Near Petersburg in Prince George County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Dictator
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2007
1. The Dictator Marker
- A.I.P. Varin 2nd Mississippi
Famous but militarily ineffective, the Dictator fired on Petersburg from this spot during July, August, and September 1864.
The Dictator was a 13-inch seacoast mortar similar to the one in front of you. It was the largest gun used during the siege and could lob a 225-pound explosive shell more than two miles. During its service in the siege lines, the Dictator fired 218 rounds at Petersburg and its defenses.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1864.
Location. 37° 14.811′ N, 77° 21.392′ W. Marker is near Petersburg, Virginia, in Prince George County. It can be reached from Petersburg Tour Road, on the left when traveling north. The marker is in Petersburg National Battlefield, on the Battery 5 Trail. The trailhead is at the Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is in
this page online
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 of this marker: A different marker also named The Dictator (here, next to this marker); Opportunity Lost (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Battery 5 of the Dimmock Line (about 600 feet away); Artillery at Petersburg (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Petersburg Campaign (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Uprooted by War (approx. 0.2 miles away); Siege of Petersburg Grant's First Offensive (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2007
2. Dictator mortar on the siege line
The Union army used the Dictator to fire on the city of Petersburg during the siege of 1864-65.
Other markers no longer nearby. Opportunity Lost (was about 400 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Battery 5 of the Dimmock Line (was about 600 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Uprooted by War (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Battery 5 Trail (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
More about this marker. The marker is dominated by a photograph of the Union siege line and the Dictator. It has the caption This view, taken from your left, shows the Dictator and the entrance to its powder magazine.
The right of the marker contains a picture of soldiers loading mortars. It has the caption A battery of 10-inch mortars at work. Watching mortar shells arc through the night sky became a popular and sometimes dangerous spectator sport.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. New Marker At This Location titled "The Dictator".
Also see . . . Petersburg National Battlefield.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2007
3. Closeup of the Dictator
The "Dictator" on display today is a reproduction made of cast concrete.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2007
4. Powder Magazine
The Union army kept mortars and other ammunition in the powder magazine for safety purposes. The powder magazine can be seen in the war-time photograph on the marker.
Photographed by Craig Swain, November 22, 2008
5. Close up of the Powder Magazine Sign
Photographed by Craig Swain, November 22, 2008
6. Dual Vents on the Dictator
The accuracy of the reproduction is near complete. The design featured two vent holes, only one of which was drilled completely through. The right side vent was drilled one inch short. The intent was, should the original vent be obstructed, simple field maintenance could restore the mortar to working order. The "lugs" under the mortar engage into the elevation ratchets on the mortar's mounting sled.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, April 23, 2007
7. Battery 5 Trail Map
This map of the Battery 5 Trail, which begins at the Visitor Center, indicates the location of the Dictator.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 13, 2009
8. The Dictator Today?
This 13-inch seacoast mortar, presently located at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, NY, could possibly be the actual "Dictator." It was moved here from Ft. McNair, Washington DC.
Click for more information.
Click for more information.
September 1, 1864
9. Rear view of the 13-inch Mortar "Dictator" in the works of Petersburg, Va. September 1, 1864
This is the same photograph as the leftmost of the two on the marker, albeit less tightly cropped. Courtesy of the Library of Congress. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
Photographed by David Knox, October 1864
10. 13 inch mortar "Dictator" in front of Petersburg, Va.
Photograph shows Union officers and enlisted men standing around a large mortar on a platform on a flatbed railroad car near Petersburg, Virginia. Courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 3, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 4, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 4,270 times since then and 55 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 4, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 5, 6. submitted on December 22, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 7. submitted on April 4, 2008, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 8. submitted on March 21, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 9, 10. submitted on October 11, 2015. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.
