06/11/2026
After the worst of the fighting at Cold Harbor, General Grant made the decision to withdraw and find a new objective. This turned out to be the logistical center of Petersburg, 40 miles to the south. Moving his army of approximately 115,000 men was a challenge. The route there involved crossing three rivers, navigating through swamps and dusty roads. All the while Grant had to keep the Army of Northern Virginia unaware. Grant began moving his men June 11. The XVIII Corps moved first with directions to head directly towards Petersburg on boats. The rest of the army moved south and crossed the James River using a 2,100ft long pontoon bridge. As this took place, the V Corps remained at Cold Harbor to act as a diversion only to rejoin the army later. As troops withdrew from the trenches at Cold Harbor, they muffled their tin cups and bayonets. Regimental bands played to mask the sounds of marching. The IX Corps disguised their withdrawal so well that Confederates continued to fire an hour after they had left. On June 13, Confederate troops were shocked to discover the empty trenches before them. Grant’s entire army had given Lee’s army the slip, only to reappear days later outside Petersburg on June 15.
Image: “Army of the James, pontoon bridges across James River at Deep Bottom and Varina” Photographed between 1861-1865. (Library of Congress)
