The Civil War (1990)

S1E6 Valley of the Shadow of Death: 1864

In the sixth episode, the lives of Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee are compared as the narrative unfolds through the intense battles that saw these two military leaders clash, spanning from the Wilderness to Petersburg, Virginia. Within just 30 days, both armies suffer more casualties than they had collectively endured over the previous three years of conflict. As Grant and Lee reach a stalemate at Petersburg, the episode explores the grim conditions in hospitals on both sides and tracks General Sherman's campaign in Atlanta through the rugged Georgia terrain. As the death toll rises, President Lincoln’s re-election hopes, along with the prospect of a Union triumph, begin to fade.