Battle of Fort Stedman
Petersburg, Virginia, USA
What happened
Confederate troops under John B. Gordon attacked Union lines held by John G. Parke's IX Corps. Before dawn, Confederate troops attacked Fort Stedman, a Union fort in the siege lines around Petersburg. They captured the fort and nearby batteries and opened a gap of nearly 1,000 feet in the Union line. Union forces closed the gap, surrounded the attackers and counterattacked, and the Confederates fell back.
Why it matters
It was the last serious Confederate attempt to break the Siege of Petersburg and the last attack made by Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. The losses weakened Lee's already outnumbered army.
What came next
About a week later the Union broke through the Confederate lines, and Lee's army surrendered at Appomattox on 9 April 1865.
Did you know?
The attackers carried unloaded muskets so that no one would fire by accident and warn the Union defenders.
Timeline
- 25 Mar 1865Battle of Fort Stedman.
- 1 Apr 1865Union victory at Five Forks.
- 9 Apr 1865Lee surrenders at Appomattox.