The city of Petersburg, 24 miles south of Richmond, was the junction point of five railroads that supplied the entire upper James River region. Capturing this important transportation hub was key for Gen. Ulysses S. Grant as it would isolate the Confederate capital and force Gen. Robert E. Lee to either evacuate Richmond or fight Grant's larger army on open ground. Although the Confederates held off the Federals in the Battle of Petersburg, Grant implemented a siege of the city that lasted for 2