Near Petersburg in Dinwiddie County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
“The Cannons’ Flashes Lit Up the Terrible Scene”
The Breakthrough Trail
— Pamplin Historical Park —
Cannons in these redans would be positioned in one of two ways. Guns en barbette were fired from raised platforms over the fortification walls allowing the widest field of fire. Some redans contained openings called embrasures through which artillerists aimed their cannon. Embrasures limited the field of fire but protected the artillerymen in the works.
Approximately twenty artillery pieces of various types opened on the Union Sixth Corps on the morning of April 2, 1865. Evidence suggests that two powerful cannons, 3-inch Ordnance Rifles belonging to the Norfolk (Va.) Light Artillery Blues, occupied this redan. The Union Sixth Corps recorded the capture of twenty Confederate cannons on April 2, including the two 3-inch Ordnance Rifles positioned here.
Artillery of the Breakthrough
3-inch Ordnance Rifle
Tube Length: 73 inches
Tube Weight: 816 pounds
Bore Diameter: 3.0 inches
Range: 1850 yards
Material: Wrought Iron
Light 12-pounder Howitzer, Model 1857
Tube Length: 66 inches
Tube Weight: 1227 pounds
Bore Diameter: 4.62 inches
Range: 1620 yards
Material: Bronze (U.S.)/Iron (C.S.)
10-pounder Parrott Rifle, Model 1861
Tube Length: 78 inches
Tube Weight: 890 pounds
Bore Diameter: 2.9 inches
Range: 2000 yards
Material: Cast Iron
6-Pounder Field Gun, Model 1841
Tube Length: 60 inches
Tube Weight: 884 pounds
Bore Diameter: 3.67 inches
Range: 1520 yards
Material: Bronze
24-pounder Howitzer
Tube Length: 65 inches
Tube Weight: 1318 pounds
Bore Diameter: 5.82 inches
Range: 1325 yards
Material: Bronze
Erected by Pamplin Historical Park.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil.
Location. 37° 10.663′ N, 77° 28.571′ W. Marker is near Petersburg, Virginia, in Dinwiddie County. Marker can be reached from Duncan Road (Virginia Route 670) one mile east of Boydton Plank Road (U.S. 1), on the left when traveling south. Marker is in Pamplin Historical Park, on the Breakthrough Trail. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6125 Boydton Plank Rd, Petersburg VA 23803, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Battle of Harmon Road (within shouting distance of this marker); The Breakthrough at Hart Farm (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Sixth Maryland Infantry Monument (about 400 feet away); The Hart House (about 500 feet away); “The Strongest Line of Works Ever Constructed” (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Hart Farm (approx. 0.2 miles away); McGowan’s South Carolina Brigade (approx. 0.2 miles away); Petersburg Breakthrough Battlefield (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Petersburg.
More about this marker. The top of the marker features a map of the Confederate fortifications and indicates the range of fire of several types of cannon. The right of the marker contains pictures of the various artillery pieces described in the sidebar.
Also see . . .
1. Breakthrough at Petersburg. The American Civil War website. (Submitted on January 17, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
2. The Breakthrough Trail. Pamplin Historical Park website. (Submitted on January 17, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
3. The Final Assault. The Civil War Siege of Petersburg. (Submitted on January 17, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 17, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 1,160 times since then and 17 times this year. Last updated on February 22, 2022, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on January 17, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.