1864:
June 15-18
Jerusalem Plank Rd.
The Crater
Weldon Railroad
Reams Station
Peebles Farm
Burgess Mill
1865:
Hatcher's Run
Fort Stedman
Lewis Farm
White Oak Road
Five Forks
FORT STEDMAN:
Prelude
In March 1865, Gen. Lee (CSA) could only watch as Union armies defeated Confederate forces in the Shenandoah Valley and in the Carolinas. Added to this was President Jefferson Davis' (CSA) commitment to continued prosecution of the war and Gen. Grant's (USA) continued buildup of Union troops at Petersburg.
Lee had Gen. Gordon (CSA) formulate a plan that, at the very least, would enable the Army of Northern Virginia to pull out of Petersburg unmolested and perhaps give it a chance to link up with the Confederate army in North Carolina. The idea was a surprise attack that would force Grant to shorten his lines or even set his lines back, allowing for a clean pullout for Lee.
Gordon developed a pre-dawn surprise attack on a Union fort, Fort Stedman. It was one of the closest spots on the line, there were fewer wooden obstructions, and a supply depot on the U.S. Military Railroad was less than a mile behind it. Lee approved the plan.