<P> Gordon soon arrived at Fort Stedman and found his attack had so far exceeded his "most sanguine expectations ." Within minutes, Batteries X, XI, and XII and Fort Stedman had been seized, opening a gap nearly 1,000 feet (300 m) long in the Union line . Gordon turned his attention to the southern flank of his attack and Fort Haskell . The Confederate artillery from Colquitt's Salient began bombarding Fort Haskell and the Federal field artillery returned fire, along with the massive siege guns in the rear . </P> <P> Gordon's attack began to flounder . His three 100 - man detachments were wandering around the rear area in confusion and many had stopped to satisfy their hunger with captured Federal rations, as the main Union defense force began to mobilize . Maj. Gen. John G. Parke of the IX Corps acted decisively, ordering the reserve division under Brig. Gen. John F. Hartranft to close the gap . Hartranft organized defensive forces that completely ringed the Confederate penetration by 7: 30 a.m., stopping it just short of the military railroad depot . The Union artillery, aware that Confederates occupied the batteries and Fort Stedman, launched punishing fire against them . By 7: 45 a.m., 4,000 Union troops under Hartranft were positioned in a semicircle of a mile and a half, and counterattacked, causing heavy casualties to the now - retreating Confederates . </P> <P> The attack on Fort Stedman had no impact on the Union lines . The Confederate Army was forced to set back its own lines, as the Union attacked further down the front line . To give Gordon's attack enough strength to be successful, Lee had weakened his own right flank . The II and VI Corps seized much of the entrenched Confederate picket line southwest of Petersburg, but found the main line still well manned . This Union advance prepared the ground for Grant's breakthrough attack in the Third Battle of Petersburg on April 2, 1865 . </P> <P> Union casualties in the Battle of Fort Stedman were 1,044 (72 killed, 450 wounded, 522 missing or captured), Confederate casualties a considerably heavier 4,000 (600 killed, 2,400 wounded, 1,000 missing or captured). But more seriously, the Confederate positions were weakened . After the battle, Lee's defeat was only a matter of time . His final opportunity to break the Union lines and regain the momentum was gone . </P>

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