Editing Siege of Petersburg (section)

===Globe Tavern (August 18–21)===
{{Further|Battle of Globe Tavern}}
[[File:Petersburg Aug18-19.png|thumb|upright=1.5|Siege of Petersburg, capture of the Weldon Railroad, August 18–19]]

While II Corps fought at Deep Bottom, Grant planned another attack against the Weldon. He chose Warren's V Corps to lead the operation. Grant was encouraged by a message he received August 17 from Lincoln:

{{Blockquote|I have seen your despatch expressing your unwillingness to break your hold where you are. Neither am I willing. Hold on with a bulldog grip, and chew and choke as much as possible.<ref name=Trudeau159>Trudeau, p. 159.</ref>}}

Grant remarked to his staff, "The President has more nerve than any of his advisors."<ref name=Trudeau159/>

At dawn on August 18, Warren advanced to the south and reached the railroad at Globe Tavern around 9 a.m. Parts of the division under Griffin began to destroy the track while a brigade from Ayres' division formed in line of battle and moved north to block any Confederate advance from that direction. Ayres encountered Confederate troops at about 1 p.m. and Warren ordered the division under Crawford to move forward on Ayres' right in an attempt to outflank the Confederate left. Hill sent three brigades to meet the advancing Union divisions. At about 2 p.m. they launched a strong attack and pushed the Union troops back to within less than a mile of Globe Tavern. Warren counterattacked and regained his lost ground. His men entrenched for the night.<ref>Davis, p. 101; Trudeau, pp. 162–63; Salmon, p. 424.</ref>

Reinforcements arrived during the night—the Union IX Corps under Parke and, three infantry brigades from Mahone's division and "Rooney" Lee's cavalry division. In the late afternoon of August 19, Mahone launched a flanking attack that found a weak spot in Crawford's line, causing hundreds of Crawford's men to flee in panic. Heth launched a frontal assault against the center and left, which was easily repulsed by Ayres' division. XI Corps counterattacked and fighting ended at dusk. On the night of August 20–21, Warren pulled his troops back two miles (3&nbsp;km) to a new line of fortifications, which were connected with the main Union lines on the Jerusalem Plank Road. The Confederates attacked at 9 a.m. on August 21, with Mahone striking the Federal left and Heth the center. Both attacks were unsuccessful against the strong entrenchments and resulted in heavy losses. By 10:30&nbsp;a.m., the Confederates withdrew.<ref>Trudeau, pp. 164–73; Salmon, pp. 424–25; Davis, pp. 101–04; Eicher, p. 725.</ref>

Union casualties at Globe Tavern were 4,296 (251 killed, 1,148 wounded, 2,897 missing/captured). Confederate casualties were 1,620 (211 killed, 990 wounded, 419 missing/captured).<ref>Bonekemper, p. 316. Kennedy, p. 360, and Salmon, p. 426, estimate 4,455 Union, 1,600 Confederate. Horn, p. 140, estimates 4,279 Union, about 2,300 Confederates. Eicher cites Union losses as 926 killed and wounded, 2,810 missing or captured.</ref> The Confederates had lost a key section of the Weldon Railroad and were forced to carry supplies by wagon {{convert|30|mi|km}} from the railroad at Stony Creek up the Boydton Plank Road into Petersburg. This was not yet a critical problem for the Confederates. A member of Lee's staff wrote, "Whilst we are inconvenienced, no material harm is done us." Grant was not entirely satisfied with Warren's victory, which he rightly characterized as wholly defensive in nature.<ref>Davis, p. 104; Trudeau, p. 173.</ref>

Globe Tavern was the first Union victory of the campaign.