 Ramba uchinyora ndima iyi - Petersburg ndiyo yaiva muzinda wokugovera zvinhu kuNorthern Virginia ine migwagwa yezvitima mishanu yaisangana panzvimbo imwe chete. Kutorwa kwaro kwakareva kuwa pakarepo kweRichmond. Kuti tidzivirire Richmond uye kurwisa Grant muhondo dzeWilderness, Spotsylvania, neCold Harbor, Lee akamanikidzwa kusiya Petersburg aine dziviriro shoma yemasoja. Pashure pokunge vayambuka Rwizi rwaJames, Hondo yePotomac, pasina kurwisana, yakafamba yakananga kuPetersburg. Pashure pokuyambuka James, Grant akanunura Butler kubva kuBermuda Hundred ndokutuma XVIII corps inotungamirirwa naBrig. General William F. Baldy Smith kuti atore Petersburg isina kudzivirirwa zvakanaka, iyo yaichengetwa neConfederate General P.G.T. Beauregard. Grant akagadza dzimbahwe rake idzva paCity Point kwehondo yevagari vemo yose. Mauto eUnion akakurumidza kurwisa ndokupfuura migero iri kunze kwePetersburg musi waJune 15. Zvisinei, Smith nenzira isingatsananguriki akarega kurwa uye akamirira kusvikira zuva rakatevera, June 16, kuti arwise guta, achibvumira Beauregard kuisa pfungwa dzekusimbisa mumabasa epasi epasi. Kurwisa kwechipiri kweUnion paPetersburg kwakatanga musi wa16 Chikumi uye kwakatora kusvika musi wa18 Chikumi, apo varwi vaLee pakupedzisira vakasvika kuti varambe mauto eUnion kubva pakutora njanji yakakosha. Asingakwanisi kuputsa dziviriro dzaLee dzePetersburg, Grant aifanira kugutsikana nekukombwa. 