Prelude to the Battle 

As 1865 dawned, the war entered its fifth calendar year. This section examines the Union and Confederate positions from military, political, and social perspectives. I highlight personal challenges faced by some key actors in the forthcoming battle. We learn how in early February, Union Commander-in-Chief Ulysses S. Grant hurriedly planned his next (Eighth) Petersburg Offensive, and how Maj. Gen. George G. Meade amended Grant’s ideas. I describe what objectives Grant really had in mind and how posterity has frequently misconstrued the entire offensive. Late on February 4, final orders were issued for the Union advance. The Battle of Hatcher’s Run was about to begin.   

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