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Petersburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Petersburg National Battlefield

 
 
Petersburg National Battlefield Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, July 7, 2012
1. Petersburg National Battlefield Marker
Inscription. Beginning on June 15, 1864, less than three miles east of where you are standing, 18,000 Union troops attacked the Confederate line of defensive fortifications surrounding the city. When all attempts to take the city by direct assault failed by June 18th, General Ulysses S. Grant began laying siege upon Petersburg, which would become one of the longest campaigns of the Civil War. The National Park Service’s Petersburg National Battlefield is the place to learn more about some of the fiercest fighting of the Siege. Here the two armies were literally yards apart in some areas of the lines, placing the men under constant danger of sharp shooting and mortar fire. The Eastern Front Unit of the battlefield contains a Visitor Center and museum as well as walking trails and a four mile tour road. As you venture down the park’s tour road, you will be able to see trenches and fortifications where soldiers lived and died. You can walk on the grounds where the famous Battle of the Crater took place and learn about the lesser known but pivotal Battle of Fort Stedman which was General Robert E. Lee’s only major offensive of the campaign. Discover why one soldier said, “This life in the trenches was awful—beyond description.”

Grant’s Headquarters at City Point

As Grant’s attempt to lay siege on Petersburg continued,
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serious hardships afflicted both Southern soldiers and civilians as the Union Armies systematically attempted to cut off their supply lines. The Union Army would not have the same problems. Ten miles east of here lay City Point, which for almost ten months, served as the logistic and supply base for the Federal Army. This area, now part of the City of Hopewell, also served as General Grant’s main headquarters. President Abraham Lincoln visited twice and spent two of the last three weeks of his life at City Point. Visitors to the site will find a park ranger located in Appomattox Plantation, the home of the Dr. Richard Eppes Family. There they will find a 15 minute video as well as participate in a tour of the house and grounds.

The Western Front Unit

The Western Front Unit of Petersburg National Battlefield allows visitors to learn about the battles which occurred south and west of the defense lines at Petersburg. As General Grant ordered his troops to attack supply lines coming from North Carolina and from points west, General Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia did everything they could to protect these routes. But Lee’s army was diminishing. General Grant, realizing the weakened state of Lee’s army, made a determined push for the last of Petersburg’s supply lines in the spring of 1865. Visit the Western Front Unit to learn about these offensive
Petersburg National Battlefield Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, July 7, 2012
2. Petersburg National Battlefield Marker
movements of the Union army as grant placed a stranglehold on Lee’s lifelines. Included along the tour is Poplar Grove National Cemetery which is the resting site of over 6,000 Union soldiers. A Visitor Contact Station is staffed at Polar Grove during the summer.

The Five Forks Battlefield

The Five Forks Battlefield is located approximately 20 miles southwest of where you are standing. Known as the “Waterloo of the Confederacy,” this desperate battle included some of the most famous generals of the Civil War. Union generals Philip H. Sheridan, Gouverneur K. Warren, George Armstrong Custer, and Joshua L. Chamberlain joined together to combat Confederate generals George E. Pickett and Fitzhugh Lee. Realizing that the Five Forks intersection in Dinwiddie County was all that stood between the Union forces and the last of Petersburg’s supply lines, the South Side Railroad, General Robert E. Lee ordered General Pickett to “hold Five Forks at all hazards.” Visit this battlefield in Dinwiddie County and find out why General Lee’s order to General Pickett was easier said than done. This part of Petersburg National Battlefield includes a Visitor Contact Station and a five-stop driving tour.

(captions)
Battery Five
Living History Program
Civil War Trenches
During the siege the Federal army used a 13-inch Seacoast mortar

Grant's Reconstructed Headquarters At City Point image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bradley Owen, October 5, 2013
3. Grant's Reconstructed Headquarters At City Point
known as “The Dictator” or “Petersburg Express.”
Above: Appomattox Plantation Left: Grant’s Headquarters
Postcard showing Poplar Grove National Cemetery
Union Counterattack at Fort Stedman—March 25, 1865
Union General Philip Sheridan at Five Forks
Ranger programs

 
Erected by City of Petersburg.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #18 Ulysses S. Grant series list. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1808.
 
Location. 37° 13.99′ N, 77° 24.265′ W. Marker is in Petersburg, Virginia. Marker is at the intersection of East Old Street and Rock Street, on the right when traveling east on East Old Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9 E Old St, 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. Petersburg’s Natural Parks (here, next to this marker); Old Market Square (here, next to this marker); Pamplin Historical Park (here, next to this marker); Petersburg’s Old Towne (here, next to this marker); Architectural Heritage (here, next to this marker); Touring Old Towne (here, next to this marker); Petersburg Museums
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(here, next to this marker); African-Americans in Petersburg (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Petersburg.
 
Also see . . .
1. Petersburg National Battlefield. National Park Service (Submitted on July 10, 2012.) 

2. Petersburg National Battlefield. National Register of Historic Places (Submitted on November 11, 2021.) 
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 10, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 998 times since then and 7 times this year. Last updated on June 10, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on July 10, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.   3. submitted on June 9, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 28, 2024