. June 18th witnessed the failure of the last of Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's assaults on Petersburg. Grant spent that bloody afternoon reminiscing about the old days in the pre-war army with an old friend, Brig. Gen. Joseph Hayes, a brigade commander newly returned from convalescing from a wound. After the assaults died down Grant spent the rest of the day on administrative tasks. That evening he assured Meade, the commander of the Army of the Potomac, that he did not blame him for the failure to capture Petersburg. “I am perfectly satisfied that all has been done that could be done. . . “ He informed Meade, “Now we will rest the men and use the space for their protection until a new van can be struck.” He told Meade that as soon as the cavalry division of Brig. Gen. James H. Wilson was rested he would use it to cut Lee’s line of communication. He also told Meade that he thought twenty days supplies should be built up for the army at its depot and an additional ten days in wagons and haversacks (Grant to Meade June 18, 1864 OR ol. 40, Part 2, p. 156).

Bryce A. Suderow