How is the winner determined?

[1SGDan]

Does that include the 1865 battles or just the 1864 ones?

1864 and 1865

 

[Rebforever]

Grant attacked Lee 8 times at Petersburg and was successful only on the 8th attack breakthrough.
Grant wasn't in too good of shape after he lost all his beef!

 

[NedBaldwin]

Grant attacked Lee 8 times at Petersburg and was successful only on the 8th attack breakthrough.

I am going to assume you are talking about what are classified as the 8 offensives (which involved more than 8 battles).

1st. Mid June attack on Petersburg.
Failure for Grant

2nd. Late June: Grant send forces to capture Jerusaleum Plank Road and Weldon Railroad; AP Hill counterattacks; US captures road but not rail.
Partial success for Grant.

3rd. July 1864: The Crater.
Failure for Grant.

4th. August 1864: Grant sends Warren to take Weldon railroad; AP Hill counterattacks; Warren holds.
Success for Grant.

5th. Late September/Early October: US attacks Fort Harrison near Richmond and Peebles Farm south of Petersburg; captures both places; Lee counterattacks and fails.
Success for Grant.

6th. Late October 1864: Hancock tries to capture Boydton Plank Road; Heth counterattacks and defeats Hancock.
Failure for Grant.

7th. February 1865: Warren moves to Hatchers Run; Gordon counterattacks.
Partial success for Grant

8th. March-April 1865: Fort Stedman, Five Forks, Fort Gregg.
Complete success for Grant.

 

[Pat Answer]

Degrees of success can be measured 'at the time' but I still think "winners" and "losers" are labels of hindsight - and perhaps the only time that hindsight is appropriate for the interpretation of history.

 

[Rebforever]

I am going to assume you are talking about what are classified as the 8 offensives (which involved more than 8 battles).

1st. Mid June attack on Petersburg.
Failure for Grant

2nd. Late June: Grant send forces to capture Jerusaleum Plank Road and Weldon Railroad; AP Hill counterattacks; US captures road but not rail.
Partial success for Grant.

3rd. July 1864: The Crater.
Failure for Grant.

4th. August 1864: Grant sends Warren to take Weldon railroad; AP Hill counterattacks; Warren holds.
Success for Grant.

5th. Late September/Early October: US attacks Fort Harrison near Richmond and Peebles Farm south of Petersburg; captures both places; Lee counterattacks and fails.
Success for Grant.

6th. Late October 1864: Hancock tries to capture Boydton Plank Road; Heth counterattacks and defeats Hancock.
Failure for Grant.

7th. February 1865: Warren moves to Hatchers Run; Gordon counterattacks.
Partial success for Grant

8th. March-April 1865: Fort Stedman, Five Forks, Fort Gregg.
Complete success for Grant.

No that is not right but I can't find my book! So I will relinquish this thread to you.

 

[OpnCoronet]

At Petersburg, each battle extended the Union noose around Lee's army.by occupying new ground from which other battles would extend it even further by acquiring new position, etc., etc., until, finally, new ground would be acquired from which Lee could not successfully resist.
Campaign's can be several battles to achieve a certain goal, a general can lose every battle except the last in achieving the goal, when that happens, the campaign was a success and even the other lost battles would become a part of that success.
Petersburg, was a campaign to destroy or eliminate the ANV and hopefully end the war. The campaign was successful and all the battles before contributed to that end(Victory).