June 2025 Meeting Summary

At the end of June 1864, Union forces commanded by Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant seemed to have reached, if they had not already passed, the point where offensive action could deliver results that justified the costs. Nonetheless, at the end of July 1864 the ever-dogged Grant executed offensive operations north and south of the James River that became known as the Third Richmond-Petersburg Offensive. These operations were highlighted by what would become probably the best-known action of the entire campaign: Grant's and Robert E. Lee's commands conducted between June 1864 and April 1865 and the July 30 Battle of the Crater - a fight that would win a place in infamy for a number of reasons. Dr. Rafuse’s talk provided an account of the planning and execution of operations both outside Richmond and Petersburg in July 1864 and how they reflected Grant's vision for how Union arms were to achieve victory in Virginia. 

In summary, Dr. Rafuse said the overall campaign was a wearing down of Lee’s Confederate army. The Confederates lost because Grant had more men and more time on his side. Lee wanted to avoid having his army dig trenches in order to withstand a siege campaign. Grant defeated Lee by a grinding process that included logistics. The Petersburg Campaign was a process, not one big battle or a group of events

Photos from the June Meeting