Battle of Globe Tavern
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Globe Tavern, also known as the Second Battle of the Weldon Railroad, fought August 18–21, 1864, south of Petersburg, Virginia
, was the second attempt of the Union Army
to sever the Weldon Railroad
during the Siege of Petersburg
of the American Civil War
. A Union force under Maj. Gen.
Gouverneur K. Warren
destroyed miles of track and withstood strong attacks from Confederate
troops under Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard and Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill. It was the first Union victory in the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign. It forced the Confederates to carry their supplies 30 miles (48.3 km) by wagon to bypass the new Union lines that were extended farther to the south and west.
Lt. Gen.
Ulysses S. Grant
continued to look for ways to sever the railroad links supplying the city of Petersburg, Virginia
, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee
's army, and the Confederate capital of Richmond
. One of these critical supply lines was the Weldon Railroad
, also called the Petersburg and Weldon Railroad, which led south to Weldon, North Carolina
, and the Confederacy's only remaining major port, Wilmington, North Carolina
. In the Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road
, June 21–23, 1864, the II Corps was able to destroy a short segment of the Weldon before being driven off by the Third Corps
of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia
.
In August, the II Corps operated north of Petersburg, threatening Richmond and its railroads in the Second Battle of Deep Bottom. Simultaneously, Grant planned another attack against the Weldon. The V Corps supported by units from the IX Corps, II Corps, and a small cavalry division commanded by Brig. Gen. August Kautz
, was chosen for the attack under the overall command of the V Corps commander, Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren
. While the overall Confederate commander, Gen. Robert E. Lee
, was observing at the Deep Bottom battle, Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard was the senior commander at Petersburg. Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill commanded the Third Corps, Beauregard's primary infantry force.
In preparing his attack, Grant was encouraged by a message he received August 17 from President
Abraham Lincoln
:
Grant remarked to his staff, "The President has more nerve than any of his advisors."
At dawn on August 18, Warren advanced to the south through rain and over muddy roads, pushing aside Confederate pickets and a cavalry brigade, and reached the railroad at Globe Tavern around 9 a.m. Parts of the division under Brig. Gen. Charles Griffin began to destroy the track while a brigade from Brig. Gen. Romeyn B. Ayres
's division formed in line of battle and moved north to block any Confederate advance from that direction. Brig. Gen. Lysander Cutler
's division was held in reserve. Ayers encountered Confederate troops at about 1 p.m. and Warren ordered the division under Brig. Gen. Samuel W. Crawford
to move forward on Ayres's right in an attempt to outflank the Confederate left.
A.P. Hill sent two brigades of Maj. Gen. Henry Heth
's division and a brigade from Maj. Gen. Robert F. Hoke's division to meet the advancing Union divisions. At about 2 p.m. they launched a strong attack and pushed the Union troops back to within less than a mile of Globe Tavern. Warren counterattacked and regained his lost ground. His men entrenched for the night.
Reinforcements arrived during the night—the Union IX Corps under Maj. Gen. John G. Parke (which had been relieved from duty in the trenches around Petersburg as Hancock's II Corps troops returned from Deep Bottom) and Confederate Maj. Gen. W.H.F. "Rooney" Lee
's cavalry division and three infantry brigades from the division of Maj. Gen. William Mahone
. Contact was limited to skirmishing through the heavy rain most of the day on August 19. In the late afternoon, Mahone launched a flanking attack that found a weak spot in Crawford's line, allowing the Confederates to rush into the Union rear, causing hundreds of Crawford's men to flee in panic from the fire they were receiving from two directions. Crawford galloped amongst his men, attempting to rally them, and was almost captured. Almost two full brigades were lost as prisoners. While Mahone attacked the Union right, Heth launched a frontal assault against the center and left, which was easily repulsed by Ayres's division. The XI Corps counterattacked and the widespread hand-to-hand fighting ended at dusk.
Heavy rains prevented any significant fighting on August 20 and on the night of August 20–21, Warren pulled his troops back two miles (3 km) to a new line of fortifications, which were connected with the main Union lines on the Jerusalem Plank Road (present-day U.S. Route 301
, Crater Road). Fair weather returned on the morning of August 21 and the Confederates attacked beginning at 9 a.m., with Mahone striking the Federal left and Heth the center. Both attacks were unsuccessful against the strong entrenchments and resulted in heavy losses, particularly in the brigade of Brig. Gen. Johnson Hagood
. Brig. Gen. John C. C. Sanders of Mahone's division, at 24 one of the youngest Confederate generals during the war, was killed during the assault. By 10:30 a.m., the Confederates withdrew, leaving several miles of the Weldon railroad in Union hands.
