City Point, Virginia

City Point, Virginia. One of the World's Busiest Seaports. , 8000 B.C. , Indian occupancy., 1613 , Sir Thomas Dale establishes area as "Bermuda Cittie"., 1619 , Name changes to Charles City Point., 1621 , Rev. Patrick Copeland plans to build free public school, financed by the East India Company., 1622 , The Indian Massacre virtually destroys the town and several years pass before resettlement. Public school plans never materialize. The massacre survivors from Charles City Point flee to Shirley Hundred., 1623 , Charles City Point, which was fortified "by Trench and Pallizado and diverse blockhouses" in a manner similar to the fort at Jamestown goes "to ruin"., 1635 , Francis Eppes of Kent, England, patents of a portion of Charles County and Charles City Point becomes known as City Point., 1732 , City Point starts to prosper again and a ferry operates between City Point and Shirley Hundred., 1755 , "An Act for Establishing Pilots and regulating fees..." is passed which includes the port of City Point., 1765 , A foreign vessel abandons a young boy, Peter Francisco, on the City Point docks. He grows to the height of six feet six inches and weighs over 250 pounds. He becomes a Revolutionary War hero., 1776 , By February a substantial number of American troops are stationed at City Point. Locals pay 15-17 pounds (British currency) per month toward the soldiers' supplies., 1781 , On January 4, British Navy shells and captures City Point., 1781 , The British return in April and May with 2,500 soldiers., 1787 , City Point is an important port after the war. In April, May and June, sixty-five vessels discharge their cargoes here., 1797 , The U.S. Collector of Customs office moves from Bermuda Hundred to City Point., 1801 , The post office moves from Bermuda Hundred to City Point., 1826 , An act passed by the Virginia General Assembly on February 17 provides that fifty acres of land be laid off into lots thus incorporating City Point as a town., 1838 , Increased river traffic prompts the establishment of the City Point Rail Road Company which connects City Point to Petersburg., 1855 , The rail road, renamed the South Side Rail Road, completes a brick depot, a wharf and a shed 113 feet along to aid in the loading and discharging of vessels., 1862 , On May 19, General George B. McClellan's gunboats shell City Point. During the spring and summer, the town was shelled on eleven different occasions., 1864 , On May 5 Major General Benjamin Butler lands Samuel Duncan's brigade of black troops who capture the town. On June 15 Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant arrives at City Point to conduct military operations against Petersburg. On June 21 President Lincoln arrives for a three day visit., 1865 , Lincoln's second visit begins the evening of March 24 and lasts two weeks. On March 29, Grant moves his headquarters close to the front lines in preparation for the final campaign of the war., 1867 , The final detachment of Federal infantry is removed from City Point on November 4., 1867-1872 , The Freedmen's Bureau is organized by the War Department to aid blacks in the transition to their new lives. A school is opened for the education of former slaves., 1870 , When Virginia is admitted to the Union on January 26, less than 300 residents populate City Point., 1881 , Shipping continues as City Point's wharves accommodate a fleet of eight luxury steamers en route to New York., 1914 , Workers at the Du Pont Guncotton Plant crowd into Hopewell and City Point. Tents are erected in the old town's empty lots., 1917 , At the height of World War I, hundreds of Camp Lee soldiers board transport ships at the City Point docks., 1923 , In March, the court approves the annexation of City Point by the City of Hopewell, thus changing the status of City Point from a town to a city neighborhood., [Captions:] , City Point , At the confluence of the Appomattox with the James River, headquarters of the armies operating against Richmond.. Library of Congress [LC-US262-73623], The large building (top left) is the Bull Ring, a dreaded Federal Provost Prison. St. John's Church topped by a steeple is to the right of the Bull Ring. Appomattox Manor is the large house (top right), fronted by the Federal cabins. The area abutting the river is Water Street and above the bluff the first street is old Main Street (now Prince Henry Avenue). The present Pecan Avenue begins at the intersection of Water Street (lower right) and rises toward Appomattox Manor.