Decisive battles since Waterloo : the most important military events from 1815 to 1887 . the war, and there was no remaining material forthe formation of new armies. Though much larger on paper, Lees army was not over50,000 strong in effectives, while that of Johnston couldnot muster more than 30,000. Against Lee, Grant couldbring a force of double the number, and while the formerplanned to escape and join Johnston, with whom hehoped to deliver a crushing blow to the Army of the Mis-sissippi before Grant could overtake him, the latter wasquietly studying to prevent the escape. Lees plan wasto
Decisive battles since Waterloo : the most important military events from 1815 to 1887 . the war, and there was no remaining material forthe formation of new armies. Though much larger on paper, Lees army was not over50,000 strong in effectives, while that of Johnston couldnot muster more than 30,000. Against Lee, Grant couldbring a force of double the number, and while the formerplanned to escape and join Johnston, with whom hehoped to deliver a crushing blow to the Army of the Mis-sissippi before Grant could overtake him, the latter wasquietly studying to prevent the escape. Lees plan wasto retire by the Cox road, south of the Appomattox, andin order to cover his movement he made on the 25th ofMarch an attack on Fort Steadman, on the Union was in position in front of Petersburg, so that hisarmy extended nearly to, but did not cover, the Cox thought that the troops near the Cox road would bedrawn away to support the attack on Fort attack was made by two divisions of Gordons corps,and the fort was carried in fine style. But the attack was. 293 294 DECISIVE BATTLES SINCE WATERLOO. not supported, and the result was the Confederates werecompelled to retire after heavy losses in killed and wound-ed, and nearly 2,000 prisoners. The Union forces were not withdrawn from the Coxroad as Lee had expected, and consequently he could notcarry out his plan of escaping by that route. Realizingthat Lee must have withdrawn men from other parts ofhis lines in order to attack Fort Steadman, Gen. Meadeordered an advance of the 6th and 2d corps, who were inposition to the left of Fort Steadman. He found whathe had expected, and the Union troops took possession ofthe Confederate picket line and permanently held Lees movement, which was intended to cut theUnion army in two by the occupation of Fort Steadmanand the works behind it, and thus afford him an opportu-nity to escape, was not only a failure, but resulted in hisloss of important points. Th
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