Surprise Attack

In the predawn darkness Federal soldiers stormed over this outer wall while hundreds of Confederates slept in their tents. Although the Federals were able to overrun Fort Harrison, General Hiram Burnham, commanding the lead brigade, was killed. His troops renamed the captured earthworks Fort Burnham. The fall of Fort Harrison on September 29, 1864, forced Lee to bring in more troops and build new entrenchments to stitch up Richmond’s weakened line of defense.

Virginia · United States