Near Petersburg in Dinwiddie County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Confederate Fort Gregg
| | Petersburg National Battlefield | |
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2007
1. Confederate Fort Gregg Marker
Men, the salvation of Lees army is in your keeping.On the afternoon of April 2, 1865, after a morning of bludgeoning attacks all along the Petersburg lines, 5,000 Federals swept forward to attack Fort Gregg. The 300 Confederates here twice drove the Federals back, but finally the attackers reached the forts parapet. For twenty minutes a vicious hand-to-hand battle raged.
Maj. Gen. Cadmus Wilcox to the defenders of Fort Gregg, April 2, 1865
At fights end, the fort belonged to the Federals. Only 44 Confederates survived the battle unscathed. With the fall of Fort Gregg and nearby Fort Whitworth, the Confederates pulled back to their last, innermost line. The two hours gained by Fort Greggs defenders allowed Lee to evacuate Petersburg safely that night.
(caption) At the climax of the fight, about a dozen Federals leveled their guns at Confederate cannoneer Pvt. Lawrence Berry Drop the lanyard or well shoot, they yelled. Shoot and be dammed, Berry yelled back as he fired the cannon. He in turn fell in a blast of Union gunfire. Berry is shown in the center of this painting.
Erected by National Park
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is April 2, 1865.
Location. 37° 11.883′ N, 77° 27.015′ W. Marker is near Petersburg, Virginia, in Dinwiddie County. It can be reached from Seventh Avenue north of Simpson Road, on the right when traveling north. Marker is in the northeast corner of the fort, 350 yards east of the parking area. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Petersburg VA 23803, United States of America. Touch for directions.
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 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
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2007
2. Marker in Petersburg National Battlefield
Marker is on the Seige Line Tour of Petersburg National Battlefield.
Also see . . . Petersburg National Battlefield. National Park Service. (Submitted on May 16, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.)
Additional commentary.
1. 19 Mississippi Infantry
My great-grandfather, Captain Chesley Shelton Coffey, was commander of company D, 19th Mississippi. I visited Fort Gregg and Battery Whitworth several years ago. Surveying the surrounding area, I found it difficult to believe the intense fighting that took place there in 1865. I came away in awe and almost disbelief. For those who have ancestors who fought with Brig. General Harris' Mississippi Brigade, it is
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2008
3. Fort Gregg
The remains of Confederate Fort Gregg are still evident today.
— Submitted December 1, 2008, by Rick Coffey of Woodinville, Washington.
2. My Great Grandfather Thomas Mulcaha
My grea-grandfather, Thomas Mulcaha, was one of the 300 at Fort Gregg. He was wounded, captured and sent to a prison for several months after the war ended and remained in Petersburg to his death. In his obituary in the Richmond Herald Dispatch it was noted that some 30 years after the battle, a minie ball worked its way out of his leg and he had a jeweler adorn it with some gold and it became his watch fob. He was born in Yazoo City, MS in 1824 and joined the Mississippi 7th Sartaria Rifles at the war's onset. His outfit fought all across the South ending up in the Siege of Petersburg.
— Submitted March 20, 2023, by John William Mulcaha of Pawleys Island, South Carolina.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 19, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 16, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 10,065 times since then and 174 times this year. Last updated on March 19, 2025, by Mike McKeown of Baltimore, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 16, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
