Summer of 1864 and the Overland Campaign

In 1864, after three bloody years of frequent battles and stalemates, the Civil War slowly turned in favor of the North. President Lincoln gave General Grant command of all the Union armies, and Grant assumed the role of general in chief in Washington, D.C., in March 1864. Only after Grant’s appointment did the Union armies begin to attack the South in a coordinated fashion—Grant and General Meade moved against Lee in Virginia, General Sherman invaded Georgia, while other generals attacked in West Virginia and Alabama.

Grant’s strategy was to wage a war of attrition against Lee. Although Union casualties were high, he believed the North had more men and equipment available than the South. But Grant had to take the offensive in enemy territory, which meant he had to defend his supply lines.

Grant’s army clashed several times with Lee’s in May and June 1864. Although Grant’s army was larger than Lee’s, Lee surprised Grant by taking the offensive in the Battle of the Wilderness in early May. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. Similar results occurred in the Battle of the Spotsylvania Court House later in May. Then followed several more battles, culminating in the Battle of Cold Harbor at the end of May through early June.

It wasn’t until Grant crossed the James River and set up a siege of Petersburg in June 1864 that the North had a clear advantage. Lee was forced to defend the Confederate capital of Richmond, which was just north of Petersburg. Once Petersburg fell, Richmond would follow. But Grant didn’t capture Petersburg for nine months. Lee held out until March 1865, before Grant’s ultimate success led to Lee’s surrender at Appomattox in April 1865.

Meanwhile, General Sherman confronted the Confederate General Johnston in Georgia, and Johnston guessed Sherman’s maneuvers many times. The size of Sherman’s army, however, outweighed Johnston’s defensive moves, and Sherman finally took Atlanta in early September 1864. In November, Sherman began his famous March to the Sea, capturing Savannah on December 21, 1864.

Casualties in Grant’s overland campaign were high—well over 50,000 men. Lee’s casualties were lower in absolute terms—about 33,000 men—but they were a greater percentage of his army. And, as Grant suspected, Lee could not replace the troops he lost.

The Union victories in the summer of 1864, though not yet conclusive by the November 1864 election, probably paved the way for Lincoln’s reelection. Lincoln’s reelection, of course, led to his assassination in April 1865, just days after Appomattox. Lincoln did not live to see the results of winning the war that defined his presidency.

For more on the Overland Campaign, see here and here and here.

My work-in-progress takes place in Oregon between March and November 1864. Thanks to a telegraph line from East to San Francisco, and then north to Oregon, news of Civil War battles was available in Oregon within days of when they were reported in the East. Tensions were high between competing factions in Oregon, just as they were in the East. I imagine my characters reading the newspapers carefully, hoping for victories on their side, wondering about the fates of loved ones left behind when they emigrated.

One of my main characters is with a militia expedition in 1864. Out in the wilderness, he did not have access to reports of the War. But his family and friends at home read the news accounts and worried about him just as they worried about people in the East. Soldiering was soldiering in their eyes.

When have you worried about your loved ones far away?