Daz is joined by historian Dr. Nathan Provost—The Dramatic Historian himself—to begin our new series, Nine Months: The Siege of Petersburg. Together, they explore the origins of the Petersburg Campaign, setting the stage for one of the longest and most significant operations of the American Civil War.

The Petersburg Campaign (June 1864–April 1865) was a prolonged struggle for the vital railroad hub of Petersburg, Virginia. After crossing the James River, Union General Ulysses S. Grant attempted to seize the city, but failed assaults led to a nine-month siege marked by trench warfare and continuous fighting. As Union forces cut Confederate supply lines, General Robert E. Lee was forced to abandon Petersburg and Richmond following the Union victory at Battle of Five Forks. The campaign led directly to Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House and the end of the American Civil War.