The Five Forks Campaign and the Fall of Petersburg: March 29 - April 1, 1865

Edwin C. Bearss · Bryce Suderow

Mar 2014 · Savas Beatie

About this ebook

The wide-ranging and largely ignored operations around Petersburg, Virginia, were the longest and most extensive of the entire Civil War. The fighting began in June of 1864, when advance elements from the Union Army of the Potomac crossed the James River and botched a series of attacks against a thinly
defended city. The fighting ended nine long months later in the first days of April of 1865. The Five Forks Campaign and the Fall of Petersburg, March 29 – April 2, 1865, includes the final major operation that turned Lee’s right flank, cut his final railroad lifeline, and resulted in the loss of Petersburg and Richmond. In addition to original maps and photos, this book includes a complete chapter on the April 1 VI Corps “Breakthrough” and a special postscript by historian Chris Calkins on the retreat to Appomattox.

About the author

Edwin C. Bearss is a world-renowned military historian, author, and tour guide known for his work on the American Civil War and World War II. Ed, a former WWII Marine wounded in the Pacific Theater, served as Chief Historian of the National Park Service from 1981 to 1994 and is the author of dozens of books and articles including the two-volume definitive study The Petersburg Campaign, vol. 1: The Eastern Front Battles, June–August 1864, and vol. 2: The Western Battles, September 1864 – April 1865 (Savas Beatie, 2012, 2014). Mr. Bearss discovered and helped raise the Union warship USS Cairo, which is on display at Vicksburg National Military Park. Bryce A. Suderow is a Civil War writer and researcher living in Washington, D.C. He received his bachelor’s at Knox College and earned a master’s in American history at Sonoma State University. His master’s thesis, “Thunder in Arcadia Valley,” was published in 1985 (University of Missouri). Bryce has also published many articles in a number of Civil War periodicals and is recognized as one of the finest archival researchers working today.