The Offensive Begins

The Union’s Eighth Petersburg Offensive began in the early hours of February 5, 1865. Maj. Gen. David M. Gregg's Cavalry Division left its camps at 3 a.m. and headed west towards Dinwiddie Court House. Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren's 5th Corps and much of Maj. Gen. Andrew A. Humphreys' 2nd Corps vacated their camps four hours later and marched to their designated objectives. This section describes what happened in the early hours of the operation. We follow the exploits of the three Union forces involved from early morning to around 4 p.m. Both Union and Rebel commanders were in for surprises, and we discover how the Union offensive, as planned, ended before it even began! New insights are presented from the Rebels confronting the Union advance.