After the victory at Five Forks, Grant ordered a general advance on the Petersburg entrenchments. Many of the Union soldiers were expecting this to be their end, knowing the strength of the fortifications.
Had Lee already started to evacuate Petersburg immediately after Five Forks and the trenches were substantially weakened, allowing the Union successes? Or were the defenses really not as formidable as people thought because the lines had already been stretched so thin? Was Union success at Five Forks a necessary precursor to overwhelming the lines as Lee immediately started to withdraw, or were the lines already pretty weakened and Five Forks was simply the spark?
Had Lee already started to evacuate Petersburg immediately after Five Forks and the trenches were substantially weakened, allowing the Union successes? Or were the defenses really not as formidable as people thought because the lines had already been stretched so thin? Was Union success at Five Forks a necessary precursor to overwhelming the lines as Lee immediately started to withdraw, or were the lines already pretty weakened and Five Forks was simply the spark?