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| Add Photo — Add Link — Add Commentary — Correct this page — Print | | Petersburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic) |
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The Largest Fort
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By Bill Coughlin, April 24, 2007 | |
| | | 1. The Largest Fort Marker | | |
Inscription. Fort Fisher was the largest of the more than 30 forts that studded the Union siege lines. It included nearly 2,000 feet of parapet and could mount 19 guns. The boom of a single gun in this fort on the morning of April 2, 1865, portended the fall of Petersburg. That solitary shot signaled the opening of the final Union assaults on the city.
“When the signal sounded the entire Corps, notwithstanding the orders to keep silent, sent up a mighty cheer and then dashed forward into the fog.”
- Lt. Col. Elisha H. Rhodes, 2nd R.I. April 2, 1865
Erected by Petersburg National Battlefield - National Park Service - Department of the Interior.
Location. 37° 10.454′ N, 77° 27.218′ W. Marker is in Petersburg, Virginia. Click for map. Marker is in Petersburg National Battlefield along the Siege Line Tour. Marker is at or near this postal address: Flank Road, Petersburg VA 23803, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Fort Conahey (approx. half a mile away); “A Great Struggle is Now Impending” (approx. 0.6 miles away); Lieutenant Colonel Ronald A. Kennedy (approx. 0.7 miles away); The Attack Begins (approx. 0.7 miles away); “A Determination That Knew No Such Word as Fail” (approx. 0.7 miles away); “We Fought Desperately” (approx. 0.7 miles away); “Our Line of Battle was so Thin” (approx. 0.7 miles away); A Mysterious Historic Feature (approx. 0.7 miles away). Click for a list of all markers in Petersburg.| | | | 
By Bill Coughlin, April 24, 2008 | |
| | | 2. Marker in Petersburg National Battlefield | | |
More about this marker. The right portion of the marker contains a photograph of “Fort Fisher in March 1865. This view shows the fort being expanded to its final size.”
The middle of the marker features a photograph of “The Union signal tower at Peebles Farm – a quarter mile behind you – [which] loomed over Fort Fisher.”
The right portion of the map contains a map of the fortifications around Petersburg at the time of the siege. It has the caption “Fort Fisher was one of several forts built to secure ground gained by the Union during the Battle of Peebles’s Farm in late September and early October 1864.”
Like many other markers in Petersburg National Battlefield, this one has a Petersburg Time Line at the bottom.
Also see . . .
1. Heritage Documentation Programs. Fort Fisher: Assessment of the Principal Earthworks: The Federal "Fish Hook" Line, Petersburg, VA. (Submitted on May 22, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of North Arlington, New Jersey.)
2. Petersburg National Battlefield. National Park Service. (Submitted on May 22, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of North Arlington, New Jersey.)
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By Bill Coughlin, April 24, 2007 | |
| | | 3. Interior of Fort Fisher | | There is a walking trail that covers most of the interior of Fort Fisher. | | |
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By Bill Coughlin, April 24, 2007 | |
| | | 4. Observation Deck in Fort Fisher | | This observation deck looks toward were the Confederate lines were located during the siege of Petersburg. | | |
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By Bill Coughlin, April 24, 2007 | |
| | | 5. Fort Fisher Walking Trail | | Fort Fisher was the largest earthen fortification in the Petersburg area, which can be seen in this photo. It was constructed in March of 1865. | | |
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By Bill Coughlin, April 24, 2008 | |
| | | 6. Interior of Fort Fisher | | Since Fort Fisher was more than a mile from the closest Confederate fortification, it was never directly attacked and saw little bombardment during the siege. | | |
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Credits. This page originally submitted on May 22, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of North Arlington, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 892 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on May 22, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of North Arlington, New Jersey.
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