After the battle of Gettysburg the year 1863 passed without an engagement between the two armies in Virginia. Lee, after crossing the Potomac, retired behind the line of the Rapidan. Meade massed his army at Warrenton. In October Lee made a rapid advance to the old battle-ground of Manassas. But if he hoped to take his antagonist by surprise he was mistaken: Meade was too quick for him, and he was forced to retreat hastily. In …showed first 75 words of 1029 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1029 total…its garrison. The effort ended in failure, through lack of sufficient celerity of movement. Grant lost about nine thousand men in this unlucky enterprise. Both sides now began to intrench, and there gradually arose that wonderful series of earthworks which eventually stretched for many miles both north and south of the James, from the vicinity of Richmond to and beyond Petersburg, and behind which the opposing armies lay facing each other for nearly a year.