Editing Siege of Petersburg (section)

===Jerusalem Plank Road (June 21–23)===
{{Further|Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road}}
[[File:Petersburg June21-22.png|thumb|upright=1.5|Siege of Petersburg, movements against the railroads and A.P. Hill's counterattack, June 21–22]]

On June 21, elements of the II Corps probed toward the railroad and skirmished with Confederate cavalry. By the morning of June 22, a gap opened up between the two corps. While the II Corps moved forward, the VI Corps encountered Confederate troops from Wilcox's division of Hill's corps and they began to entrench rather than advance. Mahone observed that the gap between the two Union corps was widening, creating a prime target. Mahone had been a railroad engineer before the war and had personally surveyed this area south of Petersburg, so he was familiar with a ravine that could be used to hide the approach of a Confederate attack column. At 3 p.m., Mahone's men emerged in the rear Barlow's division (II Corps), catching them by surprise, and the division quickly collapsed. Gibbon's division, which had erected earthworks, was also surprised by an attack from the rear and many of the regiments ran for safety. The II Corps troops rallied around earthworks that they had constructed on the night of June 21 and stabilized their lines. Darkness ended the fighting.<ref>Kennedy, pp. 353–54; Eicher, p. 690; Trudeau, pp. 69–74; Salmon, pp. 406–08.</ref>

On June 23, the II Corps advanced to retake its lost ground, but the Confederates had pulled back, abandoning the earthworks they had captured. Under orders from Meade, the VI Corps sent out a heavy skirmish line after 10 a.m. in a second attempt to reach the Weldon Railroad. Men from Brigadier General [[Lewis A. Grant]]'s [[1st Vermont Brigade]] had begun tearing up the track when they were attacked by a larger force of Confederate infantry. Numerous Vermonters were taken prisoner and only about half a mile of track had been destroyed when they were chased away. Meade was unable to urge Wright forward and called off the operation. Union casualties were 2,962 and Confederate 572.<ref>Kennedy, 354. Trudeau, p. 78, lists the Union II Corps casualties as 650 killed and wounded, 1,742 captured; VI Corps casualties as 150. on the Confederate side, Trudeau, p. 80, lists Mahone's casualties as 421, Wilcox's 151.</ref> The battle was inconclusive, with advantages gained on both sides. The Confederates were able to retain control of the Weldon Railroad. The Federals were able to destroy a short segment of the Weldon before being driven off, but more importantly, the siege lines were stretched further to the west.<ref>Kennedy, p. 354; Trudeau, pp. 80–81.</ref>