Petersburg National Military Park, Virginia

The Battle of Petersburg was the longest siege in American military history. For nine brutal months in 1864-1865, Union forces under Ulysses S. Grant hammered away at Confederate defenses south of Richmond, grinding down Robert E. Lee's army in a series of brutal engagements that would ultimately break the Confederacy. This official National Park Service handbook serves as the definitive guide to that pivotal campaign, tracing the strategic maneuvers, the deadly trench warfare, and the human cost of battles like the Crater, Five Forks, and the final assault that captured Petersburg and hastened Lee's surrender at Appomattox. Written by Richard Wayne Lykes and published in 1951 as part of the NPS handbook series, this volume combines military analysis with on-the-ground detail, making it essential reading for anyone visiting the Petersburg National Military Park or seeking to understand how Grant's relentless pressure finally brought the Civil War to its end. The book also addresses the park's preservation efforts, ensuring this critical ground where thousands died is remembered and protected.