Which battle? There were two major campaigns that threatened the city of Richmond. Neither campaign actually set foot in the city limits. The first campaign was the Peninsula Campaign; where the Union landed in the Nofolk/Hampton Roads area and worked it’s way from the Chesapeake Bay towards Richmond. The second campaign was the Overland Campaing; where the Union came south from Maryland in an attempt to take Richmond.

During the first campaign (the Peninsula Campaign ), one of the generals was wounded during the battle of Seven Pines. This was important, as Gen. Robert E. Lee was placed in charge of the Army of Northern Virginia. At this time, the military still relied on Napoleonic tactics of Infantry and Calvary fighting and advancing in the open. However, with the advancement of weapons (Rifled Musket, Mini Ball) made battle more leathal and improved transportation (trains, steam ships) made movement to the battles quicker.

The second campaign showed the advancement of defensive warfare. Trench warfare had developed where the soldiers knew the amount of dirt that a mini ball and artillary shell would penetrate. Grant and McClellan could not take Richmond. The last battle to take the City of Richmond directly was the battle of Cold Harbor. The loss of human life was horrific. (For extra credit, compare the wounded and dead in this battle as compared to other battles/wars that the United States has been in.) The Union decided it could not take Richmond head on. The Union snuck across the James River in the middle of the night and turned it’s attention to Petersburg in the south. Taking Petersburg would cut the major supply line to Richmond. The long siege of Petersburg would eventually cause the fall of Richmond and the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia.

Good luck on your research!

the main severe battles have been the (First) conflict of Bull Run, the Siege of Vicksburg, the conflict of Gettysburg, the desert, and Appomattox. each and each of those battles had battles linked with them that, if that they had no longer been fought and gained interior the order and manor wherein they have been, they might have not brought about the pivotal conflict observed above. Arguments could be made for greater effective battles (different than for Gettysburg), greater colourful battles, greater exciting battles (from the historians viewpoint interpreting them). yet those 5 battles have been the pivotal battles of the warfare.

You might trying actually LOOKING IT UP because I don’t believe you can’t find information on the battle of RICHMOND, VA… the CAPITAL of the CONFEDERACY and how by taking the enemy’s CAPITAL CITY it hurried the end of the Civil War.