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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Near Prince George in Prince George County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Battery 5 Trail

 
 
Battery 5 Trail Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Swain, November 22, 2008
1. Battery 5 Trail Marker
Inscription.
On the ground before you the first major attacks against Petersburg occurred. This bloodletting marked the beginning of nine months of siege.

This 0.6-mile trail will take you through Battery 5 of the Confederate Dimmock Line, captured by the Federals on June 15, 1864. Along the way you will also see the position of the famous Union mortar, the "Dictator."

The walk includes a set of stairs and a moderate (10% slope). Mobility-impaired visitors can reach the position of the "Dictator" by taking the right fork of the trail.
 
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1864.
 
Location. 37° 14.635′ N, 77° 21.401′ W. Marker is near Prince George, Virginia, in Prince George County. Marker is on Petersburg Tour Road, on the left when traveling north. Located at the trailhead for the Battery 5 walking tour, in Petersburg National Battlefield Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5001 Siege Rd, Prince George VA 23875, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Siege of Petersburg — Grant's First Offensive (a few steps from this marker); Stephen Tyng Mather (a few steps from this marker); Prelude to Petersburg
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(a few steps from this marker); The Siege of Petersburg (within shouting distance of this marker); Uprooted by War (within shouting distance of this marker); Artillery at Petersburg (within shouting distance of this marker); The Petersburg Campaign (within shouting distance of this marker); Confederate Battery 6 (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Prince George.
 
More about this marker. The background of the marker is a wartime photo of the "Dictator." For almost three months in 1864, the "Dictator" (shown here), a 13-inch seacoast mortar, fired into the city of Petersburg. In the upper right is a map of the trail indicating interpretive waysides along the path.
 
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Battery 5 Trail and nearby markers.
 
Also see . . .  Battle and Siege of Petersburg. National Park Service site. (Submitted on December 22, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.) 
 
Trail Map image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Swain, November 22, 2008
2. Trail Map
Start of the Battery 5 Trail image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Swain, November 22, 2008
3. Start of the Battery 5 Trail
Battery 5 image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Swain, November 22, 2008
4. Battery 5
To the left, along the trail's sidewalk, is an artillery display.
Missing Earthworks image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Swain, November 22, 2008
5. Missing Earthworks
A few feet from the Artillery Display along the walking trail is this sign which reads:

The unmown strip of tall grass has been left to indicate the outline of connecting earthworks between Confederate Battery 5, to your left and Battery 6, 250 yards to your right.
Ground Between Batteries 5 and 6 of the Dimmock Line image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Swain, November 22, 2008
6. Ground Between Batteries 5 and 6 of the Dimmock Line
Battery 5 image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bradley Owen, October 20, 2021
7. Battery 5
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on November 15, 2021. It was originally submitted on December 22, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,565 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on December 22, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.   7. submitted on November 11, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.

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Mar. 19, 2024