Hatchers Run
Virginia
February 5-7, 1865
Union General U.S. Grant's had two objectives in his 1865 winter offensive. First was to block Robert E. Lee's supply route on the Boydton Plank Road. Second was to take control of the last railroad suppling Petersburg. When Lee figured out what the Union was doing, he sent two Generals and their divisions to attack the Federals. One of Lee's generals entrenched his ground for the next couple of days. On the 6th, Confederates moved out to stop the Union from moving toward the Boydton Plank Road. The Union and Confederates fought in the forest and they both see-sawed between pushing each other between Dabney's sawmill and Vaughan Road. At some point during the fighting, John Pegram was killed. The Confederates soon got more reinforcements afterwards. Grant also sent help to this expedition in the form of reinforcements. That night snow, hail, and sleet fell on the troops as the men began constructing slight rail breastworks (a low temporary defense). The 7th was spent by the Union watching the Confederate's position, but no major fighting took place that day. One of the Confederate's Generals was wounded in the skirmishing. The Southerners had stopped Grant's seventh offensive. Although the Union did not accomplish their goal, they now could extend their entrenchment lines to the Vaughan Road Crossing of Hatcher's Run. This would make them three miles closer to the South Side Railroad.
Grant sent 34,000 men on this expedition and was stopped by about 14,000 Southerners. The Confederates lost about 1,000 men, while the Union lost 171 killed, 1,181 wounded, and 187 missing
