Bloody Spring

In the spring of 1864,Robert E. Lee faced a new adversary: Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. Named commander of all Union armies in MarchGrant quickly went on the offensive against Lee in Virginia. On May 4Grant’s army struck hard across the Rapidan River into north-central Virginiawith Lee’s army contesting every mile. They fought for forty days untilfinallythe Union army crossed the James River and began the siege of Petersburg. The campaign cost more than 100000 menΓÇöthe largest loss the war had seen. While Grant lost nearly twice as many men as Lee didhe could replace them. Lee could notand he would never again mount a major offensive. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox less than a year later was the denouement of the drama begun in those crucial forty days.