Confederates Briefly Retake Fort Stedman: Lee's Last Offensive
Confederate General John B. Gordon's pre-dawn assault briefly captured Fort Stedman outside Petersburg, Virginia, in a desperate gamble to break the Union siege lines. Federal reinforcements counterattacked within hours, retaking the fort and capturing nearly 2,000 Confederates in the last major offensive of Lee's army. The failed assault convinced Grant that Lee's forces were too weakened to hold Petersburg, accelerating the final campaign that ended the war within two weeks.
March 25, 1865
161 years ago
Key Figures & Places
American Civil War
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Confederate States of America
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Union (American Civil War)
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Virginia
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Battle of Fort Stedman
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American Civil War
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Virginia
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Siege of Petersburg
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Confederate
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Battle of Fort Stedman
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Union
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Walter Raleigh
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