Grant ordered an assault on Lee’s fortified position and got 12k guys slaughtered.
So he got a lot of negative press over that, so he’s trying a siege next but Lincoln is like you gotta make progress or I’ll lose the election.
So someone has the idea to blow a hole in the confederate line using miners, which works but it creates a huge crater that the union pours into but then they are trapped in that bowl getting shot from above.
With casualties again mounting Grant says to the colored regiments to get in there and they lose 75% of their numbers, but those casualties don’t cause any outcry.