FlagAnson Croman the American Civil WarFlag

1864

The Overland Campaign, Battle of the Crater, and the Siege of Petersburg

overland
Public domain map from the National Park Service
Anson Croman and the 20th Michigan in the IXth Corps served in the Overland Campaign from its start on May 4, 1864.

Most of the Union forces in the Army of the Potomac were under the command of General Meade,. The IXth Corps and 20th Michigan were commanded by General Burnside under General Grant.

May 25: On their way from Annapolis to the Rapidan River, the 20th passed through Washington, D.C. and were reviewed by President Lincoln when the passed the White House (he story of the Twentieth Michigan infantry, p. 100.)

The Union forces crossed the Rappahannock River and engaged the Confederate  army in almost continuous fighting.

The Confederates failed to either force the Union to retreat or stop their advance. The Union pushed the Confederates southwest towards their capitol of Richmond.

Spotsylvania

Union assault on the Angle, Spotsylvania, Virginia, mid-May 1864.

The IXth Corps and the 20th Michigan were just on the edge of the area illustrated in this scene.

One historian states this is one of the most accurate depictions of Civil War combat.

When previous Union commanders suffered a setback in operations between Washington and Richmond, they withdrew into defensive positions behind a river,

When General Grant suffered a stalemate or was defeated during the Overland Campaign, he held his position then resumed his advance towards Richmond with a goal of forcing the Confederates to risk their forces defending their capitol.
General Grant followed President Lincoln’s instructions to make his goal the defeat of the Confederate army and not the capture of their capitol.

Crossing the James River

Therefore in June, instead of making frontal assaults against the heavily defended Confederate capitol of Richmond, General Grant and the 20th Michigan outflanked the Confederates by crossing the James River south of Richmond and attacking the rail but of Petersburg, Virginia south of Richmond.

Siege of Petersburg

 
On about June 18th, after failing to capture Petersburg by assault Generals Grant and Meade switched to siege tactics.

Battle of the Crater

On July 30, 1864, the IXth Corps exploded a mine under the Confederate trenches just east of Petersburg. The 20th Michigan took part in the attack, known as the Battle of the Crater. The Confederates held and quickly closed the gap created by the explosion.

Poster

The opening scene of the novel and the movie “Cold Mountain” are set in the Battle of the Crater. The 20th Michigan was on the edge of what was depicted.

Book

Crater Position of the 20th Michigan and the Crater

From: The Battle Atlas of the Civil War by the editors of © Time-Life Books

Crater
Depiction of Union assault after the explosion of the mine. The 20th Michigan was to the left of this scene.

Public domain image.

After the Union defeat, the IXth Corps with the 20th Michigan joined attempts to break through Confederate lines and capture Confederate railroad lines south and west of Petersburg.

Sections of railroad lines were captured but the Union was unable to break through. However, they forced the Confederates to stretch their few and decreasing forces further south and west to block the Union armies.

Afterward, the 20th Michigan and the IXth returned to their positions east of Petersburg south of the Appomattox River

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All material not in the public domain © 2011 - 2018 Leonard H. Cizewski

Last Major Update: May 9, 2018
Minor Revision:
Last Reviewed:
Posted: June 13, 2014


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