Grant learned that Lee was sending part of his force to support Early in the Shenandoah Valley. He thought the Confederate trenches between Petersburg and Richmond were now more lightly defended. The information was wrong. But Grant saw an opportunity to break the siege of Petersburg by attacking the trenches around Deep Bottom. The week-long campaign failed to defeat the Confederate defenses because Grant had miscalculated the situation. He sent General Hancock with Union II Corps, X Corps, and General David McMurtrie Gregg’s cavalry division across the James at Deep Bottom during the night of August 13-14. At first, the Union attacks were successful. But soon Confederate reinforcements arrived and the Union advance stalled. On August 17 a truce was called so both sides could take care of their dead and wounded. Lee ordered a counterattack the next day. But it was poorly organized and did not accomplish much. Hancock, however, began a withdrawal of the Union troops north of James. By August 20 the withdrawal was completed. The Union forces maintained their bridgehead at Deep Bottom. Overall the battle and skirmishes cost the Union 3,000 casualties against a loss to the Confederacy of about 1,500. Lee's thinly defended line some long remained intact. But he could not afford to send any troops to Early in the Shenandoah Valley.
While the Second Battle of Deep Bottom was going on, Grant had sent troops south of Petersburg to capture the Weldon Railroad. This was another of Grant's simultaneous operations. The Weldon Railroad was the only connection between Petersburg and the last Atlantic seaport at Wilmington, North Carolina. Grant had failed to capture the Weldon Railroad in June. The Union V Corps under General Gouverneur K. Warren was ordered to move west, destroy the tracks and, if possible, hold the rail line. Warren was successful in destroying tracks. But attacks and counterattacks went on for the next three days. The action cost the Union Army 4,279 casualties and the Confederates lost between 1,600 and 2,300 dead, wounded or missing. The Union was able to extend its lines west and built a fort named after Union General James S. Wadsworth, who was mortally wounded at the Battle of the Wilderness.
Hancock's II Corps moved against the Weldon Railroad on August 24. Tired from the battle at Deep Bottom, they were forced marched to the south of Petersburg to tear up more tracks. Gregg's cavalry cleared a path ahead of them. But on August 25, Confederate general Heath attacked the Union forces at Ream's Station. Confederates captured 9 cannon and took many Union prisoners. Hancock withdrew his forces back to the Union lines near the Jerusalem Plank Road.
By September 1864, the Confederate army was getting hungry. Supplies of everything were running low. Lee's army was feeling the effects of Grant's scorched earth policy in the Shenandoah Valley. On September 5 Lee learned that the Union Army had about 3,000 cattle being kept at Coggins Point, Virginia. This was only from Grant's headquarters. The herd was being lightly guarded by 250 men of the 1st D.C. Cavalry. There was also a detachment of about 150 men of the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry. This entire area of the Union rear was picketed by one understrength cavalry division. Lee had been pressuring his cavalry commander, Major General Wade Hampton, to attack the Union rear area. Hampton saw this as a chance to both attack behind enemy lines and get cattle to feed the hungry Confederate soldiers at Petersburg. Lee approved but told Hampton he had one concern: “The only difficulty of importance I see to your project is your return.”
Wade put together a force of about 3,000 cavalry troops. It consisted of General W.H.F. "Rooney" Lee's cavalry division, and two brigades led by generals Thomas L. Rosser and James Dearing. It also included about 100 men from Pierce M. B. Young's and John Dunovant's brigades, along with a number of dogs to help herd the cattle. The plan was to ride a total of to steal the cattle then get them back to the Confederate lines. The herd designed to feed Union troops would now be used to feed Confederate troops.
On the morning of September 14, Hampton led his force southwest around the Union Army's left flank. They camped at Wilkinson’s Bridge on Rowanty Creek and early next morning moved to the bridge had once stood over Blackwater Creek. By midnight his forces had rebuilt the bridge and were now within of the cattle herd. Hampton divided his forces. Rooney Lee went to the left to screen against forces coming from Petersburg. Dearing's brigade went to the right to wait for the main attack, then protect the captured herd from any Union forces in the area. Rosser's brigade took the 1st D.C. Cavalry by surprise and captured 300 men. They also captured a number of the Union cavalry's new Spencer repeating rifles. The 13th Pennsylvania cavalry put up a stiffer resistance but were brushed aside by the larger Confederate force. Within a few hours the cattle had been captured and the Confederates were on their way back to their own lines. Once they discovered what had happened, Union forces in the area went after the cattle. All they got for their trouble was a few stray cattle. Once across the bridge over the Blackwater, Hampton's Confederates took it apart. In addition to the cattle, Hampton's men captured the civilian herders. The herders proved useful and seemed willing to go with the Confederate raiders. Hampton got 2,486 cattle losing just 10 men, 47 were wounded and four were missing. Hampton also kept one of the repeating rifles for himself.
Also called the Battle of Chaffin's Farm. On the night of September 20–29, General Butler and his Army of the James cross the James River to attack the outer defenses of Richmond. At dawn, his columns attacked the Confederates. Fort Harrison was the key to General Butler's plan. It was the strongest point in the Confederate line north of the James. On high ground, the fort had a view all the way to the James River. The fort was lightly held by only 200 Confederate troops as most were in Petersburg at the time. The fort's cannon were old and not considered battle worthy by the Northern artillerymen. The Union attack came unexpectedly and so quickly that there were few Union casualties. The Union Army was successful at both New Market Heights and at Fort Harrison. The Confederates then fought to contain the breakthrough. As Grant predicted, Lee weakened his Petersburg defenses to reinforce his lines north of the James River. Lee counterattacked on September 30 but his efforts were unsuccessful. The Union troops dug in forming trenches around the territory they just captured. The confederates built a new line of defenses that cut off the area captured by the Federal troops. The total casualties were 4,430 including Union General Hiram Burnham. The fort was renamed Fort Burnham in his honor.
Also called the Battle of Dabney’s Mill. On February 5, 1865, Gregg's Union cavalry division moved towards Ream's Station and the Dinwiddie Court House. Their mission was to raid and cut off Confederate supply trains. He was supported by Union General Warren's V Corps who took up a blocking position to stop any Confederate interference. Major General Andrew A. Humphreys's II Corps moved west to cover V Corps' right flank. That night, two more divisions reinforced the Union positions. But the raid was unsuccessful. As Gregg's cavalry was returning they were attacked by Confederate divisions led by Generals John Pegram and William Mahone. The Union advance was stopped although General Pelgram was killed in the battle. But the Union Army gained more territory as the line was now extended to Hatcher's run. Total casualties in the action were 2,700.