The Military Importance of Richmond during the Civil War GEORGE SANDRIDGE

Background  Richmond played a key role in both the Virginia and the U.S. economy  It was home to numerous industries such as grain, tobacco, and iron production  It was home to the Tredegar Ironworks, which was the largest ironworks in the South  It had a population of 37,910, which was 25 th in the nation

Start of the war  Richmond, like most Southern cities, opposed secession due to economic reasons  The industries in Richmond relied on Northern merchants to buy their goods  If Virginia seceded, then all ties with Northern merchants would be cut  This would affect both the Northern merchants and the Southern factories  Eventually, after President Lincoln’s call for 75,000 volunteers, Virginia voted to secede on April 17, 1861

Political importance  Original capital of the Confederacy was in Montgomery, Alabama  Moved to Richmond to convince hesitant Virginians to join the Confederate cause  “Command center” for the South’s war efforts  Only downside was that Richmond was only 100 miles from the Union capital, Washington D.C.  Union commanders knew that the fall of Richmond would result in the fall of the Confederacy  Resulted in numerous attempts by the Union army to take the city later on in the war

Economic Importance: Manufacturing  Prior to the war, factories in Richmond made goods to sell to both Southern and Northern merchants  Once the war started, factories switched to making goods for the Confederate military  The Tredegar Ironworks became the main producer of metal items for the Confederacy  Armor plates, bullets, artillery, etc.  Other smaller factories produced everything from swords and bayonets to tents and uniforms

Economic Importance: Railroads  Richmond was the terminus of five major railroads:  The Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad, the Virginia Central Railroad, the Richmond and York River Railroad, the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad, and the Richmond and Danville Railroad  These railroads were vital in supplying the Confederates with materials needed to fight  As the Union army advanced south, they burnt almost every railroad they came to  By 1865, the Confederacy had very few remaining railroad lines

Defense of Richmond  Due to its importance to the Confederacy, Richmond was a constant target for Union military campaigns  Most advances by the Union army were turned away by Confederate defenses near the city  In 1862, the Union army got within 4 miles of the city limits before General Lee turned them away during the Seven Days’ Battle  This showed that the Union army had the possibility to attack Richmond

Before The Siege  In the summer of 1864, the Union army began the Overland Campaign  Newly appointed General Ulysses S. Grant was ordered to target General Lee’s troops instead of Richmond  However, Lee’s army was defending Richmond since it was his supply route  After marching down through Northern Virginia, the Union army flanked Lee and his men and settled in Petersburg

Siege of Petersburg  After settling in Petersburg, the 100,000 man Union army began a 9 ½ month siege that lasted from June 1864 to March 1865  During the first few days of the siege, Grant ordered several assaults on the Petersburg defenses made up of 20,000 Confederates  Eventually, Grant realized that further assaults would be useless, so he ordered his troops to dig in  The war soon became a stalemate as each side engaged in trench warfare

Trench Warfare

Battles  There were 30 battles fought within a 40 mile radius of Richmond during the Siege of Petersburg  There were numerous other battles that were important to the siege that were farther away

Battle of Staunton River Bridge  During the Siege of Petersburg, General Lee depended on the Richmond and Danville Railroad to move supplies to his location  The R&D Railroad ran through Roanoke Station (Randolph), which was guarded by a small unit of less than 1,000 men  A Union cavalry division broke off from the main force in Petersburg to destroy the bridge  Upon arrival, the Union commanders organized several assaults to nullify the defenses and destroy the bridge  Each assault failed, and eventually Union General James Wilson ordered the men to retreat back to Petersburg  After the battle, the 492 volunteers became known as the “Old Men and Young Boys” Brigade

Evacuation of Richmond  After 9 ½ months of fighting, the right flank of the Confederate defenses around Petersburg gave way  Seeing this, Grant ordered an all-out assault on the remaining defenses  Soon, Lee ordered his men to retreat to Richmond, where they marched around Grant and towards Appomattox  Prior to the fall of the defenses, Confederate officials ordered the evacuation of Richmond  After evacuation, the officials ordered all warehouses and supply depots to be burned  The fire spread rapidly through the city’s business and industrial districts, rendering them useless to Union soldiers  One week after the evacuation, Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse

Bibliography  "A Guide to the Tredegar Ironworks." Library of Virginia. Accessed November 25, ;query=;.  "Civil War Sites in Virginia." National Park Service. Accessed November 25,  DeCredico, Mary, and Jaime Amanda Martinez. "Richmond during the Civil War." Encyclopedia Virginia. October 27, Accessed November 25,  "Population of the 100 Largest Urban Places: 1860." U.S. Bureau of the Census. June 15, Accessed November 25,  "Railroads of the Confederacy." Civil War Trust Accessed November 25, logistics/logistics/railroads.html?referrer=  "Siege of Petersburg Begins." History.com Accessed November 25,

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