Near Petersburg in Prince George County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The United States Military Railroad
Photographed by James Hulse, October 4, 2023
1. The United States Military Railroad Marker
The thin rails of the United States Military Railroad brought men, sustenance, supplies, and ammunition from City Point to Union armies sprawled across 30 miles of war-torn Virginia. You are near the site of Meade Station, one of the road's major waysides.
Started in June 1864 and dismantled in 1865, the Military Railroad carried as many as fifteen trains loaded with a total of 1,400 tons of supplies each day. As the siege lines stretched westward, engineers extended the railroad until it totaled more than 22 miles of track.
Captions
Middle Left: The military railroad also gave the Federals the means to move men quickly to any point of the line. Here, Union troops unload at Warren Station during the Battle of Peebles's Farm, September 30, 1864.
Lower Left: "It ran up hill and down dale, and its undulations were so marked that a train moving along it looked in the distance like a fly crawling over corrugated washboard."
- Lt. Col. Horace Porter, USA
Lower Center: Many of the stations along the railroad were named after Union generals. From Meade Station, the supplies were hauled by wagon along the Prince George Court House Road to the front, 1.5 miles away.
Erected by National
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1864.
Location. 37° 13.811′ N, 77° 20.835′ W. Marker is near Petersburg, Virginia, in Prince George County. It can be reached from Siege Road half a mile south of Oaklawn Blvd. The marker is located south along the Prince George Courthouse Trail in the Petersburg National Battlefield. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Lee VA 23801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
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
Photographed by James Hulse, October 4, 2023
2. The United States Military Railroad Marker and railroad tracks
Other markers no longer nearby. Prince George Court House Road (was approx. 0.4 miles away but has been permanently removed); Infantry Earthworks (was approx. 0.4 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Regarding The United States Military Railroad. The ultimate Union victory over the Confederate army of Robert E. Lee at Petersburg is due in large part to the well-organized operations of the U.S.M.R.C.C.
Also see . . . The United States Military Railroad. National Park Service website entry
The work of the United States Military Railroad Construction Corps (U.S.M.R.R.C.C.)(Submitted on October 18, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)was instrumental in the reduction and ultimate defeat of the Confederate army defending Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia in the closing days of the American Civil War. In the nine months of the Siege of Petersburg, 21 miles of track would be laid, 25 locomotives and more than 275 pieces of rolling stock would be used, and 2,300,000 miles would be logged on the railroad.Photographed by James Hulse, October 4, 20233. The United States Military Railroad Marker along the hiking trail
Public Domain - Andrew J. Russell - Library of Congress, circa 1864
4. Orange & Alexandria Railroad rail yard in Alexandria, Virginia
Credits. This page was last revised on November 3, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 347 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 18, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
