Ready, Fire, Aim! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Henry A. Wise

The battle and the campaign itself were inaugurated by the Federal General Benjamin F. Butler, who, appalled by his failure at Bermuda Hundred, was seeking to strike the Confederate defenses somewhere in order to help Grant undo Lee's army. The US forces almost took the city, but the Confederates, both regulars and militiamen, managed to repulse them.

The battle is also known as "Battle of Old Men and Young Boys".

Answer: David Birney

The second Battle of Petersburg lasted from June 15 to June 18, 1864. Although the Union forces made some initial progress, Lee's timely arrival saved the city and the siege officially began. Hancock's temporary departure had its share in the battle's outcome since Birney committed his force against strong CSA positions.

Historian William Swinton said that,after that battle, "The Army of the Potomac was not the Army of the Potomac anymore."

Answer: William Mahone

The assault achieved complete surprise. Francis Barlow's division was defeated while John Gibbon's was forced to flee. The Union forces managed to stabilize the lines, but only after heavy fighting. Among all Union units, the hardest hit was the First Vermont Brigade. At the end, the Confederates held the Weldon Railroad, but the Federals managed to extend the siege lines.

Answer: Battle of Haw's Shop

The raid was not as successful as Grant had hoped. The raiders destroyed a sector of the Weldon Railroad, but it was put again into service in a few days. The raiders lost more than one third of their men as killed, wounded and captured, their wagon train, and quite an amount of horses and mules.

Answer: Battle of Hare's Hill

Grant's aim was to create a diversion in order to distract Lee's attention from the Petersburg line as the third assault of the city, known afterwards as the Battle of the Crater, commenced. However, the USA forces failed to achieve a breakthrough at the Confederate lines and they returned at City point on July 29, one day before the assault was to be launched.
Battle of Hare's Hill was an alternative for the Battle of Fort Stedman, later in the war.

Answer: Ulysses S. Grant

Grant had many reasons for this view. His plan was to detonate part of the Confederate earthworks using a landmine. The mine exploded, but the Union troops attacked piecemeal and were slaughtered by the Confederate defenders. After the battle, US General Burnside, who had devised the plan, and Ledlie, who was accused of being drunk during the battle, were relieved of their commands.

Answer: Ambrose R. Wright

Despite his failure at the Crater, Grant sent Hancock and the Second Corps of the Union Army to pose a threat to Richmond at Deep Bottom. The assault began on August 14, but is was stopped by the Confederates and from heat stroke. On August 16, the Federals achieved some penetration, but Confederate defenses and counterattacks restored the line and drove back Hancock's men, despite the deaths of Chambliss and Girardey and also Oates' wounding.

After some days of skirmishing, Hancock withdrew on August 20, 1864, back over the James River.

Answer: Gouverneur K. Warren

The battle, known as Battle of Globe Tavern, started on August 18, when Warren's troopers encountered Confederate resistance while tearing up the railroad. Warren wanted to attack and outflank them, but Henry Heth, from A.P. Hill's corps pushed the Federals back.

After a Union counterattack, where some of the ground was regained, Warren entrenched for the night. On the next day, after some skirmishing, Mahone's division emerged into the Union rear, taking two Union brigades as prisoners. Attacks and counterattacks swept the ground for the rest of the day. Between August 20-21 1864, Warren pulled back and entrenched.

After being repulsed twice, the Confederates entrenched themselves, leaving a part of the railroad in Union hands. However, Grant was not satisfied with the outcome, because of Warren's defensive conduct. Also, Lee's communications were not entirely cut.

Answer: Second Battle of Ream's Station

Robert E. Lee sent A. P. Hill and Henry Heth to stop Hancock and reduce the threat, with the help of Confederate cavalry on August 25, 1864. The battle started with Wade Hampton's cavaliers pushed back the Union cavalry. Hill sent CS General Wilcox to assault Hancock's infantry. Wilcox stumbled upon furious resistance by Nelson Miles' troops, as did Hampton with Gibbon. Subsequently, Confederate artillery threw heavy fire on the US lines.

The Confederate attack, led by Heth himself, broke through the lines despite resistance. Hampton led a sudden charge against Gibbon, whose troops also retreated. Finally, the CSA cavalry outflanked Miles.

Despite Hancock's efforts to encourage his soldiers and restore the line, the Union Second Corps was forced to retreat.

Answer: The Beefsteak Raid

Hampton's men captured over 2,000 of the cattle, more than the two thirds of them, 11 wagons and 304 prisoners, at a minimal cost. Walter Taylor, Lee's chief of staff remarked that the raid's success made provided a compensation for the loss of the Weldon Railroad, but most historians consider the claim overestimated.