petersburg.

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* Photos courtesy of William Bechmann (2016)
Again you have posted photos from a great trip. Please keep 'mcoming.
 
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those reconstructed works, are they recent? I don't remember seeing those when I was last there. But that eas over 20 years ago and my memory stinks.
 
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