The Battle of Petersburg, also known as the Siege of Petersburg, begins. It was a series of battles and trench warfare that took place during the American Civil War in and around Petersburg, Virginia, lasting 292 days from June 1864 to April 1865. It was a crucial campaign in the American Civil War, as Petersburg was a major supply hub for the Confederate capital of Richmond and the Confederate forces. The siege ultimately led to the fall of both cities as the Union forces broke through Confederate lines, leading to the evacuation of Petersburg and Richmond on April 2, 1865 and effectively ending the war, as Lee surrendered a week later at Appomattox Court House. Both sides suffered significant losses during the Petersburg campaign with an estimated 70,000 casualties. More
Currier & Ives., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
