Marching from Cold Harbor, Meade's Army of the
Potomac crossed the James River on transports and a 2,200-foot long
pontoon bridge at Windmill Point. Butler's leading elements (XVIII Corps
and Kautz's cavalry) crossed the Appomattox River at Broadway Landing
and attacked the Petersburg defenses on June 15. The 5,400 defenders of
Petersburg under command of Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard were driven from
their first line of entrenchments back to Harrison Creek. After dark the
XVIII Corps was relieved by the II Corps. On June 16, the II Corps
captured another section of the Confederate line; on the 17th, the IX
Corps gained more ground. Beauregard stripped the Howlett Line (Bermuda
Hundred) to defend the city, and Lee rushed reinforcements to Petersburg
from the Army of Northern Virginia. The II, XI, and V Corps from right
to left attacked on June 18 but was repulsed with heavy casualties. By
now the Confederate works were heavily manned and the greatest
opportunity to capture Petersburg without a siege was lost. The siege of
Petersburg began. Union Gen. James St. Clair Morton, chief engineer of
the IX Corps, was killed on June 17.