Battle of Globe Tavern

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Battle of Globe Tavern
Part of American Civil War
Date August 18–21,1864 Location Petersburg, Virginia Result Union victory
Combatants
United States of America	Confederate States of America
Commanders
Gouverneur K. Warren	A.P. Hill
Strength
V Corps	Third Corps
Casualties
4,279	1,600

Richmond–Petersburg Campaign
1st Petersburg – 2nd Petersburg – Jerusalem Plank Road – Staunton River Bridge – Sappony Church – 1st Ream's Station – 1st Deep Bottom – Crater – 2nd Deep Bottom – Globe Tavern – 2nd Ream's Station – Chaffin's Farm – Peebles' Farm – Darbytown & New Market Roads – Darbytown Road – Fair Oaks & Darbytown Road – Boydton Plank Road – Hatcher's Run – Fort Stedman

The Battle of Globe Tavern, also known as the Second Battle of the Weldon Railroad, saw the Confederate forces lose control of the vital Weldon Railroad to the Union army during the Siege of Petersburg.

Ulysses S. Grant ordered an attack against the Weldon Railroad while the II Corps attacked Deep Bottom. The V Corps supported by units from the IX Corps and II Corps was chosen for the attack under the overall command of V Corps commander, Gouverneur K. Warren.

On August 18, Warren reached the Weldon R.R. and drove off the Confederate pickets. He ordered the division of Charles Griffin to destroy the track. Robert E. Lee reacted quickly, sending the Third Corps under Ambrose Powell Hill to secure the important rail line. Hill sent the division of Henry Heth against Warren while he attacked Romeyn B. Ayres' division. The Federals fell back and entrenched for the night.

On August 19, William Mahone's Confederate division attacked Samuel W. Crawford's division, driving back its flank. Warren brought up reinforcements and counterattacked. The Federals succeeded in retaking nearly all the lost ground by the day's end. Warren had established a strong defensive position in an L-shape around Globe Tavern on August 20.

The next day Hill attacked Warren's new position. Parts of three Confederate divisions assailed the Union works but were repulsed. At the corner of the L, Johnson Hagood's division managed to break through the Union lines, but then nearly became cut off before fighting its way back out. The IX Corps extended the Union siege lines to connect with Warren's current position.

The Confederates had lost the Weldon Railroad and were forced to cart supplies 30 miles from the railroad at Stony Creek up the Boydton Plank Road into Petersburg. The Union army had gained its first decisive victory during the siege of Petersburg and achieved a major objective. Grant had severed the Weldon and extended his siege lines to Globe Tavern. The Union high command wanted to extend the 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 Battle of Ream's Station.

[edit] References

• National Park Service battle description
• Globe Tavern