September 29, 1864---The Battle of Chaffin's Farm And New Market Heights (Day One)

SEPTEMBER 29, 1864:    

The Battle of Chaffin’s Farm and New Market Heights (Day One):           

This battle was really an extended series of engagements against Confederate Fort Harrison, Fort Johnson, and Fort Gilmer, all part of the defensive ring around Petersburg and Richmond. Ulysses S. Grant reasoned that if he could strike at a number of widely-separated points along the lengthy and thinly-held Confederate defensive line that protected the two cities, he could break through somewhere, and, at the very least, permanently isolate the two cities from one another. 

African-American troops under General Edward Ord moved in force against Fort Harrison in New Market Heights outside Richmond. Robert E. Lee had less than 2,000 men in this area of the line, and they quickly surrendered their outer positions, retreating to an inner ring of defenses closer to Richmond. These defenses, far stronger than the outer ring, could not be breached, but the Union had taken and was holding several Confederate strong points along the line. Lee had to rush troops from Petersburg to Richmond to meet this threat, and, as a result, weakened the Petersburg defenses.