1864 Holland View of the U.S. Civil War Battle of Weldon Railroad

This is a c. 1864 Richard Holland view of the American Civil War Battle of Weldon Railroad. The view is distinctive among Civil War prints for providing a rarely-seen view of events behind the lines of battle. Part of the Petersburg Campaign, the Battle of Weldon Railroad resulted in Union forces successfully severing the last railroad linking Petersburg and Richmond with Wilmington, North Carolina, the Confederacy's last remaining Atlantic port.

A Closer Look

Illustrating events of August 21, 1864, the fortified Federal line crosses the view in the middle ground. The foreground presents a behind the scenes look at the battle, with wooded officers, backup troops, supply stations, observers, and more of interest. Riflemen and artillery, protected by timber battlements, appear along the line, with smoke billowing skyward from the rifle and artillery fire. The Weldon Railroad cuts through the Federal line at an angle. The horses used by the artillery batteries appear behind the Federal line in the foreground, along with a handful of wounded and dying soldiers. Confederate soldiers appear in the background, marked mostly by the smoke billowing from their return fire. Six units defending the line are identified below the image and are Battery H, 1st New York; Battery B, 1st New York; Battery D, 5th United States; the 5th New York Regiment; the 9th Massachusetts Battery (Holland's unit); and the 16th Maine Regiment. On this day, Confederate forces tried and failed to dislodge the fortified Union forces from the railroad and then withdrew back to Petersburg.

The Battle of Weldon Railroad

The Battle of Weldon Railroad (also referred to as the Battle of Globe Tavern) was fought from August 18 - 21, 1864, as part of the siege of Petersburg. Known as Union Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's Fourth Offensive of the Petersburg Campaign, the Battle of Weldon Railroad started as a feint, with Grant sending a force north of the James River to pull reinforcements and General Robert E. Lee's attention northward. This success allowed Grant to send another force under General Gouverneur K. Warren westward to attack the Weldon Railroad. The railroad held great strategic importance for Lee, since it was the last remaining rail link between Richmond (the Confederate capital), Petersburg, and Wilmington, North Carolina, the Confederacy's last Atlantic port. Warren's troops reached the Weldon around 9:00 a.m. on August 18 and began destroying the tracks. This prompted a response from Confederate General Beauregard, who sent General Heth down the Halifax Road to drive the Federals off the railroad. Heth won initial successes, but soon encountered strong resistance and was unable to dislodge the Union troops.

The next day, August 19, Grant elected to change tactics from a quick raid on the Weldon to extending the Union's fortified position to sever the railroad. This forced the Confederates to attack a fortified Union position for a change, a rarity during the Petersburg campaign. That afternoon, Confederate Generals Heth and Mahone attacked the Union positions, and again were initially successful, capturing around 2,500 Union soldiers and severing the Union line. However, after a strong counterattack, the Union had regained the lost territory by nightfall. The last day of the battle, August 21, was a disaster for the Confederates. Instead of attacking the Union flank and rear, as they believed, Confederate forces launched straight at the Union center and suffered severe casualties. This resulted in a Confederate withdrawal back to Petersburg and the Union extending their lines to include the newly won territory along the Weldon Railroad. Effectively severing the rail link, this success forced Lee to unload cargo from railcars thirty miles from Petersburg and carry it overland, making for a much less efficient (and much more vulnerable) supply line.

Publication History and Census

This view was drawn by Richard Holland and published by J. H. Bufford c. 1864. We note cataloged examples which are part of the collections at the Huntington Library, the Yale University Art Gallery, and the Boston Athenaeum. We also note only one other instance in recent years when this piece has appeared on the private market.