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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 of the Dimmock Line

 
 
Battery 5 of the Dimmock Line Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2007
1. Battery 5 of the Dimmock Line Marker
Inscription. In 1862 – two years before the first Federals appeared at the city’s gates – Confederate Captain Charles Dimmock oversaw the construction of a ten-mile line of defensive works ringing Petersburg. In front of you is Battery 5 one of the largest of the fifty-five artillery positions in the Dimmock Line.

Most of the works you see at Battery 5 were built by slaves. The parapet to your left, shown on the diagram to your right in blue, was added by the Federals after the battle here on June 15, 1864.

Far Right: On June 15, 1864, more that 30,000 Union troops marched from the east toward the Dimmock Line. Only 2,300 Confederates stood between the Federals and Petersburg.
 
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and CastlesWar, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1942.
 
Location. 37° 14.704′ N, 77° 21.427′ W. Marker is near Prince George, Virginia, in Prince George County. Marker can be reached from Petersburg Tour Road, on the left when traveling north. Marker is in Petersburg National Battlefield on the Battery 5 Trail. The trailhead is located at the Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5001 Siege Rd, Petersburg VA 23803, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other
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markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Petersburg Campaign (within shouting distance of this marker); Artillery at Petersburg (within shouting distance of this marker); Opportunity Lost (within shouting distance of this marker); Uprooted by War (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Siege of Petersburg — Grant's First Offensive (about 400 feet away); Battery 5 Trail (about 400 feet away); The Siege of Petersburg (about 500 feet away); Prelude to Petersburg (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Prince George.
 
More about this marker. The marker is dominated by a war-time photograph with the caption, This photograph, taken from just inside Battery 5, shows how the battery looked a few days after the capture by the Federals. During the Siege of Petersburg, Battery 5 would be more than a mile behind the rest of the Union siege Lines.

The upper right of the marker contains maps of Battery 5, and of all fortifications surrounding Petersburg.
 
Also see . . .
1. Petersburg National Battlefield. National Park Service. (Submitted on April 5, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.) 

2. The Second Battle of Petersburg: June 15-18, 1864. The Siege of Petersburg Online. (Submitted on April 5, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.) 
 
Maps of Battery 5, and rest of the fortifications around Petersburg image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2008
2. Maps of Battery 5, and rest of the fortifications around Petersburg
Battery 5 from the outside image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2007
3. Battery 5 from the outside
Battery 5 was constructed by the Confederates, but fell to the Union on June 15, 1864. It was then used by the Union for the duration of the siege of Petersburg.
Inside of Battery 5 image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2007
4. Inside of Battery 5
There are several cannons located in Battery 5. The bridge over the earthworks leads to the site of the "Dictator", a mortar used to fire on Petersburg during the siege.
Brierfield Gun image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2007
5. Brierfield Gun
One of the numerous cannons present in Battery 5 is this 6-pdr Field Gun cast at Briefield Arsenal, in Alabama.
Interior of Battery 5 image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Swain, November 22, 2008
6. Interior of Battery 5
Note the marker location next to the Brierfield gun. Battery 6 was in the tree line, center distance.
Exterior of Battery 5 image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Swain, November 22, 2008
7. Exterior of Battery 5
Clear here are the exterior lines, the moat, and the exterior slope of the main rampart.
Battery 5 Trail Map image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2007
8. Battery 5 Trail Map
The "Battery 5 of the Dimmock Line" marker, located on the Battery 5 Trail, is indicated by the red arrow.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on September 2, 2021. It was originally submitted on April 4, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 2,481 times since then and 16 times this year. Last updated on September 1, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on April 4, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.   6, 7. submitted on December 22, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.   8. submitted on April 4, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 29, 2024