Grant was not entirely satisfied with Warren's victory, which he rightly characterized as wholly defensive in nature:
Wanting to complete his army's control over the railroad, Grant recalled the II Corps from its failed attempt at Deep Bottom to destroy the Weldon further south, an action that resulted in the Second Battle of Ream's Station
on August 25.
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
, was the second attempt of the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
to sever the Weldon Railroad
Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
Originally chartered in 1835 as the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad name began use in 1855. At the time of its 1840 completion, the line was the longest railroad in the world with 161.5 miles of track...
during the Siege of Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. A Union force under Maj. Gen.
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Gouverneur K. Warren
Gouverneur K. Warren
Gouverneur Kemble Warren was a civil engineer and prominent general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
destroyed miles of track and withstood strong attacks from Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
troops under Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard and Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill. It was the first Union victory in the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign. It forced the Confederates to carry their supplies 30 miles (48.3 km) by wagon to bypass the new Union lines that were extended farther to the south and west.
Background
As the siege of Petersburg began to take hold, UnionUnion Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
Lt. Gen.
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
continued to look for ways to sever the railroad links supplying the city of Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
's army, and the Confederate capital of Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. One of these critical supply lines was the Weldon Railroad
Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
Originally chartered in 1835 as the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad name began use in 1855. At the time of its 1840 completion, the line was the longest railroad in the world with 161.5 miles of track...
, also called the Petersburg and Weldon Railroad, which led south to Weldon, North Carolina
Weldon, North Carolina
Weldon is a town in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,374 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Weldon is located at ....
, and the Confederacy's only remaining major port, Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
. In the Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road
Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road
The Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road, also known as the First Battle of the Weldon Railroad, was fought June 21–23, 1864, near Petersburg, Virginia. It was the first of a series of battles during the Siege of Petersburg aimed at extending the Union siege lines to the west and cutting the rail...
, June 21–23, 1864, the II Corps was able to destroy a short segment of the Weldon before being driven off by the Third Corps
Third Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
The Third Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia was a military organization within the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during much of the American Civil War. The corps was formed in mid-1863 and served until Lee's surrender April 9, 1865, near the end of the war.-Formation:After the death of...
of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
.
In August, the II Corps operated north of Petersburg, threatening Richmond and its railroads in the Second Battle of Deep Bottom. Simultaneously, Grant planned another attack against the Weldon. The V Corps supported by units from the IX Corps, II Corps, and a small cavalry division commanded by Brig. Gen. August Kautz
August Kautz
August Valentine Kautz was a German-American soldier and Union Army cavalry officer during the American Civil War. He was the author of several army manuals on duties and customs eventually adopted by the U.S. military.-Early life and career:Born in Ispringen, Baden, Germany, Kautz immigrated with...
, was chosen for the attack under the overall command of the V Corps commander, Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren
Gouverneur K. Warren
Gouverneur Kemble Warren was a civil engineer and prominent general in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
. While the overall Confederate commander, Gen. Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
, was observing at the Deep Bottom battle, Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard was the senior commander at Petersburg. Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill commanded the Third Corps, Beauregard's primary infantry force.
In preparing his attack, Grant was encouraged by a message he received August 17 from President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
:
Grant remarked to his staff, "The President has more nerve than any of his advisors."
Battle
Romeyn B. Ayres
Romeyn Beck Ayres was a Union Army general in the American Civil War.-Early life:Ayres was born at East Creek, New York, along the Mohawk River in Montgomery County. He was the son of a small-town doctor who urged all of his sons into professional careers...
's division formed in line of battle and moved north to block any Confederate advance from that direction. Brig. Gen. Lysander Cutler
Lysander Cutler
Lysander Cutler was an American businessman, educator, politician, and a Union Army General during the American Civil War.-Early years:Cutler was born in Royalston, Massachusetts, the son of a farmer...
's division was held in reserve. Ayers encountered Confederate troops at about 1 p.m. and Warren ordered the division under Brig. Gen. Samuel W. Crawford
Samuel W. Crawford
Samuel Wylie Crawford was a United States Army surgeon and a Union general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
to move forward on Ayres's right in an attempt to outflank the Confederate left.
