Near Petersburg in Prince George County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Infantry Earthworks
Petersburg National Battlefield
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 20, 2021
1. Infantry Earthworks Marker
Re-created here are samples of some of the infantry earthworks that ringed Petersburg works that one man said made the landscape resemble an immense prairie dog village. As the siege wore on, assaults against entrenched positions became rare. Most of the pitched battles at Petersburg took place beyond the flanks of the armies, as the Federals inexorably pushed westward to cut the rail lines and roads into the city.
Attacking entrenchments has been tried so often and with such fearful losses that even the stupidest private now knows that it cannot succeed, and the natural consequence follows; the men will not try it. The very sight of a bank of earth brings them to a dead halt.
Col. Charles Wainwright, USA, June 18, 1864
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 date for this entry is June 18, 1864.
Location. 37° 13.96′ N, 77° 21.27′ W. Marker is near Petersburg, Virginia, in Prince George County. It is on Siege Road, on the left when traveling south. Marker is in Petersburg National Battlefield
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Coastal Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Monotonous Toil (a few steps from this marker); A Splendid Charge (a few steps from this marker); U.S. Colored Troops (within shouting distance of this marker); Battery 8 of the Dimmock Line (approx. 0.3 miles away); The United States Military Railroad (approx. 0.4 miles away); Spring Used By The 209th Regt. Penn Vols. (approx. 0.4 miles away); Training for War on Hallowed Ground (approx. half a mile away); Dividing Point (approx. half
Photographed by Bradley Owen, October 20, 2021
2. Infantry Earthworks Marker
Other markers no longer nearby. Infantry Earthworks (has been replaced with this marker); Prince George Court House Road (was here, next to this marker but has been permanently removed).
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Old Marker At This Location also titled "Infantry Earthworks".
Also see . . . Petersburg National Battlefield. National Park Service (Submitted on November 15, 2021.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 14, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 356 times since then and 29 times this year. Last updated on February 1, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 14, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
