Near Petersburg in Dinwiddie County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Fighting At Reams Station
Struggles for the Railroad
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, March 19, 2024
1. Fighting At Reams Station Marker
Welcome to the Reams Station battlefield! In the summer of 1864, two battles of the significant Petersburg Campaign raged across this ground for control of the Petersburg (Weldon) Railroad. Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederates defended Petersburg and its railroad connections to ensure the flow of vital supplies to his army. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Union forces sought to destroy those supply lines. The first battle, fought here on June 29, 1864, as Confederates attempted to intercept Federal cavalry returning to the Union lines, ended in a Southern victory.
Grant then ordered Gen. Winfield S. Hancock's 2nd Corps to destroy the railroad around the Reams Station depot. On August 25, 1864, Confederates under Gen. A.P. Hill's command attacked Hancock's troops. The Confederates emerged victorious once again, and limited supplies continued to reach Lee's army.
"This was one of the most important engagements of that eventful year, 1864. If Hancock had effected a lodgment and fortified at Reams Station, thereby blocking communication by the Petersburg and Weldon Railroad, the chances are that General Lee would have been compelled
this page online
Pvt. Ulysses R. Brooks, CSA
(caption) During and after the August 25, 1864, battle at Reams Station, the Oak Grove United Methodist Church was used as a field hospital. - American Civil War Museum
Please enjoy this walking trail and preserved ground. Follow the trail to four interpretive signs detailing the Second Battle of Reams Station. Allow an hour to walk it and stay on the trail to avoid ticks and snakes. Please pack out any trash. Metal detecting is not permitted.
Post a #signselfies #civilwartrails @discoverdinwiddie.
Erected by Virginia Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is August 25, 1864.
Location. 37° 5.628′ N, 77° 25.414′ W. Marker is near Petersburg, Virginia, in Dinwiddie County. It is on Reams Drive (Virginia Route 606) 0.1 miles west of Halifax Road ( Route 604), on the right when traveling west.
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, March 19, 2024
2. Fighting At Reams Station Marker
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Piedmont, in Southside Virginia, and specifically in Central Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. 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 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Second Battle Of Reams Station (within shouting distance of this marker); North Carolina (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Second Battle Of Reams Station (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named Second Battle Of Reams Station (approx. 0.2 miles away); Ream's Station (approx. 0.2 miles away); Second Battle of Reams Station (approx.
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, March 19, 2024
3. Reams Station Battlefield
Other markers no longer nearby. The Battle of Reams Station (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); a different marker also named The Battle of Reams Station (was about 500 feet away but has been permanently removed); a different marker also named The Battle of Reams Station (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been permanently removed); a different marker also named Ream's Station (was approx. Ό mile away but has been confirmed missing); a different marker also named The Battle of Reams Station (was approx. Ό mile away but has been permanently removed).
Also see . . . Reams Station Battlefield. American Battlefield Trust (ABT) (Submitted on March 19, 2024.)
Photographed by Craig Swain, November 22, 2008
4. Oak Grove United Methodist Church
The original church was a landmark in the June 22 skirmish, the June 29 battle, and the August 25 battle around Reams Station. A new church was built on the foundation of the wartime church. When the new church was built, planks from the original showed musket ball holes and embedded canister balls.
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, March 19, 2024
5. American Battlefield Trust: Preserving America's Hallowed Ground - Forever
The American Battlefield Trust is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization devoted to saving the hallowed battlegrounds of America's first 100 years.
Since its founding in 1987, the American Battlefield Trust has protected more than 50,000 acres of historic battlefield land, including the beautiful site you are visiting today.
Thanks to the American Battlefield Trust and its supporters, this land has been set aside forever as a place of quiet contemplation and remembrance where ordinary Americans performed extraordinary deeds.
In addition to saving historic land, the American Battlefield Trust seeks to inspire interest in our nation's past and inform our fellow citizens about the vital role these battlefields played in the American story.
Please join the fight to save America's hallowed battlegrounds. To learn more, visit us online at www.battlefields.org. Thank you for your help!
Credits. This page was last revised on November 2, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 19, 2024, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 604 times since then and 60 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 19, 2024, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 4. submitted on November 23, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 5. submitted on March 19, 2024, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