A.P. Hill sent two brigades of Maj. Gen. Henry Heth
Henry Heth
Henry "Harry" Heth was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He is best remembered for inadvertently precipitating the Battle of Gettysburg, when he sent some of his troops of the Army of Northern Virginia to the small Pennsylvania village,...
's division and a brigade from Maj. Gen. Robert F. Hoke's division to meet the advancing Union divisions. At about 2 p.m. they launched a strong attack and pushed the Union troops back to within less than a mile of Globe Tavern. Warren counterattacked and regained his lost ground. His men entrenched for the night.
Reinforcements arrived during the night—the Union IX Corps under Maj. Gen. John G. Parke (which had been relieved from duty in the trenches around Petersburg as Hancock's II Corps troops returned from Deep Bottom) and Confederate Maj. Gen. W.H.F. "Rooney" Lee
William Henry Fitzhugh Lee
William Henry Fitzhugh Lee , known as Rooney Lee or W.H.F. Lee, was the second son of Robert E. Lee and Mary Anna Randolph Custis. He was a planter, a Confederate cavalry General in the American Civil War, and later a member of the U.S. Congress.-Early life:Lee was born at Arlington House in...
's cavalry division and three infantry brigades from the division of Maj. Gen. William Mahone
William Mahone
William Mahone was a civil engineer, teacher, soldier, railroad executive, and a member of the Virginia General Assembly and U.S. Congress. Small of stature, he was nicknamed "Little Billy"....
. Contact was limited to skirmishing through the heavy rain most of the day on August 19. In the late afternoon, Mahone launched a flanking attack that found a weak spot in Crawford's line, allowing the Confederates to rush into the Union rear, causing hundreds of Crawford's men to flee in panic from the fire they were receiving from two directions. Crawford galloped amongst his men, attempting to rally them, and was almost captured. Almost two full brigades were lost as prisoners. While Mahone attacked the Union right, Heth launched a frontal assault against the center and left, which was easily repulsed by Ayres's division. The XI Corps counterattacked and the widespread hand-to-hand fighting ended at dusk.
Heavy rains prevented any significant fighting on August 20 and on the night of August 20–21, Warren pulled his troops back two miles (3 km) to a new line of fortifications, which were connected with the main Union lines on the Jerusalem Plank Road (present-day U.S. Route 301
U.S. Route 301
U.S. Route 301 is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic States. It currently runs 1,099 miles from Glasgow, Delaware at U.S. Route 40 to Sarasota, Florida. It passes through the states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida...
, Crater Road). Fair weather returned on the morning of August 21 and the Confederates attacked beginning at 9 a.m., with Mahone striking the Federal left and Heth the center. Both attacks were unsuccessful against the strong entrenchments and resulted in heavy losses, particularly in the brigade of Brig. Gen. Johnson Hagood
Johnson Hagood (governor)
Johnson Hagood was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and the 80th Governor of South Carolina from 1880 to 1882.-Early years:...
. Brig. Gen. John C. C. Sanders of Mahone's division, at 24 one of the youngest Confederate generals during the war, was killed during the assault. By 10:30 a.m., the Confederates withdrew, leaving several miles of the Weldon railroad in Union hands.
Aftermath
Union casualties at Globe Tavern were 4,296 (251 killed, 1,148 wounded, 2,897 missing/captured), Confederate 1,620 (211 killed, 990 wounded, 419 missing/captured). The Confederates had lost a key section of the Weldon Railroad and were forced to carry supplies by wagon 30 miles (48.3 km) from the railroad at Stony Creek up the Boydton Plank Road into Petersburg. The Union army had gained its first victory during the Siege of Petersburg and achieved a major objective. Grant had severed the Weldon and extended his siege lines to Globe Tavern, but this was not yet a critical problem for the Confederates. A member of Lee's staff wrote, "Whilst we are inconvenienced, no material harm is done us."Grant was not entirely satisfied with Warren's victory, which he rightly characterized as wholly defensive in nature:
Wanting to complete his army's control over the railroad, Grant recalled the II Corps from its failed attempt at Deep Bottom to destroy the Weldon further south, an action that resulted in the Second Battle of Ream's Station
Second Battle of Ream's Station
The Second Battle of Ream's Station was fought during the Siege of Petersburg in the American Civil War on August 25, 1864, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. A Union force under Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock began destroying part of the Weldon Railroad, which was a vital supply line for Gen. Robert...
on August 25.