Grant's Sixth Offensive at Petersburg: Brief Observations

With the anniversary of the Grant's pre-election offensive at Richmond and Petersburg approaching, I thought I'd revisit some of the key takeaways. The short quotes below come from Richmond Must Fall: The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign, October 1864 (Kent State Univ. Press), my study of Grant's Sixth Offensive at Richmond and Petersburg in October 1864. Those operations (the battles at Burgess Mill, the Williamsburg Road, etc.) are often overlooked but instructive in examining his command style.

Previous Efforts During the Petersburg Campaign

"In each offensive, Grant demonstrated patience in waiting for the right conditions as well as flexibility in trying new approaches. The extraordinary length of the Confederate front allowed him to vary the location, strength, and intensity of his advances ... [He] tried different combinations of movements and strengths, multipronged and single attacks, diversions, lunges at different locations along the rebel line, and different force sizes. However, he had yet to conjure a successful plan."

Pre-Election Decisions 

"Grant appreciated that the arithmetic of beans, bullets, and manpower favored him.  However, he also understood that lack of progress & military failures could degrade Union will and destabilize Lincoln’s support. Excessive delay, or worse yet, disaster...in Virginia, could damage Lincoln at the polls."

Inspiration For the Sixth Offensive 

"Even as the pressing need for military success waned, the Cedar Creek victory may have inspired Grant to consider a strike against Lee despite ample reasons for caution. Election or no, he would not hold back."

Day of Battle - October 27, 1864

"Grant had exercised his direct, hands-on command style...he rode directly to the key locations and consulted with the commanders... [he] took personal risks to examine conditions on the front firsthand. This ... helped him make reasonable choices."

Albert Mackey Reviews The Fight For The Old North State

Over on his Student of the American Civil War blog, Al Mackey has posted a nice review of The Fight For The Old North State.  It starts with a line I really love (and what author wouldn't): 

This book by Hampton Newsome was a lot of fun to read.

Here are some more excerpts:

It’s deeply researched, well written with a compelling narrative, and delves deeply into a part of the war most accounts simply gloss over .... Newsome masterfully places these actions within their historical context and doesn’t shy away from controversial and difficult issues, such as the confederate murder of surrendered and wounded black soldiers at Plymouth. His clear descriptions and the fantastic maps in the book facilitate easy understanding of what happened. This is an excellent book all students of the war will find useful. I can highly recommend it.

Mackey is a veracious reader and regularly posts reviews of books, talks, and other Civil War-related items on his blog. I was happy to provide him with a review copy of my book.